“I am the Handmaid of the Lord”: The Daily Examen for Children

Our 2026 Full of Grace Youth Journal theme is “Marian Titles.” We celebrate Mary throughout the year by reflecting on the many names that honor her love, protection, and intercession. March’s title is Handmaid of the Lord, honoring the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, celebrated on March 25.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)

As Catholics, we return again and again to the scene of the Annunciation—Mary, the angel, the impossible invitation, the world-altering yes. It is the hinge upon which the door to salvation opens. Full of grace, free of sin, the Handmaid of the Lord cooperated with Christ’s mission by agreeing to bring Him into the world.

“The Handmaid of the Lord” is a self-given title. It is Mary’s very first title, the one from which all others stem. The Annunciation is a place of intimacy between the Lord and Mary, and she makes this declaration of her role in salvation all on her own. God does not announce the Incarnation with bells and whistles, alerting kings and queens of His plan. Instead, He sends Gabriel to a young girl in an unsung town with an impossible invitation. Her reply is gentle, obedient, courageous, yet free of fanfare—you can sense her closeness to Him.

Mary’s Fiat was not a singular declaration but instead a posture that she inhabited for the rest of her life: yes in Nazareth, yes on the road to Bethlehem, yes at the foot of the Cross. Her whole life was an ongoing consent to God’s will, and she embodied receptivity and attentiveness to every way He led her.

God so loves us and honors our free will that He paused for Mary’s response, just as He pauses for our responses. The Annunciation invites our children into a beautiful but challenging opportunity to embrace courage and receptivity together and to exercise their free will in a way that pleases the Lord. 

As our children face the distractions and all manners of darkness that the modern world throws their way, how can we encourage them to bear Christ into their own corners of Creation? How do we teach our children to take on this Marian posture? How do we help them develop the spiritual muscle memory to recognize God’s voice and respond with their own yes, day after day?

The Daily Examen: A Practice of Listening

The daily examen is a practice developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It gives us the tools to review our day with God, ask for forgiveness and consolation, and make time for prayer. This practice relies upon active noticing, showing love for God through reflection and a Marian attention to His will. The examen is an excellent tool for children because it is a straightforward and clear-cut way to exercise the muscle that helps us to hear and embrace God’s voice in our lives.

Mary did not interrupt the angel or rush to answer. The examen teaches our children to slow down, sense God’s closeness, and consider: Where did I encounter God today? Where did I pull away from Him?

Adapting the Examen for Children

For younger children, the examen can be simple and built into the bedtime routine. As you tuck them in, sit quietly and invite them into prayer first. Afterwards, ask them to think back over their day with a few questions:

What happened today? See what most stands out to them.

When did you feel most loved today? Helps them recognize consolation and grace, identifying God’s presence through moments of joy, peace, and connection with loved ones or Creation.

When did you feel most alone/sad/anxious today? Encourage them to name their negative feelings. Assure them that there is no shame in their struggles, and Christ seeks them out in both the good and the bad.

What do you want to say to God about tomorrow? We can offer our tomorrow to God before it even begins. The smallest surrenders on a regular basis—“Help me be brave at school,” “Help me be kind to my sister”—can help virtue and sacrifice become second nature.

There is no one right way to do this so long as the questions are rooted in faithful reflection. A Google search can give you visual tools for helping your youngest children to answer these questions.

Diving Deeper for Preteens & Teenagers

If your preteen or teenager is questioning everything, including their faith, that’s normal. They are trying to find their place in the world, which makes the deeply reflective nature of the examen perfect for them. It inspires honesty about their interior lives and attentiveness to their feelings and the feelings of those around them.

Take them to pick out a journal they will want to use and give them some prompts they can privately answer:

What am I genuinely grateful for today, even if the day was hard?

Where did I notice God today?

Where did I say “no” to God today?

When did I choose selfishness over generosity? Fear over trust?

Do I need to ask for forgiveness from God?

How can I say yes tomorrow? Be specific.

The final question is an invitation to be like Mary tomorrow. It does not ask them to linger on their mistakes or fix every problem, but instead to focus on and participate in something bigger than themselves—to “do the next right thing.”

Making Room for Their Own Annunciation

A Marian posture will not be formed in a day. It requires preparation, nourishment, and must be toned throughout one’s life. The daily examen creates a sacred space to help our children “train” their hearts to be like Mary’s and discern God’s voice through the noise. If it can become a rhythm in their lives, it will further reveal the fact that every day contains opportunities to respond to God with trust. Some days, it will come with ease and joy. Other days, something will be at risk—pride, comfort, certainty, control, status. It is important that our children understand that God can be trusted with each and every part of our lives, and that our fiat only ever leads us closer to Him, no matter any temporary drawback or perceived loss.

As we approach the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, there is no better time to begin this practice. May our children keep Mary’s words on their own lips, always reminding them that they have the choice to be a witness to Christ in all life’s matters, no matter who they are or where they come from. May they discover, as the Handmaid of the Lord knew, that saying yes to God is the beginning of all of life’s most fulfilling adventures.