8-DAY RETREAT PRAYER GUIDE

Transcription

1 8-DAY RETREAT PRAYER GUIDE 1

2 PREPARING FOR AN 8-DAY RETREAT Take time to truly cut-off and settle down at the start of the retreat Have a clear schedule for the day and be faithful and stick to it as much as possible (need to find one s rhythm in prayer) Space your prayer times Plan well what you want /need to do in-between prayer periods. Your activities during this time must help you go back to prayer with ease Be faithful to your prayer periods (once. You have determined the prayer times) Never cut short your prayer time (even if you feel nothing is happening) Plan well what you will more or less bring into formal prayer even before you enter into it. Make the Eucharist the focus/center of the day (bring all your prayer experiences and offer them in the Mass) Take time to journal the experiences and fruits of your prayer. Pray more with your heart and less with your head and not think too much when praying. SOME HELPS Only in calm waters can you see your reflection, Not in running waters. Only in tranquility can you find That resting place which stillness seeks. [ Lao-Tse ] It is only if we learn to rest in God s silence that we can discover the right words, words that are neither arrogant nor vacuous, words that are both truthful and humble. It is only if the center of our lives is God s own silence that we will know when language ends and when silence begins, when to proclaim and when to be quiet. Timothy Radcliffe, OP ] What we must rediscover is the discipline of silence the discipline of letting go of our own easy chattering about the gospel so that words may come again from a new and different depth or force from something beyond our fantasies. It is this contemplative dimension that destroys the false images of God that we may be tempted to worship and which liberates us from the traps of ideology and arrogance. [ Rowan Williams ] Teach me Lord, how to come to you. Nothing else do I have but willingness How I am to reach you, I do not know. Do thou inspire me, show me, give me What I need for the journey. [ St. Augustine ] 2

3 Silence is giving loving attention to God and ourselves. It means remaining in relaxed alertness in the presence of God. [If our thoughts turn to other upcoming activities, worries, or any other static, let us take the distraction as a sign of something coming to the surface and let us return to our silence without being perturbed nor blaming ourselves.] This focusing in silence is a fundamental discipline of any spiritual journey and also provides the basis for others that require focusing or paying attention. Let us focus on the Lord s promise to do great things for us throughout our lives especially these coming days. In prayer let us keep trying to get in-touch with the feelings the Word of God arouses in us. Let us pray over and over for the grace of hope, faith and love. Jer. 29: Is 55 Ezek 34: Is 46: 3-4 John If then you are the work of God, Await the hand of the artist who does all things in due season. Offer him your heart, soft and tractable, and Keep the form in which the Artist has fashioned you. Let your clay moist, lest you grow hard And lose the imprint of his fingers. [ St. Irenaeus ] God, you are my God, I am seeking you. My soul is thirsting for you. My flesh is longing for you A land parched, weary and waterless. [Psalm 63: 1] You should be awake, and praying Not to be put to the test. [ Mt.26: 41] 3

4 Theme: Proper Disposition for Prayer PREPARATORY PRAYER Grace: O Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray. I beg for the grace of openness and honesty that I may come before my God just as I am and be ready to meet him in prayer with confidence and humility. Readings: Is. 55: 6 11 (Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call to him while he is near) Ps. 63: 1 (O God, you my God, for you I long.) Mk. 1: 35 (In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.) Rm. 11: 36 (All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him Be glory forever!) VC # 38 (The call to holiness is accepted and can be cultivated only in the silence of adoration before the infinite transcendence of God.) Points to ponder and Prayer Exercises: What is your basic disposition as you enter into prayer? What is your deepest desire? What are you longing for? What concerns, needs, fears, and anxieties occupy your mind at the moment? Name them and present them to the Lord. Long before dawn, Jesus goes to the mountain to pray to prepare for a busy day. Have you given priority to prayer? How much quality time do you have for your prayer? Are you able to listen attentively to God s word as well as to the movements stirred within you? Do you share Paul s disposition to acknowledge all as gift from God? Do we give glory to God in all circumstances of life? We come to the Lord just we are. Present to him the realities of the moment: i] our basic disposition ii] Our concerns iii] Our hopes and our desires Offer them to the Lord and beg for his blessing. Speak to Jesus more intimately as you go over the above points and beg for the grace you need most at this point of your life. End with a thanksgiving. 4

5 DAY 1 THEME: Thanksgiving and Praise GRACE: Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace to feel your joy and gratitude as you prayed to your Father so that, following your example and that of St. Paul, I may always be joy-filled and thankful for all His gifts. SCRIPTURAL PASSAGES: A) 1Co 1:3-5/ 1 Cor 3:16-17 B) 1 Thes 5: A recurrent theme in all Pauline letters! It forms the introduction of every letter. - His thanksgiving is directed to God the Father through Jesus Christ He gives thanks especially for the growth in faith of those he has evangelized. First I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is talked of all over the world... I continually mention you in my prayers. We give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, continually in our prayers, ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all God s holy people because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. (1Co 1:3-5) - For Paul, this attitude of thanksgiving touches all the areas of daily life: Whatever you eat, then, or drink, and whatever else you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) - Paul invites everyone to this attitude of gratitude: With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him. (1 Cor 3:16-17; See Also 1 Thes 5:16-18) - Paul, in his letter to the Colossians 2:7-10 exhorts, Be rooted in Him and built up in Him... and overflow with gratitude. Points to ponder and prayer exercises: 1. At this point in your life, what do you consider as your greatest blessings? Name them and spend time thanking the Lord for each one of them. 2. Develop the habit of thanking God for everything, especially those things you tend to take for granted. Make a list of ordinary everyday blessings for which you have never thanked the Lord. 3. END YOUR GRATITUDE IN PRAYER. COMPOSE YOUR PRAYER OF GRATITUDE. (use back page) 5

6 DAY 2 Theme The Consolation of My Life Story GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS Lord Jesus, I beg for the Readings: If your life-story were a grace of insight, so that I Ps 103 God fills our days book, what chapters can gratefully appreciate with good things. would it contain? my own life story and see Rm 8: What can Outline each chapter that it consists of separate us from the love briefly, dwelling on the countless blessings and of God? leading events and consolation graces, in Dt 7: 6 11 For you experiences, including just one, single, unified are a people sacred to especially the main expression of God s constant love and care for me. the Lord Jn 14: 23 31The word that you hear is not mine but that of my Father who sent me. blessings and consolation graces received at each phase of your life. Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: Spend time examining prayerfully these chapters, focusing eventually on the key blessings received at each chapter of your story. Note that these different chapters, together with the many blessings, are all closely interrelated with one another, revealing a coherent pattern of God s constant love for you. Who would be the significant characters in your life-story? Identify them and see how they have contributed much to your story. How different would your story be and where would you be now Without these important people? Present your entire story, including the main characters of your life story to God and dialogue with the Lord about them. End with a thanksgiving. 6

7 DAY3 Theme: My Favorite Sins GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace to understand truly the nature and role of sin in my life, its Readings: Rm 7: I do not do what I want to do but what I hate. What are your favorite sins or favorite sinful patterns? destructive effects on me Ez 33: Turn, turn Take time to clarify each of and on others around me, to detest it and to feel sincere contrition and courageously amend my from your evil ways. Lk 18: 9 14 Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican them. life. Ps 51 Prayer of Repentance Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: How do these favorite sins of yours, including your own patterns of sinfulness reflect the quality of your fundamental option in life ( i.e., your basic option whether your entire life really is for God and for others or mainly for yourself)? How do you hurt yourself and others through your favorite sins and sinful patterns? Go back to those times when you felt you truly hurt yourself and others through your own sinfulness. What would you say are the roots of your favorite sins and sinful patterns? How can you break these sinful patterns of yours? There is a story about St. Jerome and the Child Jesus. It is said that once the Child Jesus appeared to him asking, Jerome, what will you give me this Christmas? And Jerome said, Lord what more can I give you? I have given you my all. I have given you my entire life. And the Child Jesus responded, There is one more thing that you can give me. And what is that? the saint asked. Jerome Our Lord said, Give me your sins. Imagine the Lord before you telling you repeatedly: Give me your sins. Take your favorite sins and sinful patterns and give them all to the Lord. End by being truly contrite and beg for God s healing mercy. 7

8 DAY 4 Theme: God leads me to greater freedom. GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS To ask for what I desire a deep awareness of how God has to find me in order that I can respond to God s calls in my life. a] Gen 22:1-19-I pray over the story of Abraham and Isaac to be able to have the trust and openness of Abraham. b] Repetition c] Lk 1: I pray over the story of the Annunciation to be able to say like Mary, Let it be done to me according to your will. d] Repetition e] Phil 3:7-16 -May I come to a point of saying with Paul, I consider all the advantages I have as disadvantages in comparison to knowing Jesus. f] Repetition or Jn 3:22-30 May I come to a point of being able to say with John the Baptist, He must increase, but I must decrease. I am called to be fully human; I am called to live in Christ Jesus; I am called to cooperate with others in fulfilling God s desires for humanity. These calls presume the freedom to hear the call and then the freedom to respond to the call and then the strength to carry it out. Such freedom is beyond my own achievement it is God s gift. God frees me from all those biases and prejudices and possessions that make me deaf to the Spirit s call; God frees me FOR cooperating with others in developing God s reign. God gives me the ability to carry out this effort. 8

9 Theme The Lord s Gentle Healing Touch DAY 5 GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace of courage and radical transparency, so that I can face my own sinful self, including my stress of vulnerability and pain, and experience your gentle healing touch. Ez 36: From hearts of stone to hearts of flesh Mt 9: Woman with Hemorrhage Ps 103 Bless the Lord O my soul Lk 7: Penitent Woman Get in touch with your own areas of pain, including your unfreedoms or fears, burdens, anger, pride, depression, sense of hopelessness, etc. Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: What is hurting you now? Affecting you in a negative way? Allow all these burdens to surface one by one in your prayer. As soon as they surface, stay and dwell on each as long as you can. Speak to the Lord from the heart regarding these areas of pain and difficulties. Take time doing this. When you are ready, present all these areas of difficulties to the Lord, for his gentle healing touch. > Imagine Jesus before you extending his hand and gently touching and healing you from all these afflictions. Take time just feeling the consoling touch of the Lord. >So much part of spiritual healing is this experience called closure Closure can be realized in our lives when we:- - accept a reality which we have been denying - let go of a reality which we have been desperately holding on to - forgive someone who has hurt us ( may include our very self) - say goodbye to something or to a loved one >At this point in your life, is there any reality that you need to accept: anyone/ anything you need to let go, anyone you need to forgive; anyone/ anything you need to bid goodbye to..go through, as often as necessary, all the prayer exercises above and when you are ready beg the Lord for courage and with him slowly move towards quality closure from your present pains and burdens. End with a thanksgiving. 9

10 DAY 6 Theme Naming My God GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace to know you and your ways most Intimately so that I can see you more clearly, follow you more nearly, love you more dearly and live out your Gospel truths daily in my life. Mk 8: Who do you say that I am? Jn 14: 1 21 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 1Cor 13: 1 13 Discourse on Love Ps 62 God alone is my Rock and Salvation Prayerfully examine your life and behold how God has been loving you and blessing you. What particular gifts and blessings stand out? What particular patterns of God s loving and blessing in your life come into view? Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: Prayerfully examine your life and behold how God has been loving you and blessing you. What particular gifts and blessings stand out? What particular patterns of God s loving and blessing in your life come into view? Israel used many names and metaphors to describe her God. We see many of these names and metaphors in the Book of Psalms. Some examples are my rock, my salvation, my shepherd and so on. Given God s patterns of loving in your life, what names would you give to your God to describe his unique manner of relating with you? Why these names (titles or metaphors or adjectives) in particular? * God back to those memories in your life when the Lord loved you and blessed you in the way that you named your God and described him. * Pray over 1Cor 13:1 13, Paul s Discourse on Love. Here the word love (agape) is mentioned ten times. After praying over the original text, take the word love and replace it with My Lord or My God. When doing this, reflect on how the Lord has been kind, patient, not jealous to you personally and realize how without him in your life, you are nothing. Take all these points above, especially the different names you have given your God and dialogue with him on these. End with a thanksgiving. 10

11 DAY 7 Theme - Sharing Christ s Passion GRACE TO ASK PRAYER MATERIALS PRAYER PROCESS Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace of intense >Mk. 15: Way of the Cross and the Crucifixion Do a gospel contemplation on our sorrow with you in >Col 1: 24 - Now I rejoice in Lord s way of the sorrow, anguish with my sufferings for your sake, and Cross up to the actual you in anguish and in my flesh I am filling up what is crucifixion. Fix your deep grief knowing well the great affliction you endure for me so that I may I lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church >VC # 2 - Consecrated persons gaze on the face of Jesus. Be with him on the way to Calvary. Enter his be take on my share discover that the more they stand heart; just feel with of sufferings and at at the foot of the cross of him, feel his sadness. difficulties which you continue to endure in your body, the church. Christ, the more immediately and more profoundly they experience the truth of God who is love. >Const. SHC # 1 We, women of one heart and soul, are gathered together, trusting God alone, submissive to His will, bearing witness to Christ on the cross and bringing light to all people (Ad Lucem Per Crucem). Stay close to him. Let him share his feelings with you if he pleases. Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: Dialogue with Jesus. Tell him how you feel. Express your sorrow, your shame. Ask his forgiveness for your failure to share in his sufferings as he continues to suffer in his own body, the church. Like St. Paul, how can we share in the sufferings of Christ in his body today? In our own little ways, how can we alleviate the sufferings of those who are weak and helpless? As consecrated persons, we experience more profoundly the truth of God who is love at the foot of the cross. What are the daily crosses that we face today? What is our main attitude towards our crosses and difficulties? Name and clarify your daily crosses and offer them to the Lord. Dialogue with Mary at the foot of the cross. Ask her to teach you total conformity to the will of God. End with a thanksgiving. 11

12 DAY 8 Theme The Resurrection: The Commission and the Emmaus Story Grace: Lord Jesus, I beg for the grace of overwhelming joy and rejoicing, know- Ing well that through your Resurrection you have conquered sin, evil and death and that in God s own time all shall be well. Readings: Mt 28: Lk 24: Jn 11: Eph 2: 1 10 The Commission Emmaus Story I am the Resurrection and the Life Life in Christ Points to Ponder and Prayer Exercises: Do a contemplation on the Easter story, taking either the Commissioning of the Disciples or the Emmaus Story. Imagine Galilee or Emmaus and enter prayerfully into the Gospel scene, beholding the place and the disciples there. Spend time going into the details of this part of the Lord s resurrection and slowly, in the end, focus on the Lord and gaze lovingly at his face. With our Risen Lord meeting the disciples in Galilee and in the end, even missioning them into the world to baptize and teach, he must have felt much faith and hope in them. Enter into the sacred heart of our risen Lord and just feel the profound faith and hope in his disciples. In Mt 28: 7 16, the place Galilee is mentioned thrice. Interestingly, our Lord dies and rises in Jerusalem but insists that his disciples meet him in Galilee immediately after the resurrection. From the gospels, we know that Galilee was a most special place for our Lord and his disciples. This is where they met one another, spent time with one another and became close and intimate with one another. Galilee is where they created beautiful memories with one another. What had been your Galilee experiences with the Lord [memorable moments of intimacy and closeness with him] Name and clarify them and relive them in your prayer. The Emmaus story starts with the two disciples complaining and despairing, however ending with these same disciples trusting in the Lord. Right now, in what areas of your life do you find yourself continually complaining and despairing? Present these to the Lord. Open your heart to him and find comfort in what he will tell you. Thank him for sharing the gifts of his presence and mission to us as seen through the Easter story. 12

13 CONTEMPLATIO AD AMOREM (Contemplation to grow in love) RELISHING THE RETREAT EXPERIENCE Contemplation to grow in love: Grace: to love the present moment and fill it with love. 1. What is the most important grace you have received during the retreat Ex. learning to be more trustful - more accepting of myself, strengths, weaknesses -Interior freedom 2 Was there a time or were there times during the retreat where you felt like Jacob wrestling with God? Ex. Challenge to accept the past and present apostolate 3. What was or what were your most consoling moments? 4. Have you become more sensitive to the: - spontaneous movements of your heart? - spontaneous thoughts? - spontaneous feelings - like peace, tranquility 5. Are there still unfinished business? 6. Have you become more sensitive to the movements of the spirit in your life? Ex. - fear to trust - Anxiety or confusion to serenity - Discouragement and helplessness to hopefulness - Resistance to the movements of the spirit to acceptance 7. What new things did you learn and experience about - prayer - silence - focus - grace ( ex. Grace you really wish but you don t have but can have it) 8. Did you have any big concern before the retreat but does not seem quite as big as urgent now? WRITE DOWN YOUR PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING 13