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Lenten Retreat:
Week Four
Theme: Where
your treasure is, there your heart is.
Grace:
Ask Mary to teach of
her son in a personal way.
The
prayer material for each day of
this week is listed below.
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Day
One: Monday, March
9
Prayer
Material: Matthew 18: 21-35
Reflection:
Forgiveness,
mercy, and reconciliation make for a healthy spirituality.
We do not always get it right, and we do foolish things.
Forgiveness of self and receiving
forgiveness from God - who is rich in mercy and
kindness - is instrumental to a healthy spirituality. The Sacrament
of Reconciliation
is a valuable means to strengthening our relationship with
the Lord and one another. Jesus had a lot to say about the
need to forgive. But for the grace of God there be I.
And so Jesus reminds me not to judge because I don't know
the heart of another.
Something from St. Ignatius:
The strategy of Satan, the Liar & Deceiver, is to
entice me 1) to riches - whether material, spiritual, intellectual, etc. -
that 2) lead me to a sense of power, status, position
- "I thank God I am not like the rest of men."
- and then 3) to becoming
proud, independent,
my own boss, so that no one can tell me what to do: not
even God. Deception and deceit play a significant role in
this approach. I am tricked into thinking that I am
someone who I am not - developing a false notion of self,
my worth, my meaning. In the Gospel this person is
identified as "You fool. This very day your life
will be demanded of you." Pride can lead to ruin
and self-destruction.
[At
this point, it would perhaps be helpful to read Part I
of an article about the
Rules
for the Discernment of Spirits
developed
by St. Ignatius. If you wish to do so, please click
here.]
Additional
Prayer References
Luke
17: 12-19
- the Ten Lepers
Mark
7: 31-37 - healing
of a boy
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Day
Two:
Tuesday, March 10
Prayer
Material: Jeremiah 7: 23-28
Reflection:
To
live the will of God is to love God. "Whoever
does not love does not know God...Since God loved us
so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has
ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us and
his love is perfected in us."
~I John
4, 7ff
Knowing the will of God and living it day after day is what
Jesus did. "I always do the Will of Him who sent
Me." Discernment is to discover how I am being led.
Both the Holy Spirit and the Evil Spirit can
"work" on the human spirit but for
different reasons. When it comes to discerning God's Will
we are all learners.
[If
you would like to try the form of prayer Praying
With the Senses,
please click
here.]
Additional
Prayer References
Luke
11: 14-23 - the
kingdom
of
Satan
divided
Matthew
14: 22-33 - Jesus walking on water
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Day
Three:
Wednesday, March
11
Prayer
Material: Mark 12: 28-34
Reflection:
The Way
of Jesus is always the way of love, compassion,
forgiveness, and truth. In contrast to the strategy of
Satan, Jesus urges us to acknowledge and accept our
creaturehood in all its poverty and indigence. ["Blessed
are the poor in spirit."] We are to strip
away illusions that can blind me to a false sense of
identity. To be human is to be vulnerable. This is the
blessing. Humbly and gratefully accepting th truth of
my humanness, of being a creature with innate poverty,
limitations, and weakness can lead to being vulnerable,
open to rejection and possible scorn.
But this attitude and way of living can keep
me in a humble spirit and open to the need of God's
help. Accepting my true self as I am makes possible a life
of trust, faith, and confidence in the providence, love
and saving mercy of God coming to me in Jesus Christ.
[Please
click
here if you wish to review a useful
form of quiet
prayer.]
Additional
Prayer References
Hosea
6: 1-6;
Luke 18: 9-14
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Day
Four:
Thursday, March 12
Prayer
Material:
John 9: 1-41
Reflection: Spiritual blindness limits our ability to notice the presence
of God around us and working actively within us. The blind
person in the gospel passage for our prayer today
was given sight - both physical and spiritual. ["Do
you believe in the Son of Man?" Jesus asked
the person who had been healed of blindness. [Who
is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"]
Spiritual perception and insight into God's love and
providence for me is the work of the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit can open the eyes of our hearts to notice and
know God is with us. Praying to the Holy Spirit for
light, love, peace and truth is a positive way to grow
spiritually.
If you would like to review Part II of the article on Rules for the
Discernment of Spirits then please click
here.
Additional
prayer references
Isaiah
65: 17-21
'I am about to create new heavens."
John
5: 1-16
curing of the sick
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Day
5:
Friday, March 13
Prayer Material: John 4: 46-54
Reflection: Belief in Jesus Christ as the saving power of God is a gift
that we can cultivate by doing "faith" things -
such as praying, listening to Scripture, receiving
sacraments etc. To deepen our relationship with Jesus in
faith, trust, hope and love is the work of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus suggested that we build our lives on solid
rock foundations so that when the winds, rains, and storms
come we are not washed away. Jesus is the solid rock
foundation on whom we center our lives. Daily prayer from
the heart as simple conversation with the Lord helps to
deepen this personal relationship. The question for each
to answer is: "Who do you say I am?"
If you find distractions in prayer
a concern you may want to read some useful reflections on
this. If so, please click
here.
Additional
Prayer References
John
11: 1-44
The raising of Lazarus
Matthew
14: 22-33
Jesus walks on the water
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Day
Six:
Saturday, March 14
Prayer Material: Mark 10: 32-35
Reflection:
The
test of the depth of love is measured when difficulties,
conflicts, embarrassments, losses, and suffering come into
one's life .A Commentator on the Spiritual Exercises of
St. Ignatius, Fr.
John English, S.J. writes: "Ignatius proposes
suffering as a test of love. Ignatius does not mean that a
Christian should not be joyful, but that the acid
test of humility and sharing with another will be found in
suffering." And Jesus would preach: "Greater
love than this no one has than to hand over one's life."
Is this what parents are called to do for their children?
[If
you would like to view thoughts from the late Cardinal
Bernadin on letting
go,
please click
here.]
Additional
Prayer References
Luke
9: 22-27; Luke 18: 9-14
By
waiting and by calm
you
shall be saved.
In
quiet and trust
your
strength lies.
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