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Lenten
Retreat: Week
Eight
Holy
Week
Theme: “The
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us, who are being saved, it is the power
of God.”
~I
Corinthians 1: 18
Grace:
Pray for the courage to
take up your cross and follow Jesus.
The
prayer material for each day of
this week is listed below.
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Day
One: Monday, April
6
Monday
of Holy Week
Prayer
Material: Matthew 26: 36-46
Reflection:
“Father,
if it is possible, let this chalice pass from me.”
Oftentimes the first cries from a suffering heart
might be: “Why
is this happening to me? What did I do to
have this happen? Lord, why me?”
After asking the question above of the
Father, Jesus would say: “but
not what I want but what you want.” And in this submission and acceptance of the Father’s will
Jesus walks through his passion and crucifixion with
uncommon courage – in peace, with strength and calm.
Imagine His courage and trust in the will of God at
this time of darkness and desertion.
During Holy Week, it would be a good idea to read
some “reflections”
from the Third
Week
of the Spiritual
Exercises
of St. Ignatius. For
a look at these reflections, please click
here.
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Day
Two:
Tuesday, April 7
Tuesday
of Holy Week
Prayer
Material
John
18: 28 through 19: 5
Jesus
before Pilate
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Day
Three:
Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday
of Holy Week
Prayer
Material
Luke
22: 26-32
The
Way of the Cross
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Day
Four:
Thursday, April 9
Holy
Thursday
Prayer
Material
Words
of Jesus from the Cross
View
these words – plus additional Scripture references on
the Passion of our Lord – by clicking
here.
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Day
5:
Friday, April 10
Good
Friday
Prayer
Material
John
19: 17-30
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Day
Six:
Saturday, April 11
Holy
Saturday
Prayer
Material
Spend
time with Mary and review the week.
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We
adore you, O Christ, and we praise you
Because by your holy cross
you
have redeemed the world.
Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near
her, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, this is your son.”
Then to the disciple he said, “This
is your mother.”
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been
completed, and to fulfill the scripture perfectly he said:
“I
am thirsty.”
A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge
soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to
his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, “It
is accomplished“
and bowing his head he gave up his spirit. [John
19, 26-30]
A
Prayer
“My
Jesus, God, what can I say or do?
I offer you my death
with all its pains,
accepting now
the time and kind of death in store for me.
Not by a single instant
would I lengthen my life’s span.
I offer you my death
for my own sins
and for those of all humanity.
My God! My God! Forsake me not.
We know not what we do.”
~Stations
of the Cross, #12
If
you would like to pray the entire
Stations
of the Cross,
please click
here.
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Jesus
Christ,
may
your death be my life
and in your dying
may
I learn how to live.
May your struggles
be
my rest,
Your human weakness
my
courage,
Your embarrassment
my
honor,
Your passion
my
delight,
Your sadness
my
joy,
in your humiliation
may
I be exalted.
In a word,
may
I find all my blessings
in
your trials.
Amen.
~Blessed
Peter Faber, S.J.
We
should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth
or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short
one. Why? Because everything has the potential
of calling forth in us a more loving response to our life
with God forever.
~St.
Ignatius of Loyola
Principle
& Foundation
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How to
Begin Prayer
St.
Ignatius
recommends that the prayer period begin by 1)
having a specific time/place for my prayer; 2)
calling to mind
that I am in God’s presence and that the Lord wants to
listen and converse with me; and 3)
praying for a generous spirit during my
prayer period.
His prayer
for generosity
is:
Lord,
teach me
to
be generous,
teach
me to serve you
as
you deserve,
to
give and not
to
count the cost,
to
fight and not
to
heed the wounds,
to
toil and not
to
seek for rest,
to
labor and not
to
ask for any reward,
except
to know it is
your
will I am doing.
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Week
in Review
How did
your prayer go this week?
Did you experience any
consolation moments of peace or gratitude? Did you find it
hard or easy to pray?
Did
the love of God come clearer to you? Any consolation
of being loved as I am?
God
is always “working” in the life of each person.
Do you find this to be true in your life? How?
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Something
from
St. Paul
“I wish
to know Christ and the power flowing from his
resurrection; likewise to know how to share in his
sufferings by being formed into the pattern of his death.
Thus do I hope that I may arrive at resurrection from the
dead. It is not that I have reached it yet, or have
already finished my course; but I am racing to grasp the
prize if possible, since I have been grasped by Christ
Jesus….My entire attention is on the finish line as I
run toward the prize to which God call me – life on high
in Christ Jesus.”
~
Philippians 3, 9-14
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