Lenten Retreat: Materials for Week Nine [April 13-18]


 

 



 

Welcome to the ninth
and final week

of this Lenten Retreat.  Following are prayer
materials, reflections, and notes compiled by Fr. Clem Metzger,
SJ. to guide your retreat.

 


May
the Holy Spirit inspire your prayer and guide you through this
retreat. May your spirituality, centered in Jesus Christ, deepen
in faith, hope and love. Thank you for making this retrea
t
.

 

[The
author of this retreat may be reached at
[email protected].]
 


 Lenten
Retreat: Week Nine



Easter
Week

 

Theme“And
He shall reign for ever and ever.  Alleluia!”


 

Grace:
To rejoice
with the Lord alive in glory – to celebrate life.
 


 

The
prayer material for each day
of this week is listed below.

 

——————————–

 

Day
One: 
April 13
 

Monday
of Easter Week


                                  

Prayer
Material
Jesus Visits His Mother

 

Although
it was not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, one might
well imagine that the risen Jesus made a special
visit to His blessed mother, Mary.  Ignatius asked
retreatants to pray upon this scene, so take a moment to
imagine Jesus visting His mother.  Enter the scene
using your imagination, employing the senses of your soul
to be there with Jesus and Mary.  For a quick
refresher on Ignatian contemplation, please click
here


 

Reflection: 
He
is not here!  He
is risen!”

For the believer this is the great good news. As
“King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall he reign
forever and ever” – and we shall reign forever and
ever with Him in the glory of God. 
Have you prayed for the grace as Ignatius suggests
“to be glad and to rejoice” because Jesus has
been raised from the dead? Do you wonder how Mary
celebrated the resurrection of her Son? How do you know
Jesus in His resurrection?  Perhaps you might listen
to Handel’s
Messiah”
to
help get in the joyful spirit of the Easter season.


 

Reflecting upon the resurrected
Christ

empowers the retreatant to move forward with greater
faith, hope, and love.  For references and
reflections on the risen Jesus from the
Fourth
Week of the Spiritual Exercises
,

please
click
here
. 
Additionally, for notes on how to
“Know
Jesus Christ in His Resurrection”

please
click
here
;
and for notes on
“Witnessing
to the Resurrection”
please click
here
.

 

——————————–

 

Day
Two: 
April 14
 

Tuesday of
Easter Week


 

Prayer
Material
 Matthew
28: 1-10


 

Reflection
The
resurrection is the stunning response God gives to death. 
God always wins – for life is stronger than death,
love is stronger than hate, and goodness is stronger than
evil. Because the Spirit of God is upon us, our own
resurrection is assured.
“Just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit so you
also will be raised by the power of the same Spirit”

is how Paul proclaimed this assurance of our resurrection. 
How do you
celebrate this truth of resurrection?

 

Ignatius offers a “final” contemplation called The
Contemplation to Obtain Divine Love.
 
This can be prayed anytime during or outside of
one’s retreat.  It
is a direct request to grow in the love of God through
contemplating God’s presence in nature, in people, in
one’s life, in this retreat, etc. The contemplation
reconnects with the opening day of the retreat, when we
prayed to notice and observe the “providence of
God” in our personal life – how good and generous God
is with each and every one of us. 
Realizing this in a deeper way promotes great
growth of one’s spiritual life – to know from experience that
God is in love with me!
 
This grace is well worth praying over.

 

You can check out the Contemplation to Attain Divine Love by
clicking
here
.


 

 ——————————–


 

Day
Three: 
April 15
 

Wednesday
of Easter Week


                 


Prayer
Material
:  Luke 24: 13-35


 

Reflection:
We
were hoping it would be different”

expresses a common experience after having lived years in
one’s vocation, way of life, particular work, family
situation etc.  “I
thought it would have been ‘better’ if only we
could/would/might have had…”
Unfortunately,
dreams and reality do not often square. 
In the face of disappointment, however, resurrection
gives us a foundation for “a new hope.” 
The resurrection represents the fulfillment of the
heart’s deepest desires and hungers for life, love, peace,
and happiness.  Our
entire being will be filled with the glory of God. As Paul
reminds us –
“If only you knew the hope to which you are
called.”


 

You might
find inspiration in praying over the words of
the hymn 
“We
Walk by Faith”

to
help on your spiritual journey. 
If you wish to try this, please
click
here
.


 

——————————–


Day
Four: 
April 16
 

Thursday
of Easter Week


 

Prayer
Material
:  John
20: 11-18 

 

Reflection: He
called my name.

We need to know that our name is known by the Lord who
calls us gently in many ways to a deeper trust, love, and
friendship. Each of the resurrection appearances brings
new hope, courage, joy, and celebration to those who are
afraid, hiding behind locked doors, crying, discouraged,
etc.  Spiritual
consolation
is a taste of the final resurrection
experience for us as we journey day by day.
The work that God has begun in you God will bring to
completion”
is
what Paul urges us to remember. 
Our finished product will be the masterpiece of the
divine artist. What will we become finally? It is good to
remember that
“eye
has not seen; ear has not heard; nor has it dawned on the
mind of anyone to imagine what God has prepared for those
who love.”
 
In truth we haven’t seen anything – yet!

 

Here you may find it helpful to look back over this retreat
and notice again the blessings of God, who is in love with
you. You can review
The Gift of This
Retreat

by
clicking
here
.

 

 ——————————–

 

Day
5: 
April 17
 



Friday
of Easter Week


 

Prayer
Material
:  John
21: 1-23


               


Reflection: In every human relationshipthe key question is: “Do
you love me
?” Jesus asks this of his companions
who want to follow Him. We are challenged to live a life
of hope, trust, faith, and personal love. 
There is no room in a Christian’s life for
pessimism, defeatism, cynical or sarcastic attitudes. 
In a world filled with injustice, ungodliness, and
selfishness it is easy to think in negative ways. 
But
“the
people in darkness have seen a great Light.”
 As the Light of
the World, Christ gives light, hope, and love to everyone
who believes and calls on His name for help. 
Ignatius invites us to “find God” in all
things, places, people, and events of life. This discovery
is the work of the Holy Spirit to know the presence of the
Lord in our daily activities. Hence, the value of the
“Examen of Consciousness.” The poet Gerard M.
Hopkins, S.J., wrote:
“The
world is charged with the grandeur of God; it will flame
out, like shining from shook foil.”

Is this the way I see it – God 
shining in my life, in my world, in others?


 

“God loves me so
much that I become a dwelling-place or

temple

of
God


– growing in an ever deepening realization of the image
and likeness of God which is the glory shining out of
human creation.”


 

~St.
Ignatius of Loyola

 Spiritual
Exercises, # 235



 

——————————–

 

 Day
Six:
April 18
 


Saturday
of Easter Week


 

Prayer
Material


 

Acts
of the Apostles 1: 6-11

~
The
Ascension


OR

Acts
2: 1-13
~
Pentecost

           


Reflection
“Go
and remember that I am with you always.”
This is not an empty promise. While the truth is Jesus is
always with us the question might be asked, “Are we
always with the Lord?” This means a living faith and
confident trust in the Lord who reminds me that “with
me all things are possible.”


 

Perhaps the following prayer would help us as “we go
forth” and continue our journey as servants and
friends of the Lord:


               


“Breathe
on me, breath of God,


fill
me with life anew,


that
I may love things you love,


and
do what you would do.


           


Breathe
on me, breath of God,


until
my heart is pure,


until
with you I have one will,


 to
live and to endure.


 

Breathe
on me, breath of God,


my
soul with grace refine,


until
this earthly part of me


glows
with your fire divine.


    


Breathe
on me, breath of God,


so
I shall never die,


but
live with you


 the
perfect life in your eternity.”




 


 

“God’s
love shines down upon me like the light rays of the sun;
God’s love is poured forth lavishly like a fountain
spilling forth its waters into an unending stream.


 

God’s
delight and joy is to be with the ones called God’s
children – to be with me. 
God cannot do enough to speak out and show love for
me – ever calling and inviting me to a fuller and better
life, a sharing in divine life.”

 

~St.
Ignatius of Loyola
 

Spiritual
Exercises, #237

 


 

 

Week
9: Prayer Links


 

Please
click upon the links below for useful materials to enhance
your prayer:


 

Fourth
Week Scriptures


Scriptural
references from the Fourth Week of the Spiritual
Exercises

 

Knowing the
Resurrected Christ


 a
way to pray over


and
reflect upon the risen Jesus

 

Witnessing
to the Resurrection


a
way to reflect and examine oneself in light of the
Resurrection


 

Contemplation
to Attain Divine Love


an
essential Ignatian reflection that provides the grand
finale


to
the Spiritual Exercises


 

[If
you wish to pray a different version of this
contemplation, then please click
here
.]

 

We
Walk by Faith


inspiring
lyrics from a hymn


based
upon 2 Corinthians 5: 7


 

You
Are Mine


soulful
lyrics from an inspiring hymn


 

The
Gift of This Retreat


a
good way to prayerfully


review
your retreat experience


 

Examen
of Consciousness


a
daily way to pray about one’s day 

 


 

 

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.


 

 


 

Memo
to the Retreatant


from
Fr. Clem Metzger, S.J.


 

If
you made this retreat either in whole or in part I want to
commend and congratulate you.

 

I
am confident the Holy Spirit is actively at work in your
heart. Whatever good happened, thank the Holy Spirit.

 

Even
though the retreat is “formally” over, we are never
finished praying
. In
view of this, I would be grateful to hear from you
regarding your retreat experience – whatever you want to
share.  I may
post shared comments – without
names

– for others to read.

 

Also,
if you have any suggestions on how this might be done
“better” from your point of view and your
experience, then please email your comments to me at [email protected].


 

You
may perhaps recall the song “You
Are Mine
.
   As you finish this retreat I invite you to take
this song with you and sing it in your heart. 
For song lyrics, please click
here
. 

 

 

If you wish to
build upon your retreat experience, we recommend the book An
Ignatian Spirituality Reader
by George Traub, S.J. 
 
 

 

I
am grateful to Jesuit Retreat House for putting this retreat on the web in such good order for anyone to access easily. If you would wish to make a
free-will offering to the Retreat House for this service, I know it would be appreciated. Simply
click
here
.


 

 


 

 

Gratitude


the
heart of a healthy spiritual life


 

Gratitude
is the foundation of a healthy spiritual life, for the
recognition of gifts received makes possible the
recognition of the Giver of all gifts. 


 

I’ve
got a roof over my head,


I’ve
got a warm place to sleep


Some
nights I lie awake counting gifts instead of counting
sheep.

I’ve
got a heart that can hold love

I
got a mind that can think

There
may be times when

I
lose the light

and
let my spirit sink

But
I can’t stay depressed, when I remember how I’m blessed. 

Grateful,
grateful, truly grateful I am; grateful, grateful,

truly
blessed and duly grateful.

 

~”Grateful,”
by John Bucchino


 

 

 


 

From
 some  Resurrection Scenes




“Peter,
do you love me more than these?”
                                                     
[Jn 21, 15]
 
“Feed my lambs – feed my sheep.” [Jn 21, 17]
 
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
[Lk 24, 5]
 
“With that their eyes were opened and they recognized
him in the breaking of the bread.” [Lk 24, 13ff]