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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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."
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