We continue to follow Jesus as he appears to the women at the tomb, his disciples, and to many others. Here is where we share with His Blessed Mother Mary, her joy in His Risen Life. In praying along the way toward the Ascension, we realize we, too, are called like the disciples to carry forth the Gospel's good news.
Preparing for Your Retreat Reflections
Take each pericope (section) as if you were there, and spend time with each section.
Put aside personal prayer time in the morning and the evening. The morning for the prayerful reading and contemplation on these mysteries. In the evening, in your reflection time, review the morning’s mystery and the day's graces, taking them into an Examen; and reading the next days selected gospels.
The Desired Graces for the Retreat
For the Retreat, we ask for the graces to know Him more clearly, to follow Him more nearly, and to love Him more dearly. You may have additional special graces you desire. Share them with the Lord.
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The Plan for Each Day
A. Preparatory Prayers
Ask for your desired graces for the day. Share them with the Lord.
Offer yourself to the Lord. Prayer of “Take and Receive”
Take Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my entire will,
all that I have and possess.
Thou hast given all to me.
To Thee, O Lord, I return it.
All is Thine; dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.
Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.
Amen
Or consider writing your own offering of yourself, your thoughts, desires, and actions ( your head, heart, and hands).
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B. Meditations ( Discursive or Imaginative)
Read the mystery slowly and pray attentively using your faculties - faith and feelings - your interior senses, imagination, recall – as you pray with each section.
What do you sense were the experiences of Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, and the crowds?
Imagine being present there - what do you see, hear, and smell?
Where are you in the scene?
C. End with a Colloquy
Close your prayer time with your own words ( a colloquy), then a vocal formal prayer (Our Father, Hail Mary, or Glory Be
D. Reflection ( Journaling)
At the end of each prayer period, note down your experiences on your insights, feelings, thoughts, images, and memories that came up for you. Savor the graces.
E. Evening Examen
In the Evening, review the day’s events with the Examen and reflect on the graces of the morning’s prayer time that affected your day. Savor the graces.
Close this time with your own words.
Note: The Night Before
Best to read the selections the night before from the different gospel writers on a particular mystery (pericope), you may find yourself drawn to one; select one to pray with tomorrow morning. Also, you may find certain moments in walking with Jesus you want to return to again and again. Ignatius recommends staying with it and let it settle within you.
The Four Gospels
The gospels were written as an account of time past so that we may know the Truth, Way, and Life.
