We have been created by God as the Beloved of God
In the opening of one’s prayer time St. Ignatius taught that we as enter into a prayer period we begin with a prayer request for grace to have all our intentions and desires directed towards what will bring praise and glory to God, for our service in Christ.
TWO GRACES
The Preparatory Prayer St. Ignatius recommends each time to ask for this grace. The Preparatory Prayer he recommended each time is: “I ask God our Lord for grace that all my intentions, actions, and ways may be directed purely to the praise and service of God.”
Or you can write your own
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He also recommended we are to ask for specific graces depending upon our circumstances or based upon the scriptures such as the theme of this mini retreat For example: To grow in my heart knowing of having been created by God as His Beloved
Write your own based upon what you desire – what do you truly desire - what do you want or need from God about how God is Love loving you now and at every moment, always without fail.
My desire is to
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ENCOUNTERING GOD
God is present and ongoing creatively active in the world and in our lives. God communicates indirectly to us through creation, Scriptures and our daily encounters. His presence can be felt by us through creation and heard through reading Scriptures, and His action can be seen in our encounters throughout our day.
In the beginning, there is me, a cluster of cells being loved and formed into being
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CONTEMPLATION
THE MAKING OF ME (GEN 1:26)
Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
Reflection
What do you see, heart?
What was God like in His act of creating?
What is that experience like being right there?
THE BREATH OF GOD (GEN 2:7)
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Reflection
Be there now with God the father creating informing you and breathing into you your very life.
How does God's breath feel like?
How do you feel?
I AM THE IMAGE (GEN 1: 27)
God created mankind in His image; in the image of God he created them;male and female He created them.
Reflection
What image comes in to you now as being the beloved and being made in his image
What is your experience now of being yourself as the image of God?
Face-to-Face Encounter (Gen 1: 28-31a)
God blessed them and God said to them:
Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.
God also said:
See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food.