WEEK TWENTY FOUR: LIFE AFTER THE RETREAT - DAY 1
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
MORNING PRAYER: Act of Faith; Act of Hope; Act of Charity; Daily Offering
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
ABANDONMENT TO GOD BRINGS ABOUT PERFECT FREEDOM Read the Reflection; ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty (#233). (After pondering each bullet point, express your sentiments in a short prayer)
• The true nature of love prompts the disciple to give God everything, especially liberty, memory, understanding and his/her entire will, all that they have and possess.
• In giving God our liberty, we are saying that we will make the concerted effort to seek and find His will in our daily circumstances rather than prefer our own choices which can and do lead us astray.
• In giving God our memory, we are saying that we will not live in the past. We will let
bygones be bygones. We will make every effort to forgive and live in the present moment. Most of all, we will live in the present moment because our God is our Good Shepherd. Our God is our Rock on which we can build our union. Hence, we will trust!
• In giving God our understanding, we are saying that we will go by God's understanding provided to us by the Holy Spirit, and always bring our understanding under close scrutiny to make sure that we are aligned with God's understanding.
• In giving God our entire will, we are saying that God's will is perfect and our will is burdened by inordinate attachments. The only way to free our wills of sin is to replace them with God's will. This replacement occurs at the hands of the Holy Spirit!
• Such a prayer then, is perfect abandonment. Such abandonment is made freely and wholeheartedly after the disciple has experienced God's largesse overwhelmingly.
• No other vision or agenda can hold up against this world-view of discipleship. The disciple's mind and heart have been washed clean of any resistance. When resistance
arises in the future it will be addressed in the same way as during the retreat: through
incessant petitioning and childlike trust in God's ability to bring about transformation.
• The disciple now makes sense of Christ's values and embraces them wholeheartedly. In such a joyous and wholehearted commitment lies perfect freedom.
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! (my prayer after each point)
Contemplating the heart of God, knowing how much you are loved, experiencing His largesse (generosity) first hand and then applying what He is teaching to your life is a joy. Letting go of your own attachments and trusting Jesus with all, what ever circumstances or life events, pains or joys once you get to this place, it is all for the glory of God. We can say all the right things but it isn't until we put it into action do we truly understand. The Canaanite women (Matthew 15:21-28) who came to be fed by Jesus and whom Jesus initially challenged her faith, was not moved by His response. She had come to the place in her life where God meant everything to her and even in being denied, this was not going to stop her. Jesus looks at our actions, not our words. If it were only words that moved Him then He would of easily not tested her faith. Understanding how God thinks and trusting His will is all part of the journey. Not that we will fully comprehend the mind of God but we can see His actions in play as we read scripture. Jesus, I trust in You.
What is God saying to you? You have much to learn but you are willing. Your faith will not be deterred, witness to My faith in you.
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
ABANDONMENT TO GOD BRINGS ABOUT PERFECT FREEDOM Read the Reflection; ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty (#233). (After pondering each bullet point, express your sentiments in a short prayer)
• The true nature of love prompts the disciple to give God everything, especially liberty, memory, understanding and his/her entire will, all that they have and possess.
• In giving God our liberty, we are saying that we will make the concerted effort to seek and find His will in our daily circumstances rather than prefer our own choices which can and do lead us astray.
• In giving God our memory, we are saying that we will not live in the past. We will let
bygones be bygones. We will make every effort to forgive and live in the present moment. Most of all, we will live in the present moment because our God is our Good Shepherd. Our God is our Rock on which we can build our union. Hence, we will trust!
• In giving God our understanding, we are saying that we will go by God's understanding provided to us by the Holy Spirit, and always bring our understanding under close scrutiny to make sure that we are aligned with God's understanding.
• In giving God our entire will, we are saying that God's will is perfect and our will is burdened by inordinate attachments. The only way to free our wills of sin is to replace them with God's will. This replacement occurs at the hands of the Holy Spirit!
• Such a prayer then, is perfect abandonment. Such abandonment is made freely and wholeheartedly after the disciple has experienced God's largesse overwhelmingly.
• No other vision or agenda can hold up against this world-view of discipleship. The disciple's mind and heart have been washed clean of any resistance. When resistance
arises in the future it will be addressed in the same way as during the retreat: through
incessant petitioning and childlike trust in God's ability to bring about transformation.
• The disciple now makes sense of Christ's values and embraces them wholeheartedly. In such a joyous and wholehearted commitment lies perfect freedom.
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! (my prayer after each point)
Contemplating the heart of God, knowing how much you are loved, experiencing His largesse (generosity) first hand and then applying what He is teaching to your life is a joy. Letting go of your own attachments and trusting Jesus with all, what ever circumstances or life events, pains or joys once you get to this place, it is all for the glory of God. We can say all the right things but it isn't until we put it into action do we truly understand. The Canaanite women (Matthew 15:21-28) who came to be fed by Jesus and whom Jesus initially challenged her faith, was not moved by His response. She had come to the place in her life where God meant everything to her and even in being denied, this was not going to stop her. Jesus looks at our actions, not our words. If it were only words that moved Him then He would of easily not tested her faith. Understanding how God thinks and trusting His will is all part of the journey. Not that we will fully comprehend the mind of God but we can see His actions in play as we read scripture. Jesus, I trust in You.
What is God saying to you? You have much to learn but you are willing. Your faith will not be deterred, witness to My faith in you.
Dear Father, I place all my trust in You, I thank You for keeping me out of the fray and if I find myself there, may I know that there is purpose in all that I experience. I pray for my friends on the journey, listening to You and coming to a deeper understanding. I pray for a friend who is in the fray, not knowing what or why but trusting You. Heal his wife's back Lord, continue to heal his pains and draw him into a deeper relationship with You. Thank You for all that this day has to offer, may I be a pleasing offering to You. Amen.
Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Model of Workers, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey.
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
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