A Directed or Self-Directed Retreat: To Know, To Love, To Follow
Jesus heals the suffering by Heinrich Hofmann 1893
Preparing for Your Retreat
Review of Retreat Guidelines and Prayers
Links to Ways of Prayer
Night Before Preparations
Retreat Mornings - Offering, Lectio, Close, Reflection
Retreat Day Time - Recalling
Retreat Evenings - Examen, Journaling
Self-directed or Directed
How To Move Through This Retreat
In Mark's Gospel, Jesus, the anointed Son of God proclaims the imminence of God's reign through his teachings and actions. "The Time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near." (Mark 1:15). The secret is breaking open that God's reign is imminent and He has entered into human life to bring us his Mercy.
The unfolding of Mark's story about Jesus is can be described as centered around the term "Mystery." Jesus says while teaching that "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you." (Mark 4:11). Jesus' real identity remained a secret during his lifetime, although demons and demonic knew the Truth. In Marks Gospel,even makes the dea we encounter the Truth of Jesus identity through his actions. The crowd's reactions to Jesus' works are our reactions. "He has done everything well; He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." (Mark 7:37)
As you move through the mysteries of this retreat consider what you hope to gain as you begin your journey with Jesus in Mark's Gospel. Is there suffering in your life now? Do you relate it to Jesus' suffering? What do the various miracles stories suggest about Jesus identity to you? What do you see? What do you hear? How do you respond?
Preparatory Prayers
petition of asking for grace what we want and desire from the Lord based upon the meditation exercise. Each prayer lasting a minute.
Offertory Prayer
Beginning your prayer time: At the beginning of each prayer period, offer yourself to the Lord. Pray the “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
Preparatory Prayer
“The preparatory prayer is to ask, God Our Lord for the grace is that all my intentions (wants and desires), actions, and operations (interior mental activities) , maybe order purely to the service in praise of the Divine Majesty” (SE 46).*
Write in your own words your intentions ____________________________________________
Petitionary Prayer
Now being situated within the mystery, after reading it the night before (or before the prayer period begins) we ask for what we desire from the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we may go forth to meet the will of God.
Share your desires with the Lord for this day's retreat. _________________________________
Mysteries from the Exercises for a self-directed or Directed retreat
Day 1: The Cure of a Demoniac
(Mark 1:23-28)
Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Day 2: The Healing of a Paralytic
Day 3: The Mercy of Jesus
Day 4: The Calming of a Storm at Sea
Day 5: Jesus Heals Jairus’s Daughter
Day 6: Jesus Heals The Woman With a Hemorrhage
Day 7: The Healing of a Deaf Man
Day 8: The Blind Bartimaeus
Our Lady of the Way, Pray for us!
*(SE#) All quotes are taken from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: based on Studies in the Language of the Autograph by Louis, J. Puhl. SJ
For more information or to register for Spiritual Direction