Mike's 30-Day Retreat: Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 10 (Monday June 4)

I so much want the truth of Jesus' life to be fully the truth of my own that I find myself, moved by grace... [asking] to following Jesus Christ in the most intimate union possible, that his experiences are reflected in my own. In that, I find my delight (Spiritual Exercises 167).

We may find it helpful at this time of the retreat when we might discover some attachment... or when we are not indifferent to pverty and riches, to come to Jesus our Lord in prayer and beg him to choose us to serve him.... We should beg with a certain insistence, and should plead for it -- but always wanting what God wants for us (Spiritual Exercises 157).

Jesus is truly amazing! Last day we read the story of Jesus temptation in the desert, but did you ever ask the question why he resisted? Did you ever asak the question how he resisted? The answer to both questions of course is his love for you and me. Today our focus is to appreciate and love and depth of faith that guided Jesus in the decisions of his life.

Using Composition of Place read and reflect on the following passage:

Luke 4: 14-21
Matthew 16:21-26.

Questions to Reflect On:

What are the costs to me of being a disciple of Jesus on a daily basis?
What have been the major decisions of my life?
Has love for others, for God, for myself been a significant motivation in my major decisions in the past? How so?
In taking a few moments to reflect on my style of decision making (impulsive? procrastinator? collaborative? etc) and how it affects others, what might be Jesus trying to tell me?

Developing Your Breath Prayer

Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and remind yourself that God loves you and that you are in God's loving presence. Recall a passage of Scripture that puts you in a prayerful frame of mind. Consider: "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
With your eyes still closed imagine that God is calling you by name. Hear God asking you: "(Your name), what do you want?"
Answer God with whatever comes directly from your heart. Your answer might be a single word like peace or love or forgiveness. Your answer could also be a phrase or brief sentence like "I want to know your love." Because prayer is personal, it naturally rises out of your present concerns... Your response to God's question "What do you want?" becomes the heart of your prayer.
Choose your favourite name or image for God like God, Lord, Creator, Father, Teacher, Light, Shepherd
Combine your name for God with your answer to God's question. You then have your breath prayer.
Edit your prayer so that it is 6-8 syllables in length. A prayer of this length will have a rhythm that will flow smoothly when spoken or expressed as a heart thought.
Pray this pray starting with 3 minutes a day, and move up 1 minute each day. This pray will naturally become a prayer of your heart that leads you into God's presence

Composition of Place

This Composition of Place ... uses pictures and images to present what is otherwise beyond all conceiving; it prepares the soul for the Application of the Senses ... and paves the way for the images, symbols and dispositions whereby the senses of the soul will be enabled to touch and savor spiritual truths. (Ignatius the Theologian; NY1968, p.189) As I prayed with Mk 10:46-52, which is the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man, I began to imagine the landscape of the setting. It was dry, hot and dusty as I found myself being Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside. I can smell the animals as they pass by and hear people's voices in the background. Then I realize from the conversation that Jesus is near, so I cry out to him. I hear the footsteps of someone I believe to be Jesus approach me. I become filled with eager anticipation. Jesus is so close I feel his breath on my face and I hear him say, "I trust you. If there is anything you want to tell me I will listen to you." At this point in my life I was thinking about how to pursue some of my passions through my work. As I revealed my fears and hopes in prayer, I felt more freedom to really go after some more opportunities in the area of contemplative prayer with others in the church. I was asking to see how I could grow spiritually in order to help others by encountering Jesus in a deeper way. This was one example of Jesus restoring my sight in order to follow him. The revelation of God through the stories of Jesus is made present through imaginative participation. The mind engages the heart. As Hugo Rahner comments, "... the aim of this mode of prayer is to make the events of salvation 'present' in the mind, and thus to attain that direct experience of love."(ibid.p.194) One notices this love through one's desires.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina or Divine Reading of Scripture is an age old conteplative method of prayer. Give it a try as you read through the Scripture passages with each execise. 1. Read the scripture slowly. Watch for a key phrase or word that jumps out at you or promises to have special meaning for you. It is better to dwell profoundly on one word or phrase than to skim the surface of several chapters. Read with your own life and choices in mind. 2. Reflect on a word or phrase. Let the special word or phrase that you discovered in the first phase sink into your heart. Bring mind, will and emotions to the task. Be like Mary, Jesus’ mother, who heard of the angel’s announcement and “treasured” and “pondered” what she had heard (Luke 2:19). 3. Respond to what you have read. Form a prayer that expresses your response to the idea, then “pray it back to God.” What you have read is woven through what you tell God. 4. Rest in God’s word. Let the text soak into your deepest being, savoring an encounter with God and truth. When ready, move toward the moment in which you ask God to show you how to live out what you have experienced.

Mike's 30-Day Retreat

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 10 (Monday June 4)

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Developing Your Breath Prayer

Some Helpful Hints for a Good Prayer Experience

Composition of Place

Spiritual Autoboigraphy

Questions to Consider

Lectio Divina

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