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:

1. What are the costs to me of being a disciple of Jesus on a daily basis?
2. What have been the major decisions of my life?
3. Has love for others, for God, for myself been a significant motivation in my major decisions in the past? How so?
4. 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?

Sabbath Rest -- (Sunday June 3)

Nothing new today. Take the day off and review your week before God. Spend some time opening yourself up to God and the grace of Jesus in prayer. Spend at least 5 minutes in silence making yourself present to God, as he is present to you.

Have a blessed Sabbath,

Mike

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 9 (Saturday June 2)

I ask Jesus out Lord that I might not be deaf to his call in my life and that I might be ready and willing to do what he wants (Spiritual Exercises 91)

This prayer period is devoted to a consideration of three types of persons. Each one of them has come to have quite a few possessions -- not always acquired int the most honest way or with the best motives. In general, each one... would like to serve God, even to the extent that if these possessions were to come in the way of being open to God's invitation, each type of person would like to be set free of them (Spiritual Exercises 150 & 151)

When we are trying to follow the loving invitation of God in our life, we will find that the good spirit tends to give support, encouragement, and oftentimes a certain delight in all our endeavours (Spiritual Exercises 329)

On the one hand, the good spirit bring about... consolation in order to strengthen and to speed the progress of our life in Christ. The evil spirit, on the other hand, arouses good feelings so that we might be drawn to focus our attention on the wrong things, or to pursue a more selfish motivation, or to get our own way before all else (Spiritual Exercises 331).

It's our desire today to contemplate how to be free enough to make choices which are in harmony with God's will as it unfolds in my life. We are attached to so many things in our lives, things that often lead us away from choosing God's will. Today we'll focus on the Temptation of Jesus and pray for his strength to resist those things that pull us away from him.

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

Matthew 4: 1-11

if you have time also focus on Luke 9:23-25

Questions to Reflect On:

1. How great is my desire to do God's will when it means setting aside my own dreams ans plans.
2. How far am I willing to go in sacrificing my own satisfaction or pleasure in order to love as completely and selflessly as Jesus did?
3. Am I aware of any fears that prevent me from moving forward in freedom?
4. Am I aware of other attachments that keep me from experiencing the freedom of Jesus?

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 8 (Friday June 1)

Those who are of great heart and set on fire with zeal to follow Jesus, eternal King and Lord of all, will not only offer themselves entirely to labour for such a mission, but will act against anything which would make their response less total. They would want to express themselves in such words as these:

"Eternal Lord and King of all creation, I humbly come before you.... I am moved by your grace to offer myself to you and your work. I deeply desure to be with you in accpeting all wrongs and all rejections and all poverty, both actual and spiritual -- and I deliberately choose this, if it is for your greater service and praise. If you, my Lord and King, would so call and choose me, then take me into such a way of life" (Spiritual Exercises 97 & 98).

Today our task is to contemplate, and marvel at the unique invitations and calls of God which have given shape and form to my life and my decisions.

We move blindly through our lives, don't we? Making decisions, choosing directions (except maybe the big ones) without giving them a whole lot of thought. The fact is the experiences of our lives, our families, our deepest fears, and our deepest convictions all influence our decisions and choices for good and for ill. For the person of faith God uses each of these influences to draw us down a path, but at each step of the way we have the choice to follow. It's important then, to know ourselves and so be able to respond in the most whole-hearted way to God's call, to be able to discern the directions of our lives.

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

Jeremiah 1:4-8
Matthew 10:1-16

Questions to Reflect On:

1. As I read Matthew 10:1-16 how have I understood Jesus sharing his mission with me? How has Jesus used ordinary events in my life to help me discern his will?
2. What does my pesonal history reveal to me of the particular way in which I have been called by God?
3. What role has my family of origin played in my personal vocation?
4. How does my personal vocation reveal to me the way in which I am meant to be a disciple?

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 6 (Wednesday May 30)

When we are trying to follow the loving invitation of God in our life, we will find that the good spirit tends to give support, encouragement, and oftentimes even a certain delight in all our endeavours. The evil spirit generally acts to bring about the opposite reaction.

The evil spirit will subtly arouse a dissatisfaction with our own efforts, will rasie up doubts and anxieties about God'l love or our own response, or will upset our conscience by suggesting thoughts of pride in our attempt to lead a good life (Spiritual Exercises 329).

Today our goal is to appreciate more fully the identity of Jesus as God's beloved son, knowing that because of Christ's death and resurrection that this is our identity too (or beloved daughters as the case may be). Really understanding this, and living into it has profound transformative powers.

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

Matthew 3:13-17

Using Lectio Divina read and reflect on the following passage:

Isaiah 42:1-7
Colissians 2:6-8

Questions to Reflect On:

1. How do I identify myself whrn I am meeting people for the first time? What does that tell me about how I view myself?
2. how has my self-understanding changed since I became an adult? What has matured me?
3. What helps me to integrate my various roles into my self-identity?
4. In what ways do I consider what I do and accomplish as being more important than who I am to God?
5. What will it take for you to understand that God is "well pleased" with you?

On another note becoming aware of God's presence to you and your presence to God can be a life-giving way of "praying without ceasing." Try out Breath Prayer as a means of practicing the presence of God. See sidebar

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 5 (Tuesday May 29)

This exercise will be somewhat different than those before. It is called the Meditation on Two Standards. Although it feels like it might fit more properly in the first week when we considered sin, it is really about coming to a better understanding of the reality of the world in which we live; a world that Jesus has called us to be partners with him in redeeming. There will be no Scripture passages or questions to guide us in this exercise. Ignatius' exercise alone will be enough to guide us.

We consider Christ, our Leader and Lord, our God and brothers, and we consider Lucifer, the demonic enemy of humankind, the one who sums up all the evils that beset us.

Preparation: I make the usual time to place myself before God in reverence, begging that everything in my day be more and more directed to God's service and praise.

Grace: I ask for the gift of being able to recognize the false lights of Lucifer (a name which means "bearer of light") and for the help not to be led astray; I also ask for what I desire: a graced knowledge of true human living exemplified in Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, and the grace to live my life his way.

The Setting: There are two unequal parts in this consideration, the first one shedding light upon and giving understanding to the more important second part.

Note: really spend time reflecting and meditating on the next two sections. It may not be necessary for you to follow exactly this line of thinking (epsecially around the idea of poverty), but you might want to consider how the evil one has tempted you toward a particular sin. Consider his strategy. What are the feelings that well up in you as you're tempted? How does one sin give rise to another? Then consider how Jesus might release you from that slavery, and draw you toward justice, righteousness, beauty and truth. What is his stategy?

First Part: To sum up all the forces of evil in the person of Lucifer makes me face the enormous power and oppression if evil itself. Keeping true to my own experience of the world, let me reflect on how evil pummels the relations between nations and between peoples within a single country, so that no nation, not city, no state of life, no individual is left unscathed. I want to try to graps the strategy of Lucifer as I consider how this fals angel of light attempts to isolate and enslave men and women and the world according to a certain design. For example, people find themselves tempted to covet whatever seems to make them rich, and next because they possess some thing or things they find themselves pursuing and basking in the honour and esteem of this world. Then getting such deference raises up the false sense of personal identity and value in which a blinding pride has its root.

So Lucifer's strategy is simple and seems so light-filled and clear in its direction: riches (or "this is mine") to honour (or "look at me") to pride (or "I AM..."). By these three steps, the evil one entices people to all other vices.

Second Part: Now let me look at Jesus Christ, who calls himself "the way, the truth, and the life." I notice how gently, but intensely Jesus continues to call followers of all kinds and sends them forth to spread his Good News to all people, not matter what their state or condition. Jesus adopts a strategy which directly opposes that of Lucifer: try to help and free people, not enslave or oppress them. His method: attract men and women to the highest spiritual poverty, and should it please God, and should God draw them to want to choose it, even to a life of actual poverty. Being poor, they will then find themselves accepting and even desiring the insults and contempt of the world. They will come to live a life of true humility.

Jesus' strategy is simple too, although at first it seems a paradox. If I have been graced with the goft of poverty ("he emptied himself, becoming human.") then I am rich; if I have nothing of myself ("everything I have is from the Father"), i have no power and I am despised and receive the contempt of the world ("even to death, death on a cross"); if I have nothing, my only possession is Christ("Christ is God's") and this is to be really true to myself -- the humility of a person whose whole reality and value is grounded in being created and redeemed in Christ. Through these three steps, Jesus... lead[s] people to all other virtues (Spiritual Exercises 136-146)

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 4 (Monday May 28)

One way of considering the mysteries of Jesus' early life is to see the interpretative direction in which they point. The ordinary life of the Christian is exemplified in Christ's obedience to his parents in the ordinary life in Nazareth. But the call to service in the Father's house is already manifested in the mystery of Jesus' remaining in the temple at the ageof twelve to the consternation of his mother and father.

While I continue to contemplate Jesus' life, let me begin to examine myself and ask to what state of life or to what style of living is our loving, provident God leading me (Spiritual Exercises 135).

Today our desire is to deepen our love for Jesus and his way of living the ordinary days of his life. Sometimes it's hard to sense a connection to God in the ordinary or mundane activities of our lives. Sometimes the daily "grind" deadens us to seeing God in these things, let alone any eternal value in them. The fact of the matter is that Jesus wants to invade every single part of our lives and wake us up to the Kingdom value of it all -- yes even the laundry.

Using Composition of Place read and pray through the following passage:

Luke 2:39-52

Using Lectio Divina consider the following passage:

Philippians 4:4-9

Questions to Reflect On:

1. Which of my daily activities do I consider "ordinary"?
2. How does my awareness of God's presence and action during ordinary activities alter my judgment about their importance?
3. In my life now, who are the people in my life whose "ordinary" work enhances the quality of my life? Offer a prayer of thanks for these people.
4. What practical humility is required of me in the often "behind the scenes" work I do? How can I develop that attitude so it is more like the humility of Jesus?

Click on Comments to review Pastor Mike's Reflections and make comments of your own.

Sabbath Rest -- Reviewing Your Week (Sunday May 20)

Nothing new today. Take the day off and review your week before God. Spend some time opening yourself up to God and the grace of Jesus in prayer. Spend at least 5 minutes in silence making yourself present to God, as he is present to you.



Have a blessed Sabbath,



Mike

Week 2 -- Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 3 (Saturday May 26)

As I find myself immersed in the setting of this mystery of the Incarnation, I may just want to stay with... the eternal Word, who has become human -- for me. Somtimes I may want to speak out my joy, my thanks, my wonder, or my praise to the three Divine Persons. According to the light of God's grace given to me, I beg that I might come to know Jesus as a pattern for my own living and so be able to draw close to him (Spiritual Exercises 109).

Today is all about deepening our love of and commitment to Jesus -- God in the flesh. In some sense that's what this whole experience has been about, but today we'll more keenly focus our discipleship by contemplating the condescension of Jesus -- that is, that an all-powerful, all-knowing God, not bound by space and time, would see fit to put on a human form, whose power is limited, by the weakness of a finite body and mind. Jesus became in everyway like us, and even embraced weakness. Attempting to pattern our lives after his then is a call to do the same, and even be thankful for it. How are you going to embrace your weakness today?

Using Lectio Divina read and pray through the following passages:

Corinthians 12:1-10
Hebrews 2:14-18

Questions to Reflect On:

1. How do I feel around very young children and very old adults?
2. How is my work contributing to the well-being of people who are fragile in any way, e.g., the elderly, the mentally or emotionally ill, children, refugees or immigrants?
3. How do I respond in moments of vulnerability and powerlessness?
4. Do I rely on defense mechanisms to keep people from seeing my weakness? If so how?

Click on Comments to review Pastor Mike's Reflections and make comments of your own.

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 2 (Friday May 25)

The following description is an attempt to point out some of the ways of entering into the style of prayer called, "Ignatian Contemplation." The description in words can make it sound very mechanical. To remember that the act of praying is our single focus will pour life-blood into the dead body of words (Spiritual Exercises 105).

I try to enter the vision of God... looking upon our world: men and women being born, and being laid to rest, some getting marries and others getting divorced, the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the happy and the sad, so many people aimless, despairing, hateful and killing, so many undernourished, sick, and dying, so many struggling with life, and blind to any meaning. With God, I can hear people laughing and crying, some shouting and screaming, some praying, others cursing.

The leap of divine joy: God knows the time has come when the mystery of salvation, hidden from the beginning of the world, will shine into human darkness and confusion. It is as if I can hear the Divine Person saying, "Let us work the redemption of the whole human race; let us respond to the groaning of all creation" (Spiritual Exercises 102, 103, 106, 107)

Today our focus, while remaining on Jesus' call to us, shifts to his Incarnation. We think about God made flesh, or as someone once said "God with skin on." Our goal and our desire should be to deepen our faith and trust in this God who became human in Jesus (and so make it easier to follow his call in our lives).

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

Luke 1:26-38
John 1:1-18

Questions to Reflect On:

1. What aspects of being human are a delight to me? Which ones are a burden?
2. What aspects of Jesus' humanity are a delight to me? How does Jesus' humanity help me know and experience God in deeper ways?
3. In what areas of my life am I being asked to say "may it be done to me as you have said," as Mary did?
4. "From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace." What graces have I received? Which ones surface for me at this moment and what might be the significance of that awareness or memory?

Suggestion for Daily Living: While out and about take a few minutes to people watch. See each person with reverence for our shared humanity in all its diversity.

Click on Comments to review Pastor Mike's Reflections and make comments of your own.

Week 2: Contemplating the Life and Call of Jesus -- Day 1 (Thursday May 24)

A quick note of apology -- I wasn't able to post yesterday as the internet was down all day at work (and at home). Also for one reason or another my comments on my posts have not been posting. Sorry for both. I'll work to rectify the situation.

I consider Jesus Christ our Lord and his call. If a human leader can have a great appeal to us, how much greater is the attraction of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, our Leader and King! Jesus' call goes out to all peoples, yet he specially calls each person in a particular and unique way. He makes this kind of appeal: "It is my will to win over the whole world, to overcome evil with good, to turn hatred aside with love, to conquer all the forces of death -- whatever obstacles there are that block the sharing of life between God and humankind. Whoever wishes to join me in this mission must be willing to labour with me, and so by following me in struggle and suffering may shre with me in glory" (Spiritual Exercises 95).

In this week (it's actually longer than a full week) we'll be contemplating the life of Jesus and how his life calls us to join him in Kingdom Work. Today we'll be focussing specifically on hearing God's call when it comes and being ready and willing to respond generously to that call.

Using Composition of Place read and reflect on the following passages.

Luke 5: 1-11 -- Call of Peter
Exodus 3 -- Call of Moses
Jeremiah 1 -- Call of Jeremiah
Mark 10: 17-31 -- The Call of the Rich Young Ruler

There's a lot of Scripture here. All of it pertains to our sense of call and vocation. And God can and will speak through all of it, so it's not important to get through all of it. Think of it like a salad bar. You can take a little of each thing, or a lot of one. If you were to take all of everything you be overstuffed.

Questions to Reflect on:

1. What role have heroes and heroines played in my life? Who have been mentors and models whose loves and values have inspired me?
2. What dreams, values, and issues stir my passionate concern at this time in my life?
3. Regardless of all my life circumstances, what freedom do I feel for dreaming and imagining how to extend the Kingdom of God, and Jesus' reign?
4. In all honesty, what do I hesitate to give up or to do in order to better respond to Christ's call?
5. Of the stories listed above which do I resonate with the most? Why?

Suggestion for Daily Living: Read some classic spiritual works or some biographies of contemorary heroes of faith (The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, Mother Theresa, find out what you can about St. Ignatius of Loyola). Focus especially on each persons passionate desire to follow and serve Jesus.

Click on Comments to review Pastor Mike's Reflections and make comments of your own.