Ingnatian Retreat 21. October 1 to 30

Day One

Input:

Necessity of Historical awareness of ourselves God works through our history

Human beings are conditioned by our own history and genealogy Our family, friends and relatives affect us

The dormant inner-child needs to be awakened in us

There are two important dimensions to awaken the inner-child

1. Historical knowledge 2. Grace

Exercises:

The Now Period:

Where am I now in my life*

What are the concerns of my life now?

Who are the major persons involved in my life? What is the developmental process of Now-Period?

Mass Theme: The dead child awakened by Jesus. jt

Day Two &Three:

In put:

Going back to the roots

a Seeing ourselves in the mirror History of my childhood y Definition of childhood

< Making sense of my present based on my childhood.

‹ Prayer to Mother Mary and Holy Spirit will help us to go into the unknown territory of my life.

Exercise:

It was a time when......Go by age Go by place

Go by relationships

Go by events

Mass Theme: Unless you become like the child you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Day Four :

Input Stepping stones of my life Reconciliation Healing the wounded child Caring for the child in need.

Love your neighbor as vou love your sell.. You are the world

Exercise: Writing the stepping stones Dialoguing with the parents

Dialogue with the persons in the history Mass Theme: Vine and the branches. Abide in me.

Day Five: Input

Day 1

"Your Sorrow will be turned into Joy"

The aim of this stage of the Exercises is to penetrate more deeply the mystery of our identification with M sus the Risen Lord in his joy and so to experience the power of the resurrection in me.

While the divinity of Christ, "seemed hidden during the passion,’ (Sp. Ex. 196), now the divinity, ”manifests itself through its true and most holy effects," (Sp. Ex. 228). The divinity is manifested in the effects it has on the disciples, andon me, (Sp. Ex. 324). The divinity manifests itself in transforming sorrow into joy, despondency into courage doubt into faith.

So in each scene of the apparitions after the resurrection we find Jesus consoling all - that is he is at work in us, encouraging us, giving us more faith, hope and charity, (Sp. Ex. 316); inspiring true joy and peace, ridding us of feelings of loneliness, discouragement, so that we can give ourselves entirely to Him and his mission.

’Do not be afraid it is really myself."

Earnest prayer and deeper silence is required of this stage of the Exercises. It is only when we have reached a certain level of intimacy are we then able to make the joys of the other one’s own. We obtain this grace of deeper Intimacy by contemplating the various scenes of the apparitions of the Risen Jesus.

Grace: "To be glad and rejoice intensely at such great glory and joy of Christ our Lord,’ Sp. Ex. 221.

intimate identification with Christ in his joy, "so that my own joy may be in you, and your joy will be complete."

John 15.11;

Jesus appears to His Mother Sp. Ex. 299

Ignatius finds it inconceivable that Jesus would not have first appeared to his mother. He would have gone first to her who bore him and stood by his side on Calvary. Imagine for yourself the vigil she kept in John’s house Try to experience the sorrow, the faith, the trust the expectations she experienced that day. See also the tremendous joy as he appears to her - the familiar form of her son which is also changed, glorious, radiant with the glory he won through the cross.

Jesus appearsto Mary Magdalene John 20.11-18;

Song of Songs 3.1;

Jesus appears to the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus Luke 24.13-35;

• The disciples were discouraged, downcast They had given up hope. They speak of their hopes in the past tense. They show that they are aware of the testimony of the women who had gone to the tomb; still they did not believe that Jesus is risen. Jesus is gentle, understanding and firm. Jesus makes it clear that it is by means of his passion that he enters into his glory.

• Their sadness, disappointment, confusion, even loss of faith and hope give way to new faith, hope, joy, surrender and desire to share the good news as the scandal of the cross is explained in the light of scriptures.

• They recognize him at the breaking of the bread. Their hearts were burning within them. Imagine their joy as they had their eyes opened to the reality of what had happened.

"Were not our hearts burning?"

Acts 13:26 f message of salvation, God raised Jesus, resurrection is the first break through into new existence. Beyond all calculation having body but all in new transformed sense.

1Cor.15 Faith in Resurrection, what type of Risen body would have been, no reanimatian but a different mode of being new and transformed.

consolation is Jesus being alive with his disciples. See him in glory and in his glory we rejoice. The joy of the other Christ is in his glory is my joy. Jesus allowed himself to be seen by his disciples. It is not they who were looking for him but he looked for them. He was not proving his resurrection but fulfilling his promise.

Day 2

Harmonious existence where I am. "Your Sorrow will be turned into Jo

Grace: 'To be glad and rejoice Intensely at such great glory and joy of Christ our Lord,* Sp. Ex. 221 intimate identification with Christ In his joy

Jesus appears to the Disciples in the Upper-room John 20.19-22; Luke 24.36-43,"Peace be with youl“

Jn. 14.27; "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give. This is my gift to you." 1 Pet 1.8-9; "You did not see him yet you loved him, and still without seeing him, you are already filled

with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe and you are sure of the end to which our faith looks forward, that is the salvation of your soul."

The disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews. They are sheep without a shepherd gathered together for mutual protection. His words to them are words of peace - no recrimination - all is past and forgotten - no criticism of Thomas - no making a fool of him. Peace! - and they are filled with joy.

=>Peace, joy, happiness - the fruit of encountering the Risen Lord Col. 3.14;"May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts."

Phil. 4.7;"And the peace of God which is much greater than we can understand will guard your hears." 2 Cor. 13.11; "Live in peace and the God of love and peace will live in you."

=>The outcome of this peace is a life of joy, a happiness that is contagious.

Jn. 16.22; "No one will take your joy from you."

Phil. 4.4-7; "I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness... The peace of God which is much greater than we can understand will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus... The God of Peace will be with you."

Jesus appears on the shore of Tiberias - John 21.1 -23 - Jesus Consoles - Sp. Ex. 224

The Apostles are back in Galilee, back in their old homes, at their old jobs as fishermen. The Spirit had not /et come upon them and they seem not to know what to do next. So they decide to go fishing. There Our Lord recreates the scenes of their old intimacies with him. It is his delicate way of reassuring them that he still trusts them totally and all that he had promised them still stands.

The miracle puts them back in touch with him. Cfr. Luke 5.1-8; fishing at the lake of Genezaret. ’It is the Lord¹’, the risen, transformed Lord, i.e. Jesus of Nazareth, but changed, hence they know him differently. The setting of the meal adds to the old intimacy, but now at a deeper level.

"The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ’It is the Lord!"

'Peter who had nothing practically on wrapped his cloak around him and jumped into the water." - Peter is again hisold self wanting to be near the Lord.

'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other do?"

. "Yes Lord you know I love you.”"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

.. "Yes Lord you know I love you.”"Simon, son of John do you love me?"

. "Lord you know everything, you know I love you.’

Jesus and Peter must have been both looking forward to a chance to talk together. How many times Peter must have desired to be with Jesus again for a moment How often he must have thought of that glance which Jesus gave him.

Peter is made the shepherd of the flock. What does this commission imply?

John 10.12; The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A5 Shepherd Peter will follow in the footsteps of his Master, Jn. 21.19; cfr. 13.38; Peter too like Jesus will die on the cross. By the time this gospel was written Peter had already followed his Master to the glory .of the Cross and to the fullness of his office as shepherd and so to the fullness of the glory of the resurrection

Day 3

The Risen Jesus in my Life: "All I want is to know Christ and the power of His resurrection." Phil. 3.10;

Sensing the significance of the resurrection in my own life as I prolong the mission of the Risen Lord.

Phil. 2.9-10: "God raised him and gave him the name which is above other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the under-world should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue shouldacclaim Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father."

L Rom. 6.5.9-11: "If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection.When he died, he died once and for all to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way you must consideryourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Jesus."

S Co. 3.1-4; "Since you have been brought back to your life in Christ, you must look for the things that are inheaven where Christ is sitting at God's right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the thing-, that areon earth; because you have died and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is reveaIed,and he is your life, you too will be revealed with all the glory with him."

\ 2 Cor. 4.7-10;"We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We are in difficulty on all sides but never cornered, wesee no answer to our problems but never despair... always wherever we may be we carry with us in our body thedeath of Jesus, so that the fife of Jesus too may always be seen in our body."

S.Rom. 8.31-39: "With God on our side who can be against us? ... He not only died for us but rose from the

dead, and there at God's right hand he stands and pleads for us. Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted or lacking food or clothes ... for I am certain ofthis, neither death nor life, no angel no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power or height ordepth, nor any created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus."

g Phil. 3.7-13: "Because of Christ I have come to consider all the advantages that I had as disadvantages. Not only that but I believe that nothing can happen that win outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.For him I have accepted the loss of everything and I consider everything as so much rubbish if only

Ican have Christ and be given a place with him ...All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrectionand to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I hope of taking my place in theresurrection of the dead ... I have not yet won, I am still running trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me."

Eph. 1.18-23; "May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for, ou, what

rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power he exercises for usbelievers. "John 11.25: "I am the resurrection. If anyone believes in me even though he dies will live, and whoever livesand believes in me will never die."

The Spirit of the Risen Jesus

The Resurrection meant for Jesus and his followers a Spirit-filled existence.

John 14.16-17:"I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit oftruth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows hfrn; but you know him since he is with you.He is

in you."

Acts 2.32-33: "God raised this man Jesus to life and all of us are witnesses to that now raised to the n sights ofGod’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit who was promised, and what you see an ihear

isthe outpouring of that Spirit"

1 Cor. 6.19 "Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us since we received him from God."

Rom. 8.9-11: "The Spirit of God has made his home in us ... The Spirit of him who raised

Jesus from the dead is living in you ... He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to

your mortal bodies through his Spirit

living in you.“

Eph. 3.16-22: "I ask God for the wealth of his glory, to give you power through his spirit to

be strong in your innerselves, that Christ will make his home in you through Faith. I pray that

you have your roots and foundations in love,so that together with God's people you may have

the power to understand how broad and long and high and deep isChrist's love. May you come

to know his love which surpasses all knowledge and so be completely filled

withthe perfect fullness of God."

After retreat how are you going to experience Christ? What power is he going to give me? What does he want of

me? How ir our Iij'e going to be?

Day one: In the Desert: I' UPS

The spirit immediately drove Jesus into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days. (Mk 1:12ff)

Be still know that lam God - Ps 46:10

The decisive battle of God’s kingdom are fought in solitude.

To withdraw:

God rested. Gen 2:1-3, Heb 4:9f; I will give you rest. Mat 11:28

To be alone:

Difference between holidays and the retreat.

To be among angels and demons:

There are dark and destructive powers, old hurts come with new vigour, bitterness against people who have wronged us, there are feelings of emptiness,frustrations, and rejections. Passions, urges of the body assert themselves. Fantasies of ambition, vanity, self-glory flood our mind, at times under the pious disguise of doing great things for others and for god.

God’s joy and peace. Call to deep love and surrender, the desire for a truer and richer life. These we encounter. To be With God:

We pray with confidence. Ps 22:10; God’spromise is ours. Ps 62:4; The lord leads and protects. Is 52:12

Disposition:

1. Magnanimity Generosity In other words:

a) Humility

b) Loving trust

c) Cheerfulness

d) Total surrender

Points:

The New 7estament bye.ains n the_desert: Voice in the wilderness - Mk 1:3

Lk: 3:10-14; Mk 1:9; Mk 1:13; Mk 1:3S, 45, 6:31, Lk 6:12,

The Birth of Israel: Ex12: 42

Ex 14: 11, Ex 14:30, Ex 15:22-25, Ex 17:3-7, Ex 16:2-15, Ex 19:5f, Deut 32:10f, Deut 1:19.

Desert the uniaue time of erace:

Is 32:15, Is 3S:1-10, Is 41:17-20, Hos 2:2-13, Hos 2:14-23, Jer 35:6-11.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did I decide to make this retreat?

2. What do I expect from this retreat?

3. How do I intend to face the solitude of these days?

In 6:15

Note: The Desert does not mean the absence of human beings, it is the presence of God.

DayTwo:

Encountering God:

Be still and know that I am God. Ps 46:10

O God you are my God, for you I long for you my soul is thirsting. Ps 63

1. Moses encounters with God and his mission: Ex 3:1-12

Who is God? Fire, consuming power, force beyond control. God is power, present, all pervading but nothing is destroyed, and nothing seems to change yet in his presence everything seems to change.

2.
How young Samuel found God: 1Sam 2:12-26 -

3. Jesus enters his mission: Mat 3:13-17, Jn 1:51 -7 P S” 4. Ps 8, Ps 63, Ps 9S, Wis 9:1-14, Eph 1:1-14, Col 1:9-14

5. Living stones in God’s Temple: tc)

You are the stone upon which I will build my church. Rom

6. I am baptized: Eph 4:1, Mat 5:14, Epheta —

7. IN the world not of the world Jn 17:9-19

Answer the following questions:

1. How did I encounter Godin my life7

2. Was I ever personally aware of his power, guidance and love. p

3. What can I do to enrich and deepen my prayer life?

4. My World: In your meditation return to various spheres of you e: family, neighbourhood, friends, the professional world and ask yourself the following questions'

a. What is my place in this sphere? ‘

b. What are its needs, problems, aspirations?

c. Am I alive to them?

d. How can this world of mine be oriented in the spirit of Jesus?

Day Three: You are a Priest. We encounter God as Priests and Religious:

Priest is a Mediator between God and human beings. This is an office conferred on all the baptized believers. Priest is a God-with-man and man-with-God. Heb 9:12, Heb8:7-13, Jer 31:31-34, Heb 10:5-7, Ps 40:6-8.

Jesus’ self-gift to the father carries with _It _d _MiSSiOFI. Lk

*yo b» ko

Priesthood is a call to holiness.

Points:

1. Jesus calls the twelve: Lk 6:12

o He called whom he desired.

o They came to him.

o He appointed them to be with him.

o He sent them out to preach.

o He gave them authority to cast out demons.

o The names express the variety. Not homogeneous. New Israel. New comprehensive community.

o Transcending all personal and social differences.

o Inclusive of Judas — that indicates risk. God continues to trust us through the ages.

2. Responsible shepherds:Acts 20:17-35 o Be on guard for yourselves.

o And for all the flock.

o Of which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians.

o To feed the church of the Lord.

o Which he obtained with his own blood.

o Fierce wolves will come.

o From among yourselves will arise men speaking perverse things.

o Therefore be alert.

3. The Spirit of the shepherd: 1Peter 5:1-4

o I exhort the elders among you as fellow elders.

o As a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as partakers in the glory that is to be revealed.

o Tend the flock of God that is in your charge.

o Not be constraint but willingly.

o Not for shameful gains

o Not domineering ”

o Being an example to the flock.

o When the chief shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.

Answer the Questions:

1. Trace the development of your own understanding of being called by God to life of holiness. How it has

2. How have you been encouraged or discouraged by the example of other Priests and religious?Analyze examples of inspiring priests and religious and those who scandalize. What are the main reasons for edification and disedification? - /W”

3. Have I grown spiritually to exercise my call to priesthood and holiness?

4. What are the priorities of mylife?

Encountering God as Religious.

• Religious are a privileged group.

• All Christians are called to holiness. Religious in a special way are very especially set-apart to live a life of holiness.

• Because Jesus lived a life of total holiness so are we called to live the life of holiness.Jn 14:19

• Radical decision to follow the way of Jesus.

• Total freedom and surrender to the will of God is the radical freedom that the religious live.

The three evangelical counsels as witness to the Christian life:

Consecrated Chastity: Deut 6:4-8; Mk 12:28ff

Consecrated Poverty: Lk12: 13-21; Mt 6:21; Mk 1017-22; Mt 6:25-34 Consecrated Obedience: Mt 6:33

Points:

1. Radical following of Jesus: (Mk 10:17-31)

a. What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jn 17:3

b. All these I have fulfilled from my youth

c. You lack one thing

d. Sell... give... and follow me. Rid one-self of attachments and possessions. Share with the poor. Follow Christ in freedom.

e. His countenance fell... went sorrowful...

f. How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God.

g. With men it is impossible, not with God.

2. The life of the Spirit: (Jn 3:1-8)

3. God’s light reflected in his messengers (2Cor 4:1-6)

a. We have renounced. our ways.

b. The Gospel is veiled (Mt 13: 44)

c. What we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ.

d. Let light shine out of darkness.

Further readings: Lk 14:25-35; 1Cor2: 1-9; 1Cor 7:32-35; 2Cor 4:7-12

Questions to answer:

1. Have I felt the challenge of the Gospel? On what occasions? In what passages?

2. Do I feel the conflict between my life and the demands of Jesus? Between my religious life and the Gospel?

3. How do I intend to put the gospel into the context of my daily life and work?

Day Four: My life in the World. 9/ /

Today we reflect in a comprehensive way on the meaning of our existence, of our life in the world.

The paradigm:

Human beings are created by God. The purpose and meaning of life is spelled out in three words: Praise, Reverence and Service. g $ . 6 o{7 sW -&

To praise: Ex 16:7; 40:34; Jn 1:14; Rom 5:2; 1Cor 15:43; 2Cor 3:18; Heb 13:15;Mt 6:25-33

To Reverence God: To revere means to wonder, to be in awe, to be in the encompassing presence and power of the all knowing and all embracing love of God that enfolds our life and gives us the ultimate assurance that no creature can give. It is an attitude of silence and adoration before the wonder of God.

To serve God: Service is an action offered to the community. Attitude of giving and building up, of reconciling, healing and forming community is service. (Is 42:1-4; 49:5f; 2Cor 5:17f). Serving God is integrating our life into the work of God.

Through this to save my own soul.

The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings to make use of them to reach our Goal and purpose. Therefore we must make ourselves free in relation to all created things. Our one desire should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.

Points:

1. Human being, crown and lord ofcreation. (Gen1: 26-2:3)

2. The world as Temptation: Wis 13:1-9; Lk 12:13-21; Mt 6:19; Mk 10:17-22; Jn 3:19; Jn 17:11

3. Jesus’Message of the Kingdom (Mt 6:21-33) {/jb

Further reading: Ps 8; 104; Sir 16:24-17:32 Questions to answer:

1. Reflect on the orientation of your life: on what basis do you make your decisions? What are the criteria in arranging your timetable, Calander, etc?

2. Reflect on your surroundings, your work, the people, etc. In what way do they help you to be closer to God, in what way do they hinder you?

To ponder: Everything you love for its own sake, outside God alone, blinds your intellect and ruins your judgment of moral values and vitiates your choices so that you cannot clearly distinguish gobd from evil, and do not truly know God’s will. - Thomas Merton.

Day 4

Contemplation to be in Love Sp. Ex. 230-237

"My heart proclaims the greatness of the Lord... for the Almighty has done great things for me." Lk. 1.46; This is not a contemplation that rounds off the Exercises. It is a contemplation that makes the transition from the retreat to one’s daily life. Here the Exercises begin to open up into the day-to-day existence that awaits us.

This is an invitation to enter more deeply in God's marvels and gifts till I am able to experientially sense their ultimate significance as God giving Himself to me in and through his gifts, and then to insert myself into this current if in love I acknowledge everything as expressions of this love.

God is constantly showing me and touching me with his love - open myself to take It in -and I will findmyself responding to life lovingly.

Grace: "To 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," Sp. Ex. 233.

->Finding God in all things and all things in Him. Seek the Divine everywhere so that the whole world becomes charged with the presence of the beloved. It is not just service, but rejoicing in his presence, both merging. It is 'Service out of Love'.

->Love consists in sharing - not just doing but merging;

->Love manifests itself in deeds rather than in words.

Sp. Ex. 234: Remembering God's gifis to me

the grace in Sp. Ex. 233 expresses the purpose and the means to obtain love, namely ’intimate knowledge i.e. finding i n God's gifts the deepest insights into their true meaning, seeing them as a means to find God everywhere and to ove and serve him in all things.

will ponder with great affection how much God our Lord has done for me, and how much he has given me of what e possesses, and finally how much as far as he can the same Lord desires to give Himself to me ... “This is an nvitation to remember” - cfr. Psalm 136.

°. member, That I am God’s greatest gift to myself.

S e the personal I lots, abilities, holy desires, generous plans, happy events etc....etc................... which God has gifted

me with. Thank him for the wonder of your being - body, mind, heart, senses, all your hidden potential. Psalm 139. We may look at Jesus in the light of this contemplation, for he lived it. Here we see the gift of the Father to the Son and the response of the Son in loving surrender

Sp. Ex. 235: God’s gift of Himself to me in these gifis

God is not just sending me gifts, but gives himself to me in his gifts. God is in everything I see, in everyone with whom WealGifts of love bring the presence of the giver / the lover. Here is an invitation to open myself to the sense of presence of the beloved. His gifts are meant to communicate His presence.

If I am God's gift, then God is present in the gift of myself, unfolding his loving presence in me and making me a gift of love to others

God in his gifts makes himself more and more present to his creatures to the point of realizing in me his most

i ntimate presence. I am touched by the Divine, I am a presence of the Divine. If I am aware of this Divine presencein me, then I am also present to Gods

Psalm 139. "For all these mysteries I thank you,for the wonder of myself For the wonder of your works................... " In

Jesus we see a mutual indwelling in mission and loving service.

John 5.19-22; 8.29,38-42;"He who sent me is present with me, for I always do what is pleasing to him.* John 10.30.17.21; "My Father and I are one-

John 14.10ff. 'The Father is in me and I in the Father."

Intensification of the retreat.So prayer with all solemnity of the occasion with whole heavenly court not casual but very important.The heavenly court is really interested in me so they are very supportive.

p. Ex. 236: God labours for me

A deeper insi¿›-I ir”r. od's 'move by seeing this love expressed in yet another aspect. God is not just giving his gifts and is not just St ticall›z or esent in his gifts. God is actively working in them, all for me now. So God the lover working for me = the work of t.he lover and the love of the worker.

The Get! af Itr et us s a God who labours, "I will consider how God works and labours for me in all creatures upon the

face Oi* 'I E E?1 h ..."

Rom.8.28; God is constantly at work for the good of his creatures. Psalm IU. "You fill the earth with love."

Thee ›F act her is working in Jesus.

John S.17; "My Father is always working and so am 1." J›ohn I4.24; "We will come and make our home in him."

John 16.32; "I am never alone for the Father is always with me."

Sp. ›Ex. 237: God, the Giver and the Gift

"-Boro .-'›na es so much with ma Why all this? What is all this expressing? AH that God does for me, all that God shares with me is .nothing else but an expression of God wanting to gift Himself to me. This is the climax of love. Love wants to become one with the Beloved. 'You in me and I in you.' All that God is pouring out on me is a reflection of God gifting case!{ to me.

Ibna- bus ends up by telling me to look at myself. I, myself am a reflection of God

"I ./il! consider these blessings and gifts as descending from above." From God to God - God in all. For Jesus all comes from the Father, all reveals the Father to Christ. Matt 16.26; 10.29;

Isaiah 6.1-6; "The Lord almighty is holy!.... His glory fills the earth."

"Thou has made us endless .. Thy infinite gifts come to us

O.my’ on these very small hands of ours. Age. pass and still thou pourest.

And still there is room to fill........ Rabindranath Tagore.

In response to the love and invitation of God who is constantly offering me Himself, who first tells me "Take and........ B receive.............. ME", touched by this love i find myself drawn to say,

Take O Lord as your rightful claim And receive as my own free gift

All my liberty myself as a self-determining person. My memory my understanding and my whole will the endowments of my spiritual nature

All I have in qualities of body And all I possess of the goods of this world

It is all yours Lord

who are the source of all reality You gave It to me without it ceasing to be yours / offer it to you

that it may be more truly mine

Oispose of it entirely according to your will which is now my most ardent desire Cive me Thy love that is your very self. Give me Thy grace your Spirit dwelling in me And that is enough/or me for the perfect joy is to belong totally to you.

Memory is not my power to remember or memorise but all the memory from my childhood till now which fills me.

Day Five: The Broken World. 3/7/>i

The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news. (Mk 1:15) Any starting point of our spiritual journey has to start from the brokenness of the world we live in. The New Testament begins with Jesus who saves people from this broken and sinful world.

The sinful world affects us and we contribute to the sinfulness of the world. So its important to see the sinfulness and brokenness of the world.

What is sin?

Sin is the refusal to accept God’s love. The triple colloquy:

1.
What have I done for Christ Crucified?

2. What Am I doing for Christ Crucified?

3. What must I do for the Christ Crucified?

Short Points:

1. What is sin? Election- Refusal-Destruction (Mt:23:37-24 :2) — Jn 3:18, Deut 30:15

2 How sin came in to the world? (Gen 3) — Gen 1:28f; Gen 2:17; Lk 23:43 0yQ,

3. Sin in human Society (Mt 25:31-46)

Questions:

1. Where do Isee the dangers for my commitment to the Lord?

2. What are the excuses and disguises ofmy fault? What are my excuses to avoid duty andresponsibility?

Have I sought the honest opinion of others?

Day seven: A New Heart

Create in me a clean heart, 0 God. Ps 51:10 Points:

1. The Promise of the new covenant. (Is 49:14-16; Jer 31:34; Ez 36:22-36) Is 49:14-16; Rev 21:3; Mt 5:16.

2. Jesus’ invitation: Mat S:29f; Lk 13:23; Mat 12:43-45; Mat 25:14-30

3. The new life in Jesus Christ (Eph 4:23-5:2) James chapte? ;Gal 5:22f

Day Eight: Break Day Ninth Day Jesus Invites

- The King Exercise (Sp. Ex. 91-98) -

There is a Kingdom: "Believe the joyful news, be my disciples for the kingdom of God is at hand." Mark 1.18;

There Is a King: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the most high .. The Lord will give him the throne of his ancesto”r David ... and his reign will have no end." Luke 1.33;

"... And to his kingship there is no end." Luke 1.32;

Where IS this king which the angels spoke about?

We stumble upon him in the praetorium, "Yes, I am a king, but my kingdom is not of this world." Jn. 18.28; It is interesting to note the places where Jesus comes out quiet openly as king; Jesus on the cross, (King of the Jews) - Jesus before Pilot - Jesus in the praetorium where the soldiers slap him, spit on him and say, "Hail King ..."

Having been touched by the liberating love of God, Jesus invites me further - Come "with me".

This is an invitation to move beyond being touched by love to entering into a relationship of intimacy. This invitation to be "with Him" is 'to be placed' with Christ as servants of the mission. This invitation to be "with Him". Christ now extends to me takes place in the very unfolding of the mission entrusted by the Father to the Son, So I ask for two graces (cfr. Sp. Ex. 92, 2nd. Prelude).

That I may out be deaf to this invitations i.e. the option to allow myself to be affected by the Lord who invites me.

- To be fully open to where this relationship will take me; i.e. a willingness to allow myself to get involved with Jesus. 'Being affected' and ’getting involved' are constitutive of an intimate relationship.

- Who is this Christ that invites me7

John 1.29; - the lamb of God; Jn 1.34-49; -the Son of God; Jn 1.38-39; - the teacher; Jn 1.41; - the Messiah; Jn 1.45; - hope of all.

"For this I was born, for this I have come into the world." His kingship consists in his mission. "I have come," Jn. 16.28; "to bring God's revelation," Jn.8.32,45; to the world.

"I have come," indicates not only his coming, but also his permanent presence. Col. 1, 11 — 2.5; The reign is Jesus Christ sharing his mission.

1 Cor. 4.1-2; We are his co-workers.

2 Cor. 5.18ff .. . We are ambassadors of Christ.

2 Cor. 11.21 -12.10; The implications of this work with Christ.

Rev. 1.5; Jesus Christ, the ruler over the kings of the earth.

Jn 14:1-4; Lk 22:28-30 "As he has had a share in the toil with me, afterwards, he may share in the victory with me," Sp. Ex. 93.

- What Will be my response...? "Lord to whom shall I go?" John 6.67; Gen. 12.1-3; 22.1-14; Abraham before God

Exodus 1.1-16; Moses before God

Jer. 1.1-12; 20.7-18; Jeremiah resists his call - following his call is difficult. Isaiah 6.1-5; Isaiah before God.

Luke 1.38; Mary - Behold the handmaid of the Lord

Rom. 8.31ff. "With God on our side who can be against us?

... "Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ..." 2 Cor. 6.3ff. "We prove we are servants of God by fortitude..."

2,.Cor. 4.7-14; God's power is operative in me:

Phil. 4.13; "There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength."

- The response to the invitation of Jesus my King

Sp. Ex. 97. Persons who are of great heart and are set on fire with zeal... offer themselves entirely for such a mission, but will act against anything that will make their response less loving.

Sp. Ex. 98. "Eternal Lord and King of the universe, I humbly come before you supported by my mother Mary

and all the saints, I offer myself by the help of your grace, to you and to your work I profess that it is my greatest desire and deliberate choice, provided it is only for your greater service and praise, to imitate, you in bearing all wrongs and all abuse and all poverty, both actual and spiritual if my Lord and King would want to choose and admit me to such a state and way of life."

Tenth day

Befriending Jesus

Grace: Jesus help me. To know you more intimately. To love you more ardently, To follow you more closely.

The Incarnation (Midnight Meditation)

God’s word, the Son of God, becomes "human for me," (Sp. Ex. 104). Heb. 1.1-2; The Father desirous to bring salvation

John 1.1-14; Christ the Word comes into the world in three great movements of sacred history:

-in his act of creation: "Through him all things were to be." (v. 2)

- In his covenant with his chosen people: "He came to his own people but his own did not accept him." (v. 11).

- in human flesh: "The Word was made flesh and lived among us.* (v. 14),

The Word, "Whom we have heard and we have seen with our own eyes, whom we have watched and touched with our own hands." 1 Jn. 1.11;

Phil. 2.5-11; What it meant for the Son of God to become man. X/ Heb. 2.4-18; He became completely like his brethren.

Rom. 8.14-17; The meaning of the Incarnation for us. I Jn. 1.1-4; The realism of the Incarnation

The Annunciation, (Sp. Ex. 262)

God the Father is in need of help. - Mary is free from "sensual, carnal & worldly love', (Sp. Ex. 97), and so even though disturbed and afraid yet, ”Let it be done unto me..."

Luke 1.26-38; The Annunciation. Luke 1.46-55; The Magnificat

Luke 1.67-79; The Benedictus Joseph's Dilemma

Joseph does not understand ... Yet sensing that he is part of a mystery that is unfolding in him and through him, gives him the strength to create space in his heart for this mystery to unfold.

Matt 1.18-25; The tension, the dilemma, the anxiety... He is part of a mystery he does not understand Psalm 131. Child-like trust in God.

The Nativity, (Sp. Ex. 110-117, 262,265,266) Luke 2.1-20; 6

Gall, 4.4; "When the appointed time came God sent His Son born of a woman." John 1.14; "And the Word was made flesh and lived among us."

Luke 2.6; "She put him in a manger since there was no place for them in the inn." John 3.6; "Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son."

” Jesus Poor: To come in contact with, and sense the liberating power that seems to be present in Jesus pODf. OUf

.Vow of Poverty is an expression of our love for Jesus poor, poor in the life he chose for himself.

Phil- 2.6; "His state was divine yet he did not cling to his equality with God, but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and became as all men are.”

Luke 2.7;

Matt 8.20;

Matt 27.35;

2 Cor. 8.9;

"She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."

"Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head."

"When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots." ’He was rich, but he became poor for our sake to make us rich out of his poverty.

"Our poverty should be true Gospel poverty. Gentle, tender, glad and open-hearted, always ready to give ari expression of love. Poverty is love before His renunciation. To love, it is necessary to give. To give, It is necessary to be true." [Wother Teresa]

Eleventh day Befriending Jesus

Grace: Jesus help me, To know you more intimately, To love you more ardently. To follow you more closely.

The Presentation in the Temple Luke 2.22-38; Sp. Ex. 132,268. $

-Forty days after the birth of a child the mother had to go to the temple to be purified, - read Leviticus 12,2-8. The first-born is offered to God and consecrated to his service and then he is redeemed, • read Exodus 13.2,12-16. '

-Mary is purified and Jesus is redeemed. It sounds strange. Yet it helps us to understand that they are living in a real world in which they were to live lives of good Jews.

-The first journey of Jesus to Jerusalem is 'to be redeemed'. - His last will be to redeem me

-Mary and Joseph do not understand completely what Simeon and Anna say. They are to live a mystery in the fullness of faith. They experience what It means to be a member of the ’Kingdom of Christ‘

-See the faithfulness of Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna.

The Flieht into Eeypt * Matt 2.13-15,19-23; Sp. Ex. 132,269,270.

- 'Arise and take the child and his mother and flee into Egypt..."

-The care of God’s providence ....

-Joseph at the disposal of God's will........ Repeat your offering of the King Exercise.

The Hidden life of Jesus. Luke 2.39-40,51-82; @W

Very little indeed of his human career on earth will be left when the days of Nazareth are passed. And here in this unknown village Jesus is on mission, God's saving love is at work.

They were years of intense growth through which he attained the full stature of a man. Even for Jesus it took time to know and to learn to love. His consciousness of his mission from the Father grew and deepened.

John 5.30; "My will is to do the will of him who sent me.

Nazareth: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth.* John 1.46; - and yet "The Word was made flesh and lived among us," in Nazareth, John 1.14.

Jesus: "The carpenter’s son." Matt. 13.55; - Would I hesitate when I see Jesus so ordinary........... ?

"The child grew to maturity." Luke 2.40;

"Jesus increased in wisdom and age before God and man." Luke 2.52; -Nothing worthwhile in life is sudden. Jesus waits. Jesus must be awaited. To wait for another is to be willing to be alone for him. Allow Jesus to reveal to you what gives value to his thirty years here in Nazareth: o together with Jesus, talk to him about your h_idden lif9;- Let Jesus talk to you about his hidden life...- Hear Jesus say the offering of the King Exercise.

Mary: "I am the handmaid of the Lord." Luke 1.38;

- God became one of us from her own flesh & blood. He rested and grew in her for nine monks.

"She stored many things in her heart," Luke 2.51; - Ask Martwo share with you the many th”rngrshe pondered in silence, her doubts, her anxieties, her moments of joy

-Share with Mary the things you treasure in your heart,*-Hear Mary say the offering of the King Exercise Joseph: "Joseph the husband of Mary, a man of honour." Matt. 1,19;

-Not a word that Joseph spoke is recorded in the Gospel, but his worries and doubts are. He allows himself to be an instrument in God's hands without fully understanding why and how.

-Hear Joseph make the offering of the King Exercise.

Obedience of Jesus to His Parents - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple Lk.2.41-52; Sp.Ex.134,271,272 Luke 2.51; ’He lived under their authority. " - Faithfulness in little things.

John 4.34; " My food is to do the will of him who sent me Refusing to compromise when God makes demands.

The guarantee that his act of disobedience is a call from God, is the obedience at Nazareth John 17.18; "As you sent me into the world. I have sent them into the world."

Phil. 2.S; "Let Christ be v ur example as to what your attitude should be."

The heart of my Vow of Obedience is to let God take us in freedom. This calls for tremendous responsibility; for without taking responsibility for my choices there can be no freedom. Obedience is not fatalism but intense responsibility. Obedience is the challenge to remain open to the Beyond even when perhaps everything within me, (my sensual, carnal, worldly love, Sp. Ex. 97), Is trying to dose me in.

Twelfth day Befriending Jesus

"Whoever wishes to come with me" (Sp. Ex. 95)"All this for me." (Sp. Ex. 116) vGrace: Jesus help me, to know you more intimately, to love you more ardently, to follow you more closely. Jesus is Baptised Matt 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-11; Sp. Ex. 273

- His identification with people in their movement towards God.

» Here at his baptism Jesus has a foundational experience of his relationship with God. He comes in contact with his

— ’Graced Self as "the Beloved Son of a loving Father*. La Storta exp. For Ignatius

”Luke 3.21-22; Luke mentions that the Spirit descended upon Jesus after his baptism while he was at prayer it is a personal experience of God as "Abba".

” Experiencing the liberating power of a God of love. Jesus launches out into his public ministry to proclaim this God of love. His baptism consecrates him for his mission.

- Follow Jesus as he goes to his baptism. Be reverently by his side as he goes through this foundational

grace. Jesus invites you to be baptised by him. Hear the Father proclaim to you, 'My favour rests on you,' - 'I rejoice over you' — 'I am delighted in you’.

- .jet the Father through Jesus seal you in your 'graced self and "place you with the Son for mission'.

Jesus and John the Baptiste

Matt 3.13-17; 11.7-10; Mark 6.12-29; Luke 3.1-20; 7.18-36; John 1.19-34; 3.22-36;

John was free to be a fearless witness to Christ unto deatln. Luke 1.14-16; "He will be great in the sight of the Lord, even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.'

Luke 1.76; "And you little child will go be fore the Lord to prepare the way for him."

Luke 1.80; 'Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured and he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel

John 3.30; "He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.* Mark 6.28; "The man went off and beheaded him in prison ..."

John 4.1-42 Jesus and The Samaritan Woman. Jesus is the living water who alone can satisfy the thirst that is in every human heart.

Matt. 5.6; "Happy are those who hunger and thirst for what is right, they shall be satisfied." Eccles. 24.21; "They who eat will hunger for more, they who drink will thirst for more."

John 6.35; "He who believes in me will never thirst."

John 7.37; "If any man is thirsty let him come to me, let the man come and drink who believes in me" Is. 58.11; "You shall be like a watered garden."

Is. 55.1-11; "O come to the water all you who are thirsty ... pay attention come to me;

listen and your soul will live."God, you are my God, I am seeking you, My soul is thirsting for you, My flesh is longing for you, As a land parched, weary and waterless.* Psalm 63.

-Picture the scene where Jesus and the Samaritan woman imeet... watch ... listen ... Look at Jesus talking to the woman...

took at the woman ... observe their expressions... try to sense their feelings ..

but yourself in the place of the Samaritan woman ... You and Jesus are alone... ask him why is he there ... let him talk... he invites t icy his side... listen to what he sa s ... invite him to come to your house. *

'Out of his infinite glory may he give you the power through his spirit for your inner self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then planted in love, you will with all the saints have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth, until knowing the love of Christ which is beyond all knowledge, you

are filled with the utter fullness of God." Eph. 3.16-19;

loses his life will find it."

Insults: Freedom from "sensual, carnal and worldly love" because I have nothing to lose since I am sealed

by God in His love. "Nothing, nothing, nothing can come between me and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus," cfr. Rom. 8.39;

Humility: My security is not in myself but in God who gratuitously created me out of love. "You are my beloved Son. My favour rests on you," Mark 1.11;

Who Is Jesus? 'I am meek and humble of heart," Mt. 11.28-30; - ’I am the bread of life," John

8.38; - ’I am the light of the world," John 9.4; -1am the good shepherd, I am the door' John 10.9; - "I am the resurrection and the life,’ John 11.28.

Mentality of Jesus: (Sp. Ex. 143-147) Matt Chs. 5 to 7;

Mark 8.27-35; 9.30-36; 10.32-45; The Standard of Jesus - He announces the cross; The standard of the World - the reaction of the disciples. What the world considers a blessing, Jesus counts as a curse. What the world is trying hard to get, Jesus says it is despicable. What the world says it is a curse, Jesus counts as blessing.

This Exercise presents me with a basic struggle every human person faces.

"Am I worth because of what I succeed to have or achieve, or because of the gratuitous gift of God's love?" "Do I have recognition on the basis of myself, my performance, my name, my possessions or because I have experienced deep within me that I am gratuitously recognized by God7

Hence the grace of this Exercise is an insight into what leads to genuine life, Sp. Ex. 139

'You cannot be the slave of two masters ... you cannot be the slave both of God and of the world "Matt. 6.24;

The Values of Jesus

"Just as I do not belong to the world they too do not belong to the world . .. I sent them into the world just as you Father sent me into the world."

"Happy are those who are spiritually poor; the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.’

"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully." "Happy are those who are merciful to others, God will be merciful to them."

"Happy are the pure in heart, they will see God."

'Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires, the kingdom ot heaven belongs to them." "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be children of your Father in heaven." "You cannot be the slave of two masters you cannot be the slave both of God and of the world."

"Whoever loves his father and mother more than me Is not fit to be my disciple."

"If anyone wants to come with me he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me."

"Anyone who wants to be great among you must be the servant of the rest; and if anyone wants to be first among you he must be your slave just tike the son of man who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life" "After Jesus washed the feet of the disciples he asked them, ’Do you understand what I have done for you?'... I your Lord and Teacher have just washed your feet. You then should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example for you so that you will do just what I have done for you."

Sp. Ex. 147: Colloquy: Because of the importance of coming to some understanding of the opposing

movements in my heart, I will enter into the intensity of prayer by addressing and begging favours from Mary, Jesus "and the Father,

(i) First I will approach Our Lady asking her to obtain for me from her Son the grace to be accepted in the intimate circle of his disciples and identified as one of his company. Then I will say a Hail Mary,

(ii) Next in the company of Mary, I will ask the same petition of her Son that Jesus may obtain these same favours from the Father. Then I will say the 'Soul of Christ".

(iii) Finally I will approach the Father, having been presented by both Jesus and Mary. And again I will make the same requests to the Father that He the giver of all good gifts may grant such favours to me.

Then I will close with an Our Father. "Mary Place me with your Son Jesus."

Thirteenth Day

The Two Standards (Sp. Ex. 136-147)

"Peter ...the way you think is not God's way but man’s," Matt 16.23.

This is a prayer to help me come in contact with the mentality, the values, the attitudes of Jesus. The one who is inviting me to a life of closer intimacy with him. The way I look at things, my values, influence the choices that I make Hence, "In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus,* Phil. 2.S;

There is a way of thinking which is of God. Ther+ is a way of thinking which is oman. And both are good. We are now moving to a level in our relationship with God where the choice is no longer between what is head (1st Week), but between what ’more'. And in the context o "more good’ is the 'more pleasing' to the beloved. This is a knowledge that is revealed at a certain dna

So the grace of knowledge that is asked for in Sp. Ex. 139 isthe_giftof discernm t "insi ht into genuine life.*

And the grace of the Colloquy in Sp. Ex. 147 is the gift of intimacy - to be received under the Standard of Christ, is to be placed in the intimate circle of his disciples - to be of his company.

This Prayer Exercise is a deepening of:

Sp. Ex. 91: ”That ( may not be deaf to his call but ready and diligent to fulfill his most holy will." Sp. Ex. 98a ". . to distinguish myself in the service of the king..."

" . not only will I offer myself to labour but even act against my sensual, worldly and carnal love,and will make offerings of greater value. The offering of the King Exercise. Sp. Ex. 104: “... interior knowledge of the Lord, who for me has become man, that I may love and follow him.” Sp. Ex. 109: "... in order to foll‹›w and imitate the Lord..."

The Temptations of Jesus Matt. 4.1-11; Sp. Ex. 274

After his experience of God at his Baptism, Jesus withdraws into the desert to root himself and his security in the realization that he is the "Beloved Son." The temptations try to separate Jesus from this foundational 8race-

Old Testament background to the temptations in Matthew’s Gospel and Jesus’ response.

(I) Exodus 16.2-3; People murmuring about food

Deut 8.3;. “ "Man does not live by bread alone.“

e temptation to make h " the meaning of one’s life and one's source of happiness. While Jesus answers that the meaning of one’s life comes from my relationship with God.

(II) Exodus 17.1ff. People thirsting, asking for a miracle. Cfr. Jews asking for a sign Deut 6.16; "Do not put the Lard to the test" /

The temptation to seek "honour", to submit myself to people’s acclamations and to what they think of me. Jesus says that the source of my happiness is not in what people say of me but in my relationship with God as His Beloved Son.

(III) Exodus 32. 1-29 Worship of the golden calf. Deut .6.13; Worship God alone.

The temptation to "pride", being someone because of the power and authority that I yield Jesus says that my authority comes from my relationship with God.

Luke4.13; “The devil left him for a time.“:

The temptation wi(I haunt Jesus throughout his life - to be the Messiah God wants him to be or the way the people are expecting him to be. The Two Standards - two movements - two orientations of my being

The Standard of Satan, Sp. Ex. 142 ; The process that in a subtle way takes me away from my direction to the Beyond.

Riches: From a legitimate need for security to a wrongful striving to posses —I am what "I have*.

Honour: From a legitimate quest for acceptance to a wrongful striving for recognition -I am what "I appear to be." Pride: From a legitimate appreciation of my self-worth to an indulgence in self-love - I am sufficient in myself.

The temptations under the appearance of good always unfold according to this process, hence the need of constant discernment, (Sp. Ex. 328-336).

Who is Satan? I Peter S.8; 1 Jn. 5.19; 2 Cor. 11.14a

Mentality of Satan: (Sp. Ex. 140-142). 1 Jn. 2.15-17; 2 Tim. 3.1-5; 2 Peter 2.1

The Standard of Christ, Sp. Ex. 146: The process that frees me and opens me to the "more" of the Beyond. Poverty: Everything is a gift because T am a gift of love. A freedom from an obsession with self, ”He who

Fourteenth day

Three Types of Persons Sp. Ex. 149-156

Mere intellectual knowledge of the values of Christ and the deceits of the evil one is not enough The truth will make us free, but we have to live the truth Just because I know what is 'more good (The Two Standards), does not necessary mean that I do choose what is ’more good’. So this Prayer Exercise is "to aid me toward embracing what is better," Sp Ex 149

The Grace: I will ask that I will be free enough to "desire", "know" and "choose" that what is more pleasing to the Divine Goodness. Sp. Ex. 151,152

Setting: This prayer period is devoted to a consideration of three types of persons. In general each one is a good person and is aware that he is inordinately attached’ to something he holds dearly They wish to find 'peace' in God's will for them and so would like to discard the "burden" of their Inordinate attachment' and which is an obstacle to "finding God Our Lord in peace," Sp. Ex. 150

=>These three types of persons are three attitudes towards their inordinate attachment. The First Type: The ’Wishful Thinker* - A lot of talk but no action

The first type of person keeps procrastinating and cannot make up his mind to do something about that which gets in the way of his freedom. (Tomorrow people).

Mrk. 10.17-22; The Rich Young Man - A brief display of good will and good intention, but when he comes to a final action he shrinks from taking the right path. Good will, admiration for Jesus, initial enthusiasm; Understands that there is something still missing in his life; unwilling to take the step to let go so he returns sad!

Matt 7.21-22; "It is not those who say to me ’Lord, Lord,’ who enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of the Father."

Lk. 9.57-62; A spark of enthusiasm that fades into nothing.

Matt. 16.26; "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and ruin his life?"

The Second Type: The ’Compromisers’ — Ready to do anything but the one thing necessary This second type of person keeps on compromising and is trapped in the illusion that he is doing something which blinds him from facing the fact that he is not free.

Lk. 22.13-2$; dilate is confronted with the innocence of Jesus, but because of the people is afraid to declare Jesus innocent. So does everything possible to hand over the responsibility to the crowd instead of facing himself and acknowledging that he is afraid. And so he "handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased."

Jn. 12.42-43; "There were many who did believe in him even among the leading men, but they did not admit it through fear of the Pharisees and fear of being expelled from the synagogue. They put honour from men before the honour that comes from God."

Lk. 9.57-62; A half-hearted commitment is worst than doing nothing. So Jesus calls for a radical nature of discipleship.

- "Let the dead bury the dead."

- "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Matt. 6.24;.......................................... "No one can be the slave of two masters....................................................... "

The Third Type:The Free Person - To do your will is my one desire’

The third type of person is the free man at the disposal of the Lord. And so because s/he is ’indifferent’ s/he is able to find God in peace, i.e. be in consolation.

Gen. 22.1-19; Abraham ready to sacrifice what he holds so dearly.

Lk. 1.26-38; Mary is "disturbed" and "afraid", but because she is free from "sensual, carnal and worldly love", instead of allowing her fear to close her within herself, she is open to move beyond what appears "impossible to man" to "what is possible to God"( Matt 19.26;). and so "Let it be done unto me!"

Mrk. 2.14; The call of Matthew. They left everything and followed Jesus. They were ready to "burn their boats" and follow Christ because they have found in him the "pearl of great price." "the treasure hidden in the field," Matt 13.44- 45;

Phil 3.7ft I Count everything as loss for the exceeding knowledge of Christ.

Colloquy: I will make us of the same three colloquies described in the Exercise of the Two Standards, Sp. Ex. 147. To be free to take the risk for God in my life and discover that God does not constrict me but expands me to my fullest capacity.

Our loyalty to Christ makes us more free — Parmananda Divarkar.

Fifteenth day

Befriending Jesus

Chosen and Loved - Called and Vowed

"I have called by name. You are mine, lam your God. I am with you." Is. 43

Grace: Jesus, help me to know you more intimately, to love you more ardently, to follow you more closely.

When Jesus calls it is not just with words. As with the rich young man, "Jesus looks steadily at you and loves you," (Mark. 10.17-22;). Before Jesus has pronounced your name with his mouth he has marked you in

his heart. "I wonder what it must have been like to look straight into your eyes, Jesus, and hear the sound a]' your voice." Come follow me.’ To be a disciple of Jesus is to be the beloved disciple. A disciple is chosen, and to be chosen is to be loved. Jesus chose, and his disciples who also chose to be his follou/ers thus responded to his call.

"You did not choose me; No, I chose you." John 15.16;

"No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father." John 6.44; "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you." John 1S.fi;

"Come follow me ...’if. -. Mark 10.21;

Spend a day with Jesus.Be one of the women whom Jesus had already called in Galilee, who followed him and looked after him, Mark 15.40; - Find some time to be alone with him. - Tell him when you first loved him. -Share with him what has happened since then. -Where are you? -Where is he? ...

Be one of the two disciples in John 1.35ff, ’They saw where he lived and stayed the rest of the day with him.* - Stay with him. - "We have found Jesus!" - A vocation in its deepest sense involves a desire by Jesus to reveal himself to the one he calls. - Give him the time, create the atmosphere, come dose, listen ... "I have long desired to share this moment with you..." (cfr. Luke 22.15,) -’Like Mary, Martha’s sister, sit at the Lord's feet and listen to him.

The words and phrases used for the vocation scenes in the Gospels help us sense what this cap implies. Allow the Impact of these words to reach you.

Jn. 1.35-51; The first attraction: Where do you live?" - ’Come and see’ - They stayed with him’ - We have found Jesus'. Note the verbs by which John describes a vocation: ’hearing and following’ - 'se‹!king and finding’ -’coming and seeing' - 'remaining with Jesus’.

Matt 4.18-22; The first four disciples are called: ’Follow me’ - ’I will make you...’ - They left at once’ — Follow me'. Allow these words of Jesus, ’Follow me', to resound deep within you.

Mrk. 3.13-19; The choice of the Twelve: ’Summoned' - ’Those he wanted’ - ’Came to him’ - ’appointed' - to be his companions' - to be sent’ - 'with power'.

Each one is called by name, each one is different and thus can contribute something unique to the incarnation; yet one of the twelve, belonging to a community. Jesus and His Chosen Ones.

It is gradually that Jesus reveals to those whom he chooses the implications of their call to be his companions Reflect upon the way he has been revealing this to you since you first said ’yes' to his invitation. Question Jesus, and wait for him to complete his answer for you:

Where do you live? Come and see. - Stay ...

Who are you? The son of Mary - A carpenter - The Way, The Truth. The life - The Vine

What do you want to do? To bring the good news to the poor - to set the oppressed free - to proclaim liberty to captives...

How do you want to do it7 The Father works in me -I chose you - As the Father sent me, so I send you ... What do you want of me... Do you love me?

Called and Vowed

1 Cor. J.9; "God by calling you has joined you to his son Jesus Christ, and God is faithful." it is really a mystery to hear, to follow, to bind oneself irrevocably to someone - much more to Him who makes fidelity possible. We can be faithful because he has first vowed himself to us; "I will be with you always It is in his VOW to us that we can vow to him; in his fidelity is our faithfulness, ”I will be your God, you shall be mine." Cfr. Lev. 26.12, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me the strength and judged me faithful enough to call me to his service." cfr Tim. 1.12-15;

Sixteenth day

Three Degrees of Humility - Three Degrees of Love Sp. Ex. 165 -167

"For those who desire to become lovingly attached to Christ our Lord" Cfr Sp. Ex 164

"Humility is in fact nothing other than the love of God, but to call this love humility’ is to pin-point

especially the quality of other-directedness in love, love as handing oneself over in trust, letting God be Lord of one’s being." (Michael Ivens SJ. In 'Understanding the Sp. Ex)

The First: Dutiful Loyalty

A determination not to turn aside from the goal of my existence. Here the will of God is a negative norm of action, i.e. it makes me aware of the boundaries that I must not cross. This because I do not want to do anything that will separate me from the one I love. “

Matt. 16.26; "What will a m an gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life." Matt. 11.37; "Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me." Matt. 6.24; "No one can be the slave of two masters."

The Second: Perfect Indifference

A distance from things that keeps me free to choose what is more pleasing to God. I neither desire nor am I inclined to choose one way or the other. Here God's will becomes a positive norm which determines every choice I make and entirely rules my life. My one desire and choice is to choose what is more pleasing to the other eeking to please the Divine Goodness in all particular details of my life."(Constitutions SJ, 288]

Matt. 5.3; "How happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Eph. 4.22-24; "You must give up your old way of life, you must put aside your own self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be reñewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way."

The Third: Total Identification in Love

Feeling with Jesus. A surrender of myself to and with Christ. Here the will of God is no longer just a norm, but a person. It is Christ himself who is God's will for me - "For me to live is Christ." Whatever is Christ- like, that is my choice.

This is not so much a deliberate decision but a sort of instinct It comes from a heart that loves to the point of identifying oneself with the beloved other, "To accept and desire with ail possible energy whatever Christ our Lord loved and embraced," [Constitutions SJ, 101).

No reason will help me to understand this third degree of loving, for it is meaningful only in a context of love.

Matt. 16.24; "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me." Phil. 2.6-8; "In your minds be the same as Christ Jesus. His state was divine yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are. He was humbler yet even to accepting death, death on across."

Phil. 3.8-12; "I believe that nothing will happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I token everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him. All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death."

Gall. 6.14; "As for me the only thing I can boast of is the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, through him the world is crucified to me and I to the world."

Rom. 8.29; "They are the ones he has specially chosen long ago to become true images of his son.

2 Cor. 5.14-16; "The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all then all should be dead; and the reason he died for all of us was so that living persons should live no longer for themselves but for him who died and was raised to life for them ... for anyone who is in Christ there is a new creation."

"Jesus looked at him and loved him," Mark 10.21; Here begins what Ignatius understood as three kinds of humility. Each of the three has to do with the love of Jesus This is what Jesus invited the Rich Young Man to: leave everything, strip yourself, follow me. We will see what God might do with our powerlessness. Do not just do what I require. Do not just do what I desire. Rather live what I live, with me.

Seventeenth day Befriending Jesus

"Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. Keep your roots deep in him build your lives, on him, and become stronger in your faith/' Colossians 2.6;

Grace: To know Jesus more intlmately: "All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and to share in his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death," Phil, 3.10-

To love Jesus more ardently: "With deep roots and firm foundations, may you be strong to grasp, with all God's people what is the breadth and length and depth of the love of Christ, until knowing the love of I.hrist which is beyond all knowledge you are filled with the utter fullness of God." Eph. 3.18;

To follow Jesus more closely: "If anv• ne serves me, let him follow me, and where I will be, there also will my servant

be." John 12.26;

A Typical Day in the life of Jesus Mark 1,21-39; Luke 4.31-44; @

Preaching, teaching, healing, exorcising, praying. His teaching is summarized in the Sermon on the Mount, Matt Chs. S to

7, especially in the beatitudes,

For his healing use the contemplation of Mark 1.40-41; Matt. 14.25 33;

We are drawn into the Risen Jesus in whom the mysteries of his life remain present. He is able to heal us physically and spiritually, today even more than during his earthly life, for he has by his resurrection broken through the limitations of the incarnation to the full use of his saving power.

His loving concern for all sorts of people who are afflicted with a variety of ills. He is very much at their disposal, ready for all those who crowd around him and who give him very little or no time for privacy.

THe place of prayer in his /i/e. He has to try to get away for a time with the Father even though he is crowded by the

people who seek him out and do not want to let him alone.

The Prayer of Jesus Mark 1.36; Luke 11.1-13;

Our Lord’s prayer is an expression of himself, Son and Saviour seeking light, strength and union with the Father, just as

+v prayer is myself before God. Our Lord is forever turned towards the Father and turned towards us.

His mission is not separate from his person but the expression of it, and his whole person was totally seeking a deeper

responsiveness to the Father. John 4.34; 5.19-20; 6.38;

Jesus Lover of Solitude Luke 5.15-16; 6.12; 9,18,28,29;

Jesus experiences the enabling strength of the love of the Father even in the midst of exhausting activity. "... and he would always go off to some place where he could be alone.*

Let Jesus invite you to be sacredly present with him in these moments of solitude. The Cure of a Leper Mark 1.40;

The healing love of Jesus. You may take any mystery of Christ’s life in which his love reaches out to touch arid to heal the spiritual and phvsical wounds of those in need.

"Feeling sorry for him Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. of course I want to be cured .., Be

cured!" Choose your favourite mystery in Our Lord's life. Contemplate Christ not merely in the external activities of his life; enter into the desires of his heart to befriend you and to possess you, and through your befriending love to give his love to others.

Coll. 3.5-17; Putting on the new person - Transformation into Christ by Christ transforming us. "He transforms us into his likeness." 2 Cor. 3.18;

Eighteenth day Befriending JESUS -

It is Jesus who has invited me to be his intimate companion sharing his life and his mission- Jesus help me,

To know you more intimately. To love you more ardently, To follow you more closely,.

To serve you more generously. The Beatitudes (Matt 5.1-12;) are fulfilled in Jesus

Blessed are those who feel the need for God;

... "Abba, my Father, ail things are possible for you." Mark. 14.36* Blessed are the sorrowful;

... "Seeing the City he wept over it" Luke 19.41’ Blessed are the meek;

... "Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart." Matt. 11.30-

- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst;

... "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me." John 4.34; Blessed are those who show mercy;

... The Son of Man has come to seek and to save." Luke 19.10* Blessed are the pure of heart

... "The Son of Man can only do what he sees his Father doing." John 5.19- Blessed are the peace -makers;

... "Peace I leave you, my peace I give you." John 14.27;

- Blessed are those who are persecuted;

... "They began to plot as to how to kill him." Mark 3-0;

Jesus the Good Shepherd John 10.7-18; The good shepherd is to be taken contemplating Ezekiel 34.11-31; the shepherds of Israel, and Psalm 23.

Note the words: "Rescue them - lead them home - feed them - search out the lost - guide -defend - supplies all their needs - treats them with unfailing affection."

The love of the shepherd for his sheep, "I know my own and my own know me." "I will lay down my life for my

sheep."

The zeal of the shepherd, "Other sheep I have that are not of this fold."

Jesus calms the storm Matt 8 23-27; Mark 4.35-41; This is a very mysterious event. The peril must have been very real to frighten men who are accustomed to the sea. StiI1 Jesus sleeps through it - he is exhausted. "Master do you care?" "We are going down."

Here Jesus is portrayed as being the master of the forces of nature. The disciples had been frightened of the sea; then they were astounded and in awe of him. "Why are you afraid, 0 you of little faith."

Jesus watches. He comes. He helps and brings to safety. The promise of the Risen Jesus, "I shall be with you always, yes, even to the end of time."

The Transfiguration

Mark 9.1-8; Matt 17.1-8; Luke 9.28-36; Jesus takes aside these three special friends who will be with him at Gethsemane. He has predicted his death - now they are being given a special privilege of

witnessing his special relationship with the Father so that they may be more prepared for the scandalous events which are soon to come. ,

As at Baptism the Father consecrates Jesus for his public ministry, so here Jesus is consecrated for ms journey to the cross. "This is my beloved Son listen to him ..."

Jesus

Jesus becomes cursed, that we may become blessed. Gall. 3.13;

- Jesus was born of a woman, so that we may be born children of God. Gall 4:4

”God made the sinless one a sacrifice of sin, so that we sinners be freed from the enslavement of sin. 2 Cor. 5:21 Jesus who was rich became poor, lived poor, So that frum his poverty we might become rich. 2 Cor. 8.9,

Break Day - Nineteenth day

Divesting Oneself of Self- Love, Self- Will, Self. Interest [cf. SE189 10}

189: Amendment (correction of a mistake} - reform (giving new shape)

More than mortification and penance, divesting oneself of self-love, self-will and self-interest is the characteristic mark of a religious.

• Self-love, self-will, self- interest they are good qualities. They are gifts of God. Esteem them, cultivate them -

• The more one divests his self-love, self- will, self-interest, the more progress one makes in spiritual life. (Ignatius in SE. 189.10j

• We have the model for us in Jesus. Self-emptying of Jesus =>PhiI 2:5-6

• We have the usual tendency of one-up-manship ; bv Comparing we get self boosting - we tend to compare ourselves with others - my father is greater than yours. My house, my congregation. Comparison leads us to dejection or to a feeling of superiority.

• When Ignatius asks for the grace of humiliation and humility, only the real self can assume them joy fully

• I have to do this to be valued". Self-aggrandizement, desire for success and achievement may creep into our apostolate. We forget our original goal or vision in our ministries.

Real self vs. false self. Thomas Merton speaks of "Spirituality" as ’moving from false to real self. Real self: What God has made of me. My graced self - Root Grace: I am the beloved of Abba.

False self: Super imposing the snake on the rope. Delusions and illusions.

Public self: to be presented to the public. Have a nice image in order to impress people. Ideal self: If you are a Christian you must be like this ideal and unrealistic

Concept self. There is a difference between the reality and the perception of the reality; this is the concept I have of myself.

Professional self. As priest, doctor, teacher, etc.

Body self: The physical body suggests something about myself.

In all this how to understand Ignatius' idea of divesting one self General disposition: Praise and Thank God (P & F)

Right intention (preparatory prayer) even in details of life. (Const. 288)

The Golden Rule for the life in the Spirit: (189] => to be freed from self-love, self-will, self-Interest

Jn 12: 24. Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies... - the mango seed-- the mango tree; This is an Invitation for entering into the death resurrection of Jesus. Jesus says: "if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself..." Mk. 8 34-35.

Forgetting self is dying to self. Mother Teresa.

Tagore 's Secretary Dr Malik: know thysef/; Tagore:/orget thyself'. - to forget oneself is higher wisdom

The place of Prayer for this grace of freeing ourselves from the Ego: I and Him --» Him and Me --» Only Him finally He and not I. How self is involved. How to get close to Jesus. My life should bring fruition.

Nineteenth day

” He loved me and Me gave himself up for me." The Last Supper Grace: To taste and feel his love - to come so close to Our Lord and let him get inside me.

The Washing of the Feet John 13.1-20;

"He had always loved those who were his own in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was." John 13.1;

• Try to appreciate what this event means for Jesus.

• See the encounter with Peter. His boldness, but also his genuine desire to share completely with Jesus.

• Ponder in your heart, "Do you understand what I have done for you?" John 13,12;

• He cashes the feel of his disciples who were discussing who was going to be the head of the group, Luke 22.24;

• Be there as one of’ die disciples - see Jesus coming to your feet - feel his hands on your legs - he washes them and wipes them - hear Jesus tell you these words, "If l do not wash your feat you will no longer be my disciple." I v. 8). Let Jesus address to you the words-in v. 13-20.

Phil, 2.5-8; 'In your minds you must be the same like Jesus Christ Being as all men are, he was humbler still, even to accepting death on a cross."

The New Commandment John 13.33-35;

"Greater love than this no man has than to lay down his life for his friends." John 5.3

• Love for God and human persons coincide in LOVE. In the way he loved us Our Lord shows us what love is. Matt 5.43-48; l John 4.7 to 5.4; Phil. 2.1-5; 1 Cor. 13.4-7; Luke 6.36-38;

Matt 22.36-40; Gall. 5.13-24; Qy$| _ b pg

The Institution of the Eucharist Luke 22.19-20; Mark 14.22-25; Matt 26.26-29; "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him." John 6.56;

Note the introduction to the institution narratives

Luke: "I have lo gn desired to eat this Passover with you." Lk. 22.15-16;

John: "He had always loved those who were his own in the world, but now he showed how

perfect his love was . " Jn. 13.1;

Paul: "On the night that he was betrayed " l Cor. 11.23;

See the very simple gestures and words by which he gives to the apostles and to us His body and His blood as food to eat and drink. He places himself into the hands of his Apostles and us. His emptying continues...

• He took ordinary things - He blessed - He broke - He gave.

• See what did he do - what did he mean - what did he want, (It is my great desire').

• A sign of his love - expression of unity with him - it is here that we are called friends', John 15.5; He longs to remain with us.

• What does all this mean to those present - to Jesus? - to the Apostles? - to John, the one he loved? - Repeat slowly and reverently the words of institution.

• Read meditatively the Eucharistic prayers.

• John 6.26-58; Jesus the Bread of Life.

"We are a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf." 1 Cor. 10.

Nineteenth Day Page 2

"He loved me and He gave himself up for me Jn. ChpE. 14 to 17,.

John 13.

; "Jesus was wefi aware" — aware of the paschal setting; his coming passion; the traitor. the hour of departure from the apostles and their separation from him; he is going to the Father... through the cross. 4.30; A drama between Our Lord and Satan - both trying to get Judas. 31ff. The farewell discourse begins - insists on charity.

John 14.

; Christ goes to the Father to prepare their dwelling place.

5-11; Christ is the way to the Fattier bemuse of their union with him and because he isthe one sent by hirrL

12-14; Christ's union with the apostles - gram whatever they ask. 15-26; Will send them the Spirit who will manifest him to them.

John 15.

1-16; "You have not cho,sen me, I have chosen yotL" The initiative of every vocation is God's. Reasons for that choice, "I have chosen you that you should go and bear fruit.*

We prolong or extend the very mission of Jesus:

In mission : "As the Father seni me, so I send you." In love: "As the Fa6ur loves me, so l love you."

In aim : "As I live for the Father, you live for me."

In hardship I "As they have persecuted me, they will persecute you."

John 16.

; Jesus prepares his disciples not to lose faith in him and not to lose faith when the discipie is confronted with the same persecutions.

S-15; Jesus returns to the Father, but not to abandon his disciples for he will then pour out the Spirit "who will glorify me and lead you to the complete truth."

"It is for your our good that I am going, because unless i go the Advocate will not oome to you."

.16-33, "You are sad now, but l shall see you again and your hearts will be tuil of Joy, and that joy no one shall take fmin you"

'Ask and you will receive," because the disciple is one with the Master and the Master is one with the Father.

John 17.

The c1hrax oJ’l4is )ove for his Father - and for his disciples.

; Our lord prays that he may be able to glorify the Father by going through his passion.

11; "Keep those Father you have given me true to your mission so that they be one, just as you and I are one." 26; A summary byway ofa great promise for his continual presence with us.

Twentieth day

” He loved me and He gave himself up for me.”

The aim ofthis stage of the Exercises is to deepen my identification with my Lord Jesus —A solidarity experiential felt This calls for greater recollection, deeper grace, and also for more intense prayer. As you contemplate Jesus going through his passion, petition for: fit;-'

Compassion (Sp. Ex. 193.203).

Confusion - We had some share in making him suffer

Overwhelmed at his goodness for us when we were still sinners, cfr Rom. 5.6-8;

Love - we see a deeper realization of his total and unconditional giving of himself and the depths of his generosity.

Understanding, especially of l Cor. 1.23-30;

The cross is a scandal to us. It is madness or foolishness because it is so opposite to the world’s ways, cfr. Gall. 6.14;

each contemplation keep certain texts so as to penetrate more deeply into the mystery of Christ crucified.

John 3.16; Luke 9.35; - The Father is present giving us his Son. Jn. 14.31; 4.34; 17.7; 13.1; - The relationship of Christ to the Father

Heb. 10.7; Luke 22.19-20; - Christ the Priest - in every detail of the passion Christ says. This is my body..." Phil. 2.6; John 1.14; - The 'emptying' of the incarnation.

l Peter 1.19; l Cor. 6.20; 7.23; - We are the very precious treasure of God bought by the blood of the Son.

The Agony In the Garden Mark. 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46; Matt. 26.36-46;

He was accustomed to pray there; this time it is going to be so different. Jesus is really alone. „

He is shaken by fear.

The temptation to give up. after a lifetime of dedication.

Jesus' prayer - His Yes - His offering of the King Exercise (Sp. Ex. 98)

Be there with Jesus in the garden - see the place - see Jesus approaching -see if he shares with you what he is feeling - what does he feel because you are there with him - hold his hands - hear his prayer to the Father....

Great sadness, accompanied by a depression of spirit (Matt.). - A consternation, made up of amazement and terror (Mark). - Sadness sufficient to cause death; an ebbing away of strength (Luke).

- He had to tear himself away from the Apostles as if afraid to be alone. - Restlessness: praying, rising up, going in search of his own, return to prayer, and the cycle all over.

- Hear Jesus make his offering to the Father as he is in the Garden. Can you make your own offering of the Kingdom Exercise together with Jesus as he makes his own ...

- Hebrews 2.17-18; 4.15-1d; 5.7-10;

Jesus is Betrayed Matt 26.14-16,47-50; Mark 14.10-11, 43-45;

Luke 22.3-6, 47-48; Jn. 13.27-30,; 18.2;

He was among the twelve... a chosen one. the treachery of a dose friend. Very deep sorrow for

Jesus: "My friend ...' Matt 26.50; Jesus washed his feet, j. A sign of intimacy used as a sign of betrayal.

- Try to sense what Jesus is going through - be with him.

Jesus is Arrested Matt. 26:51-56 Mrk. 14.46-50; Luke 22.52-54; John 18.4- I l ;

They all deserted him and ran away." Mrk. 14.49;

"Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?" John 18.11; Deserted by the Apostles at the moment he needed them most. "Do you also want to go away?" John 6.67;

"Lord to whom shall I go?" John 6.68;

Jesus accepts his passion freely and hence from now on he is the most dignified.

“Passion of Christ strengthen me'

Twenty-first second day

"He loved me and He gave himself up for me."

Peter Denies Jesus

• "You will lose faith for scripture says, I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered Mrk. 14.26-28;Matt 26.69-75; Mk. 14.66-72; Lk. 22.54-62; Jn. 18.17-18, 25-27;

• Peter's denials are best seen from Mark's gospel as Mark is the interpreter of Peter. Mrk. 14.67ff;

• The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter." Lk. 22.61;

• "He went out and wept bitterly." Matt 16.22-23; 26.33-34; Luke 22.31-32

Jesus is slapped and made fun of

• "I have said nothing in secret... ask my hearers what I taught, they know what I have said. At these words one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap on the face saying, Is this the way to answer the High Priest John 18.20,22;

• "Herod together with his guard treated him with contempt, and made fun of him." Luke 23.1 I;

• "They spat on his face and hit him with their fists. Others said as they struck him, 'Play the prophet, Christ, Who hit your Matt 26.67;

• "Some of them started spitting on him and blindfolded him. They began hitting him with their fists and started shouting. Play the prophet; and the attendant sounded blows on him." Mark 14.65;

• Note the background of John's gospel with the stress on the Kingship of Our Lord, so the robing, enthronement, and acclamation, (in mockery here, but symbolizing the reality) of Jesus, King of Kings. The reaction of the King is his silence - his prayer.

• Jesus is the one who invited me to share in the mission entrusted to him by the Father.

• Jesus is the one you love.

Jesus and Barabbas

• Matt 27.15-25; Mark 15.6-15; Luke 23.16-25; John 18.39-40;

Twenty-Second Day

"He loved me and He gave himself up for me."

Grace: Ever deeper conformity with Our Lord Jesus by identification with him in his passion.

The Condemnation "So in the end Pilate handed Him over to be crucified." John 19.16;

'Handed him over* has a sacrificial connotation: it is used in all the prophecies of the passion, Mk. 8.31; 9.30-33; 10.32-34. Found in Isaiah 53 for the Servant of Yahweh. Also in Gal 2.20; Eph. 5.2; It is the Eucharistic text of Luke 22.19-20;

So in reality Judas handed Our Lord over to the Jews the Jews handed him over to Pilate and Pilate handed him over to the crucifixion.

But the Father has handed over his Son in love for us, and the Son has handed himself over to us in the

Eucharist.

The Taking of the Cross

"They led him out bearing his cross." John 19.17;

Gal. 3.48; The triumph of the cross begins here with Jesus taking it on his shoulders,

Teaching on the cross: Mk. 8.31-32, 34-38; 2 Tim. 3.10-14; I Cor. 1.17-25; 2 Cor. 4.7-12;

The Way to Calvary

• Luke 23.26-32; Mark 15.21 ff; Matt 27.31 ff.

• Jesus is 'lifted up', John 3.14; 8.28; 12.32;

Jesus' Last Words

• John 19.25-26; Near the cross of Jesus stood Mary his mother.

• Note: John 2.11; After the signs the disciples believed, but before the signs Mary believed and still believed even after all the signs, Jn. 12.37; and also in the face of the sign of contradiction. They all said 'Come down and we will believe', but Mary believed because he did not come down because she had penetrated the meaning of the sign, Luke 2.34-35;

• John 19.30, "It is finished" = Hebrews 5.9; so rather 'It is perfected'. Jesus is at the high point of his giving; never before had the Incarnate Son and the Father been so closely united; never before has the Son been so redemptive.

• Luke 23.46; "Father into your hands I handover my whole being" = a full and perfect surrender of the Incarnate Son who has completed this phase of his mission. See Luke 2.49, with 23.46; His first and last recorded words are to his Father or about his Father.

• Luke 23.46; is in Psalm 31.5; The Jews said the Psalm as an evening prayer. Jesus must have learnt it from his mother and now intones it at the evening of his life. She must have heard him and joined with him as she did at the presentation in the temple, giving him back to the Father who gave him to her, offering herself along with him.

"Leaning back his head he gave up Ms spirit." John 19.30; see Luke 9.58;

The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" - only in these two places is the word used. Since he left Nazareth Jesus had no permanent home, no place to rest his head. Finally it rests on the cross at his home-coming to the Father."

"It is accomplished!" John 19.30;... the end,... and the beginning.....

Twenty Third Day

Jesus is Laid to Rest

Matt. 27. 57-61; Mrk 15.42-47; Lk. 23.50-56; Jn. 19d38-42;

See the body of Jesus lying on a slab in the tomb. His body now clean and at peace, but indelibly marked by his sufferings. We try to recall all that he suffered, but with great peace, reverence, sorrow, yet gratitude and if a sense VictOry.

” when we wen baptis’ed we went Into the tomb w’0h him and Joined mm In deoth, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Fathr’s gfnry, we too might live anew life”

Romans 6.4;

What does the passion of Jesus reveal to us?

The Father's Love

Jn. 3.16; "God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son."

Rom. 8d2; "God did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up to benefit us alt." I

Jn. 15.13;Our Lord's Love for me

"There is no greater love than to lay one's fife for one's friends. You are my friend"

I am precious -1 am worth this much love

Is my life so important that Jesus had to pass through his passion, death and resurrection to make me realize that I am a child of God?

Rom. 8.14; "Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The Spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again, it is the spirit of Sons, that makes us cry 'Abba, Father*. The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God"

1 Cor. 6.19-20; "Your body you know is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God ... you have been bought and paid for.*

Is. 43.4; "You are precious in my eyes, because I love you."

1 Peter 1.2; "Greetings to you, who have been chosen, by the provident purpose of God the Father, to be made holy oy the Spirit, obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood

Jn. 17.19,26; "For their sake I consecrate myself, so that they too may be consecrated."

"...so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them,"

The Love of Jesus for his Church I

Eph. 5J5; "Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy."

"I adore you O Ch rist and I bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world."

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Retreat Preaching