The Call To Share Jesus' Work

 ..... by inviting all peoples into God's household and the establishment of God's reign. "God wanted all things to be reconciled through .... Jesus the Lord."  Col 1:19-20

(a paraphrase and adaptation of the Kingdom
of The Spiritual Exercises #'s[91] through [98])
 

Introductory Consideration

        Human history has its great men and women. They have not only pointed toward a captivating vision evoking a generous response in the hearts of others but they have also `led' their followers, that is, these inspiring people themselves have set the pace with toil, and suffering, and work, in the same way that they encouraged or would have imaged for their followers.

        Consider how some members of the human family have responded to such visionary heroes and heroines ... (such as, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Mao Tse Tung, Mahatma Ghandi, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., Joan of Arc, Che Quevara, Mother Teresa etc. ...) some gave up their possessions, others staked their reputations, others spent long months and years in jungle and discomfort, others identified themselves with the socially downtrodden, others risked or gave up their lives, others opted to live on the margin.

The Questions Behind This Exercise

        How will I respond to Jesus, my Saviour?  He has given and shared with me all that he is capable of doing for me (by dying on the cross and sending the Spirit he is constantly saving me, and accompanying me)  what should be my response to such a benefactor? ...  How will I respond to Jesus' vision of establishing a new kind of human community that all peoples celebrate the effects of God's love with one another on planet earth. ... How will I respond to Jesus' desire for my help in inviting all peoples into God's household?  He gives all he can to me, what return shall I make to him?

Grace For Which I Will Ask

        Here it will be to ask of Jesus, my Lord and my God, the grace not to be blind to his vision or deaf to his call but to be ready to hear and to co-operate with his desires for my help.

Ways Of Disposing Myself For This Grace

1.   Watch what Jesus is doing:

 "He made His way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the good news of the realm of God. With Him went the twelve" ....  Lk 8:1
2.   Listen to what He is proclaiming: 3. Consider The Meaning Of All This -- 4. Consider Possible Responses To All This And Particularly Your Own  --
         What is your personal response?
 


The Mystery Of The Incarnation

(a paraphrase and adaptation of the Incarnation
of The Spiritual Exercises #'s[101] through [109])
 

The Cosmic Invisible Picture

         I begin to appreciate this mystery by recalling the opening of John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were created in the Word and without whom nothing was created...." From this cosmic vantage point of the beyond, I spend time pondering how our Caring God makes the decision to enter our tiny created world in time. I can use my power of imagination to comprehend how the Three Divine Persons are distressed at how human beings are destroying themselves and their planet home. I listen to them as they determine how the second person who is Word and begotten within God's trinitarian life should become human to save us.

        So I spend time seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, understanding what they understand:

the variety of peoples throughout the world -- peoples of different races, colours, creeds, with differing gifts and limitations; some making peace and others making war; some weeping, others laughing; some well, others ill; some being born and others dying; some cooperating, others refusing to cooperate, etc.
        I take time to appreciate how God watches part of the universe, planet earth, being destroyed and its people moving towards hell:
by competitive behaviours; by unchecked pollution and destruction of the earth's ecological systems; by cleansing and liquidation of "undesirable" ethnic peoples; by starving mothers not being able to feed their starving children; by people dying from diseases caused by environmental irresponsibility fuelled by the quest for profit and greed.
        I taste and see the efforts of good people being thwarted and undermined by the mystery of evil at every turn.         Before moving to the other aspects of this contemplative exercise I enter into dialogue with my Caring God.

The Visible Picture In Time And Place

        While I contemplate this mystery as it takes place in time and place, I ask for the grace of a deep-felt knowledge of God become human in Jesus for me so that I might love him more and follow his Spirit more closely.

        This contemplative exercise is done by taking the story in Lk 1:26ff and imaginatively entering into it as if it were taking place now. In this method, enter the gospel story just as if you were there by using your powers of imagining. Let the concrete details of this gospel story serve as a guide:

Dialogue

        End with a dialogue with God, with the angel, and/or with Mary. Express to them what you feel and think; or ask for the gift of a more intimate knowledge of Jesus; or imagine what they are saying to you at this time.
 

Gospel Contemplation On The Nativity

(a paraphrase and adaptation of the Nativity
of The Spiritual Exercises #'s[110] through [117])

Settling Into Prayer

        After carefully placing yourself in the presence of God read slowly the scripture text Lk 2:1-8 and spend time recalling with your creative imagination various aspects of the story. Ignatius of Loyola used his imaghination in this way when he wrote:

 Mary went forth from Nazareth. She was about nine months with child, and as can be piously meditated, she was seated on a donkey, accompanied by Joseph and a maid, taking an ox. They are going to Bethlehem to pay a tax which Caesar imposed on all these lands.
Continue to compose yourself with the story by imagining further details such as: As you continue to settle into prayer focus on what you desire from God at this time. Among other gifts ask for the grace of a deep-felt knowledge of God become human in Jesus for me so that I might love him more and follow his Spirit more closely.

Entering The Event More Deeply

        I continue to enter more deeply into this event by first paying attention to the persons. I see Mary and Joseph and the maid, and, after his birth, the child Jesus. While I do this I can make myself a helpful servant looking after them and caring for them in their needs, with all possible respect and reverence, as though I were myself present. I stay with this as long as I experience some benefit.

        Further, I can allow myself to interact with the Mary and Joseph and to converse with them as I listen to what they have to say to me and to each other. Again, I stay with this as long as I experience some benefit. In addition, I can allow myself to become part of what they are doing as they:

        Again, I stay with this as long as I experience some benefit.

Dialogue

        Hold a dialogue with God, with Mary and/or with Joseph. Express to them what you feel and think; or ask for the gift of a more intimate knowledge of Jesus; or imagine what they are saying to you.