PRAYERS STEPS IN THE SPIRIUAL EXERCISES

1. MAGNANIMITY—Must be generous with God. God loves a generous gives. God cannot be outdone in generosity. Thanks to God that you accepted the invitation. However, make these Exercises as if they were the last in your life—they could be! (Sp. Ex. # 5) Principle of Motivation: I must be convinced of the utter importance of prayer.
2. NATURAL EXERCISES (Sp. Ex. #1) can be compared to physical exercises. Must practice. Practice makes perfect. Any talent that we want to perfect, we must honestly, sincerely, and arduously work at it. No pain, no gain—the saying of the athletes. Talents to be cultivated are countless: writing, running, and singing, playing a musical instrument, cooking, speaking a foreign language, painting and public speaking.   We must be willing to walk the extra mile and really work at it.  Examples: Helen Keller, the girl figure skater, Tony Melendez, Abbot (Angel with one arms), Tony Tada Erikson.
3. SPIRITUAL EXERCISES AND PRAYER.  Prayer is of greater importance because our soul is much more important than our soul. Jesus said: “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his soul in the process. What can one return in exchange for his soul? Xavier was converted with this passage.
4. IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER—SPIRITUAL EXERICES ARE RELATED TO PRAYER. Some sayings and thoughts on prayer.  Definitions:  “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.”  Prayer is talking to God. Avila--- Prayer is nothing more than spending time with a FRIEND alone, that I know loves me. Fr. Greg:  “Prayer is listening to God, talking to God and loving God.”    IMPORTANCE!   What air/oxygen is to the lungs, prayer is to the soul. What food is to the stomach pray is to the soul. St. Alphonsus states (found in CCC on prayer). He who prays will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned.”  St. Augustine puts it in these words: ‘He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well dies well; he who dies well, all is well.”
5. JESUS AS EXAMPLE—thirty long years in solitude where He spent much time in prayer. Starts off His Public ministry in prayer and fasting for forty days.  Mk 1—He gets up way before dawn and is absorbed in prayer. Before He chose the Apostles He spent the whole night in prayer. He taught us be means of Parable (Lk. 18) to never give up prayer and to be humble in prayer.  GARDEN OF OLIVES—one of the best examples. Even on cross is praying to the Father.

METHOD TO HELP US TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY

1. CONSCIENCE AT PEACE- Good confession—clean the window and to seep out the dust.
2. SET TIME.  We are creatures of habit and should have a set time established for prayer.
3. IDEAL: THE MORNING… Jesus and Sheen... Give the Lord your first fruits like Abel and not like Cain
4. TIME: HOUR—THE HOUR OF POWER…SHEEN* STORY OF CHINESE GIRL
5. PLACE: Ideal would be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. If not possible a place where there is silence. God spoke to the prophet Elijah on the mountain in silence.
6. IMAGES.  If at home create a spiritual environment that fosters prayer.
7. PLACE SELF IN PRESENCE OF GOD
8. IMAGINE GOD’S LOVING GAZE.
9. MARY—Beg the Blessed Mother to prayer for you as well as to pray with you…
10. HOLY SPIRIT.  He is the principal protagonist in these Exercises… (Rom 8) We do not know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit helps us…   Example of the Apostles and then PENTECOST—this powerful prayer novena (nine days) would radically change their lives as well as the Church and the while world. Take the example of SIMON PETER.

 

 

IGNATIAN METHOD: THE THREE POWERS OF THE SOUL

1.  MEMORY/ READ: the text—The Word of God and the commentary. Have an open attitude. With Samuel may we say:  “Speak O Lord for your servant is listening.”  It is God’s Word and He wants to speak to you.
2. UNDERSTANDING. God indeed is speaking to me, but I have to strive to understand what is He saying to me right now. Ask for God’s help. Go into the text with these questions: Who is speaking? Where? How? Why? For what purpose? When is this happening?
3. WILL/THE HEART.  Must travel the biggest distance: from the head to the heart. The Holy Spirit can help to make this connection! Allow the affections of the heart to flow freely. This is the very center and heart of prayer. What might be some of the affections of the heart? Love, thanks, oblation, contrition, praise, petition, fears, begging
4. DISTRACTIONS: Return to the text (Horse and saddle)
5. COLLOQUY—Conversation with God—heart to heart. (Newman)
6. TRIPLE COLLOQUY….
7. REVISION—Rewind the film and then write down in your notebook what God said to you in that hour of prayer… There should be seven every week.   These revisions are essential for the SHARING SESSION!