An Advent Retreat 2011

a service of
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1 Introduction to the Mystery of

Christ for Advent and Christmas

Advent is a time when we recall the Son of God becoming man

for us, and we prepare ourselves for his second coming in glory. It is
a time for active expectation, desire, prayer, communication, and joy.

Christmas is a time for joy and contemplation of the mystery

of the Incarnation of the Son of God. We witness the first
manifestations of his efforts to save us. Mary is especially
celebrated during this season as the Mother of God.

In the method of prayer proposed by the Spiritual Exercises

of St. Ignatius, contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s
life plays a central role. That is why, in addition to prayerful
reading, we highlight what is called Ignatian contemplation on
the Infancy Narratives. During this time, we ask for a very special
grace to know the Lord more intimately in order to love and serve
him more.

A Remove yourself somewhat from the daily, habitual activi-

ties and devote at least 20–30 minutes to personal prayer.

B Devote a few minutes every day to the Prayer of Loving

Attention (Examination of Consciousness) to review the
main events of your day.

C Try to find a friend or, better yet, a small group with whom
you can share the fruit of your prayer once a week or so.

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2 Determine Your Personal Program

Establish your schedule for daily prayer and stick to it as much as

possible. Set some dates when you can share the fruits of your prayer
with a friend or small faith-sharing group. Find brief reflections
each week online and discuss your retreat experience with others at
http://ignatianspirituality.com/advent/

3 Guide for Daily Prayer

A Select a time and place that is best for your daily prayer.
B As you begin your prayer time, realize that God is really
present and wants to draw close to you.

C Ask for the light of the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire you.
D At the beginning of your prayer time, say this or a
similar prayer:

Here I am, Lord, standing before you

just as I am at this moment.
I sit in your presence, Lord, in peace and tranquility.
I am in your presence and allow myself to be
directed by you. I open myself to you who are near.
You are the font of life, the force of life which
permeates my very being.
You are my breath which maintains me in existence.
Let peace dwell within me.
Give me the grace to let myself be cleansed by you,
to be a shell filled only with you, my God.
Let all my thoughts and feelings, my will and liberty,
be totally directed to your honor and service. Amen.

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E Here are two ways to pray using the suggested scriptural texts:

Ignatian Contemplation — (IC)

(can be used with either Old or New Testament Readings, but especially with
events in the life of Christ)

p Recall
scene.
the story and use your imagination to enter into the Gospel

p Try to see, contemplating each person in the scene. Give a prolonged

look, above all, to the person of Jesus himself (if that is the case).
Just look without trying to explain or understand.

p Try to listen, paying attention to the spoken or implied words. What

might they mean? What if they were directed to you?

p Observe what the people in the scene do. They have names,
histories, sufferings, personal quests, joys. How do they react? Note
the gestures, feelings, and attitudes, above all, of Jesus himself.

p Place yourself actively in the scene. Allow yourself to be involved in

what is happening. Besides seeing and listening, try to touch and feel
the flavor of what happens during prayer. In reflection try to benefit
from everything that happened in this time of prayer.

End this time with an intimate farewell to God, using the words of the Lord’s
Prayer. On the completion of the time of prayer, do not forget to do a brief
review. (See step 5.)

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Prayerful Reading — (PR)

p Read the entire text once; reread it slowly, verse by verse.

Ask yourself: What does the text itself say?

p Stop wherever God speaks to you interiorly. Do not rush;

learn to savor things. Ask yourself: What does the text say
to me?

p God is a Father who loves us much more than we could

ever be loved by anyone else. Ask yourself: What does the
text make me want to say to God? These can be praises,
petitions, thanksgiving, adoration, or silence.

p Continue to gather whatever comes to mind, whatever

touches your heart: desires, lights, appeals, recollections,
inspirations. Ask yourself: What is it that this text and
everything I have experienced through it made me savor
and live?

End the prayer with a loving goodbye. Pray the Lord’s Prayer and
the Hail Mary. On the completion of this time of prayer, do not
forget to do a brief review. (See step 5.)

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4 Texts for Each Day

Abbreviations:  (IC): Ignatian Contemplation • (PR): Prayerful Reading

Find brief reflections each week online and discuss your retreat experience with others at http://ignatianspirituality.com/advent/

1st Week
12/5 Monday: Luke 5:17–26 (IC)—My friend,
your sins are forgiven.
12/6 Tuesday: Isaiah 40:1–11 (PR)—A voice
JOURNEYING TOWARD AN ENCOUNTER
cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way
WITH THE LORD WHO COMES
of the LORD!
Petition: Ask for the grace of entering into the spirit 12/7 Wednesday: Isaiah 40:25–31 (PR)—The
of Advent, a time of hope, of listening to the Word, eternal Lord encourages the faint-hearted.
of a universal call to spread the Good News. 12/8 Thursday: Luke 1:26–38 (IC)—Be it done
to me according to your word.
11/27 Sunday: Isaiah 63:16–17, 19; 64:2–7;
Psalm 80; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; 12/9 Friday: Matthew 11:16–19 (PR)—Time will
Mark 13:33–37 prove where wisdom lies.

11/28 Monday: Matthew 8:5–11 (PR)—Lord, I 12/10 Saturday: Repeat the text(s) and prayer that
am not worthy to have you come under my touched you the most this week.

3rd Week
roof; but only say the word and my servant
will be healed.
11/29 Tuesday: Luke 10:21–24 (PR)—Happy are
the eyes that see what you see. REJOICE, BECAUSE THE LORD IS NEAR!
11/30 Wednesday: Matthew 4:18–22 (IC)— Petition: Ask for the grace to live in the joyous
Come after me, and I will make you fishers expectation of the Lord’s coming, who comes to
of men.
bring us the grace of salvation.
12/1 Thursday: Isaiah 26:1–6 (PR)—Trust
always in the LORD. 12/11 Sunday: Isaiah 61:1–2, 10–11; Luke 1:46–
50, 53–54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24;
12/2 Friday: Matthew 9:27–31 (IC)—Do you
John 1:6–8, 19–28
believe I can do this?
12/12 Monday: Luke 1:39–47 (IC)—Blessed are
12/3 Saturday: Repeat the text(s) and prayer that
you who believed.
touched you the most this week.
12/13 Tuesday: Matthew 21:28–32 (PR)—

2nd Week
Publicans and prostitutes precede you in the
reign of God.
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE LORD’S 12/14 Wednesday: Luke 7:18–23 (PR)—The poor
COMING. have the good news preached to them.
12/15 Thursday: Luke 7:24–30 (PR)—What did
Petition: Ask for the grace to prepare the way for the you go out to the desert to see?
Lord in one’s own heart, in the family, in the parish,
12/16 Friday: Psalm 67 (PR)—O God, let all the
and in the human community.
nations praise you.
12/4 Sunday: Isaiah 40:1–5, 9–11; Psalm 85; 2 12/17 Saturday: Repeat the text(s) and prayer that
Peter 3:8–14; Mark 1:1–8 touched you the most this week.

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4th Week
12/27 Tuesday: Psalm 97 (PR)—The LORD is
king; let the earth rejoice.

THE MYSTERY OF GOD BURSTS INTO 12/28 Wednesday: Matthew 2:13–18 (IC)—Rise,
take the child and his mother.
OUR LIFE.
12/29 Thursday: Luke 2:22–35 (IC)—Your soul
Petition: Ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit’s fruit- will be pierced by a sword.
fulness in our life, just as the Spirit made the womb 12/30 Friday: The Holy Family, Luke 2:22–40
of Mary fruitful in the person of Christ. (IC)—The child grew in wisdom and grace.

12/18 Sunday: 2 Samuel 7:1–5, 8–12, 14, 16; 12/31 Saturday: Repeat the text(s) and prayer that
Psalm 89; Romans 16:25–27; Luke 1:26–38 touched you the most this week.

2nd Week
12/19 Monday: Luke 1:5–25 (IC)—Fear not,
Zechariah, God heard your plea.
12/20 Tuesday: Luke 1:26–38 (IC)—Nothing is THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD IN JESUS
impossible for God.
CHRIST
12/21 Wednesday: Luke 1:39–45 (IC)—Blessed is
the fruit of your womb. Petition: Ask for the grace to be led by the star, the
12/22 Thursday: Luke 1:46–56 (PR)—He cast the light from above, and to take this light to others.
mighty from their thrones and exalted the
lowly. 1/1 Sunday: New Year 2012, Luke 2:16–21
(PR)—Mary, the Mother of God
12/23 Friday: Luke 1:57–66 (IC)—Was not the
hand of the Lord upon him? 1/2 Monday: John 1:19–28 (IC)— I am the
voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make
12/24 Saturday: Repeat the text(s) and prayer that straight the way of the Lord."

Christmas Time
touched you the most this week.
1/3 Tuesday: John 1:29–34 (PR)—Behold, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world.
1/4 Wednesday: Psalm 98 (PR)—All the ends

1st Week
of the earth have seen the saving power
of God.

JESUS IS LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. 1/5 Thursday: John 1:43–51 (IC)—Come

and see.
Petition: Ask for the grace to receive Jesus, the 1/6 Friday: Mark 1:7–11 (IC)—You are my
Savior, as the light of our path. beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.
1/7 Saturday: Review the entire Advent reteat.
12/25 Sunday: Christmas, Luke 2:1–20 (IC)—
Let us go to Bethlehem and see what has 1/8 Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord—Isaiah
occurred. 60:1–6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2–3, 5–6;
Matthew 2:1–12
12/26 Monday: Matthew 10:17–22 (PR)—You
will be brought to trial before rulers and 1/9 Monday: The Baptism of the Lord—Isaiah
kings, to give witness before them and 42:1–4, 6–7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34–38;
before the Gentiles on my account. Mark 1:7–11

[Evaluate the entire Advent Retreat, if possible, with a faith-sharing group.]

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5 Review of Prayer
When you complete each period of prayer, ask yourself how it went:

p What word of God touched me the most?

p What feeling, sentiment, emotion, or effect predominated?
p Did I feel some calling, a desire, or an inspiration?
p Did I experience some difficulty or resistance?
If possible, write in a journal about the answer that seems most significant.
Formulate it in a prayer of petition or thanksgiving. These same questions can
be used in the faith-sharing group or in spiritual conversation with another.

6 The Prayer of Loving Attention

(Also known as Examen of Consciousness)

At the end of the day, give a few minutes of loving attention, making yourself
present to the Lord as someone who was graced by him during the day.

Thank God for everything that was good for you and for your brothers
and sisters.

Invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, asking for light to discern how to use
your liberty, how to decide wisely.

Take note of the situations, circumstances, and events of your day in which
you allowed God to act, to be present in your life. Review your actions that
were signs of God’s presence and love for others.

Ask for forgiveness from Jesus, your faithful friend, for the good you did not
do and for not allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Entrust yourself and the coming day to the Lord and experience the joy and
hope that come from putting all these matters into his hands.

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This pamphlet was previously published by the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, CA. One may copy
it as long as the purpose for its use remains the same, that is, to promote Spiritual Exercises in everyday life.
(An adaptation of the original of the Centro de Espiritualidad de Inaciana Inddaiatuba, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL.)