7/27/2019 Jesuit Reconciliation and Resolve

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EXAMINATION& RESOLVE

PREPARATION

1. Recall that I am in the presence of God. No matter where Iam, hilltop or valley, country or city, in a crowd or alone, I am a

creature in the midst of creation. The Father Who calls me forth

is concerned for me. The Spirit of God, sent by Christ, reminds

me that I am gifted to help bring creation to its fullness, to restoreit to the Fathers way. Ask the Holy Spirit to let me look on all I

see with love.

2. Act with profound humility, emptying myself. Recognize

that I am not in control and depend absolutely on God.

3. Seek assistance. Seek the assistance of God, the protection of

the Blessed Virgin, and the help of my Guardian Angel.

EXAMINATION

1. Give thanks to God for favors received. Pause and spend amoment looking at this days gifts. Remember the taste of food,

the fragrance of a flower, the smile brought forth by a kind word,an act of patience that gave someone ease. Take stock of what I

received and gave. Next, look at the more permanent gifts that

allow my participation in this day. Recall my sense of humor,

strength in adversity, joy in living, faith, character, deep feelings,

health, intelligence, family and friends.

2. Pray to see myself as God sees me. Ask to receive the Holy

Spirit so I can look upon my actions and motives with honesty

and patience. When the Spirit of truth comes he will guide you

into all truth. (John 16:13). The Spirit gives a freedom to lookupon myself without condemnation and without complacency

and thus to be open to growth.

3. Examine how I am living the day. Explore the context of my

actions this day. Search for the internal events of my life and Ireview each hour. Review my hopes and hesitations in each

situation. Recognize when my heart was divided wavering

between helping and disregarding, criticizing and praising,

scoffing and encouraging, listening and ignoring, rebuking and

forgiving, a word and silence, neglecting and thanking, on thedefensive or on my way back to the womb of God. See the

opportunities for growth in faith, hope and charity and how I

responded. What moved me to act the way I did?

Notice where I acted freely, picking a particular course of actionfrom the possibilities I saw. See where I felt swept along without

freedom. What habits of freedom helped me and what other

habits hindered me in each circumstance.

See where Christ entered my decisions and where I might have

paused to receive His influence. Grow to know the Lord is withme and with my spirit. Recognize as Christ continually invites

me to love my neighbor as myself and strengthens me to do this.

4. Pray words of reconciliation and resolve. Choose life. TheWord of God is very near to me, it is in my mouth and in my

heart for my observance. After this review of the day, look upon

myself with compassion and see my need for God. Express

sorrow for sin and ask forgiveness for time I resisted Gods lighttoday. Give thanks for grace, the enlightening presence of God,

and praise God for the time I responded so as to better see Gods

life. In these acts of sorrow and gratitude, grow in knowledge of

Gods gentle labor for me. As the clay is in the potters hand,

so are you in mine. (Jeremiah 18:6)

CONSIDERATION

1. Choose a resolution and meditate upon it. Resolve to chooselife even better in one way relevant to the examination of this

day. Meditate on the circumstances of the resolution, both today

and before. Anticipate the future need for the resolution.Consider the resolution in light of the mysteries of the life of

Christ, and the character traits that follow from justice and peace.Open thou my eyes; and I will consider the wondrous things of

Thy law. (Psalm 118:18)

2. Consider feelings. Consider the affections which draw my

heart towards the resolution upon which I meditate. Affectionsinform whether I am making progress in the resolution on which

I meditate and whether I am unattached to habits that would

thwart freedom.

3. Choose to act. Act with those feelings which support theresolution in a way that it emanates from the womb of God. Act

on the resolution even in the presence of interior suffering or

even aridity. Make the resolved actions general enough to have

meaning and impact. Recall and renew the resolution during the

coming days. I have sworn and determined to keep thejudgments of Thy justice. (Psalm 118:106)

CONCLUSION

1. Petition for Gods help me to put my resolutions into practice.

Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock,

and it shall be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

2. Give thanks. Give thanks to God for inspiring holy affectionsand strong resolutions, and for permitting me to treat familiarly

with the Mother Father during prayer. Give thanks for the

protection of the Blessed Virgin and the help of my Guardian

Angel during this examination and consideration.

3. Make an offering to God. I offer myself, prayers for worldand domestic peace, and prayers for the ever expanding family of

those I love.