April Recollection Kit (2024)

A recollection is a “mini-retreat,” a few hours of quiet prayer when we look at our lives in God's presence. This guide can help us spend an hour or two in loving conversation with God, right where we are.

04/01/2024

A monthly recollection is a chance to step back from the whirlwind of daily tasks for a few hours of quiet prayer spent looking at God, the world, and ourselves. It is not always easy to find time to pray, but it is always worthwhile.

The best way to enjoy this recollection is to find a time that you can commit to spending with our Lord, and a calm place—free of distractions—where you can pray. Set aside other tasks, switch your phone to “do not disturb,” and grab a notebook. It is a good idea to make note of resolutions and ideas throughout the recollection, but the most important thing is to put yourself in front of our Lord, to look at Him and to let Him look at you.

I. Introduction

II. Meditation: Tell us, Mary, what did you see along the way? (30 minutes)

III. Spiritual Reading (10-15 minutes)

IV. Holy Rosary (20 minutes)

V. Examination of Conscience (5-10 minutes)

VI. Meditation: Don't let your heart be troubled (30 minutes)

I. INTRODUCTION

"'Christ is alive.' This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen. He has triumphed over death; he has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness. 'Do not be terrified' was how the angels greeted the women who came to the tomb. 'Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.' 'This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.'

"Easter is a time of joy — a joy not confined to this period of the liturgical year, but to be found really and fully in the Christian's heart. For Christ is alive. He is not someone who has gone, someone who existed for a time and then passed on, leaving us a wonderful example and a great memory.

"No, Christ is alive. Jesus is the Emmanuel: God with us. His resurrection shows us that God does not abandon his own. He promised he would not: 'Can a woman forget her baby that is still unweaned, pity no longer the son she bore in her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.' And he has kept his promise. His delight is still to be with the sons of men" (Christ is Passing By, no. 102).

II. MEDITATION

"Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise..." The Victimae Paschali is an ancient sequence dating to the 11th century, and can be sung or recited during the Easter Octave. Listen to this meditation on the discovery of the empty tomb here:

The most important part of the meditation is your personal conversation with our Lord. You can use the priest's prayer to inspire your own.

This meditation is part of the podcast "In Your Presence." You can subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, or Spotify.

III. SPIRITUAL READING

“You write,” says St. Josemaria in The Way, no. 117: “'In my spiritual reading I build up a store of fuel. It looks like a lifeless heap, but I often find that my memory, of its own accord, will draw from it material which fills my prayer with life and inflames my thanksgiving after Communion.'”

We suggest spending 10-15 minutes reading the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, starting with the section, "The mysterious working of the risen Christ and his Spirit." Afterward, you can spend a few minutes with the New Testament, reading, for instance, the good shepherd discourse from chapter 10 of St. John.

IV. HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary is an ancient Christian prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, asking her to pray for all her children in our time of need. You can find a description of how to pray the Rosary here, and download the Litany of Loreto (traditionally prayed at the end of the Rosary) here.

V. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

The questions below can help us consider in the presence of God how we’ve responded to His love in our acts and omissions. It may help to begin by invoking the Holy Spirit and to end with an act of contrition, expressing our sorrow for our sins and imploring God’s grace to return and remain close to Him. The act of contrition can be any we like, including one as simple as Peter’s words to Jesus after the Resurrection: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you" (Jn 21:17).

1. "Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you'" (Jn 20:19-20). Do I face the challenges of each day with peace? How do I try to create an atmosphere of serenity around me, with my spouse, children, colleagues, etc.?

2. "Whoever is born of God overcomes the world" (1 Jn 5:4). What is my attitude in front of the challenges of our society? Is Jesus always the point of reference in my commitment to transform the world?

3. "A good sportsman doesn’t fight to gain just one victory, and that at the first attempt. He has to build himself up for it, training over a long period of time, calmly and confidently. He keeps trying again and again, and if he doesn’t succeed at the first attempt, he keeps on trying with determination until the obstacle is overcome." (The Forge, n. 169). How do I have recourse to the sacraments to increase my desire to continue walking with our Lord, with the certainty that he is going to help me again and again every day?

4. The Resurrection of Christ gives us new life. How is this reality transformed into joy and optimism in my family when difficulties arise?

5. "Hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rm 5:5). What projects in my family, professional and social life can I entrust more fully to the Holy Spirit, so that he may help me bring them to reality?

6. "While they were conversing and discussing, Jesus himself came and walked with them" (Lk 24:15-16). Do I share my life with Christ? Do I ask the Holy Spirit for help so that my practices of piety may be an encounter with the living Jesus?

7. "He went in to stay with them. And when they were at table together, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him" (Lk 24: 29-31). Do I try not to lose my amazement at the Eucharist? How do I share this great gift with my family?

VI. MEDITATION

Jesus reads our hearts like He read the apostles' internal upheaval and anxiety, and He invites us to be men and women of peace. Listen to this meditation here: