August Recollection Kit (2023)

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.

08/01/2023

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: Imitate the Humility of Christ (30 minutes)

III. Spiritual Reading (10-15 minutes)

IV. Holy Rosary (20 minutes)

V. Examination of Conscience (5-10 minutes)

VI. Meditation: Lord, Purify My Heart (30 minutes)

I. INTRODUCTION

Speak to us: we are attentive to your voice. May your words enkindle our will.

"And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light" (Mt 17:2).

Jesus, we want to see you, to speak to you! We want to contemplate you, immersed in the immensity of your beauty, in a contemplation that will never cease! It must be wonderful to see you, Jesus! It must be wonderful to see you and be wounded by your love!

And a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mt 17:5).

Lord, we are ready to heed whatever you want to tell us. Speak to us: we are attentive to your voice. May your words enkindle our will so that we launch out fervently to obey you (St. Josemaría, Holy Rosary, 4th Luminous Mystery).

II. MEDITATION

Jesus, God, humbled himself upon the Cross. And He invites us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Let us strive to imitate the humility of Christ. You can listen to this meditation 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 "Meditations in Manhattan." You can subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

III. SPIRITUAL READING

“You write,” says St. Josemaria in The Way, pt. 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 "Jesus, What Should We Do?" or "Saint Josemaria and the Role of St. Joseph in Christian Life." Afterward, you can read the account of the Transfiguration in St. Luke's Gospel.

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 took with him Peter, James and John [...] and was transfigured before them" (Mk 9:2). Does looking at and contemplating Christ fill me with hope? What discouragements and sadness could I abandon to the Lord, so that he can bring out of them joy and new life?

2. "Master, how good it is to be here; let us make three tents" (Mk 9:5). Being with Jesus is a source of joy. How do I try to share it with my family and friends?

3. Joy "has its roots in the shape of the cross" (The Forge, 28). When I encounter difficulties and setbacks in my ordinary tasks, do I know how to discover Christ waiting there for me, embracing the cross and asking me to carry it with him?

4. "And when he had sent the people away, he went up on the mountain to pray by himself" (Mt 14:23). Do I look for time to set aside for personal prayer? And do I ask the Lord to transform my daily occupations, work, and family life through my relationship with him?

5. When I ask the Lord for something, am I insistent, confident that prayer "is omnipotent" and "always fruitful" (The Way, 83 and 101)?

6. "When he saw that the wind was very strong, he was terrified, and as he began to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (Mt 14:30-31) On what occasions do I need to fortify my trust in the Lord who is always beside me, even when other things seem to fall apart?

7. "Have confidence, it is I; do not be afraid" (Mt 14:27). Before life's insecurities, do I try to abandon myself to the Lord, knowing that those who are in God's hands are in the best place?

VI. MEDITATION

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes “the heart” as our inner center, the place of truth and encounter, the place where we choose life or death. Do we fill our hearts with God? Considering the love of Jesus for us should be a spur for us to respond with a complete and total love for God. Create in me a clean heart, oh God. Listen to this meditation here: