“Filling the world with light, being the salt and light — that was how our Lord described the mission of his disciples. To bring to the ends of the earth the good news of God's love” (Christ is Passing By, no. 147).
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🎧 Meditation: Salt of the Earth, Life of the World
👣 Introduction
What is it that God wants of me now? How can I bring his love to the people around me? At times we find it difficult to see the path ahead, but “in order to give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps the path of our limitations, of our tears, of our defeats. (...) The Beatitudes always bring you to joy. They are the paths to reach joy” (Pope Francis, Audience, 29 January 2020).
This recollection is an opportunity to rekindle our love for God and our desire to walk with Him wherever He leads.
A recollection is a period of time dedicated exclusively to God, with periods of mental and vocal prayer (the meditations and recitation of the Rosary), spiritual reading, and silence with God. As the name implies, it’s an opportunity to recollect who we are in front of our loving Father, God, and to bring our whole selves and full attention to Him.
You may wish to pause between the different parts of the recollection to allow each one to make an impression. The Holy Spirit speaks quietly.
Paying full attention can be a challenge. It may be helpful to find a quiet place to sit, stand, or kneel before starting; somewhere you’re not likely to be interrupted. Take some time to turn off any background noises, pause your notifications, and calm the chatter in your own mind. It can be helpful to make paper or digital notes to focus in the moment and to be able to come back to any ideas the Holy Spirit inspires later on.
📚 Spiritual Reading
“Choose Life” is the first chapter of “Combat, Closeness, Mission,” a series on the path to holiness, which is an adventure that is not so much about giving as it is about receiving.
Afterwards, you can spend a few minutes with the New Testament. Click for today’s Gospel and a short commentary.
Spiritual reading means thoughtfully reading spiritual texts like Sacred Scripture and the lives and writings of the saints in order to “build up a store of fuel” that later feeds our prayer (cf. The Way, no. 117).
🎧 Meditation: Blessed Are You
In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes conditions that we would typically try to avoid as “blessed.”
A meditation is short period of guided mental prayer with the preacher, a priest, talking to God out loud on a set topic, usually a theme from the Gospels. What matters most is your personal conversation with God. The preacher’s goal is to inspire your prayer by giving you light and moving your heart. You may find it helpful to spend more time on certain ideas, follow your own train of thought when the priest’s words inspire something particular in you, or choose an image to keep pondering after the recollection or in your next time of prayer.
💡 Examination of Conscience
- “Jesus went up on the mountain and taught them: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.... Blessed are those who mourn... the meek...’” (Mt 5:1-12). When Jesus taught us the beatitudes, He outlined a way of life after his own heart. When I talk to God, do I ask Him to enlighten me on how I can live the beatitudes in my daily life, in my personal circumstances?
- “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that through his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Do I allow myself to be influenced by consumerism, or do I know how to put the things and time at my disposal at the service of my mission? Does living with God give me the serenity, confidence, and sense of humor to face the lack of money, time, and physical or intellectual talents I wish I had?
- “Those who sow in tears reap in songs of joy” (Ps 125:5). How do I seek consolation and peace in Jesus Christ? How can I share peace, consolation, and joy with others in my relationships and conversations?
- “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29-30). In what ways do I need the Holy Spirit’s light and strength to be meek and humble, like our Lord, in my dealings with others?
- “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13). “Try to ensure that people don’t notice when you lend a helping hand; try not to be praised or seen by anyone... so that, being hidden like salt, you may give flavour to your normal surroundings. And thus, as a result of your Christian outlook, you will be helping to give to everything about you a natural, loving and attractive tone” (The Forge, no. 942). Am I aware that the closer I am to God, the more I will become the salt with which He wants to transform society?
- “Among those around you — apostolic soul — you are the stone fallen into the lake. With your word and your example you produce a first circle... and another, and another... Wider each time. Now do you understand the greatness of your mission?” (The Way, no. 831). What example do I give to others through my life?
Pope Francis describes examining our conscience as “the good habit of calmly rereading what happens in our day, learning to note in our evaluations and choices what we give most importance to, what we are looking for and why, and what we eventually find” (Audience, 5-X-2022). The questions in this examination of conscience are related to the themes of this month’s recollection and are meant to help us look past the surface and ask God how we have responded to his love for us. It can help to start by calling on the Holy Spirit, asking for light, and to end with an act of contrition, expressing sorrow for our sins and asking for help to stay close to God.
🙏 Holy Rosary
The Rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, asking her to pray for all her children in their time of need. Through the different prayers that make up the Rosary, we tell our Lady that we love her and we contemplate Jesus' life.
Click to go to a guide for praying the Rosary.
🎧 Meditation: Salt of the Earth, Light of the World
What does it mean to use the gifts God has given you to serve the world?
In this meditation, the preacher is praying aloud in order to inspire your personal conversation with God.
The touchstone of true prayer is that it changes us and makes us better, but not being able to carry your resolutions out immediately or even discovering new weaknesses is not a reason for discouragement: we grow over time, and falls can help us be humble and grateful to God. With perseverance in prayer, you will notice more peace and joy throughout the day, because you are sure God is with you even when the struggle is difficult.