The St. Raphael circle isn’t meant to be a break from the rest of your life, or to happen in a bubble. If you went just so you could sit there, nod a couple of times, and then leave and carry on living your life exactly the way you did before, what would be the point? The real goal — the reason you started going to the circle in the first place, or the reason you’re considering it now, if you haven’t been in a circle before — is to learn to live with Jesus. St. Josemaría said that it was about “seeking Him, finding Him, getting to know Him, and loving Him” in ordinary life (Friends of God, no. 300). That’s why the most valuable part of circle doesn’t happen while you’re in it, but later, after you’ve left. Your circle really starts when it ends.

During the circle, you receive some insights and ideas, but they’re not the same for everyone. God wants to speaks to you personally, and He gives you specific insights about the things you hear, different from the ones He gives the people on either side of you. That’s the crux of the issue: if you don’t pray about what you receive, it doesn’t sink in. And if what you receive doesn’t sink in, you won’t put it into practice. 

Means of formation that stay “locked up” in your notebook fade away, but if you “let them out” in prayer, they’re genuinely transformative. Let’s talk about specifics.

1. Sitting and listening is not enough

This might seem obvious, but it isn’t always. If you don’t jot anything down, it’s much harder to remember later. Paper helps a lot. If you take notes on your phone, do it thoughtfully: airplane mode or do not disturb, no notifications, no swiping through to other apps. A circle is a time to pay attention, but it’s a time for God to tell you things.

Also, the circle doesn’t end the moment the talk finishes. It’s good practice to chat with the person giving the circle, or whoever accompanies you spiritually, after the circle: make things specific, put names to the lights God gives you, and bring them down to earth. But there’s a first step to take before you can get to that point: praying about the circle. Take it to God. Ask Him, “Jesus, what do you want to tell me through this today?”

The circle is part of your struggle that week. It’s not supposed to be a long list of possible resolutions, but a chance to focus. You hear several ideas, and you choose one of them — something small, real, and achievable — to live.

2. It’s called a means of formation, not “information”

To go or not to go is not the only question. What matters even more is what you do with the circle. It’s designed to help you become more like Jesus, not just to learn more and more theory.

If you ever find yourself settling for just attending the circle (like, “I’m already a good enough Christian: I go to means of formation”), take a step back. Something’s not quite right if what you hear doesn’t move you interiorly. That’s why it’s important to look at the big picture and let the circle melt into the rest of your life. Keep the topic of the circle in the back of your mind throughout the rest of your week, and let it nudge you. Throughout the year, you’ll touch on different aspects of your interior life.

The St. Raphael circle is also just one means of formation among many that St. Josemaría wanted to offer to everyone who came to the “great catechesis” that is Opus Dei. It goes together with meditations, recollections, vigils before the Blessed Sacrament, collections... Each of them is like an element of a fitness routine helping you keep up your spiritual health and strength in the adventure of transformation in Christ.

3. Listen to what the Holy Spirit places in your heart

We’ve all fallen into the trap of writing everything we hear down (usually a recipe for never going back to your notes) or only jotting down a single beautiful phrase (and discovering later that it doesn’t make any sense out of context). If your goal in the circle is to find out what God wants to tell you about the topic of the week, it might be more helpful to consider these three questions. The best place to ponder them is in the presence of God, ideally in front of a Tabernacle:

• First: out of everything I’ve heard, which two or three ideas impacted me most? Why? Write them down. Talk them through with Jesus. 
• Second: Jesus, what can I commit to struggling with this week regarding this? What’s going to change between now and my next circle? Try to make it specific.
• Third: how does this topic help me in my relationships with others? How could it impact the way I treat others, serve them, and just spend time around them? Don’t keep the circle to yourself: it’s meant to be shared. It starts inside you and expands towards other, making a real impact on your environment.

You can also ask for things to read or other resources related to the topic of the circle. This will help you delve deeper during the week. After the circle, you have an opportunity to “dive into” the topic you just heard about. The deeper you go, the more lights are switched on in your interior life.

What to do with each part of the circle

• The opening prayer highlights the presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s a very powerful moment, and it’s worth paying attention, trying to focus, and cutting out distractions to truly place yourself in God’s presence.

• The recapitulation is not a competition to see who remembers the most ideas from the previous circle. Rather, since the formation you receive is a continuous path, it’s a chance to go over some recent ideas, so each circle helps you take another step.

• The Gospel commentary is a direct invitation: how can I be a bit more like Jesus today? It might be about a virtue, an attitude, or a way of looking... It’s meant to help you immerse yourself in the Gospel scene and let Jesus speak to you.

• In the talk, jot down more than just the title. Make note of the ideas that move you the most, the ones you’ll want to take to prayer later. What you hear is just the tip of the iceberg of a topic you can discuss with Jesus over the rest of the week.

• The examination of conscience helps you take the spiritual temperature of your struggle. Christian life has never been a test or a checklist, and neither is the examination of conscience. If it helps, you can choose one question a week and really try to grow in that area. 

• The announcement of the week are an opportunity to build friendship, take an interest in others, and strengthen your bond with the rest of the people in your circle. You can even bring them into your prayer through the week: remembering what the others sharing, asking God for their intentions, and supporting them from where you are.

• The reading is usually related to the topic of the circle topic. Listen to it slowly and attentively. If you can, ask where the text comes from so you can explore it for yourself later. It really helps with reflection and gives continuity to what you’ve received.

• The collection isn’t a tip for the person giving the circle; it’s your way of contributing to different needs. (If you don’t know what those needs are, you can ask!) It’s an invitation to be generous... And if you don’t carry cash, no problem. There are millions of ways to send money.

Take the circle to the Tabernacle

In the end, it all comes down to this: taking the circle to Jesus. Tell Him what you wrote down, and ask, “Jesus, what do You want from me in this area? What can I give You here?” When you take the circle to your prayer, it stops being just another activity and becomes an engine of Christian life.

That’s when we can truly say that the circle starts when it ends. And it becomes a real support where you need it, in your daily life and friendship with others.