God's Love

for you and for me is complete,

and our God is calling us.

Each person is created

to praise, revere, and serve our Lord God,

and in this vocation

to find salvation in eternal life.

The other things on the face of the earth

are created for us all, to help each person

find and fulfill the purpose/reason/end/...

for which he or she is created.

We humans are to use well the other things

to the extent they help us discover and fulfill

our purpose/reason/end/...

Sooner or later each of us

will need to rid ourselves of the other things

that get in the way of this personal vocation.

It will come to be our desire

to be indifferent to all created things,

as far as we are allowed free choice

and consistent with faithful commitments

already freely made.

And so our concern will be to see

all good things in unbiased balance,

and we will not prefer health to sickness,

riches to poverty,

the world's honor to its dishonor,

or a long life to a short life,

and this balance of indifference

will hold for all other things.

When my one desire comes to be

whatever is more conducive

to the purpose/reason/end/...

for which I am created,

may my choices reflect that desire.

If not now, when?

 

The Principle and Foundation

of St. Ignatius of Loyola, d. 1556,

is usually part of the first days of

The Spiritual Exercises (paragraph 23).

31 Days of God's Love-Call, 2014, page 4

 

 

 

 

The Aware Prayer

also called the Awareness Examen, also called the Examen of Consciousness, is a method or way of regular open dialogue with God.  It comes from a Spanish saint, Ignatius of Loyola, who died in 1556.  Many find this exercise helpful at night before bed, but it is also helpful in the early evening, late afternoon, noon, or even morning.  But generally, later in the day is when it makes more sense for most people. 

 

Sources for more information:

Draw Me Into Your Friendship, The Spiritual Exercises, A Literal Translation

and A Contemporary Reading, by David L. Fleming, S.J., 1996, and

Choosing Christ In The World, by Joseph Tetlow, S.J., 1989,

both from the Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Lous, Missouri.

Challenge, A Daily Meditation Program Based on The Spiritual Exercises of

Saint Ignatius, by Mark Link, S.J., 1993, Thomas More Publishing, page 157.

Rev. Paul Wachdorf, Mundelein Seminary, Archdiocese of Chicago.

 

 

Come Holy Spirit, enlighten me; make me aware.

Inspire me to see with growing freedom

the construction of my life story.

Come Holy Spirit, help me to look upon my actions and motives

with honesty and patience, with neither condemnation nor complacency.

 

I review the day, or the time since last doing the Aware Prayer,

notice the decisions that I made, the actions chosen.

What were the decisions before me?

When did I accept the grace to choose the good or avoid the evil?

When did I act in freedom?

When was I swept along without freedom?

When was I simply unaware that a choice was before me?

 

Lord God, help me to look upon myself as you do, with compassion,

to see myself as you see me.

As I know your concern for me, help me to know my need for you.

I am sorry for the sins of this day,

and ask your forgiveness for when I resisted your light.

I thank you for your enlightening presence

and I give you praise for the ways I have been open to your grace.

Your love for me is complete;

make me totally available to you.

 

Our Father...

 

 

 

Two Short Forms of the Aware Prayer

 

A.  I notice what has gone well today, and pray: Abba, thank you!

B.  I notice what has not gone well today, and

     to the extent my sin was involved I pray: Lord Jesus, have mercy!

C.  I notice my worry about tomorrow,

     or next week, or next month, and I pray: Spirit, Help!

 

           adapted from Rev. Mark Link, S.J., Challenge, Thomas More Pub., 1993.

 

1.  Where have I seen God?

2.  Where have I failed to see God?

3.  Where do I need God's healing?

 

           Note:  Sr. Kathleen Flood, O.P. suggests this short form (1,2,3)

           as a way for married couples and best friends to pray together.

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Adoption in the Gospel of Life

 

Living God of Israel,

Christ, Son of the living God,

Holy Spirit, Advocate,

One God with many names,

I lift up to you this year

one unborn child at risk,

one newborn needing care,

one mother afraid or confused,

one father with faltering courage, 

one aging sage in poor health,

one human alive on death row,

one victim of violence or torture,

one civilian in the crossfire of war,

one keeper of peace in danger,

one man wrestling with prejudice,

one woman in need of a neighbor,

one hard worker who is still poor,

one migrant worker seeking dignity,

one teen needing encouragement,

one child having difficulty learning,

one family lacking good health care,

one community suffering pollution,

and one in need of your grace.

 

As you made each in your image,

so you call us to grow

into the likeness of the Risen Christ.

 

Let each day of this year bring

an advent of hope,

a new nativity of faith,

lenten solidarity of love,

the new way of easter joy,

and your abiding pentecost presence.

 

As you have called me by name, and I am yours,

so do I adopt them in prayer

and beg you grant what you know they need 

to have life and to the full.

 

Amen.

 

 

 

Stephen Joseph Wolf, Gospel of Life Prayer Cycle, 2007, page 2 

 

 

 

Pentecost

 

Come Holy Spirit, take hold of my life;

sign me with your holy love.

Give me your gifts, confirm me in faith.

Spirit, come.

              Serafini di Giacoma

 

 

Vocations in Ordinary Time

 

Father, you call us to the table of your Son,

renew us by word and sacrament,

and send us to labor in your harvest.

We are a people in need of the witness

of faithful marriages and priests,

parents who know you love them,

generous single people and deacons,

religious sisters, brothers, monks and nuns.

Help each disciple to trust in your call,

make us able and willing to do what you ask,

keep us united in our gifted diversity,

and bring to maturity every seed you sow.

We ask this through the Good Shepherd:

Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.

Amen.

 

Vocations in Advent & Christmas

 

Father, you call us to prepare the way for Christ our Lord,

bringing low the mountains of our pride

and filling up the valleys of our weakness.

As you created us in your own image,

open our minds and hearts to know our longing for the Savior.

Help us to follow the example of Mary,

always ready to do your will.

As we celebrate the simple beauty of the incarnation of your Son,

help us in freedom to say "yes" to our vocation

and make us radiant with his light.

We ask this through Christ our Messiah.

Amen.

 

Vocations in Lent

 

O God of compassion,

through honest awareness of sin and the grace of repentance

you protect us from what could harm us

and lead us to what will save us.

Your Son, Jesus Christ,

accepted the cross and redeemed your sons and daughters.

Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving

you call us each to a unique vocation

of health, healing and mercy.

May we embrace the paschal mystery

and, faithful to the gospel of Christ,

become a people who worship you in spirit and in truth.

We ask this through Christ our Savior.

Amen.

 

Vocations in Easter

 

Come, Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of your faithful; set fire in us your confirming love.

Give us wisdom to seek the face of God,

understanding of our baptism in Christ,

and right judgment to discern his call in freedom.

Give us courage to say yes to our vocations,

knowledge of what Jesus teaches,

and reverence for the ways of the Father.

Give us wonder and awe in your presence,

that the witness we give to the resurrection of the Son

may be pleasing to the Father

and help you, Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth.

Amen.

 

 Stephen Joseph Wolf, Psalter of Lectio, 2009 & 2012, 

pages 21, 57, 69, and 81