Continue along the Way of Mary and Joseph with Christ the King
10-Day Self-Directed or Directed Retreat
Based upon the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary
You may contact us for any questions on beginning this retreat, for being accompanied through it, or after for sharing your experience and reflections. Click (>) to open the content.
Preparing for Your Retreat
Review of Retreat Guidelines and Prayers
Links to Ways of Prayer
Night Before Preparations
Retreat Mornings - Offering, Lectio, Close, Reflection
Retreat Day Time - Recalling
Retreat Evenings - Examen, Journaling
Self-directed or Directed
Preparatory Prayers
The Preparatory period is a time for recollection to dispose ourselves rightly to begin with an offertory prayer and a petition for asking for the grace what we desire from the Lord based during upon the meditation exercise.
Offertory Prayer
Beginning your prayer period time, offer yourself to the Lord with St. Ignatius' “Take and Receive” prayer.
Take Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my entire will,
all that I have and possess.
Thou hast given all to me.
To Thee, O Lord, I return it.
All is Thine; dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.
Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this, is sufficient for me.
Amen
Preparatory Prayer
“The preparatory prayer is to ask God Our Lord for the grace is that all my intentions ( wants and desires), actions, and operations (Interior mental activities), maybe order purely to the service in praise of the Divine Majesty” (SE 46).*
Write in your own words your intentions for this retreat time __________________________________________________________________________________
Petitionary Prayer
Now, being situated within the mystery, after reading it the night before (or before each prayer period begins), we ask for what we desire from the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we may go forth to meet the will of God.
Share your desires with the Lord for this day's retreat time. Write them down to review during your reflection time. _____________________________________________________________________________
Suggested Petitionary Prayer by St. Ignatius
Lord, grant me the grace of an "intimate knowledge of our Lord, who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely." (SE 104)*
Write in your own words your petitionary prayer(s).
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Journey
In this beautiful liturgical season beginning with the Nativity of the Lord and ending with the Feast of the Epiphany , we also celebrate the Feasts of the Holy Innocents and The Feast of the Holy Family, and Solemnity of the Mother of God.
As we pray daily through these mysteries in this retreat, we find ourselves traveling through time and different places with the Holy Family: first to Bethlehem, then from there they fled to Egypt living as refugees, and when it was safe traveled even further in miles back home to Nazareth.
We are invited to take time to be within each mystery by placing yourself as you are there with them by composing each place while apply all of your interior senses. Ask yourself: Where are you in the scene? How am I here with them? What is God revealing to you in each time and place?
What do you desire to share with them on being there?
You are also invited to enter into and to consider the experiences of all those you come to meet in each of these mysteries. What was it like for them? How did they feel, what were their thoughts? Mary's experience. Joseph's experience. The Shepherds?
Consider what do want to say to Mary? to Joseph? to Jesus as He asks: "Who do you say that I AM?
The Mysteries
The gospels were written as an account of time past so we may know the Good news now and for the future
Day 1: The Nativity. The Light of the World in Peace
Day 2: The Adoration of the Shepherds. I Proclaim to You Good News
Day 3: The Holy Child is Named. The Name Above All Names
Day 4: The Epiphany. Bringing Our Gifts
Day 5: The Presentation. Awaiting the Consolation of Israel
Day 6: The Flight to Egypt. Obedience and Action
Day 7: Massacre of Holy Innocence. Lamentation
Day 8: Return From Egypt. Trust
Day 9 The Childhood of Jesus. Growing in Wisdom
Day 10: Finding Jesus in theTemple. Obedience in Discerning the Call
Gather the Graces: Review and savor God’s gifts to you during this Christmastide retreat by writing summary notes after each prayer period for your future reviews and for sharing with your spiritual director or with your faith-sharing group.
Look out for in our next retreat: we will begin with John the Baptist preaching, Jesus baptism, The 40 Days in the Desert, and the start of His ministry in Galilee.
*(SE#) All quotes are taken from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: based on Studies in the Language of the Autograph by Louis, J. Puhl. SJ. Scriptures taken from the USCCB website.
Our Lady of the Way, Pray for us!
For more information or to register for Spiritual Direction