SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES & RSV BIBLE EXTRACTS - WEEK 97
STARTS THURSDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2009
“ABANDON YOURSELVES TO GOD”
(A) STEPS TOWARDS TOTAL ABANDONMENT OF SELF TO GOD
Weekly message No. 92 (28th November 1985).
Second step: Prayer with conscientious attention.
“Dear children! I want to thank everyone for all you have done for me, especially the youth. I beseech you, dear children, come to prayer with awareness. In prayer you shall come to know the greatness of God. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
PRACTICAL:
This week pay special attention to the meaning of the words in the
‘Our Father’ and ‘Hail Mary.’
Thursday: Trust in God’s providence.
Matthew 6:25-32.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
Friday: “In your prayers do not babble.”
Matthew 6:7-8.
7“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Cf. Ecclesiastes 5:1
1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.
Cf. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 7:14.
14Do not prattle in the assembly of the elders, nor repeat yourself in your prayer.
Saturday: “While Jesus prayed, the aspect of his face was changed.”
Luke 9:28-29.
28Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white.
Cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18.
16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
Sunday: “While Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened.”
Luke 3:21-22.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”
Cf. Acts 7:55-56.
55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.”
Monday: Jesus in deep prayer learned to accept the Father’s will.
Luke 22:39-46.
39And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like blood falling to the ground. 45And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46and he said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Tuesday: The prayer of Jesus, full of tears and cries, was answered.
Hebrews 5:7-10.
7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Wednesday: “As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
Luke 2:19.
19But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Wednesday: Luke 2: 51.
51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.