Inner Healing

The purpose of this week is to receive inner healing. Inner healing includes spiritual and emotional healing, which can include healing of memories. Many painful memories lie buried deep in the unconscious. Jesus sees even the buried memories and he can heal them. Others are very much present to the conscious mind -- Jesus wants to heal those, too. He can take out the anger, depression, rebelliousness, humiliation, discouragement or fear, and fill the memory with his loving and healing presence.

Take some time to pray through the prayer for healing of memories.

Theme for the week: Inner healing; and responding to God's call
Grace for today: To receive Jesus' healing and compassionate love and to be healed in my inner self.
Scripture reading: Luke 4:38-42

Follow Me

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better as calling you to Himself
Scripture reading: Matthew 9:9-13

"Today we can ask ourselves as we talk to Our Lord in our prayer whether we often thank him for calling us to follow him more closely; we can ask whether we are corresponding to the graces we have received by struggling to acquire all the virtues in a straightforward but rigorous way; whether we are on our guard against all comfort seeking; which kills off any desire for sanctity and leaves the soul submerged in spiritual mediocrity, and in a state of lukewarmness. It is not enough to want to be merely good; we have to make a determined effort to be saints."
-- from In Conversation With God, Vol. 2, p 62-63

He Came to His Senses

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know the Father's merciful love
Scripture reading: Luke 15:11-32

"While repentance often moves slowly, the mercy of God our Father speeds toward us when He sees from afar our least desire to return. This is why Confession is saturated with joy and hope."
--In Conversation With God, Vol 2, p. 112

She has loved much

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better as calling you to receive your healing and transforming forgiveness
Scripture reading: Luke 7:36-50

"It is the moment at which, in response to the penitent, the Trinity becomes present in order to blot our sin and restore innocence. And the saving power of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus is also imparted to the penitent." (John Paul II) Few words have ever produced more joy in the world than the words of absolution, I absolve you from your sins...How glad are we to receive these words when we go to the sacrament of forgiveness? How grateful are we?
--taken from In Conversation With God vol. 2, p. 210-211

Forgive us our Trespasses

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better and receive his forgiveness
Scripture reading: Matthew 6:12-15

Healing Prayer At Bedtime
Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, go back into my memory as I sleep. Every hurt that has ever been done to me, heal that hurt. Every hurt that I have ever caused another person, heal that hurt. All the relationships that have been damaged in my whole life that I am not aware of, heal those relationships.
But, Lord, if there is anything that I need to do; If I need to go to a person because he or she is still suffering from my hand, bring to my awareness that person, I choose to forgive and I ask to be forgiven. Remove whatever bitterness may be in my heart, Lord, and fill the empty spaces with your love. Amen.
Author Unknown

Be Clean

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better as healing my heart and soul
Scripture reading: Matthew 8:1-4

"Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

This is a good week to go to confession.

Forgiveness Heals

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better as loving you and to accept his forgiveness and healing
Scripture reading: Matthew 9:1-8

"Every day we must ask forgiveness, for every day we have caused offense." (St. Augustine)

"Jesus, thank you for forgiving me my sins. Heal me with your forgiveness. Heal the roots of sin in me. Lay your hands gently upon me. Let them bring your forgiveness and healing. Amen." (from Lord Teach me to Pray, p. 20-21)

Removing Obstacles to Prayer

Come to Jesus, look at him and know that you are greatly loved and forgiven. Our weakness draws the heart of Jesus to us because he is all love and compassion. Knowing his love, let the Lord reveal to you your sinfulness - so that you can be forgiven.

Theme for the week: Repentance and accepting the Lord's forgiveness
Grace for today: To know Jesus better and therefore repent more sincerely for my sins
Scripture reading: Luke 18:35-43

Saturday

Theme for the week: Entering into the love of the Lord
Grace for today: To know you better and believe that you love me
Scripture reading: Luke 6:32-38

Fasting

Theme for the week: Entering into the love of the Lord
Grace for today: To know his love for me and respond to his love in my prayertime
Scripture reading: John 17:20-26
"When it is accompanied by prayer it can be used to manifest humility before God. The man who fasts turns towards God in an attitude of total dependence and abandonment." --taken from In Conversation with God, Vol 2, p.13

Thursday

Theme for this week: Entering into the love of the Lord
Grace for today: To know his love for me and respond to his love in my prayertime
Scripture reading: John 15:11-17

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

Welcome to an online Lenten retreat. Each week will have a theme. Each day will have a grace and scripture suggestion for your prayer time. The themes, graces and readings will be taken from "Lord Jesus, Teach Me To Pray," by Lucy Rooney S.N.D. and Fr. Robert Faricy, SJ.
See link on left "How to Meditate on Sacred Scripture".

Theme for this week: Entering into the love of the Lord
Grace for today: To know his love for me and respond to his love in my prayertime
Scripture reading: John 15:1-10

Our Awesome God

The presence of God is awe-inspiring and glorious. He both dwells within us and is boundless in his majesty. What a privilege it is that this great God wants to know us and have a personal relationship with each one of us. Despite our lowliness and sinfulness, God wishes to reach down and caress us in His tenderness. Let us stand in awe before this God of glory and kindness.
--taken from Magnificat Feb. 2010, p.112.

Trust Him

"By waiting and by calm you will be saved. In quiet and in trust your strength lies." Is 30:15b

"The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."
Ex. 14:14

"God in his power is refuge and strength; God in his mercy is the river that refreshes the soul; God in his beauty stills our useless struggles and gathers us into his peace." -- taken from Magnificat, Mon, Feb 8, 2010

The Interior Life

If one will but study his deeper soul carefully, his journey will be safer. Let him be absorbed in his own faults to correct them, in God's guidance to follow it, difficult though it may seem, and dark and strange. Whosoever behaves thus shall not be overwhelmed when opposition comes, nor altogether oppressed with anguish of soul... But God will now lead and again drive him forward until he has reached the depths of the interior life...

--taken from Magnificat, Feb 5, 2010, p. 84 (for full text of the meditation, click here)

Trapped by the Devil

If you, O Lord, will not give me who am miserable understanding, nor enlighten my heart, then, due to my great indifference, shall I be unable to recognize my ruin and decay.
Because I am trapped by the merciless enemy who oppresses me, with tears do I ceaselessly cry day and night to your goodness to deliver me from his snares. For hourly does he renew the trickery he wields against me; hourly does he disturb my soul with wanton thoughts and desire for pleasure.
May your power, O Christ, that rebuked the waves of the sea also rebuke him, that he may have no influence on me, your useless servant. Be quick to send, O Master, your grace, that it might drive away from your servant the great serpent and all his defilements and evil thoughts. For the wounds that the arrows have inflicted on my heart have become fetid sores, and I in my folly try to hide them every way I can.
The good Physician calls me and demands no payment, nor does he spill my blood. But my slothfulness prevents me from going to him. He comes himself to heal me, but always finds me engaged in acts that prevent his remedies from rendering me their healing power.
O Lord, enlighten and sober me. Cure me and I will be cured!
--by Saint Ephrem the Syrian, taken from Magnificat Magazine, February 1, 2010.