I remember being loved and grateful

Spiritual Exercise 2

Preparation
I take a relaxed position with a straight back, my body poised for prayer. I make a gesture of reverence and humility. I read the prayer text about steadfast love.

Opening Prayer
I ask for the grace to direct my whole self toward God.

Desire  
I desire to feel loved and grateful.

Prayer 
I remember an experience of being loved and feeling grateful.

I go back in time to re-create this experience as best I can with the details of place, weather, conversation, actions, and people. I relive the experience with all my senses—I touch, smell, hear, and feel being so loved and grateful.

I remain in this place for a few minutes.

Now, eyes still closed, I come back into the room where I am now. I remember the details of place here. How do I feel? I remain here for a few minutes.

I return again to the place where I was loved. I relive being grateful. Do I feel any different than the first time I came here? I remain here for a few minutes.

I come back into the room where I am now. How do I feel? Different? Now I move back and forth between both places, spending a minute or so in each.

I note any change of feelings. I do this for five minutes.

Conversation 
I end my prayer in a short conversation with God, talking as to a friend, about what I have just experienced. Our Father.

Prayer Texts

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,

and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.

(Ps 63:3–5)

Time: 25 Minutes
Preparation: 5 minutes. Opening Prayer: 1 minute. Desire: 1 minute. Prayer: 15 minutes. Conversation: 3 minutes. Listening Book: 10 minutes.

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I remember being loved and responding

Spiritual Exercise 3

Preparation      
I take a relaxed position with a straight back, my body poised for prayer. I make a gesture of reverence and humility. I read the prayer text about tender love.

Opening Prayer  
I ask for the grace to direct my whole self toward God.

Desire  
I desire to feel love and my response.

Prayer   
I remember an experience of being loved and my response.

I go back in time to re-create this experience as best I can with the details of place, weather, conversation, actions, and people. I relive the experience with all my senses—I touch, smell, hear, and feel being so loved. I remember my response at the time.

I remain in this place for a few minutes.

Now, eyes still closed, I come back into the room where I am now. I remember the details of place here. How do I feel? I remain here for a few minutes.

I return again to where I was loved. I relive my response. Do I feel any different than the first time I came here? I remain here for a few minutes.

I come back into the room where I am now. How do I feel? Different? Now I move back and forth between both places, spending a minute or so in each.

I note any change of feelings. I do this for five minutes.

Conversation  
I end my prayer in a short conversation with God, talking as to a friend, about what I have just experienced. Our Father.

Prayer Texts

What does the Lord require of you

but to do justice,

and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

(Mi 6:8)

Time: 25 Minutes
Preparation: 5 minutes. Opening Prayer: 1 minute. Desire: 1 minute. Prayer: 15 minutes. Conversation: 3 minutes. Listening Book: 10 minutes.

Your responsible use agreement is necessary for printing and use:

Check box: I agree give the FSE to others without cost.
Check box: I agree to use the attribution: First Spiritual Exercises © Ave Maria Press
Check box: I agree to embody the FSE Code of Ethics and the The FSE Golden Rules.
Check box: I agree to create a FSE Safety Net before giving the FSE retreats.

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I remember a loving friendship

Spiritual Exercise 4

Preparation  
I take a relaxed position with a straight back, my body poised for prayer. I make a gesture of reverence and humility. I read the prayer text about renewing love.

Opening Prayer 
I ask for the grace to direct my whole self toward God.

Desire 
I desire to feel a loving friendship.

Prayer  
I remember an experience of loving friendship with a close friend.

I go back in time to re-create this experience as best I can with the details of place, weather, conversation, actions and people. I relive the experience with all my senses—I touch, smell, hear and feel being in this loving friendship.

I remain in this place for a few minutes.

Now, eyes still closed, I come back into the room where I am now. I remember the details of place here. How do I feel? I remain here for a few minutes.

I return again to where I am with my friend. I relive our time together. Do I feel any different than the first time I came here? I remain here for a few minutes.

I come back into the room where I am now. How do I feel? Different? Now I move back and forth between both places, spending a minute or so in each.

I note any change of feelings. I do this for five minutes.

Conversation  
I end my prayer in a short conversation with God, talking as to a friend, about what I have just experienced. Our Father.

Prayer Texts

A friend loves at all times.

(Prv 17:17)

The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.

(Zep 3:17–18a)

Time: 25 Minutes
Preparation: 5 minutes. Opening Prayer: 1 minute. Desire: 1 minute. Prayer: 15 minutes. Conversation: 3 minutes. Listening Book: 10 minutes.

Your responsible use agreement is necessary for printing and use:

Check box: I agree give the FSE to others without cost.
Check box: I agree to use the attribution: First Spiritual Exercises © Ave Maria Press
Check box: I agree to embody the FSE Code of Ethics and the The FSE Golden Rules.
Check box: I agree to create a FSE Safety Net before giving the FSE retreats.

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Action in memory of love

Spiritual Exercise 5

Desire  
I desire to act in memory of love.

Preparation   
I read the prayer texts about life-giving love.

In the Eucharist  
I share a Eucharist meal with Jesus who has loved me.

I remember how he loved me in death and resurrection, and bring that love into the present. I feel his love in the breaking of the bread, in the sharing of his body. With the graces of this week lifting me, I receive the life he offers me.

or

In the World   
I share a meal with a person who has loved me.

I open myself to feel the love this person has for me. I break bread and taste the love this person has given to me. I stay in the present moment of love.

With the graces of this week lifting me, I celebrate our relationship in a fresh way. Then I ponder the life Jesus offers me through him or her.

Prayer Texts

Jesus took bread and giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,

for this is my Body, which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice.

And, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:

“Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood,

the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this in memory of me.”

(Eucharistic Prayer)

As they came near Emmaus, Jesus walked ahead as if he were going on. But the two disciples urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

(Lk 24:28–33, 35)

Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.

(Jn 6:53–57)

Time: As needed

Your responsible use agreement is necessary for printing and use:

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Check box: I agree to use the attribution: First Spiritual Exercises © Ave Maria Press
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Check box: I agree to create a FSE Safety Net before giving the FSE retreats.

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