Inner Peace in Divine Love Retreat
Week One – Remembering Love
Ex 3 – I remember being loved and responding
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 Text
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.
For greater guidance, depth and practical use of this exercise and retreat, source the First Spiritual Exercises here.
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