Progress through the gifts of the body

Spiritual Exercise 79

 

Preparation
I will allow my spirit to rest a little and consider where I am going and for what purpose. I make a gesture of reverence and humility. I read the prayer texts.

Opening Prayer
I ask the Creator for help and understanding of my senses, that I may use them better for the greater service of God.

Desire
I desire spiritual progress through my five senses.

Prayer
1. I consider my sense of sight. What has the Creator given me here?

2. Where do I see best in my life?

3. Where do I see least in my life?

4. I reflect on the contrary of my sight.

After 3 minutes of consideration, I ask the Lord for what I desire now.

I pray the Our Father.

The same procedure is repeated for each of the senses.

 

Conversation
After going over all the senses, I examine them as a whole. I ask myself:

1. Which sense do I excel in, more than any other?

2. Which sense do I desire to use for greater service of God?

3. Which sense would give me the greatest inner peace now?

In conversation with my Creator, I ask for grace and help. Then I choose one sense to serve with today, or one sense to imitate Jesus with today.

Prayer Texts

 

The Five Senses

1. Sight
2. Hearing
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Touch

Sensual God.
In the promised land you will serve other gods made by human hands, objects of wood and stone that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul. (Dt 4:28–29)

Sensual humanity.
God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. (Gn 1:27a, 31a)

Sight.
Jesus asked [the blind man], “Can you see anything?” And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mk 8:23b–25)

Hearing.
They brought [Jesus] a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech.… [He] put his fingers into [the man’s] ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. (Mk 7:32–35)

Smell.
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (Jn 12:3)

Taste.
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? (Mt 5:13a)

Touch.
The disciples were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Jesus said to them, “Why are you frightened? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Lk 24:37–39)

Sensual witness.
We are afflicted in every way, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. While we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor 4:8a, 10–11)

 

Time: 35 Minutes

Preparation: 10 minutes. Opening Prayer: 1 minute. Desire: 1 minute. Prayer: 20 minutes. Conversation: 3 minutes. Listening Book: 10 minutes.

 

Interested in tasting Inner Peace in Service of God, the retreat of this exercise? Source the First Spiritual Exercises here.
Alternatively, check to see if the whole retreat is offered this month under the Spiritual Exercises menu.

Your responsible agreement is necessary for printing and use of this exercise:

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