Begin: History of Our Life

Guide: Memories we modeled

This is the first week of a journey of thirty-four weeks. Let’s start with our story. Prayer refers to our relationship with God will grow in the midst of our everyday this week simply to reflect on our history. And there will be times when we want to pray to reflect on our history. However, what is most important is that such reflection constitutes the “background” of the week.

Have you noticed that there was a song in your mind for a long time, no matter what you were doing? It is so. Throughout the day, this week, we will have in mind the memories that have shaped us. (Note the “link” “begin,” the right to such a task).

This week, folheemos the photo album of our life. Come to the earliest memories. Let the Lord show us our lives. What pictures are there? In every period of my life, I remember that scene? Who is in such scenes? Some photos are of happy times, others are a bit sad, others difficult to remember.All are our history and our journey that brought us to where we began this retreat.

Go slow. Do not rush. Being faithful to this exercise help you to prepare for the next few weeks. Write. If you want, write down your memories and life stories. At the end of the day, before bedtime, with words of gratitude thank the Lord that (a) follows throughout his life.

We share the graces we have received this week with the other people who make the retreat.
Practice helps to begin this week.

Each week we will help them to prepare for the retreat and weekly to achieve spiritual success.

The first and most important step is to begin to walk with great hope and confidence. God’s generosity knows no bounds. Therefore, the slightest change in our weekly routine is a huge opening for God to work in us. One way of stating such trust and hope is to express it by a mere instant, every morning at the same time every day – when looking for the slippers, brushing teeth or to serve me the first coffee-“I know you’re with me Today, my God”.

The amount of time that each of us has to retreat each week varies from person to person. If time is limited, just read the guide. In another day of the week, may find time to go back and reflect. The guide this week gives us the opportunity to review the stories of our lives through the photo album. Over the weeks, we will use the practice, and exercise habit of leaving a reflection or part of the background image of our day. We are all aware, from time to time, there are things that occupy the background of our consciousness. A song that sounds in our minds is a common example. This retreat invites us to a practice that actually uses a feature of our brain. Instead of having occupied this space to mess around with things that come and go, we will occupy it more consciously. While we do our usual tasks, we will be using the space of the background to give a distinct tone for our week. This will not be a distraction in relation to our work, or in a form of disregard of our affairs, but eventually realize the difference in order to experience our work. The practice takes us there. In fact, for this week, we all know the outline of our history. We do not deal with new material. What is new is to be aware of that this week, do a review of my life. Everything is deliberately planned. Consider: on Monday and Tuesday, I am reminded of my childhood; Wednesday and Thursday, from my adolescence and early adulthood; Friday and Saturday the rest of my adult life. Then on Wednesday – to seek my Chileans, while driving to work, walking to my first meeting, look at that image from my computer, walk to the parking lot, dinner with family, remember anything of the past with someone in the family, undressing for bed me during those brief moments of day-to-day, there will have background in the images that shaped my formative history during my adolescence.

We refer to feelings. Each frame in my life story has feelings aggregates. See me on the playground in my fifth grade may seem distant and difficult. Feelings come to the surface if I leave or my picture with that girl in my twenties. We know there are feelings there. And that deep feelings with the birth of a child, death of a loved one, changing jobs, family crises terrible images that come to mind of my married life, fights with people. My feelings will help me to see and feel how these photos tell my story and who I am today. It refers to the faithfulness of God. Not a sentimental journey. In every picture of my story, there is a grace that offered me to seek God’s presence there. If along this week, imagine the presence of God with me-even when I did not realized or felt at the time-that would be a tremendous unifying grace my life.

Let’s talk about gratitude. Before a memory, a photo, or any sense say “Thank you.” Up against painful memories. Even though I have not been grateful at the time. Even in actions involving bad about myself (a) or others. The Lord was there, loving me. Let us now that gratitude in touch and spread across the story of my life. And the walk? We are just at the beginning. We have 34 weeks. We go slowly. And all we need to do is give God a little space to transform our day-to-day, slowly. To the Walk Wait for God’s Help You know what’s good for you? Learn and then do what we know is good for us are two different things. I know that running is very good for my body and spirit, but go to a park is not only a good idea, but one thing I do not always like.

Taking vitamins is good for us, medicine tells us that. We begin to believe them, but do not take vitamins all the time. Resist activities that give us the results we expected immediately. Can we start a diet on Monday morning and Tuesday morning we climbed on the scales hoping to have downloaded weight. Finally, we want results fast and far! We start this week of spiritual exercises according to the pattern God gave us through St. Ignatius of Loyola, accompanied by the human resistance than is good for us. So the first advice is: do not wait, look, or requires progress. Have fun and live the process, even if, like exercise, you do not like to do it every day.How the diet, you may have to give up something, such as time, activity or achievements. We allow God to work in us to make progress, so that we have insights. We started hoping that God will deal with us working in our establishment we just considering how unfinished artwork. This is the first guide along the way, do not stop here; worth continuing. Go ahead! With these words or similar …

My God,

Sounds easy return to the past album. Can I call it prayer? I can remember myself as a child. I can not imagine that this little child has connections with me. What connections can have this child with me? Leafing through the album to see me at school to learn to read and expand my world, I see things here that do not want to see. Memories are difficult; painful I thought I had forgotten. Not everything in my childhood was good. Where were you, God? You were with me when I heard screams, discussions? I had a good time, too. Running freely as a kid, climbing trees, exploring the banks of the harbor and sled down the mountain in winter. There is a sense of freedom and I see you there, too. Growing up, I made my choices, my God. In some, you completely ignored it and tried to pretend that you were doing me no foul. But you faithfully you kept me anyway. You guided my decisions to become stubborn choices that led me to a life of love and a good marriage. Thank you (a) my God, for your constant presence in my life, especially today. My God, I feel a bit embarrassed (a). This type of prayer is new to me I feel more comfortable when using the words of another person. But I tried this new form of prayer yesterday and there was not too difficult, just not always felt like praying. I went back today and looked at the places that cause me pain, the memories that make me want to squirm me to run away and try to forget again.My life was not always easy. You were always with me at all times? You feel so strongly now, but I did not think much of you in those times. Like those hard times shaped me into what I am today? As your faithful guidance helped me, invisible, the years apart? I beg you, please help me see your presence in my life and be guided by it.

Biblical Readings

Psalm 8
Psalm 139
Luke 11: 1-13
Isaiah 43: 1-4
Luke 12, 22-34
Psalm 8

One. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy glory above the heavens!
2nd. From the mouth of babes and sucklings thou that suscitaste strength because of thine enemies doings silence the enemy and the avenger.
3rd. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars ordained;
4th. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that You visit him?
5th. However, just below God made him with glory and honor.
6th. You gave him dominion over the works of thy hands: you put everything under his feet:
7th. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field,
Eight. the birds, and the fishes of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9th. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 139

Psalm 139
One. LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2nd. You know my sitting down and my rising up; far understand my thought.
3rd. Fences my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4th. There is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5th. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6th. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, so high that I can not reach.
7th. Whither shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Eight. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if you make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9th. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the ends of the sea,
10. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me.
12. Not even the darkness I hid from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are the same thing to you;
13. For you created my inmost thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14. I praise you because of a fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.
15. My frame was not hidden you were, when I was made in secret and woven in the depths of the earth.
16. Your eyes saw my unformed body and in thy book all these things were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was one.
17. How precious to me are, O God, thy thoughts! How great is the sum of them!
18. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake I am still with you.
19. O God, thou surely slay the wicked, so be ye me, men of blood.
20. Because they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee, and not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22. I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.
24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Luke 11: 1-13
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke
One. One day, in a certain place, Jesus was praying. Finishing the prayer, I told him one of his disciples, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2nd. He said to them, then: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come;
3rd. Give us today the bread necessary for sustenance;
4th. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive those who trespass against us, and us not into temptation.
5th. Then he continued: If one of you has a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6th. For a friend of mine has just come to my house, a trip, and I have nothing to offer;
7th. And if he answer from inside: Trouble me not: the door is now shut, my children and I are in bed, I can not get up to give you the bread;
Eight. I tell you, if they do not get up to give him the bread because he is his friend, certainly because of his importunity he will rise and how many rolls you need.
9th. And I say unto you, Ask, and give up unto you, seek and find, knock and opens up unto you.
10. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to beat that if you open.
11. If a son asks for bread, What father among you who will give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent chance?
12. Or if he shall ask an egg, will give him a scorpion perhaps?
13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
Word of Salvation.

Isaiah 43: 1-4

1.E now, this is what the Lord says, he who created you, Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I redeem you, I call you by name, you are mine.
2nd. If you have to cross the water, will be with you. And the rivers shall not overflow you if you walk through the fire, not be burned, and the flame does not consume you.
3rd. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Sheba in compensation
4th. Because you are precious in my eyes, because I appreciate and love you for you permuto kingdoms, nations surrender in exchange for you.

Luke 12, 22-34
22. Jesus then turned to his disciples, Therefore I say unto you walk not worried about your life, what ye shall eat, nor about your body, what ye shall put on.
23. Life is worth more than food and the body more than clothing.
24. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap nor have storehouse nor barn, yet God sustains them. The more you than they are worth?
25. But which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
26. If ye then, not able to do the smallest things, why are you worried about the others?
27. Consider the lilies, how they grow; does not spin nor weave. But I say unto you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these
28. If God so clothes the grass that today is in the field and tomorrow is cast into the fire, how much more you, O ye of little faith!
29. Do not be anxious about what you will eat or drink, and walk not in vain worries
30. Because men in the world is that care about all these things. But your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these.
31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given you besides.
32. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33. Sell that ye possess and give alms, provide yourselves bags which do not spend, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief and no moth destroys.
34. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Sinto, junto a ti, quanto de mim depende ser como desejas, se contigo estiver, como, agora, estou.

Percebendo que nada por mim farias que não quisesses que eu o mesmo a outros não fizesse, deixo-me guiar por ti.

E, sabendo que me fizeste obra de tuas mãos, és o mais próximo a mim que eu tenho.

Em ti compreenderei aqueles que próximos a mim estiverem, esses que meu próximo são.

E sei que, estando contigo, não estarei sozinho, já que a ti próprio trago comigo, onde quer que queiras me enviar.

Dá-me não te perder de vista para este fim.

Pois, meu fim último és tu.

E, a não ser para ti, nada faz sentido ser – nada teria ser – senão para ti, nada faz sentido viver.

Tudo isto sinto, quando estou junto a ti, como, quando, agora, estou.”

Pe. Airton Freire

(Texto do Livro “Preces ao Pai”)