Together on Retreat by James Martin

Author:James Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Now take some time and pray with this passage. Try not to judge what happens in your prayer until it’s over. I suggest taking at least thirty to sixty minutes with this scene.

View of the Mount of Beatitudes

Please give yourself 30 to 60 minutes for your prayer.

Continue with the retreat when you are ready.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Let’s reflect on what happened during your prayer.

If you feel that nothing happened, that’s okay. Sometimes—in fact, much of the time—prayer seems dry. Perhaps you were distracted. Perhaps you felt new to this kind of prayer and had a hard time getting into it. That’s okay. God is still at work in you even if you don’t feel it. Not every prayer leads to discernible “results.” It’s all up to God, anyway. Perhaps you could try it again later today or tomorrow.

On one level, maybe you were able to appreciate this passage in a new way. Perhaps you had an insight about this Gospel scene. Maybe you noticed something about Jesus or the disciples that was surprising to you and said to yourself, “I never thought of it that way before.” Trust that insight as coming from God. Intellectual insights are important in this kind of prayer.

On another level, perhaps you noticed something that seemed more “emotional.” Did you feel a sense of desire? Of wanting to follow Jesus? Or did you feel a sadness that you weren’t able to “follow” the way you would like? Did you feel disappointed that Jesus didn’t call you? You might ask where you are being called in your life. Don’t be embarrassed to admit what you felt, even if you saw it as “inappropriate:” for example, you might have felt no desire to follow Jesus. Why might this be?

These specific questions might help you:

What was it like to see or “watch” Jesus?

Was there a particular word or phrase or moment that moved you? Why?

Did any questions about “following God” arise?

How did you feel when the disciples were said to “leave everything behind”?

Pay attention to all of this.

Overall, ask yourself:

What might God be saying to me through this passage?

What insights about my own life might be being revealed?

What questions might God want to raise in my life?

Where am I being invited to grow?

Now you might want to speak to God about this passage. Talk about what surfaced while you were praying with this passage. When you can, write down what came up (you can even use the “notes” feature on your e-reader). You don’t want to forget anything that happens in these privileged times with God.

Before you begin the next prayer, take a little break. I would suggest at least a few hours. Let whatever happened in the first prayer sink in.

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