MINISTRY GOALS

Which of the following goals energizes or inspires you more? Are there others? Can you envision concrete ways to fulfill these goals?

  1. Develop ways of praying with the Yup’ik people in the tradition of St. Ignatius.

  2. Help people fall in love with Jesus.

  3. Expand retreat ministry to more groups, like married people, young families and other groups.

  4. Create safe and brave spaces for young people to talk honestly about what is going on in their lives and faith.

  5. Understand the gift the Catholic Church has received from the Yup’ik people.

LIVING GRATEFULLY

Wholehearted thanksgiving engages the whole person, our mind, affect, and will. The intellect recognizes the gift as gift. The will acknowledges the interdependence of the giver & thanks-giver. The emotion celebrates the joy of that mutual belonging. When the intellect, emotion, and will join together, thanksgiving becomes genuine, i.e. wholehearted. Thus, gratitudes cultivate mindful, integrated living.

The Awareness Examen is an Ignatian habit of loving that involves learning to move from the head, to the heart, to the hands. It is an integration of gratitude that begins with remembering, deepens with receiving, and overflows into responding.

As a prayer of gratitude, the Awareness Examen helps us become more attentive and attuned to God’s Spirit at work in our lives. It begins with remembering, deepens with receiving, and overflows into responding.

Journaling Prompt after Prayer:

  1. Lord, how am I receptive to your obvious or disguised gifts?

  2. How do you invite me to be more attentive or responsive to you?

WK 3: RESPONDING

From experience, St. Ignatius of Loyola describes genuine love as sharing all of who one is and all that one has with those one loves. He envision God creating us freely out of love and desiring to share divine life and love with us more fully. Grace is how we experience this self-giving of God, God’s unique “love languages” for each of us, expressed in everyday experiences. The more we can respond to grace, the more we can embrace and realize God’s dream for our lives.

Treat yourself to 15-20 minutes of Ignatian responding 3 times a week, guided by one or a combination of the recordings below. Then journal using the reflective prompts which follow immediately.

Journaling Prompt after Prayer:

  1. How am I sensing grace or God’s self-communication?

  2. How do I find myself responding to grace?

  3. How might God invite me to savor or remain with…?

Wk 2: RECEIVING

There are three distinct but inseparable dimensions of receiving:

  1. Acknowledge gift: Recognizing something as a GIFT involves acknowledging the goodness of the GIVER

  2. Accept gift: Taking an eighteen-inch journey from knowing about (head) to knowing from experience (heart)

  3. Abide in the Giver. Enjoying and relishing in the GIVER, not just the GIFT.

For this week, pray 4-5 times. Click on “Receiving Gift” button below. Then journal using the reflective prompts which follow immediately.

Journaling Prompt after Prayer:

  1. What gift am I invited to receive?

  2. How am I receiving or letting the gift unfold?

  3. How might God invite me to savor or remain with…?

Wk 1: REMEMBERING

Remembering awakens a blessing, a grace. For this week:

  1. Pray 5 times. Click on “Remembering Key Graces” button below.

  2. Write your answers (in a journal or notebook) to the questions under “Journaling Prompt after Prayer” below.

  3. If you have time, please reflect on ‘My Faith Journey” below.

Journaling Prompt after Prayer:

  1. I remember …

  2. What happens when I remember …?

  3. How might God invite me to savor or remain with …?

My Faith Journey

Prepare to share for 7 minutes your faith story, using any of the following questions:

  1. Which 2-3 key experiences in life really shaped your faith?

  2. Who have been influential in your faith life and how?

  3. How do you see or relate to God or Jesus? How has it changed over the years?

  4. How do you pray? Feel free to include your favorite Scriptures passages and/or prayers.

  5. Is there an image that describes your faith journey? (e.g. a road, hike, river, etc.)

  6. If you could speak directly to God at this time, what would you say?