Second Day / Tuesday, July 26th

Parable of the Lost Sheep
(Luke 15.1-7)

He addressed this parable: “What man among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

Pope Francis’s Commentary

   …[I]n Jesus’ vision there are no sheep that are definitely lost, but only sheep that must be found again. We need to understand this well: to God no one is definitely lost. Never! To the last moment, God is searching for us….

   No distance can keep the shepherd away; and no flock can renounce a brother. To find the one who is lost is the joy of the shepherd and of God, but it is also the joy of the flock as a whole! We are all sheep who have been retrieved and brought back by the mercy of the Lord, and we are called to gather the whole flock to the Lord!

(General Audience. May 4, 2016)

Examination of Conscience

Another problem with mercy is that it often seems risky, even dangerous; how responsible is it for the shepherd to risk the safety of the 99 in order to rescue one?

Can you think of instances in which you withhold mercy because it’s too risky or irresponsible? 

Today’s Prayer

Divine God of Mercy, help us always remember that you care for us as a mother cares for her children, even when we least deserve it. Help us to be merciful to others even when it’s risky or irresponsible.

First Day / Monday, July 25th

Parable of the Sinful Woman

(Luke 7.36-50)

Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

Pope Francis’s Commentary

   The Pharisee cannot fathom why Jesus would let himself be “contaminated” by sinners.… This attitude is typical of a certain way of understanding religion, and it is based on the fact that God and sin are radically opposed. The Word of God, however, teaches us to distinguish sin from the sinner….  

   …We are all sinners, but too often we fall into the temptation of hypocrisy, of believing ourselves to be better than others….  But we all need to look to our own sins, our own shortcomings, our own mistakes, and to look to the Lord. This is the lifeline of salvation: the relation between the “I” of the sinner and the Lord. If I feel I am righteous, there is no saving relationship.
(General Audience. April 20, 2016)

Examination of Conscience

The problem with mercy is that we, like the Pharisee, often think it ought to be reserved to those who deserve it.

Can you think of instances in which you withhold mercy because you don’t think the other person deserves it?

Today’s Prayer

Divine God of Mercy, help us always remember that you care for us as a mother cares for her children, even when we least deserve it.  Help us to be merciful to others, even when they least deserve it.

Introduction

The Parables of Mercy

Introduction

Welcome to our online Summer Retreat for 2016.  This daily retreat is designed to give you an opportunity for prayer and reflection during the summer season.

You may use the retreat at any time and in any environment that is convenient and conducive to your personal prayer and reflection.  You may also use the retreat in a family or faith-sharing environment.  Don’t worry if you miss a day; you do not have to complete the retreat on the appointed days.

Here are some suggestions which you might find helpful:

1. Choose a designated time and location for your daily retreat.

2. Take a few moments to relax and quiet yourself before you begin the retreat. 

(If necessary, make a list of the things you need to do or think about after you have finished your prayer and reflection—this will help insure that these things don’t distract you during your retreat time.)

3. Begin by noticing the parable for the day and recalling the details of the parable as best you can remember them. 

Read the excerpt from the day’s parable.  Read it a second time if you wish.  Consider what words, phrases or ideas stand out for you.  In what way do you “connect” to this parable?  Can you imagine being different people in the parable under different circumstances?

4. Read Pope Francis’s reflection. 

Think about the ways in which you can identify with what he has written.  Are there ways in which your experience is similar or different? 

5. Reflect on the day’s Examination of Conscience. 

6. If time permits, spend a few minutes pondering today’s reflection and its connection to your own life. 

How would you summarize the point of today’s reflection?  How does it apply to your own life?

7. Pray today’s prayer.  Pray it a second time if you wish. 

Try to identify a word or phrase you want to remember and repeat throughout the day.

8. Share your thoughts or insights with other people participating in this retreat.

Thank you for participating in this summer’s online retreat.  We wish you a blessed and fruitful retreat experience.