October Recollection Kit (2023)

A recollection is a “mini-retreat,” a few hours of quiet prayer when we look at our lives in God's presence. This guide can help us spend an hour or two in loving conversation with God, right where we are.

10/03/2023

A monthly recollection is a chance to step back from the whirlwind of daily tasks for a few hours of quiet prayer spent looking at God, the world, and ourselves. It is not always easy to find time to pray, but it is always worthwhile.

The best way to enjoy this recollection is to find a time that you can commit to spending with our Lord, and a calm place—free of distractions—where you can pray. Set aside other tasks, switch your phone to “do not disturb,” and grab a notebook. It is a good idea to make note of resolutions and ideas throughout the recollection, but the most important thing is to put yourself in front of our Lord, to look at Him and to let Him look at you.

I. Introduction

II. Meditation: All Christians are Called to be Saints (30 minutes)

III. Spiritual Reading (10-15 minutes)

IV. Holy Rosary (20 minutes)

V. Examination of Conscience (5-10 minutes)

VI. Meditation: Love the Pope (30 minutes)

I. INTRODUCTION

On October 2, 1928, the feast of the Guardian Angels, Opus Dei was born. God willed to spark St. Josemaria with a divine restlessness, a zeal to remind everyone of the universal call to holiness and the possibility of sanctifying the ordinary realities of daily life, both familial and professional. As the Prelate wrote recently, on this date we celebrate "a new anniversary of the day on which he let Saint Josemaría 'see' Opus Dei" (Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz, Message, 13-IX-2023).

With this historical and spiritual context in the background, this month's recollection gives us an opportunity to reflect on an idea that St. Josemaria expressed by saying that Opus Dei is a family within the Church. We can also consider the fact that each of us, strengthened with the grace of a divine vocation, contributes to the beautiful mosaic that is the universal Church.

We are part of a united spiritual family, and this month we are also invited to pray about our responsibility and love for the Church. Our affection and fidelity must expand, in a special way, towards the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ on earth, whose teachings we not only follow but seek to spread with a love that is both effective and affective.

The recollection is a time to reflect on these deep truths so that, embracing our identity and mission, we may live our vocation in Opus Dei with renewed authenticity and joy, serving the universal Church.

II. MEDITATION

All of us are called to be saints. What does it mean to find Christ in our work and everyday activities? You can listen to this meditation on the anniversary of the foundation of Opus Dei, which fosters the universal call to holinesshere:

The most important part of the meditation is your personal conversation with our Lord. You can use the priest's prayer to inspire your own.

This meditation is part of the podcast "Meditations in Manhattan." You can subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

III. SPIRITUAL READING

“You write,” says St. Josemaria in The Way, pt. 117: “'In my spiritual reading I build up a store of fuel. It looks like a lifeless heap, but I often find that my memory, of its own accord, will draw from it material which fills my prayer with life and inflames my thanksgiving after Communion.'”

We suggest spending 10-15 minutes reading St. Josemaria's homily "The Richness of Ordinary Life."Afterward, you can spend a few minutes with the Gospel, reading, for instance, St. John's account of Jesus predicting his death in chapter 12 of his Gospel.

IV. HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary is an ancient Christian prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, asking her to pray for all her children in our time of need. You can find a description of how to pray the Rosary here, and download the Litany of Loreto (traditionally prayed at the end of the Rosary) here.

V. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

The questions below can help us consider in the presence of God how we’ve responded to His love in our acts and omissions. It may help to begin by invoking the Holy Spirit and to end with an act of contrition, expressing our sorrow for our sins and imploring God’s grace to return and remain close to Him. The act of contrition can be any we like, including one as simple as Peter’s words to Jesus after the Resurrection: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you" (Jn 21:17).

1. "Gratias tibi, Deus, gratias tibi! Our lives must be canticles of thanksgiving, because of the way Opus Dei came to be. You have done it all, Lord..." (Notes from a meditation, March 27, 1975). Do I give thanks to God for the Work and for the initiatives promoted by people of Opus Dei, with their friends and acquaintances?

2. "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields that are golden for harvest" (Jn 4:35). Do I recognize that God may be relying on me to carry this part of the Church forward? How do I allow the Lord to inspire me with this apostolic panorama?

3. St. Josemaría reminds us: "your ordinary contact with God takes place where your fellow men, your yearnings, your work and your affections are" (Passionately Loving the World). In which of these areas might I discover and make our Lord more known?

4. "The Lord chose us before the foundation of the world to be saints," St. Paul reminds us (Eph. 1:4). What new dreams does the knowledge that I have been chosen by God with a love of predilection bring me to consider? How can I share them with my family?

5. "Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil" (Prayer to St. Michael). St. Michael is a patron of Opus Dei. When could I rely more on his protection?

6. "Pray for the Pope often. Love him very much, very much!" (Notes from a get together, 11-V-1965). Do I pray for the whole Church, especially for the Pope and the bishops, trusting that my prayer is a real, effective help?

7. The Rosary is "a powerful weapon to overcome our inner struggle and help all souls" (Holy Rosary, Prologue). What needs do I entrust to our Lady in the Rosary? Do I try to pray the Holy Rosary, when I can, with my whole family?

VI. MEDITATION

Love for the Pope is an essential characteristic of all Catholics. Listen to this meditation on how listening attentively to the Holy Father can help us experience the joy of the Gospel here: