Contemplation on the Public Life of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Co-authored: Karen Shields Wright, Gregory Vigliotta
Jun 7, 2024
4 min read

A Directed or Self-Directed Retreat: To Know, To Love, To Follow

Jesus heals the suffering by Heinrich Hofmann 1893

Preparing for Your Retreat

Review of Retreat Guidelines and Prayers

Links to Ways of Prayer

Night Before Preparations

Retreat Mornings - Offering, Lectio, Close, Reflection

Retreat Day Time - Recalling

Retreat Evenings - Examen, Journaling

Self-directed or Directed

How To Move Through This Retreat

In Mark's Gospel, Jesus, the anointed Son of God proclaims the imminence of God's reign through his teachings and actions. "The Time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near." (Mark 1:15). The secret is breaking open that God's reign is imminent and He has entered into human life to bring us His Mercy.

The unfolding of Mark's story about Jesus can be described as centered around the term "Mystery." Jesus says while teaching that "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you." (Mark 4:11). Jesus' real identity remained a secret during His lifetime, although demons and demonic knew the truth. In Mark's Gospel we encounter the truth of Jesus' identity through his actions. The crowd's reactions to Jesus' miraculous works then are our reactions today as we read "He has done everything well; He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." (Mark 7:37)

As you move through these mysteries of this retreat consider what you hope to gain as you begin your journey with Jesus in Mark's Gospel.

As you read and pray with these mysteries, imagine being there: Where are you in this scene. What do you observe? Who is there? How is Jesus responding to those He encounters? What is He saying? What does His voice sound like? How are you responding?

How did you relate it to Jesus' reactions to those sufferings? Is there suffering in your life now? What do these miracles tell about who Jesus is to you?

Preparatory Prayers

petition of asking for grace what we want and desire from the Lord based upon the meditation exercise. Each prayer lasting a minute.

Offertory Prayer

Beginning your prayer time: At the beginning of each prayer period, offer yourself to the Lord. Pray the “Take and Receive”

Take Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding, and my entire will,

all that I have and possess.

Thou hast given all to me.

To Thee, O Lord, I return it.

All is Thine; dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.

Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this, is sufficient for me.

Amen

Preparatory Prayer

“The preparatory prayer is to ask, God Our Lord for the grace is that all my intentions (wants and desires), actions, and operations (interior mental activities) , maybe order purely to the service in praise of the Divine Majesty” (SE 46).*

Write in your own words your intentions ____________________________________________

Petitionary Prayer

Now being situated within the mystery, after reading it the night before (or before the prayer period begins) we ask for what we desire from the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we may go forth to meet the will of God.

Share your desires with the Lord for this particular day's prayer time in the retreat. _________________________________

Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins, I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death

Mysteries from the Exercises for a self-directed or Directed retreat

Day 1: The Cure of a Demoniac

(Mark 1:23-28)

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;

he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”

The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Day 2: The Healing of a Paralytic

Day 3: The Mercy of Jesus

Day 4: The Calming of a Storm at Sea

Day 5: Jesus Heals Jairus’s Daughter

Day 6: Jesus Heals The Woman With a Hemorrhage

Day 7: The Healing of a Deaf Man

Day 8: The Blind Bartimaeus

In your journal, at the end of evening notes you responses. Then at the end of your retreat time consider writing a letter to Jesus. Share with Him about your experience, how you responded to all graces He has bestowed upon who He encountered and upon you during this time together, and share with Him your desires for the future.

You are invited to end this self-directed retreat with an

Act of Consecration to Jesus Sacred Heart.

Let His Heart touch your heart.

_________________________________

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

. -- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

May Our Lady of the Way pray for you at this time!