DAY OF RECOLLECTION | November (Year A)

A monthly Day of Recollection is a time set aside specifically for a Christian to seriously go deeper into his or her relationship with God. It is an opportunity to spend a couple of hours in prayer and conversation with God guided by meditation, spiritual reading, and an examination of conscience.

Following are a guide and resources from the St. Josemaria Institute to plan and make your own day of recollection this month:

I.   To begin, download the Guide for Making a Day of Recollection (View/Download PDF).

II.  Listen online or download the meditation; or, read the meditation transcript (View/Download PDF):

III. Take time for silent prayer and spiritual reading:

• Pray the Holy Rosary
• Read and reflect on Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12
• Recommended Reading:
  Discovering Something Divine in the Ordinary | Fr. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem

IV. Reflect on the examination of conscience questions for this month:

• “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). Do I try to respond to Jesus’ invitation to holiness? Do I renew this desire at the start of the day by making the morning offering well, entrusting the whole day to God?
• “Here I am, for you called me” (1 Sam 3:5). Am I aware of how significant my life is, and do I try to discover the loving plan God has allotted me?
• Do I speak to my friends about the happiness that comes from being Catholic? Do I show them practical ways of relating to Jesus throughout the day, how to shoulder their daily cross, sanctify their work, and really live by faith?
• In this month dedicated to the holy souls, do I consider that God will ask an account of all I have received? Do I ask him, therefore, for the grace to be faithful to his will to the last moment of my life?

Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

V. Conclude your time of prayer:
Make two or three concrete resolutions that you can give Our Lord for the month. Remember that the resolutions and themes from this time of prayer are meant to guide and accompany you throughout the month.

You may also want to download and use our Monthly Planner to write your resolutions, prayer intentions, daily plan of prayer, and special dates for the month. Then, once a week during the month, perhaps on Sunday, review your notes and monthly planner to refresh and remind yourself of the prayerful fruits and inspirations from your time with God.

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