DAY OF RECOLLECTION | October 2022

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 for 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: Luke 17:5-10
  • Recommended Articles:
    • • Setting Hearts Alight
      • Living for Others

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

• • Do I turn to St. Josemaria, the one Pope St. John Paul II called “the saint of ordinary life”, to help me raise my sights to Christ in my home, my work and relaxation? Am I encouraged by the thought that whatever it is that I am doing, however trivial, can be made into a conversation with God?
  • Do I put love of God into my daily work, confident that his words of Life will give me a joy that no one can take away? Do I ask my Guardian Angel to help me be a sower of joy at home and at work?
  • Do I realize that God has given me the world for my inheritance, and is asking me to work for the extension of his kingdom? Do I try to be mindful of this broader vision so that I don’t look at things from a purely human perspective?
  • During this month of the Rosary, is there someone I could show how to pray it?

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.