DAY OF RECOLLECTION | September 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: Romans 8:28-39
  • Recommended Articles:
    • • Meditations on Christian Doctrine: Hope in God-Creator
      • The Hinge of Our Sanctification

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

• • Do I view life with the certainty that God has chosen me for some purpose? Do I consider that in order to experience true happiness in this life and to enjoy the eternal rewards of heaven, I need to respond wholeheartedly to God’s call?
  • Am I committed to using my talents for the good of others, in the hope that God will say to me: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much” (Matt 25:21)?
  • Do I work at lifting the spirits of those around me?
  • The prodigal son was humble: “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you’” (Luke 15:18). With the grace of God, am I decisive in rejecting the occasions of sin? Do I reach out humbly for the hand of God if I have had the misfortune of separating myself from him?
  • “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother…” (John 19:25). Do I turn to Mary, teacher of the hidden and silent sacrifice, to be strong in the face of difficulties that arise in 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.