DAY OF RECOLLECTION | April (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: John 18:1-19, 40
• Recommended Article:
  • When the Journey Seems Long | Fr. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem.

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

• Jesus at the point of death exclaims: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). In my daily prayer do I place myself in God’s hands? When I get up, do I offer him the day? Do I give thanks and ask for forgiveness at the end of the day?
• “He healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took out infirmities and bore our diseases'” (Matt 8:16-17). Am I able to give sick people hope? Can I help them understand the fruitfulness of suffering offered to God? When necessary, do I try to help them to be reconciled with God and with the Church, without delaying it for fear of frightening them?
• “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32). Do I pray every day at Mass and throughout the day for the Holy Father, trying to help him, from where I am, to carry the burden God has placed on his shoulders? Do I also pray for the Bishop, for the parish priest, and for all priests?
• “Thy will be done” (Matt 6:10). Do I say the Our Father attentively? Following Christ’s example, do I try to unite my own will to that of God the Father?
• “Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!'” (John 19:27). In suffering or in sickness, do I have recourse to Our Lady to obtain supernatural joy? Do I realize that she loves me as if I were her only child? Do I respond accordingly?

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.