Moved to Greater Love

Sunday, May 4

Today marks the final day of Moved to Greater Love, the first digital communal prayer experience for the Society of Jesus in the United States. The Jesuit provincials who conceived of the project invited participants to “consider how God’s love burns away fear and opens us up to respond generously and wholeheartedly.” Over these nine weeks, we have explored the themes of gratitude, spiritual freedom, vision and joy, and we have kept the provincials’ hopes very near by challenging ourselves to respond to God’s call with greater spiritual depth and freedom.

Today, we invite you to pray in retrospect on the Moved to Greater Love experience. Ignatian prayer uses the “Examen” as a way of reviewing the activity of God over a period of time – a meeting, a day, or longer. It is essentially a process of asking God to help one see the graces that have been present in moments ordinary and extraordinary.

For those new to this way of praying, three ways of praying the Examen are linked below. Today you are invited to use the material of Moved to Greater Love and your experiences during this time as your prayer.

Scripture/Reading

Reading via the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website:

Lk 24:30-32
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Reflection Questions

Moved to Greater Love comes from a phrase regarding spiritual graces from the Memoriale of St. Peter Faber, a companion of St. Ignatius Loyola and one of the early Jesuits. During these nine weeks, what has “moved” me most deeply? Which scripture passages, poems, music, readings still resonate with me? Bring two or three of them back to mind and pray over them again, letting the graces of then and now be present. I speak with God about this.
During these nine weeks, how have I experienced “greater love”? Have I shared greater love with others? Received it from others? Received greater love from God? Shared it with God? Bring one or two of these moments back to mind and pray over them, letting the graces of then and now be present. I speak to God about this.
How am I now moved to greater love? What am I called to do in my own life? In my relationship with God? In my ministry or job? I speak to God about this.
For Jesuits and colleagues in Jesuit ministries: What effect has Moved to Greater Love had on my perspectives of my ministry? How can the gifts of gratitude, freedom, vision and joy shape the ministry I am a part of? What would be important for the director of my ministry and/or the provincial to hear about the ministry in light of Moved to Greater Love? I speak to God about this.

Reflection

A Poetic Rendering of The First Principle and Foundation Of Ignatius Loyola
By Christine Rodgers

Love made me —
Love sustains me —
Love leads me forth.

For this I sing praise,
bow low, and put
my life at the disposal of
Love.

Every tree — every
single star in the sky
points back toward
the Beloved.

May nothing pull me
away from Love — no
small wish of mine
next to the immensity
of the Beloved.

With the Beloved
may I shine.

Music: “But Thanks be to God, Madrigale” from Handel's “Messiah”

Music: “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” by Fatima Soriano

Music: “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed

Examen Texts:

Other Resources

View the daily readings at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website.

Note: You will receive a final email tomorrow with an opportunity for feedback and suggestions for next steps.

PDF Archive of Moved to Greater Love

Weeks 08 and 09 - Joy, April 20 - May 4
Weeks 06 and 07 - Vision, April 6 - April 19
Weeks 04 and 05 - Spiritual Freedom, March 3 - April 5
Weeks 02 and 03 - Gratitude, March 9 - 22
Week 01 - Disposition Week, March 2 - 8