First Spiritual Exercises – Independence

Jesus went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others.

They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:29-31

---

1. Desire...I ask the Spirit for Independence.

I create two sounds on the same object or instrument, e.g., bamboo, glass or wind instrument. They can be a closed and open sound, sad and joyful sound, discordant and musical sound, sound of death and resurrection, even two notes in the one song.

What makes this a symbol of independence is that two sounds are made on or through the same object, or instrument, which is me or my life.

My independence from disability, a cycle of poverty, or a change through education, livelihood training or an income-generating project, is a new song in my life. I sound different.

I ask the Spirit for the means to become Independent.

2. Relish...Today I live in the Enabling Trinity.

I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Enabling Trinity. Father, Jesus and Spirit, address me by name, saying, ‘My song is with you’.

How shall I become more independent given my circumstances now? Is it even possible for the lament in my life to become a new song – yet this is my desire. So I sit for awhile, with my desire, in the mystery of the Enabling Trinity.

I relish being independent.

3. Free... I breathe in the Spirit of Independence.

I am the wind instrument of the Spirit. I imagine the Spirit of Independence breathing a new song into me. I hear it deep within me, catch it, and breathe it out into my life and situation. I repeat as desired – breathing, singing, independent.

I conclude, giving thanks, with a new song of independence in my heart.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

Click here to download the prayer of Independence.

---