Spiritual Exercises in the Vatican

The Face of God and the Face of the Human Person in the Prayers of the Psalms

17 - 23 February 2013

Meditations proposed by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi

The Spiritual Exercises were addressed to Pope Benedict XVI and the Curia.

His Eminence did not read from a text but his talks are available here in podcast in Italian.

An introductory text is available here (in Italian).

The talks were then written up in the form of the book L'Incontro, later translated into English as The Encounter

Programme

Sunday 17 February

The Face of God

I. Breathe, think, struggle, love. The Verbs of Prayer

Monday 18 February

II. To the Sources of the Jordan in the spirit. The God of grace and of the Word

III. The Song of the twofold sun. The Creator God

IV. The sparows and swallows in the temple. The God of the liturgy

Tuesday 19 Ferbruary

V. The river of time. The God of history

VI. The "truly necessary" God. The Messiah of God

VII. "My embryo your eyes have seen". God in man

Wednesday 20 February

The Face of the Human Person

VIII. "As a baby weaned" The believing person

IX. "A breath in every person" The fragile created person

X. "I am exhausted: heal me!" The suffering person

Thursday 21 February

XI. Crime, punishment, forgiveness. The sinning person

XII. Absence and nothingness. The person without God

XIII. Wisdom is enriching. The wise and happy person

Friday 22 February

XIV. The song of the priests. Immortal man

XV. Around a festive table. The person, the family, the elderly

XVI. As scent and dew. The person and love

Saturday 23 February

The seven stars of the Word. Lectio divina