St Ignatius and My Future

St Ignatius and My Future On the last page of St Ignatius’ famous Spiritual Exercises, he gives us a prayer. This prayer is called the ‘Take and Receive’ (or ‘Suscipe’ – Latin for ‘take’) Keeping this prayer with us will help us in future, keeping the ideas of St Ignatius in our hearts and minds…

Oops! The lines of the prayer have been jumbled up. Can you work with a partner to rearrange them into the correct order and create the finished prayer? The prayer begins with: ‘Take Lord and receive… See ‘Take and Receive Prayer Activity’ Resource

The ‘Take and Receive’ Prayer Take Lord, and receive, all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given it all to me. To you, O Lord, I return it. All is Yours, use it entirely according to Your will. Your grace and Your love is enough for me. Give me these, Lord, and I ask for nothing more. After the answers have been revealed and students have corrected their work (and perhaps stuck them in their books), it is encouraged for them to read it personally in silence for a few moments, and for a class reading too, to allow the flow of the prayer to grow in their minds.

St Ignatius and My Future Now let us plan how we can glorify God with our lives in the future. Use your Examen of the Year you completed for homework as a guide to where and how God is calling you to glorify Him in future. Students complete the ‘Discerning my Future’ worksheet, discerning how they can give themselves more fully to God. The key to this task, and to true discernment, is to have students use their previous Examen of the Year homework (the resource entitled ‘Examen Giant Hand Homework Challenge’) to inform their plans for the future. The resources have been designed so that that ‘Discerning my Future’ sheet fits neatly beneath the ‘Examen Giant Hand Homework Challenge’).

St Ignatius and My Future To help you with ideas, here are a few suggestions from Jesuit Missions: Pray – deepen your relationship with God and be attentive to His call. Students complete ‘Discerning My Future’ Resource after having considered these stimuli. Click here for Jesuit Missions’ Prayer Page

St Ignatius and My Future Fundraise – raise money for Jesuit Missions to help those in need around the world. Organise fundraisers at school or ask your parents and teacher to run the London Marathon for JM. Students complete ‘Discerning My Future’ Resource after having considered these stimuli. Click here for Jesuit Missions’ Marathon Page

St Ignatius and My Future Companions Programme – help your school strengthen it’s links with its Companion School in the developing world. Ask your teachers to help you run letter-writing and other culture sharing activities. Students complete ‘Discerning My Future’ Resource after having considered these stimuli.

St Ignatius and My Future Volunteering – when you are eighteen, why not take part in a Jesuit Missions volunteer placement? You could travel to parts of the developing world and help Jesuits with their missions there. If you have older brothers and sisters you could recommend this to them today! Students complete ‘Discerning My Future’ Resource after having considered these stimuli.

St Ignatius and My Future Students complete ‘Discerning My Future’ Resource after having considered these stimuli.

Home Learning Challenge Stick your plan for the future somewhere obvious so you won’t forget them. Create a personalised ‘Take and Receive Prayer’ in poster or bookmark form.

St Ignatius and My Future

© Copyright Jesuit Missions 2017 Text by Christopher Brolly and Samantha Aidoo. All images were taken from Jesuit Missions and the Jesuit Institute London. Users are welcome to modify the material to fit their needs. jesuitmissions.org.uk education@jesuitmissions.org.uk Facebook: Jesuit Missions UK Twitter: @JesuitMissions