Method: Spiritual Conversation in Small Groups

Spiritual conversation is an important form of group prayer. "Those who feared God spoke with one another, and God listened attentively (Malachai 3:16)." This conversation is deeply rooted in faith - humble, poor, open and willing to learn or to teach, to forgive and to be forgiven, to be loved and to love.


The following reminders facilitate the mode of expressing and listening:

1. The major activity of any small group sharing is grateful listening.
2. Every person is an expert on his or her own experience.
3. Times of silence are very appropriate and needed.
4. Confidentiality is important. No one should be "quoted" outside the group conversation.
5. Participation in a small group is not a communal performance. Share what you can but not what you can't. Listening is an important form of participation. As you go around the circle if you choose not to share simply indicate this by saying: "I'll pass for now."
6. Describe your experience, views, concerns, questions, etc., in a brief, clear manner. Small group interchange is not the place to homilize, monopolize, convert others to your point of view or continually "impose" your favorite topic or idea upon others. Make "I" statements not "we" statements.
7. This is not the place for extended discussions, solving problems, rescuing, deciding, debating, interfering with another's contribution.

The prime purpose of our sharing is to listen to each other. We are not a study group or a discussion group, so we do not make judgements on each other's responses. Our purpose is to obtain a heightened awareness of our own experience of prayer through a comparison with the experience of the others in the group. We do this by listening to what the others found in their prayer. We are not to dominate the group's time. The emphasis should be on listening to and absorbing what has been said and then someone speaks.

A Litany of being God's Instrument of Goodness

Response: God who sings through us, we thank you.

For the talents and the abundance of gifts that are ours...
For the faith that stirs and grows in our hearts...
For the many people who have been your instruments of goodness in our lives...
for the moments when we have known the song of your presence in a special way...
For the times when your goodness has made mustic through us...

Pause
Response: God of goodness, help us to trust in you.

When fear rises up in us and we do not believe in our ability to be your instrument...
When the busyness and schedules of our lives press upon us and create questions about your song within us...
When we doubt your presence in the difficult aspects of our days...
When we lose sight of the the truth that we are called to instruments of goodness...
When emptiness, loneliness, and other struggles keep us from hearing your melody of love...

Pause
Response: God of love, sing your song through us.

As we grow in believing in our goodness...
As we allow more and more of whom we are to be influenced by your presence...
As the song of your love grows in us and the call to be your instruments become clearer to us...
As we struggle to know how and when to share our gifts and goodness with others...
As we go forth from here with the desire to be your instruments of love...

Pause
Leader: For whom and what should we bring to our prayer today...
Leader: gathering all our prayers into one, we say Our Father...

All: God, we celebrate your steady love through the ages. Make us faithful to your call to seek out and help those in need, to bring unity where there is discord and division, to use our talents generously, to serve all without distinction, treating everyone as a dear neighbor, to live and work with gentleness, peace and joy. Impelled by your persistent and sustaining love, we as for boldness to live your will in this time and place. Amen.

Closing prayer: "Glory is to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine." (Eph. 3:21)

All: AMEN

Joyce Rupp May I Have this Dance?

What is it about?

The Center for Ignatian Spirituality Philippines and Ateneo Campus Ministry Office invite all student leaders from the different Ateneo College organizations to participate in this year's Group Spiritual Exercises (Group SPEX).

For five consecutive weeks , a group of five members meet once a week to share and to listen to each other's personal undertakings in school. In the vicissitudes of their student life, having been entrusted the role of shepherding their respective orgs., these student leaders support each other in the spirit of camaraderie and most of all in the inundating power of prayer.

Bonded in a common Spiritual Source, common shepherding vision like Ignatius, and common setting of prayerful but lighthearted rapport between or among friends, the enterprising young leaders individually commit to the biddings of the Spirit in their everyday school life.