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REMIND, REAFFIRM, REDEEM – R3

A Lenten Spiritual Exercise for Conversion

S T . M O N I C A C A T H O L I C C H U R C H O F F I C E O F F A I T H F O R M A T I O N

R3 – A Lenten Spiritual Exercise

SOA – Michael Peters

St. Monica Catholic Church

4301 88th Ave. South East

Mercer Island, WA 98040

Phone 206.232.9829 ext. 133

[email protected]

R 3 A L E N T E N S P I R I T U A L E X E R C I S E

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Dear friends in Christ,

As we draw closer to Lent, I wanted to try and put something together that would allow

us to really “act” into the Lenten season. Too often, I find myself struggling just to

maintain my daily regime let alone doing without “something” I am used to having. I

need a lot of help in this regard and thought that, perhaps, I am not alone.

Lent is the time when we spend forty days trying to “give-up” this “something”. This

“giving- up” is actually an ascetic practice designed to “free” us so that we can give

more of ourselves to Christ. It is a sacred action. It is a penitent action. Our goal is

conversion and that means a daily fight with temptation to avoid sin. It is an act of the

will. We “give-up” to “free -up”. It is in true freedom that we find God and are able to

abide in him. We combine this action with other actions such as fasting and abstaining

from meat on Ash Wednesday (March 1) and Good Friday (April 14). We also abstain

from meat on each Friday during Lent.

Fasting is an ascetic practice. During Lent in the Catholic Church, fasting is a

limit on food consumption. It limits our meal intake to one (1) meal a day with two (2)

smaller meals, if combined would not exceed the size of the one (1) meal. The Lenten

fast is part four of the five Precepts of the Catholic Church (CCC 2043). It is required

for those between the ages of 18 and 59 (your 59th birthday begins your 60th year).

Abstaining from meat refers to the refusal or denial of meat consumption on all Fridays

during Lent. It is a requirement during Lent to abstain from meat (and items made with

meat) for those fourteen (14) years of age and older. Furthermore, it is also required by

the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, that we abstain from meat during the

rest of the year as well. If, however, you do not follow this directive, you can substitute

another act of penance but not during the Lenten season. One must abstain from meat.

The program in the pages below outline an “a la carte” approach for conversion and to

increase in love and appreciation of God and neighbor. It is designed to get harder the

closer we get to Easter. It is designed to be a sacrifice of mind, body, and spirit – an act

of the will to free us from that which binds us to this world so that we can look with

hope to the life to come. It is good to remember that these actions listed below are sacred

actions; set aside for a HOLY purpose. When we look to the pascal mystery, one of the

lessons we learn is how to suffer. The story of Job in scripture exemplifies this act as

well.

Finally, this is not meant to be an exhaustive plan. Some easy options which I have not

included but would be valid, preferential additions to this program would be daily Mass

and weekly adoration. If you can take advantage of either of these by all means, please

consider adding in place of the devotions. The best way to kick off Lent is going to

Confession prior to March 1, and then participating in the Ash Wednesday Mass!


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Overview of the Lenten Spiritual Exercise:

Four (4), ten (10) day sections, which are progressive in nature, beginning

March 1 with Ash Wednesday Mass. Sundays in Lent are not included in the

program but are part of our spiritual exercises. It is your call, on how to include

them in your journey – Mass is not negotiable.

Each section may consist of daily prayer, scripture and catechesis, a specific

devotion, physical exercise, ascetic practice(s), and opportunity for almsgiving.

It is your choice how you would like to structure your spiritual exercise.

Remind, Reaffirm, Redeem – R3 is a handy way to remember a simply

philosophy on reading the Word of God.

o In the Gospels, Christ gives us reminders how to conduct our life

o We then have the choice to reaffirm our resolve in him

o So that we can share in the redemption of the Cross – get to heaven

Daily email links based on the R3 philosophy – Scripture, Catechesis, and

Gospel to Life action

A Spiritual Exercise to suit your needs:

o Level 1: Morning Prayer, R3, 1 ascetic practice of your choosing,

Almsgiving

o Level 2: Morning and Evening Prayer, R3, 1 ascetic practice of your

Choosing, Almsgiving

o Level 3: Morning, Afternoon and Evening prayer, R3, 2 ascetic

practices, Devotion, Almsgiving

o Level 4: Morning, Afternoon and Evening prayer, R3, 2+ ascetic

practices, Devotion, exercise and Almsgiving

Consider giving a full 10% tithe for the duration of lent: Catholic Community

Services, Operation Rice Bowl, Catholic Relief Services, Unbound, Save the

Storks, St. Monica Parish offering, St. Monica Parish School Fund, etc.

ACTION ITEMS

Sacrament of Reconciliation before March 1 – offered every Saturday at

8:30AM and 3:30PM. Parish Reconciliation Liturgy – March 11. Click here for

a thorough Examination of Conscience

Mass on Ash Wednesday

http://www.fatima.org/essentials/requests/examconc.asp


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Daily Prayer (located on page 9):

o AM – Morning offering, Glory Be, St. Michael;

o Midday – Angelus;

o PM (before bed) Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition.

R3: Daily Scripture, Catechesis, and a Gospel to Life application will be

delivered via Flocknote – you will need an active account with a good email

address and there is an option for texting – just text “power” to 84576 and

follow the prompts. Or navigate to https://new.flocknote.com/StMonicaORE and set up an account.

o Daily Scripture – from the Gospels arranged by theme

1 – 10: Gospel of Matthew – Sermon on the Mount

11- 20: Gospel of Luke – Prayer

21 – 30: Gospel of John – Holy Spirit/Christ’s Prayer

31- 40: Gospel of Mark – The Passion

o Daily Catechesis – aligned with the scripture

o Daily Challenge – Gospel to Life/Life to Gospel application – With an

invitation or daily challenge to accomplish.

The devotions will change every 10 days – feel free to incorporate them all or

follow the program. Option of including the Parish Mission with Fr. Serge –

Mar. 13 – 16. (Sundays are not counted in the 40 days.)

o 1 – 10: Divine Mercy Chaplet (page 12) (Mar. 1 – Mar. 11)

o 11 – 20: St. Michael Chaplet (page 12) (Mar 13 – 23)

o 21 – 30: Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (p. 14) (Mar 24 – Apr. 4)

o 31 – 40: Stations of the Cross (p. 15) (April 5 – 15)

Option: If you participated in Dynamic Catholic’s Best Lent Ever program last

year and would like to do so again, please navigate to

http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever and sign up for the daily email. If you

opt for this program let me know if you would still like to receive the daily R3

email distribution. Otherwise, you will receive it along with the best lent ever

email.

Tithe – additionally for those most marginalized in our society

Ascetics (one as a minimum) this is the “giving-up”

Choose from a list of ascetic practices. There is one for modern comforts and

another for dietary comforts. Start with one from either list, adding one new

practice (either modern or food/drink) each ten-day section, if you choose. Feel

free to incorporate your own. These are suggestions and examples.

https://new.flocknote.com/StMonicaORE

http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever


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Modern Comfort – examples of

but not limited to:

Dietary Comfort – examples of

but not limited to:

Short, Cold-lukewarm showers No alcohol

Limited or no TV No coffee

Limited or no video games No sweets (can be divided up as

you see fit)

Limited or no social media No soda

Limited or no internet – (religious

programming, work ok)

No eating between meals

Limited or no radio (religious

programming ok)

No eating after 7PM

No extraneous shopping No sugars

Sleep on the floor or do not use a

pillow

Abstain from meat for the duration

of lent – adopt a very simple diet

(check with doctor first)

Assume one of your spouse’s

chores: cleaning bathrooms,

vacuuming the floor, making

dinner, raking leaves, pulling

weeds, mowing the lawn, grocery

shopping, etc.

Incorporate a day of fasting 1x a

week

Physical Activity (15 minutes minimum 3x a week) (Level 4)

Incorporate into your weekly routine a physical activity consisting of 15 minutes

minimum but not limited to 15 minutes (combine certain exercises to hit your

target) (please ensure you are cleared by your doctor for physical activity):

o Walking

o Jogging

o Stretching

o Swimming

o Circuit /Weight training

o Racket Sports

o Basketball

o Bowling


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o Jump Rope

o Or any doctor

approved activity you

are currently following

If you are already working out or following a doctor approved program, please

consider adding the following components to a workout in progressive

segments e.g., start with 10 and every 10-day segment add a few more

repetitions or seconds, etc. For instructions on how to complete some of those

activities please do a “safe” search on using Bing or Google.

o Box Jumps/Plyometric

o Thrusters

o Burpees

o Push-ups

o Pull-ups

o Sit-ups

o Planks (30 seconds)

o Wall Sits (30 seconds)

o Lunges/Squats

o Mountain Climbers


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Spiritual Exercises Worksheet

Use these worksheets to help with accountability for your Lenten Spiritual

Exercise. R3 refers to the daily email with Scripture Catechesis and Gospel to

Life application.

Action 3/1 3/2 3/3 3/4 3/6 3/7 3/8 3/9 3/10 3/11

Morning

Prayer

Noon

Prayer

Evening

Prayer

Ascetic:

Modern

Ascetic:

Dietary

Devotion R3 +

Challenge

Exercise

(3x week)

Almsgiving:

10% Goal

Action 3/13 3/14 3/15 3/16 3/17 3/18 3/20 3/21 3/22 3/23

Morning

Prayer

Noon

Prayer

Evening

Prayer

Ascetic:

Modern

Ascetic:

Dietary

Devotion or

Resisting

Happiness

R3 +

Challenge

Exercise

(3x week)

Almsgiving:

10% Goal


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Action 3/24 3/25 3/27 3/28 3/29 3/30 3/31 4/1 4/3 4/4

Morning

Prayer

Noon

Prayer

Evening

Prayer

Ascetic:

Modern

Ascetic:

Dietary

Devotion R3 +

Challenge

Exercise

(3x week)

Almsgiving:

10% Goal

Action 4/5 4/6 4/7 4/8 4/10 4/11 4/12 4/13 4/14 4/15

Morning

Prayer

Noon

Prayer

Evening

Prayer

Ascetic:

Modern

Ascetic:

Dietary

Devotion R3 +

Challenge

Exercise

(3x week)

Almsgiving:

10% Goal

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Daily Prayers

The Morning Offering:

O Jesus,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You my prayers, works,

joys and sufferings

of this day for all the intentions

of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

throughout the world,

in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,

and in particular

for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Amen.

Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning,

is now,

and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

St. Michael:

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

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Angelus:

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray

for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the

promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to

whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of

an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His

Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition

CPR Method (from the Laudete app)

1. C – Claim your blessings – Reflect on the good thigs that happened to you today, and

explicitly recognize God’s hand in them. Thank him for the little blessings and the big ones

too! Ask Him to help guide you in prayer

2. P – Pinpoint victories and losses: a helicopter view of your activities this day. Examine how

you lived them. Were you selfish in word and deed? Did you virtuous in word and deed?

Were you generous with word and deed? Did you look for the Holy Spirit in your day? Did

you follow the commandments and embrace the beatitudes? Ask for and accept God’s

forgiveness through the Act of Contrition. Ask for strength to avoid these temptations for

the next day. If you found you were culpable in mortal sin, resolve to get to the sacrament

of Reconciliation.

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3. R – Renew your loving commitment to Christ. Ask for faith – act like you have received

it! Desire to grow in love of God and neighbor each day. If necessary, make a specific

resolution for the next day: something you have to do, an action! End with an Act of Faith,

Hope, and/or Love.

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee

And I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments.

But most of all because they offend you my God,

Who are all good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace,

To sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe

that you are one God in three divine Persons,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I believe that your divine Son became man

and died for our sins and that he will come

to judge the living and the dead.

I believe these and all the truths

which the Holy Catholic Church teaches

because you have revealed them

who are eternal truth and wisdom,

who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

In this faith I intend to live and die.

Amen.

Act of Hope

O Lord God,

I hope by your grace for the pardon

of all my sins

and after life here to gain eternal happiness

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because you have promised it

who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind,

and merciful.

In this hope I intend to live and die.

Amen.

Act of Love

O Lord God, I love you above all things

and I love my neighbor for your sake

because you are the highest, infinite and perfect

good, worthy of all my love.

In this love I intend to live and die.

Amen.

Devotions

The Divine Mercy Chaplet

1. Using a rosary, begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and

The Apostles Creed.

2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly

beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the

whole world.

3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following:

For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).

4. Conclude with (three times):

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the

whole world.

The Chaplet to St. Michael

(I will post a PowerPoint on Flocknote with this prayer.)

O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be

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to the Father, etc.

[Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after each of the following

nine salutations in honor of the nine Choirs of Angels]

1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of

Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of

perfect charity. Amen.


Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin

and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.


Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere

spirit of humility. Amen.


Dominions may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and

overcome any unruly passions. Amen.


Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and

temptations of the devil. Amen.


Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into

temptation. Amen.


Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of

obedience. Amen.


Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all

good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.


Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal

life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. Amen.

Say one Our Father in honor of each of the following leading Angels:

St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and our Guardian Angel.

Concluding prayers:

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O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the

heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,

servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor,

you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from

all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your

gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus

Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a

merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most

glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us

worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none

of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be

conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits

of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden - Jesus comes with his disciples to the garden of

Gethsemane and prays to be delivered from his Passion, but most of all, to do

the Father's will. Let us pray that Christ might hear the prayers of all who suffer

from the culture of death, and that he might deliver them from the hands of their

persecutors.

2. The Scourging at the Pillar – Falsely accused before Pilate, Jesus is cruelly tied

to a pillar and scourged, then clothed in a cloak of purple and mocked. Let us

pray for all innocent victims, that by the merits of his most holy Passion, Christ

might deliver them and grant them eternal life.

3. The Crowning of Thorns – Pilate mocks the Christ by asking him if he is the

King of the Jews. He is the King of all the world, through whom all things were

made. He is the one who will judge the living and the dead at the end of time.

Yet he is crowned with suffering out of love for us, in reparation for our sins.

4. The Carrying of the Cross – Three times Christ falls under the weight of the

Cross as he carries our sins to Calvary. Let us pray for all who struggle to live

the Gospel of Life, that they might pick up their crosses and walk the way of

sorrows with the Savior of the world.

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5. The Crucifixion – Innocent and without sin, Jesus opens his arms upon the cross

out of love for us. Let us join our sufferings, and the sufferings of the whole

world, to his one perfect sacrifice of praise.

Personal Stations of the Cross

To be repeated after each Station: We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world (Optional: Our Father,

Hail Mary, Glory Be)

1. First Station - Jesus Condemned to Death

O Jesus! so meek and uncomplaining, teach me resignation in trials.

2. Second Station - Jesus Carries His Cross

My Jesus, this Cross should be mine, not Thine; my sins crucified Thee.

3. Third Station - Our Lord Falls the First Time

O Jesus! by this first fall, never let me fall into mortal sin.

4. Fourth Station - Jesus Meets His Mother

O Jesus! may no human tie, however dear, keep me from following the

road of the Cross.

5. Fifth Station - Simon the Cyrenean Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

Simon unwillingly assisted Thee; may I with patience suffer all for Thee.

6. Sixth Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

O Jesus! Thou didst imprint Thy sacred features upon Veronica's veil;

stamp them also indelibly upon my heart

7. Seventh Station - The Second Fall of Jesus

By Thy second fall, preserve me, dear Lord, from relapse into sin.

8. Eighth Station - Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem

My greatest consolation would be to hear Thee say: "Many sins are

forgiven thee, because thou hast loved much."

9. Ninth Station - Third Fall of Jesus

O Jesus! when weary upon life's long journey, be Thou my strength and

my perseverance

10. Tenth Station - Jesus Stripped of His Garments

My soul has been robbed of its robe of innocence; clothe me, dear Jesus,

with the garb of penance and contrition.

11. Eleventh Station - Jesus Nailed to the Cross

Thou didst forgive Thy enemies; my God, teach me to forgive injuries and

FORGET them.

12. Twelfth Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross

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Thou art dying, my Jesus, but Thy Sacred Heart still throbs with love for

Thy sinful children.

13. Thirteenth Station - Jesus Taken Down from the Cross

Receive me into thy arms, O Sorrowful Mother; and obtain for me perfect

contrition for my sins.

14. Fourteenth Station - Jesus Laid in the Sepulchre

When I receive Thee into my heart in Holy Communion, O Jesus, make it

a fit abiding place for thy adorable Body. Amen.

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