This is the first week of your Lenten journey. We begin by calling to mind our story. As prayer is really all about a relationship- that of our relationship with God, we will begin to grow in this relationship in the midst of our everyday lives this week, by simply reflecting upon our own sacred story. There may be times we will want to take a period of prayer to reflect upon our story this week. What is most important, however, is that we begin by letting this reflection become the background of our week.

Did you ever get a song in your head and realize that it was there for a long time, no matter what you were doing? This is like that. Throughout our day, each day this week, we will have in mind the memories that have shaped us.

Let this be the image: This week, let’s go through the photo album of our life. What pictures od we find there? What scenes do I remember? Who is in those scenes? Some photos will be of happy times, some will be quite sad, others will be difficult to recollect at all. They all constitute our story and the journey that has brought us to where we begin this Days of Personal Integration.

Go slowly and take a little bit each day. Write down notes or memories or stories if you’d like.

End each day, before going to bed, with a few interior words of gratitude to the One who has accompanied me through my life, even to this day of presence with me.