Day 4 – Friday
Theme: Discipleship
Today we ask your son to consider what it means to be a disciple, what it means to leave Kairos and
go out into his community, school and home as the light of Christ. The theme for today is
discipleship. He will hear senior leader talks on love in action and living the “fourth day” of the
retreat. One of the phrases associated with Kairos is Life the Fourth! Many of his letters from
classmates probably ended with LT4 (which was probably rather confusing at the time!). The
fourth day of Kairos is about going forth. St. Ignatius told his friend St. Francis Xavier to “Go forth
and set the world on fire!” Xavier was on his way to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth and
his dearest friend encouraged him be a disciple who is on fire with enthusiasm and love of Christ!
“Living the fourth” is a lot like that.
Your son is preparing to enter back into chronos, back into linear time, the “real world.” It is
important that he sees Kairos as the real world, too. It is our task as school, as family, and as church
to foster that vision he caught a glimpse of on retreat.
Graces for the Day:
Today, ask God for the grace of enthusiastic discipleship.
Morning Prayer:
(Taken from Kairos Morning Prayer: Living Stone Meditation – 1 Peter 2)
“Come to the Lord, the living stone, rejected by human beings, but in God’s eyes chosen and precious.
Be like living stones yourselves, built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. … You are a people claimed by the Lord to proclaim
the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into God’s marvelous light. Once you were
no people, but now you are God’s people; once there was no mercy for you, but now you have found
mercy.”
Lord my son joins this special community of Kairos this week, “called from darkness into God’s
marvelous light.” Help me to be present to him when he returns. Help me foster his energy and spirit.
Allow me to be swept up into this “spiritual house” of mercy. Amen.
Music:
You Are Loved – Josh Groban
I Can’t Stop Loving You – Phil Collins
Activity:
Today’s activities are about sending forth. We use oil as a symbol of healing and anointing during
the mass celebrated before coming home. Students anoint one another saying, “Go in peace to love
and serve the Lord as you live the fourth.” In St. Ignatius’ Examen prayer, the final piece is about
transformation and hope. Ignatius encourages the person praying to look forward to tomorrow,
asking ourselves what we will do to better be who he or she was created by God to be. It is a
hopeful way of praying, a way that draws us into the future. “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
as you live the fourth.”
For your activity today, join us at Xavier for the closing homecoming ceremony. If you are
not able, please remember us in your prayers between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. as your son
returns home to Xavier.
Evening Prayer:
After your son has come home (and hopefully after you have had a chance to speak with him about
his experience), try out the Examen. The steps are listed below. There are many resources online –
including a wonderful daily Examen app called Pray As You Go by the British Jesuits. Praying the
Examen daily helps us see God in all things. It helps us see the way that God moves in our lives. It’s
a wonderful habit to get into. You can do it anywhere. And, it only takes a few minutes. The steps
are outlined below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be still. Find yourself in the presence of God. Ask God for light, to help you see yourself as you
truly are. Be aware of God’s abiding love for you.
Express Gratitude. Look back over your day. Start from early on. Think about the sights, the
smells, the small conversations, the people you encountered. Review the day. Allow yourself to
express gratitude for this day. Take your time.
Reflect. As you look back on your day, what stands out to you? Where were you at your best?
Where did you fall short? How did you feel? Where did you feel most connected to God?
Where did you feel most distant?
Ask for forgiveness. After you’ve reviewed the day, spend some time in conversation with God
about times where you were not your best. Ask for God’s loving guidance and forgiveness.
Look forward in hope. Think about tomorrow. What did you learn from today that will change
the way you act tomorrow? What graces will move you forward? Resolve to learn and love. It
is customary to conclude the Examen with the Lord’s Prayer.