As you begin your retreat, pause for a few moments and allow yourself to grow still. Let go of any distracting thoughts. Take several slow, deep breaths. Feel God's loving gaze upon you.

Matthew 22:37

He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

Salvation is not reserved for the clever. God made the rules simple enough that all people might have the opportunity to be saved. Jesus makes the Ten Commandments even more concise. In response to a test posed by the intellectual elite, Jesus summarizes all of the law as love of God and love of neighbor. Living a moral life is about living in a loving way. Jesus not only spoke about love, he lived it, embracing sinners and giving his life for our salvation.

What can I do today to live more like Jesus in the way I love God and neighbor?

How have I made growing in love of God more complicated than it needs to be?

(Ask God for the grace to be more loving toward your neighbors, using this prayer or one of your own.)

God of abundant love, cultivate in me a heart committed to loving you and my neighbor. May my words and actions reflect your grace alive in the world.