Welcome to your Virtual Spiritual Exercises Weekend Webpage!
Below are links and materials to assist you during the weekend.
Have a great retreat!
Tips for finding silence. 
- Create a spot in your home where you can be away from any other activity. Here are some ideas for Creating a Prayer Corner in your home.
- Discuss with other family members your desire to spend this quiet time in prayer. If appropriate, invite them to join you on this journey.
- Plan your mealtimes to allow you to continue your prayer time. Make something ahead of time, or make the task of preparing the meal a prayer itself.
Technical preparations
- If you don't have ZOOM installed on your computer, download the app and try to familiarize yourself with the controls.
- Watch the Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video.
Virtual Retreat Etiquette and Suggestions for Success
Watching a retreat from home is a new experience for many of us. Here are some suggestions, requests and reminders to help us all stay focused:
- Troubleshoot your ZOOM connection early
Make sure you have the most recent ZOOM download. Even if you are a pro at video conferencing, it never hurts to double-check your settings and make sure your audio and camera are correctly configured.
If you are new to ZOOM, please familiarize yourself with the controls and options of your version. We have prepared a short “Tech Orientation Video” to help walk you through some common problems; please take the time to review this video. After all of this, if you still have questions or concerns, please contact the Tech Manager assigned to your retreat.
- Please keep your camera on during the retreat
Your camera will be turned on upon entering the ZOOM meeting room. It is helpful to our priests and other speakers for everyone’s video to remain on during each talk. Presenting a talk to an empty room can be difficult for anyone, even our priests! They have requested that your camera remain on because having the ability to see your responses and body language while they are preaching encourages them as they strive to be instruments of the Holy Spirit. Of course, if you prefer the privacy, you may turn your camera off.
- Eliminate distractions from your computer to help you focus on the retreat
Notifications from messaging applications, ringtones, and applications running on your desktop can be distracting to you, which can make your speaker feel disrespected and undervalued. Mitigating these distractions helps keep you focused on the content.
- Remember: we can see you
As mentioned above, we are asking everyone to leave their cameras on. To avoid becoming a distraction for the speaker and other participants, please try to attend the retreat from a quiet area that has minimal background noise and movement.
- Maintaining common courtesies
Though this may seem obvious, video conferencing is just like an in-person interaction, therefore it is important to use the same courtesy you would use if you were in the same room. This includes being on time, paying attention to the speaker, minimizing multitasking and background noises, and refraining from interrupting.
Retreat Schedule
{May be subject to changes.}
Please Note: *The homilies in the virtual Mass are an integral part of your retreat weekend.
| Eastern Daylight Time |
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Friday Evening
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Saturday All-Day
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Sunday Morning
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Here are the ZOOM Links for each day of the Retreat:
Here are the ZOOM Links for the Retreat:
Friday Evening
- Friday, April 23, 2021
- Zoom Meeting ID: 844 5597 0543
- Link to the Friday Evening
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Password for Friday: Spex23
Saturday All-Day
- Saturday, April 24, 2021
- Zoom Meeting ID: 842 5843 2514
- Link to Saturday
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Password for Saturday: Spex24
Sunday Morning
- Sunday, April 25, 2021
- Zoom Meeting ID: 899 9890 2424
- Link to Sunday
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Password for Sunday: Spex25
Having Problems? See "Help" section below
{Links below will open in new windows.)
Materials for the weekend
Here are links to some additional texts that might be helpful.
Fr. Andreas Kramar, LC
Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1968, Fr. Andreas grew up in Aachen. He obtained the Diplom (U.S. equivalent: S.T.M.) in Catholic Theology and his First State Examination (Staatsexamen; U.S. equivalent: M.A.) in German Language and Literature (Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, 1992 and 1993 respectively). He spent two semesters (1989/1990) of his theological studies with the Theological Year of Studies at the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, Israel. From 1993 to 1994, he worked nursing at the hospice Haus Hörn in Aachen, Germany.
After joining the Legionaries of Christ in 1994, he studied humanities for one year in Salamanca, Spain (1996-1997), and in 1999 he received a Licenza (U.S. equivalent: M.A.) in Philosophy at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College in Rome, Italy. A priest since 2003, he was Dean of Studies at the College from 2009 to 2019 after having taught courses in Latin, Greek, History, Art, and Music.
In 2013, Fr. Andreas earned his Ph.D. in Classical Civilization at the Classics Department of the University of Florida. At present, he teaches Western Civilization, Music Theory and History, and Chant. In addition, he serves as a spiritual director, confessor, and choir director for the seminary and as chaplain for Regnum Christi members in Upstate New York. He is a member of the Society of Classical Studies, the International Society for the Study of Greek and Roman Music and Its Cultural Heritage (MOISA), and the Society for Christian Scholarship in Music.
Publications:
2020: "Music and the Divine: Introductory Remarks (MOISA Panel at the SCS Meeting in January 2019)" (Greek and Roman Musical Studies 8.1: 91-96).
2019. "Sounds of War: What Brought the Walls of Jericho Down?" Greek and Roman Musical Studies7.2: 250-269.
2018. "Christian Reception of the ‘New-Music’ Debate in the Church Fathers and Clement of Alexandria." Greek and Roman Musical Studies 6.2: 359-378.
2017. "Is the Idea of 'Musical Emotion' Present in Antiquity?" Greek and Roman Musical Studies 5.1: 1-17.
2016. The Power and Value of Music. Its Effect and Ethos in Classical Authors and Contemporary Music Theory. Medieval Interventions: New Light on Traditional Thinking, vol. 1. New York/Frankfurt: Peter Lang. A video about this book can be watched here.
2013. "Effect and Ethos of Music in Greek and Roman Authors: Exposition and Evaluation." Dissertation Thesis. Gainesville: University of Florida.
2008: Demosthenes 21: Against Meideias — Construction and Deconstruction in Forensic Speech. Paper published on academia.edu.
2008: Slavery in the Athenian Democracy. Paper published on academia.edu.
2000. "El ‘medio’ en Platón y en Aristóteles. Un acercamiento para redescubrir un principio filosófico.” Il Cannocchiale; 3/2000: 77-118. Accessible on academia.edu.
Translation guides and commentaries (published on academia.edu):
Midas and the Golden Touch (Ovid, Met. XI, 85-145).
The Harmony of the Spheres (Cicero, De re publica VI, 18-19).
Catullus Carm. 1 and 31.
Miscellaneous Articles:
The Historical Shakespeare. National Catholic Register, June 17, 2008.
When the Angels Sing Along: What Pope Benedict hears when he listens to — or performs — his favorite compositions by Bach and Mozart. National Catholic Register, April 8, 2008.
Benedict's Mozart. National Catholic Register, September 18, 2007.
Die Schönheit Jesu. Der Christ hat kein theoretisches Tugendideal vor Augen, sondern einen lebendigen Menschen. Vatican 1.5 (December 2006), 42-46.
Christ on Mussel Silk. National Catholic Register, November 8, 2006.
The Shakespeare Code. National Catholic Register, May 8, 2006.
Papers, Lectures, Panels:
"Musical Ethos: How Music Can Shape Character." Lecture given on March 5, 2020, at the Scholar Hotel in Syracuse, sponsored by the Sacred Music Society of Syracuse, NY.
"Musical Ethos and Rhythm in Ancient Musical Thought" for a panel titled "On the Power of Music from Plato to Augustine: Ethos, Virtue, and the Temporal Structure of Desire," on February 16 at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Christian Scholarship in Music at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, Canada.
Organizer and presider for the MOISA panel titled "Music and the Divine" for the 56th Paper Session on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at the 150th Annual Meeting of the Society of Classical Studies in San Diego, CA.
"What Brought the Walls of Jericho Down?" for the MOISA panel on January 5, 2018, at the 149th Annual Meeting of the Society of Classical Studies in Boston, MA.
"Christian Reception of the 'New Music'-Debate: Similarities and Differences in the Musical Criticism of the Church Fathers" on Sunday, July 30, 2017, at the 10th MOISA Meeting at Jesus College, Oxford, UK.
"Sounds that Get You Moving: Philosophical and Psychological Considerations on Music and the Emotions" on September 8, 2016, at the International Theological Institute (ITI) in Trumau, Austria.
"Is the Idea of 'Musical Emotion' Present in Antiquity?" for the MOISA panel on January 7, 2016, at the 147th Annual Meeting of the Society of Classical Studies in San Francisco, CA.
Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video -------------->
On the right side of this page you will find the Pre-Retreat Technical Orientation Video. Please plan to watch this short video to introduce youself to the Zoom platform prior to the beginning of the retreat.
If you DO NOT already have ZOOM on your computer...
You will need to download it to attend the retreat remotely. Please follow the link below to download Zoom Client for Meetings. This version is completely free.
Troubleshooting ZOOM on various devices.
Here are links to some other videos to help troubleshoot problems and questions related to different devices.
- "How to Join Zoom Video Conference Using Your Phone" Click here
- "Using Zoom on Your iPhone or iPad" Click here
Should you have any questions or issues with the Zoom process or links
please contact the Tech Manager via phone call or text.
See the side bar to the right for contact information. --->
Various Prayers
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
My Lord, God of heaven and earth – Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Holy Spirit and Sanctifier – I adore you and love you with all my heart. I thank you for creating me, redeeming me, calling me to the Catholic faith, and watching over me last night. I offer you on this day my prayer, my work, and my struggles, my sufferings and my joys. Enable me to do everything out of love for you and according to your will. Make me steadfast in living my Christian vocation, patient in suffering, courageous in proclaiming my faith; fill me with wisdom on life’s journey and charity in dealing with others. Free me from sin and from all evil. May your grace always remain with me and with all who are dear to me. Amen.
Prayer to Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus, faithful friend of my soul and King of Regnum Christi, once more I offer you my life so you can teach me to do your will, give me the strength to follow you, and help me to imitate your virtues, especially those that please you most: charity, humility, justice, and honesty.
Make me a faithful, zealous apostle of your Church and grant me the grace that will enable me to proclaim your saving message to the brothers and sisters I meet on my journey today. May I live my Catholic faith with such evident conviction and share it with such ardent zeal that I become a fruitful and effective fisher of souls for the Kingdom. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin
Mother, I come before you on this new day to bless you for the great things almighty God has done for you, to thank you for the graces you have obtained for me, to consecrate to you all my thoughts, words, and actions, and to ask your blessing for me and every Regnum Christi member.
Intercede with God for all of us spread throughout the world, as we strive to live the faith, hope, and charity of which you set us such an admirable and noble example.
Enable me to imitate the life of prayer, obedience, humility, fidelity, sacrifice, and simplicity that you shared with your Son, our Brother and Lord.
Help me to form a meek and humble heart like that of your son, Jesus Christ, and obtain for me the grace of receiving him in the sacrament of his love as fervently as you throughout the years of your solitude.
Mother, tell Jesus how much I want to love him, how ardently I desire to become holy and be his apostle. Tell him how fervently and constantly I want to serve him in Regnum Christi, which is called to be a faithful instrument in extending his Kingdom throughout the world. Amen
Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit, help us to know what is truly right and always rejoice in his consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Regína Cæli
V/ Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R/ Because the Son you were chosen to bear, alleluia,
V/ has risen as he said, alleluia.
R/ Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V/ Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
R/ Because Our Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
V/ Let us pray: God our Father, you give joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of his Mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/ Amen.
V/ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R/ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
(Three times)
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Angel sent by God to guide me,
be my light and walk beside me;
be my guardian and protect me;
on the paths of life direct me. Amen.
Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe you are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
To Begin:
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Leader: Come, Holy Spirit,
Response: fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Leader: Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
Response: and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Leader: Let us pray:
O God, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit, help us to know what is truly right and always to rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Response: Amen.
Leader: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Response: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Response: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Leader: Christ our King!
Response: Thy Kingdom come!
Leader: Virgin most prudent, Mary, Mother of the Church,
Response: pray for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To Conclude:
Leader: We give thee thanks for all thy benefits, almighty God, who live and reign forever.
Response: Amen.
Leader: Christ our King!
Response: Thy Kingdom come!
Leader:Virgin most prudent, Mary, Mother of the Church,
Response: pray for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The prayers above are taken from the Regnum Christi Prayer Book. The Regnum Christi Movement has compilation of prayers has been assembled to help its members pray in the various circumstances of life, and to promote spiritual communion with Regnum Christi members worldwide. In addition to the Movement’s own prayers, it includes a selection of other prayers from the Church’s long tradition, approved and enriched by the popes.
We hope that it will also encourage you to more frequent personal, family, and team prayer, as we hope it spiritually enriches all Regnum Christi members.
Find the complete listing of prayers from The Regnum Christi Prayer Book by following this link.
Celebrating Mass
*The homilies in the virtual Mass are an integral part of the retreat.
Our masses this weekend will be live-stream acccording the schedule above.
Here are some suggestions to help you prepare yourself for the celebration of Mass in your home.
Before Mass Begins:
- Set up a home altar or prayer space with a cross, icons or sacred art, and the Bible.
- Light a candle.
- Take a few minutes before Mass begins to gather your thoughts and prepare at least one intention to bring to the Lord.
- Finish enjoying your coffee or snacks before mass begins or wait until after the mass has concluded.
During Mass
- Actively participate: sit, kneel, stand and respond, as though you were in church.
- Please refrain from eating and drinking during the Mass. Enjoy your coffee or snacks before or afterwards.
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Recite the Spiritual Communion prayer after communion
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While we are physically separated from the Mass and the Eucharist, the Church encourages us to make a spiritual communion. By reciting this prayer, we manifest our love for the Eucharist and participate in the communion of saints, bringing great spiritual benefit for ourselves and enrichment for the entire Church.
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Spiritual Communion Prayer
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My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Retreat Evaluation
Please help us improve by completing an evaluation at the end of your retreat...
What's Next...
Pre-Retreat Technical Video
Tech Manager
Call or text me if you have any questions or technical problems:
Cris (703) 475-3363
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