It is important to reflect after every activity you do, the reflection below is fairly in depth. If you don’t have enough time or think a long reflection will be inappropriate then feel free to skip stages or use something different. The reflection below is based on a guide by St Francis de Sales, a friend of St Vincent de Paul. Good luck!

1. Start in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2. Remind your group that they are in the presence of God and what that means. The Lord is a king, the king of kings, remind your group that when they pray they are face to face with the Lord and that they are in a direct conversation with Him.
3. Pray to the Trinity. Ask God for the grace to receive a good reflection and for the Holy Spirit to guide your group’s thoughts and actions.
4. Place your group back in the activity and guide them through the events that occurred. Be careful to take your time and dwell on particular points you wish to reflect heavily on. None of this process should be done quickly.
5. Guide your group into considering where they might have seen Christ in the activity or where they might have acted like Christ. Then get them to think about how they could have been more like Christ and what they could do differently next time.
6. Begin to get them to gather a list of things they should carry on doing and a list of things they need to change. This can be done privately or openly, whichever you think the group will benefit more from.
7. Bring these lists back to God and pray for help and support in making these changes and continuing these resolutions. Finally, consider this reflection, what good things have you experienced or come across during this reflection, gather these to yourself and remember them.
8. Finish by asking for the intercession of St Vincent de Paul in taking this reflection forward and in completing future activities.
9. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

You don’t have to stick exactly to this, if you feel like you want to try something different don’t stop yourself. This process is all about finding you and your group’s best way of reflecting and meditating. We do, however, recommend that you at least allow a short period of silent reflection instead of just open conversation, this is because silence is vital in developing your relationship with God and in taking your prayer life forward.