Saint Pius V, Pope
H. Enmanuel Toro, L.C.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ, our King, Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Lord Jesus, thank you for all the love you give me and the testimony of your devotion until the end. Help me to be an instrument of your grace and to carry out your will in my life.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the holy Gospel according to John 14:1-6
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not lose your peace. If you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you, for now I am going to prepare a place for you. When I have gone and prepared a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to get to the place where I am going”.
Then Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Enter today's scene of Scripture and look at Jesus with his closest friends as he communicates the news that he only has hours left to live. Observe the apostles' shock and disbelief at the news that the Master will be leaving. He tries to comfort them, give them confidence, and even promise them a place to dwell in the Father's house.
Jesus is at this moment leaving his testament to his apostles, to future members of the Church who will carry the good news to all corners of the earth; this testament which is full of gifts and graces, which has come true and continues to come true. God gives everything out of love for us. You are invited to trust in the God who loves you and who is waiting for you.
Talk to Jesus about your problems and anxieties and listen; trust in what He wants to tell you. These words of Jesus in the Gospel are a gift and a promise. He encourages us to understand that with Him we have the deepest personal security in life and that everything can be found in Him.
«The Lord consoles his disciples, and here we see Jesus‘ way of consoling them. We have many ways to console, from the most authentic and closest to the most formal, like those condolence telegrams: ’Deeply sorry for...“ They don't console anyone; it's a pretense, the consolation of formality. But how does the Lord console? It's important to know, because when we have to go through moments of sadness in our lives, we also need to learn to perceive the Lord's true consolation. In this passage from the Gospel, we see that the Lord always consoles with closeness, with truth, and in hope. These are the three characteristics of the Lord's consolation. In closeness, never distant: ”I am here with you.“ ”Many times He is present in silence, but we know that He is there.» That closeness which is God's style, even in the Incarnation, becoming close to us. The Lord consoles with closeness. And He doesn't use empty words; on the contrary, He prefers silence. The strength of closeness, of presence. And He speaks little, but He is close.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, May 8, 2020, at Santa Marta).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
Be mindful of your neighbor's needs today.
Farewell
We thank You, Lord, for all Your benefits, You who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
