Cristian Gutierrez, LC
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)
I believe in you, Lord. I believe that you are my God and my everything. I trust you and know that you will never let me down. I love you because I can do nothing less. Increase and strengthen in me these three virtues so that I may always discover you in all the moments and circumstances of my life. Thank you, Lord, for all the benefits you give me. I place in your hands my life, my intentions and all that I carry in my heart. My Mother, help me to prepare a good place in my heart for Jesus who is on his way.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 5, 33-36
At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: “You sent messengers to John the Baptist and he bore witness to the truth. It is not that I want to rely on the testimony of a man. If I say this, it is so that you may be saved. John was the lamp that burned and shone, and you wanted to rejoice for a moment in his light. But I have a better testimony than that of John: the works which the Father has granted me to do, and which I do, bear witness to me and accredit me as sent by the Father”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
In this passage you speak to me of bearing witness to the truth with works, concrete works. More than the testimony that John gave of you, your works were the clearest proof of being the one sent by God. In the same way you invite me today to be a witness to the truth.
To be a witness to something, it is first necessary to be sure of what you want to witness, to have lived it, witnessed it, experienced it. Give me the grace, Lord, to know you and experience you more and more each day, so that I may be a credible witness in today's world.
To be a witness of the truth can be translated in my life to live my commitments as a Christian as I know I have to live them. Christianity, rather than being written in books, articles and sums, must be written in my life, in my actions of charity, kindness, forgiveness and mercy. To be a Christian necessarily entails being a witness of You: truth that does not pass away, that gives meaning to everything, that sustains my existence and my knowledge.
I, being a Christian, am called to be a lamp that illuminates the path of the lost, the confused and the disoriented. My life must be an alarm that awakens questions in others. Questions that lead to the search for and response to the truth that is You yourself.
Help me, Lord, to experience you deeply, to be an incarnate witness to the truth and to be a torch that shines in my environment by the good example of authentic Christian life.
«Thanks to this journey, always guided by the Word of God, every Christian can become a witness to the Risen Jesus. And his witness is much more credible the more it reveals an evangelical, joyful, courageous, humble, peaceful and merciful way of life. On the other hand, if the Christian allows himself to be carried away by comforts, by vanities, by selfishness, if he becomes deaf and blind to the question of the “resurrection” of so many brothers and sisters, how can he communicate the living Jesus, how can he communicate the liberating power of the living Jesus and his infinite tenderness?».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, April 19, 2015).
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.
I will fervently begin praying the novena in preparation for Christmas.
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.
