Br. Jorge Alberto Leaños García, 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)
In the midst of my worries, my interests and my ordinary life, I want to give you a little moment, to be at your side and to become aware of what you have done for me. Give me the grace, Lord, to know how to listen to you, to contemplate you and to fall in love with the mission you have prepared for me.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 5:12-16
At that time, while Jesus was in a certain village, a leper came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can cure me.” Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will. Be cleansed. And immediately the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus commanded him to tell no one, and added, ”Go, present yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed. This will be a testimony to them.
And his fame spread more and more. Crowds flocked to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus withdrew to solitary places to pray.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Leprosy causes rejection. The leper withdraws, hides from the world, cannot feel the company, especially if he is the only one in such a state. The tendency is to withdraw into his harsh reality. He cannot and will not accept his disease. The life of a leper does not project a future, he only expects an end in loneliness.
Our work, our relationships, the environment in which we move... can provoke in us both feelings of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, both joy and frustration. These two feelings, if we do not know how to control them, can be harmful from the moment we close in on ourselves. This can be the leprosy of the 21st century when we focus only on the present moment, on «my present», «my state», «my feelings» ... We do not get out of our little world, we limit ourselves in our personal projects and desires.
It does not matter the situations that surround us, whether good or bad, what matters is not to close in on ourselves, because it causes leprosy. If I am happy I can fall into the danger of remaining in my joy. If I am sad I am in danger of drowning in loneliness. There is little importance in what happens to us in the present moment, in the present circumstances; what matters is not to be alone.
Let us ask Christ for the grace to go out of ourselves, for we are made to go out to meet others; we are called to share our joy. Before thinking about my present we must make the effort to form an awareness of our present, for we are never alone. Going out of ourselves is the grace that God gives us to form relationships that accompany us in good times and bad. It is the medicine that God gives us.
«The Lord never lost this direct contact with the people, he always maintained the grace of closeness, with the people as a whole and with each person in the midst of those crowds. We see it in his public life, and it was so from the beginning: the radiance of the Child gently attracted shepherds, kings and old dreamers like Simeon and Anna. It was also like that on the Cross; his Heart attracts everyone to himself: Veronicas, Cyrenians, thieves, centurions... The term “multitude” is not disparaging. But in the Gospel we see that when they interact with the Lord - who enters into them like a shepherd into his flock - the crowds are transformed. Within the people, the desire to follow Jesus is awakened, admiration springs up, discernment coheses. I would like to reflect with you on these three graces that characterize the relationship between Jesus and the crowd. The grace of following Luke says that the crowds “sought him out” and “followed him”, “pressed around him”, “surrounded him” and “gathered to listen to him”. The following of the people goes beyond all calculation, it is an unconditional following, full of affection.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, April 18, 2019).
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.
Today I will seek to share with someone my state of sadness or happiness.
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.
