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 want to know you more and better, Lord. Allow me to see your face. Thank you for creating me, redeeming me, and loving me in such a special way. I adore you and thank you for all you have done for me and for your gifts. Give me what I need most, which you know so well. I want to be with you and keep you company for this while.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 6:19-23
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
My destiny is eternity. This is what matters most. Today, Lord, you remind me that the treasures of heaven are more important and better secured than those of earth. I often forget this fundamental reality of my Christian life. I live submerged in the today, here and now, without lifting my gaze to my investments in heaven.
The material treasures of this world do not last long; those of heaven endure for eternity. Those of this earth are more difficult to obtain than those of the other. Those of this world involve safety deposit boxes, bank accounts, secret keys, trustworthy guards; those of your Kingdom are accumulated without fear of losing them, they go unnoticed by thieves, they do not decay, and You yourself, God, guard them. Those of this world devalue; those of the other know no economic crises.
Help me fill heaven's coffers with the treasures of charity coins, with the checks of works of mercy, with the emeralds of sacrifice, the rubies of prayer, the pearls of patience, the dollars of life in grace.
It is necessary to detach my heart from the finite treasures of this world and gradually attach it to those of heaven. This does not mean neglecting my life and becoming disinterested in my needs and those of others, but rather that whatever I do, I should always do it with that eternity in mind, where I will be able to spend, spend without ever diminishing credit and without incurring any debt.
«Accumulating is precisely a human quality, achieving things and dominating the world is also a mission. This is the daily struggle: how to manage the riches of the earth well, so that they are oriented towards Heaven and become riches of Heaven. God makes man the administrator of these riches for the common good and for the good of all, not for his own good. And it is not easy to become an honest administrator, because there is always the temptation of greed, of making oneself important. The world teaches you this and leads us down that path instead of thinking about others, thinking that what I have is at the service of others and that I will take none of what I have with me. But if I use what the Lord has given me for the common good, as an administrator, this sanctifies me, it will make me holy.
(Homily of H.H. Francis on July 19, 2015, 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.
I will offer a sacrifice to the Lord for my deceased relatives.
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.
