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)
Thank you, Lord, for this new opportunity that you give me to be with you. You know well what I need and so I humbly ask you to grant it to me. Increase my faith, my trust and my love for you. Give me the grace to never leave you alone and do not allow anything or anyone to separate me from you. See that my life without you has no meaning, and everything in it is opaque if you are not there. Lord, never leave me from your hand because without you I can do nothing.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 11:15-26
At that time, when Jesus cast out a demon, some said, “This man casts out demons with the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons”. Others, to test him, asked him for a miraculous sign. But Jesus, who knew their evil intentions, said to them, “Every kingdom divided by internal strife goes to ruin and collapses house by house. If Satan is also divided against himself, how will he maintain his kingdom? You say that I cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Then, by whose power do your children cast them out? Therefore, they themselves will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, it means that the Kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong and well-armed man guards his palace, his goods are safe; but if another stronger man assaults him and defeats him, then he takes away the weapons he trusted in and then disposes of his goods. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, he wanders about in arid places, seeking rest, and not finding it, he says: ‘I will return to my house, from whence I came out’. And when he arrives, he finds it swept and tidied up. Then he goes for seven other spirits worse than himself and they come to settle there, and so the final situation of that man turns out to be worse than before.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
I cannot let pass unnoticed the way you defend yourself from those who attack you with lies. Even in this you set an example for me to follow. You do not answer them with bad words or revenge. In the face of criticism, you keep quiet, think and speak. You speak, not to offend, but to defend. To defend the truth, to defend the good of others, to defend those who sincerely follow you.
What a well thought out argument you present to those who easily judge others and their actions! A clear, simple and profound argument. It would be enough to read the passage again calmly to let myself be caught by your words full of truth, strength and passion. Give me the grace, Lord, never to criticize and judge my brothers. Help me to be always a defender of truth, justice, love and a constant practitioner of beneficence.
Those people who contemplated your miracles had not been able to accept that the Kingdom of God had come to them. And perhaps I, likewise, am not able to discover your Kingdom in my daily life.
Perhaps I do not witness the expulsion of demons, portentous healings and the multiplication of loaves of bread, but give me the grace to discover the miracles that you are performing in my life little by little. Miracles unnoticed but which I have become accustomed to witnessing. The miracle of my life and that of those around me. The miracle of love, the miracle of family, of friendship. The miracle of a caress, of a supportive hug, of a comfort in pain, of a smile. The miracle of this wonderful world that always surprises me with a sunset, a starry sky, a refreshing wind, a clear sky. The miracle of faith, of prayer, of the sacraments and the Eucharist.
May I not become accustomed, Lord, to these daily miracles by which you make yourself present in my life, telling me that you love me infinitely and that your Kingdom is present in me.
«None of us is worthy, none of us is up to the task, none of us has the strength! Without God's grace, we can do nothing. Everything is given to us freely. And the Lord never comes to a new family without performing a miracle. Let us remember what he did at the wedding feast of Cana! Yes, the Lord, if we put ourselves in his hands, makes us work miracles. Everyday miracles when the Lord is in that family».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, September 9, 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.
Today I will avoid any criticism of another and will try to speak well, to comment on a quality of that person with whom I do not get along very well.
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.
