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)
My Jesus, I want to share this time of intimacy with You. I want to meet You and get to know You a little more. I give You my hands, my eyes, my feet, my mouth, my thoughts, my whole being, so that You may be my Lord and master. I trust in You because You never fail me. I want to love You more, Jesus, but I need Your grace, for without it I can do nothing, I am nothing. Increase my faith to discover You in the events of my life, in my brothers and sisters, in my inner self, in nature, in the Eucharist. Help me, Lord, and never leave me alone.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 7, 1-10
En aquel tiempo, cuando Jesús terminó de hablar a la gente, entró en Cafarnaúm. Había allí un oficial romano, que tenía enfermo y a punto de morir a un criado muy querido. Cuando le dijeron que Jesús estaba en la ciudad, le envió a algunos de los ancianos de los judíos para rogarle que viniera a curar a su criado. Ellos, al acercarse a Jesús, le rogaban encarecidamente, diciendo: “Merece que le concedas ese favor, pues quiere a nuestro pueblo y hasta nos ha construido una sinagoga”. Jesús se puso en marcha con ellos. Cuando ya estaba cerca de la casa, el oficial romano envió unos amigos a decirle: “Señor, no te molestes, porque yo no soy digno de que tú entres en mi casa; por eso ni siquiera me atreví a ir personalmente a verte. Basta con que digas una sola palabra y mi criado quedará sano. Porque yo, aunque soy un subalterno, tengo soldados bajo mis órdenes y le digo a uno: “¡Ve!” y va; a otro: “¡Ven!” y viene; y a mi criado: “¡Haz esto!”, y lo hace”. Al oír esto, Jesús quedó lleno de admiración, y volviéndose hacia la gente que lo seguía, dijo: “Yo les aseguro que ni en Israel he hallado una fe tan grande”. Los enviados regresaron a la casa y encontraron al criado perfectamente sano.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Faith is a rich virtue to meditate on. It is faith that moves you, Jesus, on many occasions to act. It is a virtue that moves your heart, that impels you not to leave without action the request of those who have it.
Faith is a gift and a decision. It is received from you, but it also implies my effort, my work. The centurion believes that You can heal his servant, but he also acts according to what he believes. Faith goes beyond a belief, a family inheritance, a superstition. It is abandonment into your hands, it is surrender, it is donation, it is action. Faith is an act, it is the adherence of my will to yours, and this implies effort. Believing does not always come spontaneously, but requires a certain awareness. But without ever forgetting that faith, and the putting into action of this faith, is always your gift.
Faith is the theological virtue that allows me to discover you in all the moments and situations of my life: in the good and in the bad, in those that please me and in those that do not. It helps me to see you in nature, in my brothers and sisters, in my work. Faith enables me to receive everything from you as a gift of your love. Believing helps me to trust, and to believe and trust in someone is to love him.
Give me, Lord, a faith, not like that of the centurion, but a faith according to what I am, what I live, what I have, how and where I develop. A faith that impels me to live according to your plans.
«En el relato se dice que era muy querido por su dueño y que estaba enfermo, pero no se sabe cuál era su grave enfermedad. De alguna manera, podemos reconocernos también nosotros en ese siervo. Cada uno de nosotros es muy querido por Dios, amado y elegido por él, y está llamado a servir, pero tiene sobre todo necesidad de ser sanado interiormente. Para ser capaces del servicio, se necesita la salud del corazón: un corazón restaurado por Dios, que se sienta perdonado y no sea ni cerrado ni duro. Nos hará bien rezar con confianza cada día por esto, pedir que seamos sanados por Jesús, asemejarnos a él, que “no nos llama más siervos, sino amigos”».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, May 29, 2016).
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.
Durante el día repetiré esta jaculatoria: «Señor, aumenta mi fe».
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.
