H. Francisco J. Posada, 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)
God, You who know my misery and what I need, help me to trust in You; even if everything is against me, help me to place my life with all my wounds in Your hands, and help me to let You fill me with the immense desire for love that I have.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 4:16-30
At that time Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He went into the synagogue, as was his custom on the Sabbaths, and stood up to read. He was given the volume of the prophet Isaiah and, unfolding it, he found the passage in which it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and healing to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
He rolled up the volume, returned it to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all the people in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak, saying, “This very day this passage of Scripture, which you have just heard, has been fulfilled.”.
They all gave him their approval and admired the wisdom of the words that came from his lips, and wondered, “Is not this the son of Joseph?”.
Jesus said to them, “You will surely say to me that saying, ‘Physician, heal yourself, and do here in your own land all those wonders which we have heard that you have done in Capernaum’”.
And he added, “I tell you the truth, no one is a prophet in his own land. There were indeed many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the rain failed for three and a half years, and there was a terrible famine throughout the land; yet to none of them was Elijah sent, but to a widow who lived in Zarephath, a city of Sidon. There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; yet none of them was healed except Naaman, who was from Syria.”.
When they heard this, all who were in the synagogue were filled with anger, and they rose up and led him out of the city and led him down to a ravine of the mountain, on which the city was built, to throw him down. But he passed through the midst of them and departed from there.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Think about what you want most because God, who loves to see us happy as a good father, wants to give it to us because he loves us. Have you ever thought about what God wants most? What impresses me most about God's desires is that He cares so much for us, His children. If we are sad He is there to comfort us, if we feel lost or tired He helps us to free ourselves from all worries and embrace His way which is gentle and bearable, but He cannot do any of this if we do not let Him. He respects our freedom. We must open our lives to Christ so that he can work the miracles we need in our lives. His presence alone makes a lot of difference. It is very beautiful to see how people put religious images or objects of devotion in their cars, houses, electronic devices, etc., because they are not only beautiful ornaments, but they are like windows to heaven and bridges through which grace can pass. Just seeing these objects serves as a reminder of the realities that transcend us and remind us of the heaven that is our ultimate destination. And even more, they make the mystery of Christ present to us, as if He were speaking to us and saying, «I am here», «I am real».
Christ is a God of concrete people. In the Bible we read stories of named people whom, when they are in trouble, God knows how to help. God shows up to give his grace through human intermediaries. Just as a good meal does not make itself, but to be something rich you need a person who knows how to cook well, God presents himself to us through the people around us, we have to put on the glasses of faith to see them.
Let us ask the Lord to open our eyes to discover his presence and help in our lives.
«Always and everywhere, we carry in our body the sufferings of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body”. We participate with Jesus in his passion, our passion, in order to live also with him the power of the resurrection: certainty of the love of God capable of mobilizing the heart and going out to the crossroads to share “the Good News with the poor, to announce liberation to the captives and sight to the blind, to give freedom to the oppressed and proclaim a year of grace of the Lord”, with the joy that all of them can actively participate with their dignity as children of the living God. All these things that I thought and felt during this time of pandemic I want to share them fraternally with you to help us on the path of praise to the Lord and service to our brothers and sisters. I wish that they may serve us all for “more.»
(Letter of H.H. Francis, May 30, 2020).
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.
Read Isaiah 26:4-5 and reflect on how much I trust in the Lord.
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.
