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, that once again I can be alone with you in prayer. Thank you for all the benefits you have granted me. I want to be with you. I need you and without you nothing in my life makes sense. That is why I come to you to beg for your permanent company at my side. Increase my faith, my trust and my love. Enkindle in me an ever more ardent zeal for the salvation of souls and an irresistible passion for you and for your Kingdom.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 17:1-6
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “It is not possible to avoid occasions of sin, but woe to him who causes them; it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round his neck than to be an occasion of sin for simple people. Be careful then. If your brother offends you, try to correct him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he offends you seven times a day, and seven times he comes to you to tell you that he repents, forgive him.” The apostles then said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord answered them, “If they had faith, even if it were as small as a mustard seed, they could say to that leafy tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey them.”.
Word of the Lord
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Today you speak to me about occasions of sin, forgiveness and faith. In my life there will always be occasions of sin. But there will always be your grace to overcome them. Sometimes I stop more to consider the occasion and how much I am attracted to perform that act than the help and assistance that you give me not to give in to the enemy. On occasions of sin, as the saying goes, it is better to say: «here he fled than here he died». Give me the grace, Lord, to fight for my life of grace and defend it as the greatest treasure you have given me.
Forgiveness is something that perhaps in today's world is much talked about, but misunderstood. Especially that of always forgiving is not something that is inculcated today. However, by speaking to me about forgiveness, you are calling me to one of the deepest imitations I can have of you. You who always forgive us, even more than seven times a day, invite me to forgive those who offend me. Forgive always, without counting the cost.
«Increase our faith» is the request that the apostles make to you today and that I also repeat to you. However, I discover in the Gospel that you do not give a magic formula, nor an order for this to happen. It might seem that your answer does not satisfy that request of the apostles. But your answer is implicit. Just as one learns to swim by swimming and to read by reading, faith grows, is learned, in the acts that exercise it. To believe is learned by believing.
That is why you want to tell me today that faith is not an element reduced to prayer and religion. Faith can also be present in the daily acts of my life: at work, in the family, in difficulty, in rest. Lord, increase my faith.
«Increase our faith“. It is a beautiful plea, a prayer that we too could address to God every day. But the divine response is surprising, and in this case too, he turns the request around: ”If you had faith...“. It is he who asks us to have faith. Because faith, which is a gift of God and must always be asked for, also requires that we cultivate it. It is not a magical force that comes down from heaven, it is not a ”dowry“ to be received once and for all, nor is it a superpower that serves to solve the problems of life. For a faith conceived to satisfy our needs would be a selfish faith, totally centered on ourselves. We must not confuse faith with being well or feeling well, with being consoled so that we may have a little peace in our hearts. Faith is a golden thread that unites us to the Lord, the pure joy of being with Him, of being united to Him; it is a gift that is worth a lifetime, but it bears fruit if we do our part”.
(Homily of H.H. Francis, October 2, 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.
I will ask for forgiveness if I have offended someone or I will forgive on this day that person who may offend me, remembering and believing that one must always forgive, without keeping accounts.
Farewell
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.
