Edison Valencia, 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)
Father, grant me to place myself before you as what I am, as a child who knows that he can always count on his Father.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark 9:38-43. 45. 47-48
One day an argument arose among the disciples as to who was the greatest among them. When Jesus realized what they were arguing about, he took a little child, placed him beside him and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The least among you all is the greatest. Then John said to him, ”Teacher, we saw one who was casting out demons in your name; but we forbade him, because he does not walk with us.“ But Jesus answered, ”Do not forbid him, for he who is not against you is for you.“.
Word of the Lord
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Who will really be the greatest before the Lord? This is what the disciples were discussing. I will not say all of them, but I believe that several of them were on this plan; Judas thought: «Well, I think it will be me, because I handle the money and without money we can do nothing»; John gave a good speech about love, patience, etc., and Peter said: «Calm down, I am in charge here». And we can go over many of the disciples. But how differently our Lord thinks. By taking a child he shows them who is really the greatest, the most important, and it is not precisely because of his extraordinary qualities, but because of his simplicity of heart that he presents himself as he is before the Lord. That is why he is the greatest. When we can really see ourselves before God as a child, knowing that we put all our trust in the Father, when we realize that we work as if it depended on us, but having clear that everything depends on Christ, we will be simple.
Let us live hand in hand with Mary, knowing that she, who knew how to place herself as a slave, was humble before God even though she is the most perfect creature that could have existed on earth.
«This is the first point: to be humble, to recognize ourselves as children, to rest in the Father, to trust in Him. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it is necessary to become as little as children. In the sense that children know how to trust, they know that someone will take care of them, what they will eat, what they will wear, etc. This is the first attitude: trust and confidence, like a child towards his parents; to know that God remembers you, takes care of you, of you, of you, of me, of everyone».
(Audience of H.H. Francis, November 15, 2017).
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.
Show myself as what I am before Christ (if possible in the Eucharist).
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.
