Iván Yoed González, 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)
Lord, perfection consists in being what you want me to be. Teach me to walk this path of simplicity. So be it.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 17, 10-13
At that time, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must first come?”.
He said to them, “Surely Elijah will come and set everything in order. Indeed, I assure you that Elijah has already come, but you did not recognize him and did with him as you pleased. In the same way, the Son of man will suffer at their hands”. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
When I read the Gospel, when I hear it at Mass, for example, do I allow myself to be challenged by it? So many times it does not even cross my mind that what I hear is your word, and if I do not even receive it in my «head», much less will it enter my heart.
I wish I understood the depth of every sentence uttered by you. I live in a Christianity of too much tradition (so full of routine). So much so, that your words often have more impact on non-Christians than on those of us who profess to be your disciples. Many of them recognize a new light of truth; we are too accustomed to living «inside» it, but sometimes so outside it in reality....
I should seriously dwell on John the Baptist. Who was this man really? For he was a man, he existed, and he actually died by beheading. So much for his conviction for you. What about me? I wonder why I am not challenged by his testimony. To die for the truth... Is there a greater testimony? Then the cries of the last prophet make sense, his cries in the desert, his sober life full of sacrifice, of penance, his appeal to conversion, his «prepare the ways of the Lord».
He truly believed in you. He prepared his heart at every moment of his life. He believed in you from the first moment he saw you. And he knew how to receive you in his heart, in which was born a love that led him to accept prison, the deprivation of all good and dignity, of life itself, for your love.
«The Lord is allergic to rigidity. Let us cultivate this experience of mercy, peace and hope during the Advent journey we are on. To proclaim the Good News to the poor, like John the Baptist, by performing works of mercy, is a good way to await the coming of Jesus at Christmas. It is to imitate him who gave everything, gave himself everything. That is his mercy without expecting anything in return».
(Cf Homily of H.H. Francis, December 12, 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.
I will make it a point to listen to the Gospel of the next Mass attentively, and I will seek to take it into my heart to find a concrete application for my daily life.
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.
