H. Sergio Rodríguez 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)
Lord Jesus, I ask you to make yourself present in my life and, in a special way, in this moment of prayer. Help me to listen to your word, to internalize your message and to preach your teachings by the example of my Christian life, so that I may be a faithful collaborator in the extension of your kingdom. Amen.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 5:27-32
At that time Jesus saw a tax collector, a tax collector named Levi (Matthew), sitting in his tax collector's office, and said to him, “Follow me. He, leaving everything, got up and followed them.
Levi gave a great feast in his house in honor of Jesus, and there were at table with them a great number of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and scribes therefore criticized the disciples, saying to them, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, that they may be converted.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
This Gospel passage is divided into two moments. The first is Levi's encounter with Jesus Christ. He was a publican, a spiritually sick man, but his immediate response to the Lord's invitation shows a special aspect of his heart, for, although he lived in riches, he was not totally attached to them. Levi was able to put aside material things, to allow himself to be challenged by the voice and gaze of the Lord. This radically transformed his life.
A person who has a profound experience of Jesus Christ is never the same again. This is how the second moment of the Gospel is presented; here Levi goes from being sick to being the nurse who helps the doctor to touch the lives of other sick people «Levi gave him a great feast in his house; there were a great number of tax collectors». Levi's experience of the love of Jesus Christ not only led him to gratitude but also to action.
This is the vocation and mission to which we as Christians are called. First to allow ourselves to be challenged by the love of Jesus Christ and then to share it with others, aware of our misery, but also of the greatness and mercy of the Lord.
«It is impossible to be a missionary disciple alone; we need others to be able to live and share the love and trust that the Lord has for us. The personal encounter with Jesus is irreplaceable, but not alone but in community. It is true that alone we can do great things, yes; but together we can dream and commit ourselves to unimaginable things. Vavy has expressed it clearly. We are invited to discover the face of Jesus in the face of others: celebrating faith as a family, creating bonds of fraternity, participating in the life of a group or movement and encouraging each other to trace a common path lived in solidarity. In this way we can learn to discover and discern the paths the Lord invites us to follow, the horizons he has for you: but never isolate ourselves or “want to be alone”! That is one of the worst temptations we can have.»
(Address of H.H. Francis, September 7, 2019).
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.
Lord Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my life, for being the doctor of souls who is always ready to heal and transform my heart and strengthen my weaknesses. Help me to be a better and better apostle, to be able to bring others closer to You, so that they too may have the transforming experience of your love.
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.
Call or send a motivational message to someone you know who is going through some difficulty in life, especially in a spiritual aspect.
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.
