Balam Loza, 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)
Jesus, increase my faith. I want to believe with simplicity, but firmly, that You are my God and that You are really present in the Tabernacle. My faith is weak because, if on the one hand I am not lacking in theory, many times routine makes me forget the great mystery of the Eucharist. I ask you to give me the grace to have a faith at least as big as a mustard seed.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 11:19-27
At that time many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the death of their brother Lazarus. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him; but Mary stayed at home. She said to Martha to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I am sure that God will grant you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, ”I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he has died, yet shall he live; and whoever is alive and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?“ She answered, ”Yes, Lord. I firmly believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world.“.
Word of God.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
“I firmly believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world”. Martha at this moment is going through a very hard trial because her brother has been dead for a few days. She knows that Jesus, who could have done something, preferred to do nothing. And in the midst of these adverse circumstances she pronounces this phrase with total conviction, but with impressive simplicity.
Let us think of Peter when the boat was about to flee. He screams and despairs. And he realizes it when the Master pulls them out of the storm. Little by little Peter learns that sometimes we must be stronger and have faith. Later the thief who was next to Jesus“ cross shouted to him ”If you are God, save yourself and us". That is to say, many times faith is placed in miracles or in amazing facts. But what happens when irreversible pain comes and there are no miracles?
Marta teaches us two things. The first is to ask. She confidently asks Jesus for the healing of her brother. When we are suffering, let us go to Jesus, He, many times, is the only one who can help us, console us, heal us. The second thing is deep faith. When she sees that she does not receive the answer she wanted from the Master, she remains calm and says those words that reveal the believing heart of the simple woman.
«Lazarus had been dead for three days when Jesus came. And to his sisters, Martha and Mary, he spoke words that have been engraved forever in the memory of the Christian community. Thus says Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live; he who lives and believes in me shall never die. Considering this word of the Lord, we believe that the life of the one who believes in Jesus and follows his commandments, after death will be transformed into a new, full and immortal life. As Jesus has risen with his own body, but has not returned to an earthly life, so we will rise with our bodies which will be transfigured into glorious bodies. He awaits us with the Father. And the power of the Holy Spirit, who raised Him, will also raise those who are with Him.
(Angelus of H.H. Francis, April 6, 2014).
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.
Today I will go to Mass in a spirit of deep faith. During the offertory, I am going to put everything I have inside me, my problems and sufferings with the certainty that, even though I may not feel anything and my life remains the same, the Lord knows my suffering and is at my side.
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.
