Camila Pinheiro, CRC
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)
Hymn of the liturgy of the hours
Be with me, Lord
always, without ever breaking you,
and, when you decide to leave,
take me, Lord, with you;
because the thought of you leaving
causes me terrible fear
if I stay without you,
if you go without me.
Take me in your company,
wherever you go, Jesus,
because I know it's you
the life of my soul;
if you don't give me life,
I know that I cannot live,
or if I stay without you,
or if you leave without me.
Therefore, more than death,
I fear, Lord, your departure
and I want to lose my life
a thousand times more than losing you;
for the immortal that you give
I know I can't reach her
when I am left without you,
when you leave without me.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 2:41-51
Jesus“ parents used to go to Jerusalem every year for the Passover feast. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to the feast according to custom, and when it was over, they returned; but the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, unbeknownst to his parents. The latter, believing that he was in the caravan, set out on a journey and began to look for him among relatives and acquaintances; not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; all who heard him were amazed at his talent and the answers he gave. When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, ”Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I were looking for you in anguish. And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me, did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? But they did not understand what he meant. He went down with them to Nazareth and continued under their authority. His mother kept all this in her heart.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Son, why have you treated us this way? Many times in our lives we go through difficult situations, moments of suffering that beset us and knock at our door in an unexpected way. The most normal and natural thing is that, like Mary, we ask God: Why do you treat me this way? Why this suffering if you love me? Why don't you spare me? And so often our eyes are blinded to recognize with whom we are speaking and before whom we are standing.
Mary was conceived without original sin, however, although she knew that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that he was the Son of God, she was not exempt from the path of faith and discernment to understand the depth of that truth and the way in which God acted in that great mystery that was Jesus, true man and true God.
Mary also had to walk the path of the darkness of faith and of keeping all things in her heart, discovering in the different circumstances and experiences with Jesus the red thread of her personal vocation and the consequences of this path, as well as the sufferings that come from being called to love in this way.
Today, on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we can find in Mary a model and example very close to us that inspires and encourages us to continue seeking to understand how God is present in all the circumstances of our lives, but especially in those in which he does not seem to be. Mary's question can be interpreted as a claim, but also as a prayer: the pleading prayer of one who approaches God knowing that his loving plans for us go beyond our capacity to understand and require a step of faith and trust in order to continue to await his full revelation in our lives.
Let us approach Mary with confidence, knowing that she will teach us to discover God's passage through our lives and to persevere in waiting, even if we do not understand God's way of acting.
«In the misery of sin, in our weariness and frailties, in the mystery of the iniquity of evil and war, you, Holy Mother, remind us that God does not abandon us, but continues to look upon us with love, eager to forgive us and raise us up again. It is He who has given you to us and has placed in your immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for humanity. By your divine goodness you are with us, and even in the most adverse vicissitudes of history you lead us with tenderness». (H.H. Francis, from the act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary).
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 invite you today to pray a mystery of the Rosary asking Mary to help you recognize how God has made himself or makes himself present in the moments of suffering in your 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.
