H Edgar Maldonado, 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)
Jesus, I will meditate on your name. Tell me who you are. I know that all who see you, see also the Father. I want to see you, I want to hear what your name is. Discover to me something of the inexhaustible richness of your name.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-20
At that time, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples this question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered him, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; others, Elijah; others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then he asked them, “And who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter spoke up and said to him, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”.
Then Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of John, for this has not been revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. The powers of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” And he commanded his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Let us dedicate today's prayer to the name of Jesus. In ancient times, the name meant two things: belonging and identity. Now, let's focus on the identity of Jesus from his name. «Simon Peter took the word and said to him, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.»" We have at our disposal three terms: Jesus, Messiah, Son of God. Our Lord is all that these terms mean. On the one hand, Jesus means Savior. On the other, the term Messiah means anointed of the king. Finally, Son of God designates the origin of the man who fulfills the law of the Lord.
Jesus is salvation, the hope of those who believe in God. We are saved thanks to God's presence among us, a presence found in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah. The descendant of David, anointed to rule the people of God with justice in meekness and humility. This King chose for his throne the cross, for his scepter the nails, for his crown a plait of thorns. He is Son because he knows the Father. His whole life was dedicated to making known to us the person He loves most and who loves us so much, to the point of giving His Son to redeem us from our sins. That is why Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
«Not infrequently we are tempted to be Christians while keeping a prudent distance from the wounds of the Lord. Jesus touches human misery, inviting us to be with him and to touch the suffering flesh of others. Confessing the faith with our lips and with our heart demands - as it demanded of Peter - to identify the “secrets” of the evil one. Learning to discern and discover those personal or communal sheds that keep us at a distance from the knot of the human storm; that prevent us from entering into contact with the concrete existence of others and deprive us, ultimately, of knowing the revolutionary force of God's tenderness. By not separating the glory from the cross, Jesus wants to rescue his disciples, his Church, from empty triumphalism: empty of love, empty of service, empty of compassion, empty of people. He wants to rescue her from a boundless imagination that does not know how to put down roots in the life of the faithful People or, what would be worse, believes that the service to her Lord asks her to get rid of the dusty paths of history. To contemplate and follow Christ demands that we allow our hearts to be open to the Father and to all those with whom he wished to identify himself, and this with the certainty of knowing that he does not abandon his people. Dear brothers and sisters, the question still beats in millions of faces: “Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else? Let us confess with our lips and with our hearts, ”Jesus Christ is Lord“.”
(Homily of H.H. Francis, June 29, 2018).
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.
Christ: Dear soul, now that you know something of what my name means, I want to ask you something.
The faithful soul: Speak, Lord, I am listening.
Christ: Can I save you? Can I be the King of your life? Can I be the God you want to believe in?
The faithful soul: Lord, of course you can. You are God, nothing is impossible for You.
Christ: I know I can. My question is, will you let me save you? Will you let me make your heart my royal seat? Will you let me be your God?
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 thank God for the gift of faith and for the gifts He has given me this day.
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.
