H. Vicente Toledo, 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, give me the grace to convert my heart so that I may see clearly the light of your love.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 4, 12-23
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee, and leaving the town of Nazareth, he went to live in Capernaum, by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what the prophet Isaiah had foretold might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and Naphtali, on the way to the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the heathen. The people who walked in darkness saw a great light Upon those who lived in a land of shadows a light shone.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
As Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, later called Peter, and Andrew, who were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed him. As he passed on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were with their father in the boat mending the nets, and he called them also. And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
He went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God and healing people of every disease and sickness.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
We are beginning the year and it is good to ask ourselves why God speaks of darkness and shadows. It is clearly an invitation not to let ourselves be carried away by darkness when we have the light in front of us; not to let the clouds cover our eyes because Jesus has been born in the heart of each one of us.
Jesus has become incarnate in Mary's womb, he has come into the world to save us; we have seen the great light of Bethlehem and we cannot hide it with anything, its sparkles are radiant. The year begins and our resolutions are still very new, we have all the spirit that this year should be better, but as time goes by, if those intentions are not from the heart, they may fade... The routine, the comfort, the pleasures are presenting themselves.
It is time that our resolutions are not only temporary but that they come from within, that they are the result of an intimate encounter with Jesus, of a true conversion of heart. We all need conversion, which only God can give us. How? He is the only one who can give it to me, but is it He who asks it of me? Of course, because He gives us the freedom to choose something new in us, He leaves in our hands the decision to transform our life into a new path with Him. Like Saints Timothy and Titus who followed St. Paul, like Peter, Andrew, John and James who were disciples of Jesus... Let us continue in the XXI century making the decision to say YES to Jesus in everything he asks of us.
«Don't forget: every time you meet someone, there is a true story at stake that can change a person's life. And this is not proselytizing, it is witnessing. It has always been like that. When Jesus, passing by the lakeshore, saw Peter, Andrew, James and John at work, he fixed his gaze on them and transformed their lives. The same is repeated in our day, when the encounter is the fruit of Christian love, it changes lives because it touches people's hearts and affects them deeply. May your proclamation become a witness of mercy, which shows that every attention given to one of the least of these is given to Jesus himself, who identifies with them.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, November 18, 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.
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.
To ask God for the grace to always recognize the need to be converted in order to be attentive and prepared for the coming of the kingdom of heaven.
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.
