Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
Br. Julián Álvarez, 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)
Give me, Jesus, the grace to open my heart to listen to Your voice and to want and embrace what You want for me.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the holy Gospel according to Matthew 10:26-33
At that time, Jesus said to his apostles: “Do not fear men. There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor is there anything secret that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight, and what I whisper, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can cast both soul and body into the place of punishment.
Are two sparrows not sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. As for you, even the hairs of your head are numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Whosoever acknowledges me before men, him will I also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whosoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
When was the last time you experienced a day of complete freedom? When was the last time you acted before others without masks, without human respect? When was the last time you truly said what you thought and not what would most please the people around you?
I remember during my last visit to my family, I went to a restaurant with some friends I've had since I was fourteen. We were having a very pleasant and enjoyable conversation, and suddenly it was time for dinner. At that moment, internally, a debate started within me about whether to invite my friends to pray before we blessed the food or to pray on my own. I finally decided to pray on my own, even though deep down I would have liked us all to pray together. But the excuse I gave myself was that since one of my friends is Protestant, he might get upset. What a surprise when I started eating, that friend said, "Hey, don't you want us to pray all together?"
What a lesson I learned, because it was as if God told me, "See? Live what you believe and what you feel. Live your faith in front of others." This is one of the lessons that God's Gospel leaves us, to live our faith with authenticity, seeking to please God first, before seeking what is most comfortable.
«Today I am happy to tell you: Peter is with you to celebrate and renew faith and hope. Peter and the Church walk with you, and we want to tell you not to be afraid, to move forward with that renewing energy and constant restlessness that helps and moves us to be more joyful, more available, more “witnesses of the Gospel.” Move forward not to create a parallel Church that is a bit more “fun” or “cool” in an event for young people, with a few decorative elements here and there, as if that would make you happy. To think like that would be to disrespect you and to disrespect everything the Spirit is telling us through you.
On the contrary! We want to find and awaken with you the continuous novelty and youth of the Church, always opening ourselves to the grace of the Holy Spirit that so often brings about a new Pentecost.»
(Speech of Pope Francis, January 24, 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.
The next time I'm at the table, I will bless the food regardless of what people around me might think.
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.
