Javier Castellanos, 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)
Come, Creator Spirit, visit the souls of your faithful and fill with your grace the hearts that you yourself have created.
Enkindle with your light our senses, infuse your love in our hearts, and with your help give strength to our bodies.
Grant that through you we may know the Father and the Son, and grant that we may believe in you at all times. Amen (From the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus).
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 20:19-23
When the doors of the house where the disciples were staying were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. Again Jesus said to them, ”Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.“ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ”Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive will be forgiven, and those whose sins you do not forgive will be unforgiven“.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
There are three things that every human being needs. Three goods as fundamental as water, food and clothing. Three treasures so valuable that they cannot be obtained by nature's efforts alone. Christ died, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven in order to give us these three gifts.
One of them is peace. «Peace be with you,» Jesus tells us today in the Gospel. In a world where we are surrounded by worries, tensions, confrontations, He wants to be our peace. A very special peace that is not limited to inactivity or armistice. He announces his peace by showing us his wounds, for this is the price of reconciliation with God. It is only through the cross that man receives forgiveness and can heal the cracks in his own heart and in his relationship with God and with others.
Another gift is joy. This too consists of something more than human; it is not like the joy of a party or of a personal achievement. It is much more than that. It is the joy that comes from seeing Christ. Only in Him can we contemplate the Face of God, and thus quench the deepest thirst of our soul: to see the Lord!
Finally, the gift of mission. In our life there are many things to do, but only the one who encounters Christ discovers what he has been created for and where God sends him. This mission that God gives us is something far greater than any other service, office and business. It is an undeserved honor, but essential for the soul, for God tells us in this way that we are important and necessary to Him.
Three gifts, but which in reality are given in a single Gift: the Holy Spirit that Christ sends us. Let us ask for the grace to receive more strongly in our lives the Holy Spirit, the Gift of God. Let us also ask for the three gifts that always come with Him: true peace, profound joy, authentic mission.
«On Easter evening, Jesus appears to his disciples and breathes his Spirit upon them (cf. Jn 20:22); on the morning of Pentecost, the outpouring comes in a resounding manner, like a wind that rushes through the house and bursts into the minds and hearts of the Apostles. Consequently, they receive such an energy that they are impelled to announce in different languages the event of Christ's resurrection».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, May 24, 2015).
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 be attentive to my words, seeking to convey peace and joy with what I say.
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.
