Iván Yoed González Aréchiga, 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)
Lord, I want to always carry forward the life you have given me to love you. I want to learn to live it, to be filled with you, to reach you. My Mother, Most Holy Mary, may this prayer transform my heart more so that it may become like your Son's.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 18, 9-14
At that time, Jesus told this parable to some who prided themselves on being upright and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed this to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Judging others is a constant sting in man. One tends to feel better than the other. So many times prejudice has damaged what could have become a friendship. «I thank you because I am not like the others»... and meanwhile, the humble person would say, «Lord, strengthen my brother, my sister, for they are as fragile as I am.».
The humble person knows their fragility, knows their truth, and acknowledges it before God and before others. And they live with such constant awareness of their weakness that they do not allow themselves to judge others. They know they are so in need of God's mercy that they desire it equally for their brothers and sisters. They present a prayer before God for themselves, so that they may serve better. And they place their brothers and sisters, their friends, and their «enemies» or those who for any reason do not like them into the Lord's hands. They have a big heart, with room for God and, in God, for everyone. Lord, can I be humble too? Can I know my wretchedness in order to better love you and others? Can I know my truth without despair, knowing that even though I am weak, I am always in your hands? Can I be small and at the same time be great? I can. With your grace, I can.
«My God, have mercy on me, a sinner» and teach me to have mercy on others as You do.
«He looks at the “field” of each person's life with patience and mercy: He sees the dirt and evil much better than we do, but He also sees the sprouts of good and waits with confidence for them to mature. God is patient, He knows how to wait. How beautiful this is: our God is a patient father, who always waits for us and waits for us with an open heart to welcome us, to forgive us. He always forgives us if we go to Him.
(Sermon of H.H. Francis, July 20, 2014).
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 will seek to speak with the person I dislike the most, offering them a gesture of charity that can show them some of your love, Lord.
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.
