Br. Jose Torres, 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, may I open my heart to your inspirations, so that I may always fulfill your holy will.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 10:7-15
At that time, Jesus sent out the Twelve with these instructions: “Go and proclaim on the road that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the lepers and the sick; raise the dead and cast out demons. You have received this power freely; therefore exercise it freely.
Do not carry with you, in your belt, gold, silver or copper coins. Do not carry a bag for the road, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff, for the worker has the right to his sustenance.
When you enter a town or village, ask for someone respectable and stay in his house until you leave. As you enter, greet them thus: ‘Let there be peace in this house. And if that house is worthy, your peace will reign in it; if it is not worthy, your greeting of peace will not profit you. And if you do not receive them or do not listen to their words, when you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. I assure you that on the day of judgment, Sodom and Gomorrah will be treated less harshly than that city’.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Go and proclaim along the way that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. With this mandate the Lord sends us to proclaim the Gospel, which is nothing more and nothing less than the good news, the joy of the Gospel, the joy of knowing that we are redeemed, loved and forgiven. But to be effective in this mandate it is necessary to be prepared and well disposed to accept the motions of the Holy Spirit, who instructs us and encourages us to give everything for the Gospel, to give everything for the truth, which is Christ.
You have received this power freely; therefore exercise it freely.. The gratitude of our works is summed up in the care we take and how we work, how we study, in short, in all our chores; it is the means by which God asks us to sanctify ourselves. Some are asked to lead a contemplative life, others, the great majority, will be asked to lead an active life, to live in the midst of the world, bringing the Gospel wherever they work. And it is there that God commands us to bear witness to Christ. This time is a time to meditate on how is our apostolic heart, how is our missionary ardor.
As you enter, greet as follows: ‘Let there be peace in this house. The desire for peace is not reduced only to the absence of war, it is much more profound and transcendent. It is to be able to contemplate God's love, to be able to be in his presence knowing that there is another who listens to us, who sees us, who is with us, to whom we can tell whatever we want, our anxieties, joys and concerns. And there will be times when we will not know what to say. It is then that we only have to say that our restless heart wants to be with Him and to say like St. Peter, «Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.».
«The joy of the Gospel fills the heart and the whole life of those who encounter Jesus. Those who allow themselves to be saved by him are freed from sin, from sadness, from inner emptiness and isolation.».
(Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, n, 1)
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer. Be willing 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 make a spiritual communion, praying for all the people who are suffering because of the pandemic.
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.
