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, make in me a true experience of You; increase my faith so that I do not seek human glory but the glory of Him who gave His life for me.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 5, 31-47
At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: “If I were to testify about myself, my testimony would be worthless; it is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he bears about me is valid.
You sent messengers to John the Baptist and he bore witness to the truth. It is not that I want to rely on the testimony of a man. If I say this, it is so that you may be saved. John was the lamp that burned and shone, and you wanted to rejoice for a moment in his light. But I have a better testimony than that of John: the works which the Father has granted me to do, and which I do, bear witness to me and accredit me as the one sent by the Father.
The Father, who sent me, has borne witness about me. You have never heard his voice or seen his face, and his word does not dwell in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.
You study the Scriptures, thinking that you will find eternal life in them; well, they are the ones that bear witness to me. And you do not want to come to me to have life! I do not seek the glory that comes from men; it is because I know them and I know that the love of God is not in them. I have come in my Father's name and you have not received me. How can it be possible for you to believe that you aspire to receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes only from God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; there is already someone who accuses you: Moses, in whom you have your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how can you believe my words?.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
We can see how John the Baptist was only a momentary reflection of light, but we must not place, in a permanent way, our admiration in any man nor submit the testimony of God to that of men. It is Jesus himself who speaks to us with severity on this subject and we cannot be indifferent to his words. We must heed, not the authority of men, but the testimonies offered by Jesus himself.
Today the world offers glory to those who live and enjoy the moment according to their own criteria. Those who announce themselves without more than their own sufficiency are listened to and praised. We are attentive to the law of the strongest, we run to seek and have more and more; without sharing what He Himself has given us, love. The disciples of Jesus are listened to today by few, as few were those who listened to Jesus, the one sent by the Father.
We can read the Bible but not understand the message of Christ; we can know some quotes but not really know what is the intention of Jesus in our own life. The message is personal, it is unique, we cannot think what it says to others, we must think what these words say to each one of us. We can go to Mass and then not live the Gospel, we can say we are Catholics and only know that Jesus exists. But that is what Lent and our whole life is for, to realize how much Jesus loves us, how much patience He has for us and to surprise us because He is patience and He always waits for us, He is always there.
No word of Jesus comes by chance. It is not that Jesus scolds us or speaks to us loudly because he is angry, but because he loves us and wants the best for us. Let us not miss this period of preparation, of repentance, of seeking to draw closer to Jesus to accompany him.
«Jesus gave the Church his power to heal: “Those who believe will be accompanied by these signs: [...] they will lay hands on the sick, and they will be healed”. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read the description of the healings performed by Peter and Paul. The task of the Church, which knows that she must look at the sick with the same gaze full of tenderness and compassion as her Lord, responds to this gift of Jesus. The pastoral care of the sick remains, and always will be, a necessary and essential mission to be lived with renewed impetus both in parish communities and in the most excellent care centers. We cannot forget the tenderness and perseverance with which many families accompany their children, parents and relatives, chronically ill or seriously disabled. The care provided in the family is an extraordinary witness of love for the human person that must be supported by adequate recognition and appropriate policies.»
(Message of Pope Francis for the World Day of the Sick 2018).
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.
This Lent I will look for a moment each day to be alone with Jesus to know better what he wants for me.
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.
