Our Lady of Fatima
José Alberto Rincón, 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, send your Spirit so that my understanding may be open to what you want to speak to my heart.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to John 16:16-20
At that time Jesus said to his disciples, “In a little while you will no longer see me, but in a little while you will see me again. Some of his disciples asked one another, ”What does he mean by saying, “In a little while they will see me no more, and in a little while they will see me again,‘ and by saying, ’I am going to the Father‘?’ And they said to each other, ”What does this “a little while‘ mean? We do not understand what it means.
Jesus understood that they wanted to ask him something, and he said to them, “You are confused because I have said to you, ‘In a little while you will no longer see me, and in a little while you will see me again. I assure you that you will weep and grieve, while the world will rejoice. You will be sad, but your sadness will be transformed into joy’.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
‘How often have we found ourselves experiencing this in our relationship with God? It seems that our soul rebels: ’Speak clearly, Lord, for I am slow of understanding! Do not hide your face from me! Reveal your will to me! Give me some certainty in which I can stand firm!
Yes, perhaps we ask God too often to give us assurances. It is natural, because no one likes to feel fragile, to feel vulnerable. But if we take a good look at things, in reality the opposite is what should happen. We must recognize our fragility, it helps us to find ourselves vulnerable. Otherwise, how will we welcome God's merciful omnipotence? How will there be room in our hearts for Him, if we do not live in our own flesh how much we need Him and how little we achieve without Him?
And what does the Lord do? Let us keep two words: ‘Jesus understood’. Yes, He understands the inner turmoil of emotions that afflict us. After all, He himself experienced them when He decided to become one of us! Herein lies one of the many wonders of our faith: God understands us. And He does so not from on high, but from within our own humanity. We are called to anchor our hope in this gentleness of God towards his creatures, or rather, towards his children.
One last thing: What fruit does this empathy of God produce? Simple: joy. His sadness will be transformed into joy. We see that this joy is not the result of our genius, our qualities or our schemes. Rather, it is the consequence of knowing that we are understood by God. We all feel sadness at one time or another; to remain sad, however, is a personal decision, the choice of those who have not experienced the mercy of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
«Earthly hopes are fleeting, they always have an expiration date: they are made of earthy ingredients, which sooner or later spoil. That of the Spirit is a lasting hope. It does not expire, because it is based on God's faithfulness. The hope of the Spirit is not optimism either. It is born more deeply, it rekindles in the depths of the heart the certainty of being precious because we are loved. It instills the confidence that we are not alone. It is a hope that leaves within us peace and joy, no matter what happens outside. It is a hope that has strong roots, which no storm of life can uproot. It is a hope, St. Paul says today, that “does not fail”-hope does not disappoint!-that gives the strength to overcome all tribulations. When we are troubled or wounded, and you know well what it means to be troubled, wounded, we are prone to «nestle» around our sadness and our fears. The Spirit, on the other hand, frees us from our nests, makes us fly, reveals to us the wonderful destiny for which we were born. The Spirit feeds us with living hope. Invite him. Let us ask him to come to us and he will draw near.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, June 16, 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.
In a moment of pause during the day, I will make an act of trust by placing in God's hands that which most troubles my heart now. I will say with simplicity: “Jesus, I trust in you”.
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.
