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)
Holy Spirit, give me your light in this moment of prayer. With the trust of a child, I also ask for the intercession of my guardian angel, so that I may have the docility to hear the Word and follow it, as a sheep follows its shepherd.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the holy Gospel according to Matthew 18:1-5. 10, 12-14
On one occasion, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a child, set him in the midst of them, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Be careful not to look down on any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to search for the lost one? And if he finds it, I assure you, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In the same way, the Heavenly Father does not wish for even one of these little ones to be lost.”.
Word of the Lord
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a passport is needed: to be small. This is the identity that distinguishes us before God; the virtue that brings us closest to Him. A song says: “What is it about being small that pleases God so much?” Christ teaches us in this Gospel that to be small means to become a child again. It implies a change, to recover each day that treasure that is worn away over the years...
A child has small hands. Everything is too big for them, everything overwhelms them, and in every chair their feet hang down. But they are happy even though they don't have control over everything. Even more: their happiness consists of not wanting to control everything. The child lives to receive, to discover, to be surprised. A child's greatness is not in their power over things and people; rather, they are free from this desire to rule their world. And just as they find their security in Mom and Dad, each of us has a wonderful Father who truly rules everything for our good. When we feel that our hands are small, that we can't grasp everything and direct circumstances... this is the opportunity to be children again, placing our trust in God.
A child is just entering the world. They lack experience. Every day they learn something new. And if they fall while taking their first steps, their mother soon picks them up so they can continue learning to walk. This is also what it means to be small. We are not perfect, nor do we know everything. How many times do we make mistakes, fall, or get lost! But this reality is not a reason to get discouraged. Quite the opposite: knowing that we are lost opens the doors to discovering that God seeks us. When we admit our falls with childlike simplicity, we can rejoice with greater gratitude towards God who lifts us up. By recognizing our own limits, we realize that we have a Father of boundless love and mercy.
Mary, our mother, teach us to be like children. Change our hearts and make them like your Son Jesus'. May we learn, as He did, to live always in the Father's hands.
«Today, let us ask the Lord that all the fathers and educators of the world, as well as all of society, may be instruments of that welcome, of that love with which Jesus embraces the little ones. He sees in their hearts the tenderness and care of a father and, at the same time, of a mother.
(Homily of H.H. Francis, October 4, 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.
In the face of temptations that may come my way today, I ask God for His grace to avoid even venial sin.
Farewell
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.
