Jorge Alberto Leaños García, 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)
Enlighten, Lord, my mind so that I may think of you; form my intelligence so that I may know what you want of me; enkindle my heart so that I may love without measure; give strength to my will so that I may fulfill your will.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 18, 12-14
At that time Jesus said to his disciples, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and look for the one he lost? And if he finds it, I assure you that he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that were not lost. In the same way, the heavenly Father does not want a single one of these little ones to be lost”.
Word of the Lord
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
If we stop to look at our weaknesses and downfalls, it is likely that a feeling of rejection will arise in us, for it is difficult to accept our imperfections. We may be lost and even wounded, and yet continue to ignore our reality. Pride, arrogance, selfishness... we tend not to accept our wounds. No one finds it easy to admit that they are in the same situation as a lost and wounded sheep.
On the other hand, the shepherd seeks, but he seeks by waiting, for he knows the perfect time to go out to meet her. He waits for her to recognize what she needs and to realize that she is not in her place. The shepherd waits, waits and waits. It is not enough to find her, take her and return her against her will; he wants his sheep to experience the need for his Shepherd.
For those who have the capacity to act with strength and health, it is difficult to see themselves as lost and wounded sheep. However, every man has some small wound, whether superficial or deep. We all have to return to the flock from which we came (heaven). And so we must all let ourselves be led by Christ the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. This is a testimony of humility since the wounds are carried by the consecrated and the laity; children, youth and adults; we all have to let ourselves be carried by Christ accepting our wounds and accepting that we need to return home.
«Let us not forget that Jesus is the only Shepherd who speaks to us, knows us, gives us eternal life and protects us. We are the only flock and we only have to strive to listen to His voice, while He lovingly scrutinizes the sincerity of our hearts. And from this continuous intimacy with our Shepherd, from this conversation with him, comes the joy of following him, allowing ourselves to be led to the fullness of eternal life.
(Homily of H.H. Francis, May 12, 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.
Today I will be a witness of humility by accepting my weaknesses.
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.
