Rubén Tornero, 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)
Jesus, I thank You with all my heart for this moment that You give me to be in intimacy with You. Before You I can be as I am, without any mask or armor, because You love me and look at me in such a way that I do not feel condemned by You, but welcomed just as I am, with all my wounds, with all my sins... with all my desire to love and to be loved. In your hands, Jesus, I place my whole heart with all my longings and problems, trusting that you will accept my plea and give me today and always what I need most.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 6, 7-15
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “When you pray, do not talk much, like the pagans, who think that if you talk a lot, you will be heard. Do not imitate them, for the Father knows what you need before you ask him. You, therefore, pray like this: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will the Father forgive you your trespasses”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Father... This is how the Gospel invites me to call you.
You, the Creator of all the stars and planets; You who thought of me with love from all eternity. You, who no matter what happens, no matter what I do, will never cease to be my Father.
You are my Father even when I do not behave as your son. You remain faithful on the cross with open arms to always welcome all your children. You are Father and you suffer when you see that so many times I do not know how to be a brother to others. There is no greater pain for a father than to see how his children fight like animals, use each other like things and kill each other like enemies.
Father, forgive me for not having always behaved like a true son of yours; for having been so often indifferent to my brother who suffers begging for alms in the street or who has asked me for a little attention and affection in my own home. Teach me to be a true son of yours, a brother of my brother.
Help me, Father, to know how to receive your infinite love and give me the grace to learn to receive the love that you have for me.
«Jesus leaves aside this prayer of words only, and says: “You, therefore, pray like this”. He indicates to us exactly the space of prayer with one word: “Father”. God knows what we need, before we ask Him for it; this Father who listens to us in secret, as He, Jesus, advises us to pray: in secret. A Father who gives us precisely the identity of children. Thus, when I say “Father”, I go to the roots of my identity: my Christian identity is to be a son and this is a grace of the Spirit. [...] He speaks with the Father: it is the way of prayer and, therefore, I allow myself to say, it is the space of prayer.
(Homily of H.H. Francis, June 16, 2016, in Santa Marta).
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 meditate on the prayer of the Our Father and seek to treat others as true brothers and sisters.
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.
