Br. Jorge Alberto Leaños García, 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, I want to find you; just give me patience to wait for your grace, wisdom to see you where you show me your goodness, understanding to comprehend what you want to teach me, and strength to overcome with your might. Help me discern where your will is, be open to whatever you ask of me, and never be afraid to do your will.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 23:1-12
At that time, Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their deeds, for they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy and burdensome bundles which are put on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with a finger. They do all their deeds that they may be seen by men. They widen their phylacteries and enlarge the fringes of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the front seats in synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called “Rabbi” by men.".
You, on the other hand, are not to be called “teacher,” for you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers. Do not call anyone on earth “father,” for you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called “leaders,” for you have only one leader, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Gifts are not understood if their origin is ignored; they cannot be comprehended if we do not find the reason why they have been given to us. We need to recognize the source of our gifts so as not to believe they are our own merits and, in this way, avoid the danger of thinking that the fruits are produced by our own strength. Gifts are not earned; they are freely given. It does not matter if we are worthy, nor are they denied due to our weaknesses and imperfections. They are a gift given selflessly.
Furthermore, gifts are given to us for a reason; they have an end, a goal, a concrete objective. A gift normally tends to come out of us to bear true fruit. Our gifts can be stifled if they remain within us. This is why a gift finds its fulfillment in others, because, for the gift to reach its fullness, it must reach the end for which it is made. Our gifts find their fulfillment in those around us.
In the Gospel, we see three gifts that clearly show their origin goes beyond our own strength, and at the same time, we discover that these gifts require us to step outside ourselves so they can bear fruit in others. Being a father, being a teacher, being a guide… these are three gifts whose origin and purpose alike break away from an isolated and enclosed life. One cannot be a true father, teacher, or guide through one's own strength; only One is He who possesses these three gifts in fullness and, therefore, only He is able to transmit the gifts in the purest way.
Now, when we receive a gift, we are given a mission towards others. Therefore, we can understand that parenthood primarily consists of transmitting life, and not just transmitting life on a biological level, but, above all, spiritually. The teacher will seek to transmit their knowledge, but knowledge can range from human realities to celestial reality. The guide wants to transmit an experience; he knows the path and knows that it is long and complicated, but he always points out that there is only one goal.
To transmit… one never stops transmitting what one has received. A gift means being a channel for grace where we gratefully receive and selflessly share. Let us not ignore the origin, let us not forget the source. If we are aware of this, we can give what we have, not as if we had achieved it ourselves, but as that which has been gifted to us.
«There is a man who was good, a good Pharisee, but who had forgotten the gift of courtesy, the gift of living together, which is also a gift. Gifts are always forgotten when there is some self-interest behind them, when I want to do this, do, do. Yes, priests, all of us, must do things, and the first task is to proclaim the Gospel, but we must guard the center, the source, from which this mission springs, which is precisely the gift we have received freely from the Lord.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, September 19, 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 point out a gift I have and wonder if I am passing it on to others.
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.
