H. Hiram Galán, 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)
Lord, me again. I come looking for your peace, that peace that only you can give me. As I find myself immersed in my busyness, I see how the fast pace of society consumes me and makes me forget you. Help me to trust in you and rest in the peace of your love, if only for a moment.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 19:1-10
At that time Jesus entered Jericho, and as he was going through the city, it happened that a man named Zacchaeus, a rich chief tax collector, was trying to meet Jesus, but the people prevented him, because Zacchaeus was short in stature. So he ran and climbed a tree to see him as he passed by. When he came to the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. He came down at once and received him with great joy. When they saw this, they all began to murmur, saying, ”He has come into a sinner's house to stay with a sinner. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus, “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone, I will pay him back four times as much. Jesus said to him, ”Today salvation has come to this house, for he too is a son of Abraham, and the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.“.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Every person who seeks to pray, it is because, at some point in their life, Jesus has crossed their path. It is this moment in which Jesus has said in our heart «Today salvation has come to this house». Yes, because once the Lord comes into our life it is impossible to remain indifferent. Therefore, it is important to remember this moment so that our Christian life may take on a true meaning.
Pope Francis recommends going back to our Galilee, that is, to where it all began. Not to be forgetful, he repeats to us continuously. And all because to remember is to live again. Zacchaeus all his life will have remembered that first encounter with the Lord, that moment when salvation came into his life. Especially in the difficult moments, when his following Christ was more difficult.
Help me, Lord, to remember that moment. That moment when your salvation came into my life. I know that I am weak, and that sometimes human respect and cowardice prevent me from being coherent, but You know the clay I am made of, therefore, renew me and strengthen me in moments of trial so that, with Your grace, I may know how to respond with love and generosity to what You ask of me.
«Only the encounter with Jesus gives man the strength to face the most serious situations. The second expression is “get up!”, as Jesus had said to so many sick people, taking them by the hand and healing them. His followers do nothing more than repeat the encouraging and liberating words of Jesus, leading to him directly, without sermons. The disciples of Jesus are called to this, also today, especially today: to put man in contact with the compassionate mercy that saves. When the cry of humanity, like that of Bartimaeus, is repeated even louder, there is no other response than to make the words of Jesus our own and above all to imitate his heart. Situations of misery and conflict are occasions of mercy for God. Today is a time of mercy».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, October 25, 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.
I will try to respond with generosity, as Zacchaeus did, to the coming of Jesus into my heart, eliminating from my life that which today prevents me from being in friendship with Him.
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.
