Daniel Alejandro Arroyo Molina, 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)
Hello Lord, here I am. I want this moment to be just for the two of us. My things, my pending, my worries; I put everything in your hands. Forgive me because sometimes I forget that You can do everything and that You are my Father. I focus so much on everything else that sometimes I forget. You know what is best for me, even though I do not see it clearly at times. Today I give you what I have and I renew my trust. I also give you my heart that seeks you and sometimes does not feel you but knows that you do not abandon it.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 6, 1-6.16-18
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Take heed that you do not practice your righteousness before men, that you may be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward from your heavenly Father. Therefore, when you give alms, do not go about blowing a trumpet in front, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be honored by men; I tell you the truth, they have already received their reward. But you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does; so that your alms may remain secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you. When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who like to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the squares, so that people may see them. I assure you that they have already received their pay. You, when you go to pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in the hidden place, and your Father, who sees in the hidden place, will repay you. When you fast, do not go about crestfallen, like the hypocrites who disfigure their faces to make people see that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have already received their pay. But you, when you fast, cleanse your head and wash your face, so that your fast may be noticed, not by the people, but by your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father, who sees in the secret place, will reward you”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
The other day I met Luis. He has been having constant chest pains for some time now. Everyone knows that he has these pains sometimes. At family gatherings the subject always comes up. At work all his coworkers know that Luis may have heart problems. Even the neighbors know about it. Everyone has seen him complaining and suffering from these pains. Except his doctor.
It may seem silly that Luis has never gone to tell his doctor instead of telling everyone that he has chest pains and a heart condition. But believe me, it happens. And it happens a lot. I meet “Luises” all the time, people who suffer from heart pain, who are in pain, who go through life suffering. People with internal wounds, with existential questions that hurt. People with inner voids and vices. Or simply “Luises” who need something else, a change, a “start over”, a stop to find something or someone. And they tell everyone about it, even sometimes without wanting to. And TikTok knows it, and Instagram knows it, and Facebook knows it, and YouTube's algorithm knows it. But they never go to the Doctor.
Today we begin Lent. A time offered to us by the Church to stop for a while and realize what “little pains” we are carrying in our chest. But more importantly, to go to the doctor's office. Where is the doctor's office? Christ tells us today in the Gospel. It is not in the public squares, it is not in the noise of the trumpets of my good works. It is not in my pubic sacrifices. It is not in all the rules and responsibilities we fulfill to make ourselves look good. It is not there. And not because it's all bad. It can be very good, so much so that we will get paid. But we won't get what you and I need. We'll get a painkiller or something to distract us, but not the cure. The practice is in the secrecy of prayer. In going and talking to the Doctor. Go and tell him what is happening and show him every pain, every wound so that he can heal it with the grace of prayer and confession. Then your Father who sees in secret will give you what your heart seeks.
Talk more to Him and less to algorithms. Tell Him and listen to Him during this day and, this Lent, He is surely waiting for you.
«In this time of conversion let us renew our faith, let us quench our thirst with the “living water” of hope and let us receive with open hearts the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ.» (H.H. Francis, Message for Lent 2021).
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 before I check my cell phone again, I'm going to take a moment to pray for those who are seeking God. And if I meet any “Luis” during this week, I'm going to tell him where the Doctor's office is.
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.
