Iván Yoed González Aréchiga, 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)
I could dedicate this time to myself, to rest, to listen to music, to watch TV or to anything that would take me away from the day's work. However, I choose to dedicate it to you. On the other hand, I am not really the protagonist, the invitation was already sent. I simply came to answer it. You have called me and I accept to come. For You, Lord, are rest for me.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 9, 57-62
At that time, as Jesus and his disciples were on their way, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus answered him, ”Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.“ To another, Jesus said, ”Follow me.“ But he answered him, ”Lord, let me first go and bury my father.“ Jesus replied, ”Let the dead bury their dead. You go and proclaim the kingdom of God“. Another said to him, ”I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say goodbye to my family.“ Jesus answered him, ”He who holds the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God“.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
«Wherever you go, I will follow you»... What would happen in your heart, Lord, when you heard these words, you stopped on the road, the apostles with you. The apostles with you, what would happen in your heart when you looked at that person, that man or that woman? Certainly You, Lord, looked into his eyes. And then You said to one that «foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. And you told the other to let »the dead bury their dead«.
So many times I want to follow you, Lord, without even trying to intuit the demands of the Gospel. A man once said that he was afraid to ask for the cross for his life. He knew himself and his frailty. Many saints asked for pain for their lives, in order to live something for Christ. But as soon as we have tasted a little of the cross, it changes the whole vision. Following you is demanding.
What would be the look on the faces of those who questioned you on the road, after hearing your answer? You were not hard, Lord, but sensible. Love entails self-giving, renunciation. The proclamation of the Kingdom needs not so much instruments, but the freedom of men and women.
To gain one freedom, you need another. For one to know you, you need another who wants to know you. We are human and we bear witness to one another. Never without your grace, Lord, but at the same time You wanted never without us.
A full follow-up is necessary. Full surrender of freedom is necessary. True Christianity involves the whole man. It implies a decision without turning back, for «he who ploughs the plough and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God».
Happy is the surrender of the one who does it with all his being.
«We must not look back: it is a path to go forward, towards the horizon, with hope, with courage, open to grace. One day I go forward, another day I go backward, forward and backward. This does not help, it makes us stay still in the same place. Every day we need to convert. Father, to convert I have to do penance, to beat myself up. No, small conversions are needed. If you are able to manage not to speak ill of another, you are on the right path to become a saint. We are called to do simple things: I feel like criticizing my neighbor, my co-worker, it will be useful to bite our tongue a little, maybe it will swell but your spirit will be holier, on this path».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, May 24, 2016, at 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.
Is there anything in my activities, in my habits, in my tastes, that is not in accordance with your love, Lord? Today I want to begin the journey, or begin it again, to offer you this renunciation for your Kingdom. And the gain will be greater.
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.
