01.18.16

Lectio:  Mk 2.23-28                                       

Meditatio: “Then he sad to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath’.” Mk 2.27                                                                             
  
Oratio: O God, Jesus’ disciples were picking grain on the sabbath to feed their hunger; but the religious leaders considered this work and criticized them for doing so. Jesus made it clear that the commandment of keeping holy the sabbath is not an absolute commandment and its purpose was for man’s benefit. Pray to keep holy the sabbath and keep in mind that it is for the purpose of energizing us, physically, emotionally and religiously and act accordingly.                                                                              
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “sabbath....for man...; Jesus set the record straight as to the purpose of the sabbath and made it clear that any interpretation of its purpose that would harm man is not controlling. Seek the grace to use the sabbath as a day of rest so as to recharge your batteries both physical, psychological and spiritual and you will be keeping it holy.                                                          
Tomorrow's reading: Mk 3.1-6   

01.17.16

Lectio:  Mk 2.18-22                            

Meditatio: “Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast’.” Mk 2.19
  

Oratio: O God, Jesus’ disciples did not fast and the Pharisees’ and the Baptist’s disciples did and they wanted to know why His disciples did not. His replied showed that one of the purposes of fasting was to hasten the coming of the Messiah and by His identifying Himself as the Bridegroom, He was using an Old Testament symbol for the Messiah and therefore His coming negated fasting. But He also said that when He leaves, they will and they did. Pray to make fasting part of your spirituality and do so for Jesus’ sake                    

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “guests fast....bridegroom....them”; Jesus replied to the why His disciples did not fast while others do, is that His presence has fulfilled the main purpose of fasting. Sadly His religious proponent missed the heart of His reply. Seek the grace of gratitude for having been born at a time, when Jesus’ words are understood and there is no longer any reason not to  plainly declare that Jesus is the Messiah.
Tomorrow's reading: Mk 2.23-28

01.16.16

Lectio:  Jn 2.1-11                  

Meditatio: “When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’... His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’.” Jn 2,3,5

Oratio: O God, Jesus, His mother and disciples attended a wedding in Cana and the wine ran out. Mary noticed and brought it to the attention of her Son, He changed 120 gallons to 180 gallons of water into wine. - What s sign! It was a Messianic sign! Pray to recognize God at work daily for us in nature and in our families and do whatever He tells you to do.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “wine...short..mother...do.....tells you”; Mary our Mother in grace and Jesus’ Mother is a great intercessor. Seek the grace to always remember that we have such a great and concerned Mother in heaven and always have recourse to her in our needs for she wants all her children to one day come home to her.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 2.18-22

01.15.16

Lectio:  Mk 2.13-17

Meditatio: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Mk 2.16b

Oratio: O God, Jesus was criticized by the religious elite because of the company he kept. But he replied that it was just for these that He came. Pray to judge not others;  less in judging you also  be judged. Know that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord, even the hardened sinner.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “why....eat....sinners; “ Jesus ate with sinners to show that it was just people like them that He was there. Seek the grace to be there for others regardless of the state of their souls;  and do your best to bring them back to the Lord for He so much wants their return.

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 2.1-11

01.13 & 14

Lectio:  Mk 1.40-45

Meditatio: “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, 'I do will it. Be made clean'." MK 1.41

Oratio: O God, Jesus with a touch and a command, healed a leper, the incurable of the time! Pray with confidence to the Lord, no matter how desperate the need, whether Jesus will work a miracle, is up to Jesus, but in fact a miracle of faith has already occurred by your turning to Him.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “pity...touched...made clean"; the power of intercessory prayer is evident in Jesus cure of the leper. Seek the grace to always plead before the Throne of Mercy your needs for you will always receive an answer and God will help you by answering your plea or be helping you get through your time of need.


Tomorrow's reading: Mk 2.1-12

1.14.16

Lectio:  Mk 2.1-12

Meditatio: “But that you may know the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins on earth - he said to the paralytic, ' I say to you, rise, pick up your mat , and go home'." Mk 2.10

Oratio: O God, Jesus with His words alone, forgave  sins and healed a paralytic in the sight of the unbelieving religious leaders.  Pray to imitate the four friends of the paralytic and readily pray for the welfare of others.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “authority...forgive...rise"; the power of intercessory prayer is evident in Jesus' cure of the paralytic for He did so because of the faith of the four men who carried the paralytic and lowered him through the roof to Jesus.  Seek the grace to readily pray for the needs of others for such prayers are so powerful.


Tomorrow's reading: Mk 2.13-17

01.12.16

Lectio:  Mk 1.29-39                                                                                                   

Meditatio: “So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.” Mk 1.39
                                                                                                 
Oratio: O God, Jesus personally spread the Good News and healed so all would know the Kingdom of God is at hand. Pray that I may be always opened to how the Kingdom is being spread and present today for it is for my greatest good.

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “preaching....throughout...Galilee.” Jesus spoke with authority and healed with authority so no one could mistake who He is. Seek the grace to see Christ in the other for that is the mission of all and we best do it with the life we live.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 1.40-45                                  

01.11.16

Lectio: Mk 1.21-28                                                                                        

Meditatio: “All were amazed and asked one another,’ What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands and even the unclean spirits and they obey him’.” Mk 1.27                                                                                                  
Oratio: O God, Jesus came and taught with authority and cast out unclean spirits showing us another aspect of the mystery of Christ coming in his fulness. Pray with faith that Jesus will grant what we truly need for He has the power and He has the will to do so..
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “new teaching....authority.....spirits....obey.” Jesus spoke with authority and acted with authority. Seek the grace to always do His will for therein lies our greatest good.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 1.29-39                                  

01.10.16.

Lectio: Mk 1.14-20                                                                                        

Meditatio: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Mk 1.15
                                                                                                                                                  
Oratio: O God, Jesus called us to repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is here. In doing so He disclosed pat of the mystery of His coming in fulness - the theme for Ordinary Time in the Church year, which begins tomorrow. Pray to reform and for a strong faith so that His coming will be most effective for you and for those whom you influence.
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “kingdom....hand.....repent....believe.” Jesus began His public ministry by announcing the kingdom was at hand and calling us to reform our lives and to accept the good news.  Seek the grace to respond to Jesus’ call to reform and reflect it in a life lived in accord with Gospel values.                                                                            

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 1.21-28                                  

01.09.16

Lectio: Lk 3.15-16, 21-22                                                                      

Meditatio: “After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying; heaven was opened and he holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased’.”
 Lk 3.21-22

Oratio: O God, Jesus did not need to be baptized as He was sinless; nevertheless He did so to show His solidarity with us. Pray to be always grateful for our baptism through which we received the Holy Spirit and we were adopted as Jesus’ siblings.                                                   
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “Jesus...baptized....Spirit descended..voice....beloved Son”; Jesus’ baptism revealed much about our baptism for as He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and endorsed by His Father so do we experience the same at our baptism. Seek the grace to live as God’s children and reflect it by a life of selfless love for in doing so, we will have captured the mysstery of divine love and the reason for Jesus’ coming.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 1.14-20               

01.08.16

Lectio: Jn 3.22-30                                                           

Meditatio: “He must increase; I must decrease.” Jn 330                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Oratio: O God, John, the Baptist, knew his mission and he gave a final witness that Jesus was the one who was to come.  Pray for a humble heart and always be a person of integrity for that is the best way to give witness to the Lord.                                                              
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “he...increase...I ..decrease”; John knew his role and he discharged it well, Seek the grace to know yourself and act accordingly for that is a very good way to witness to the Lord.                                                                                                                                                               Tomorrow's reading: Lk 3.15-16, 21-22        

01.05.16

Lectio:  Mk 6.45-52                                                           

Meditatio: “But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost and cried  out.” Mk 6.49                                                                                                                                                     
Oratio: O God, Your Son showed His divinity when He walked on the sea. Yet His disciples were confused and afraid at the moment thinking Him a ghost. Only later upon reflection did they make the connection. Pray to see in the moment the presence of the Lord and respond with love and action.
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “walking....sea...ghost”; first impressions can and are often wrong. The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost when they saw Him walking on the sea. Seek the grace of an openess of a child so that I may see the many ways Jesus is present to me in my daily life for He is there whenever we see selfless love

Tomorrow's reading: Lk 4.14-22a  

01.04.16

Lectio: Mk 6.34-44                                                

Meditatio: “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all.” Mk 6.41


Oratio: O God, Your Son showed great compassion for the people following Him for He not only fed their souls -preaching to them at great length - but He also fed their bodies. And did so with superabundance. Seek the grace to show compassion to others and allow God to operate through us to them for that is Jesus’ way.
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “five loaves....blessing, broke....gave” ; the actions Jesus displayed in the feeding of the five thousand mirrored the actions in His giving us the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Seek the grace to be generous with our time, talent and treasure for that is the Way of Jesus and it must be our way, too.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 6.45-52    

P,S. today, is the feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born and citizen to be canonized. She was a convert, a wife, mother and foundress of a religious order and patron saint of the parish I last served as its pastor.          

01.03.16

Lectio: Mt 4.12-17, 23-25                              

Meditatio: “And he went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.” Mt 4.23                          
Oratio: O God, Your Son proclaimed the Gospel and showed His authority by working many miracles for the people. Pray that I may do my part in proclaiming the kingdom especially in the life I live.
                                                                        
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “Galilee...proclaiming....gospel...curing”; the people of Jesus’ time ought to have put their faith in Him for not only was He a powerful preacher but backed up His words with His deeds.  Seek the grace to exemplify the Gospel in my life.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 6.34-44               

01.02.16

Lectio: Mt 2.1-12                    

Meditatio: “After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” Mt 2.9

Oratio: O God, You inspired the Magi to follow the star to Your Son and they did. Pray that I may always follow Your promptings for You give to me for my good.                                                                                                               
Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “audience,,,,king....star...stopped...child”; a new star led the Wise Men to Jesus and they were privileged to see Him and pay Him homage. Seek the grace to follow the star You have given me - the Church - and abide by its teachings for they are for our good.                                                                                                                
Tomorrow's reading: Mt 4.12-17, 23-25

01.01.16

Lectio: Jn 1.19-28

Meditatio: “He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, Make straight the way of the lord’.” Jn 1.13

Oratio: O God, You sent John to prepare the way for Your Son and he did what You asked of him. Pray to always do Your will no matter how great or how little the task for doing so is my way back to You.                                                                        

Contemplatio: Spend some time with today's text and see how the Lord is speaking to you.

Operatio: reflect: “I....voice....Make...way....lord”; John was the voice; Jesus was the Lord; we, too, by virtue of our baptism are to prepare the way of the Lord for those whose lives we touch. Seek the grace to do so for therein lies our worth.        
                                                                                                                                      
Tomorrow's reading: Mt 2.1-12       

P.S. Happy New Year!