8.31.13

Lectio: Lk 14. 1, 7-14                                                                                           

Meditatio: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Lk 14. 11
       
Oratio: O God, it is so important for us to know who we are and who You are!
I remember Jesus proclaimed to the guests at a dinner that those who humble themselves with be exalted.

Grant that I may realize that Your are the greatest and we are the lowest and depend entirely upon You for our life and all that is good for that recognition on our part is the key to humility and the key to greatness  for You have gifted us with a place of happiness with You forever if we  practice true humility. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "exalts....humbles”; exalted is to be given a position of greatness or honor;
to be humble means accepting who we are and who God is and rejoices in the fact that He cares for us and loves us and will show us His mercy if we turn to Him with a humble and contrite heart. In prayer seek the grace of humility and all things that are necessary for my salvation will come to be.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk  4.16-30 

8.30.13

Lectio:  Mt 25.14-30                                                                

Meditatio: “so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.”
Mt 25.25

Oratio: O God, You only ask of us what we are capable of doing - those with much talent, you expect much, those with little talent, you expect less.

I remember Jesus made this clear in the Parable of the Talents. And He made it clear, that  doing nothing with the talent we are given, is not acceptable - even if our doing nothing was motivated out of feat.

Grant that I may use the talent God gave me for the purpose He gave it to me and may I always be guided by the Great Law of Love in using whatever talent(s) I have. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "fear ...buried”; fear is not an excuse for failing to use the talent(s) God gives us and simply keeping it safe by burying it; that is, by not using it, is never acceptable. In prayer ask for the grace to use what the Lord has given me and use it for the purpose He wants; and may fear be kept at bay, so that I may serve Him with my talent(s) as He wants.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk14.25-33 

8.29.13

8.29.13

Lectio:  Mt 25.1-13                                                                 

Meditatio: “Therefore, stay awake; for you do not know the day nor the hour.” Mt 25.13

Oratio: O God, You so much want us to come to Your kingdom!           

I remember Your Son told a parable about ten virgins - five wise and five foolish - and the importance of being prepared to enter the kingdom but sadly we do not always heed.

Grant that I may live each day as though it were my last on this earth and be prepared to leave when I am called. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "stay awake”; a command of Jesus that we remain always prepared for our entry into eternal life and not simply a command to do without sleep; in prayer ask for the grace to do always what the Lord asks or wants of me; and then place my trust in Him for He alone has the words of eternal life.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 25.14-30

8.27.13

8.27.13

Lectio:  Mt 23.27-32                                                                

Meditatio: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs; which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.” Mt 23.27

Oratio: O God, You decry those who are not person’s of integrity.

I remember Jesus declared the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites because they only pretended to be good and He compared to them whitewashed tombs!

Grant that I may be a person of integrity so that what people see of me externally is consistent with what I am at the core of my being. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "hypocrites....tombs”; a person who puts on an act and conceals who he or she really is; whitewashed tombs are so apt a comparison. In prayer seek the grace to be a person in what You see, is what I am for that is what God desires all of us to be.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 6.17-29

8.26.13

8.26.13

Lectio:  Mt 23.23-26                                                                

Meditatio: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. [But these you should have done without neglecting the others.” Mt 23.23

Oratio: O God, how we get caught up in the small things while neglecting the important things You want of us.

I remember Jesus castigated the Pharisees and Scribes for their scrupulous tithing while neglecting mercy and fidelity to Your law.

Grant that I may have a right conscience; one that seeks to love others, God and self - for that will enable me to comply with all the laws and the prophets and love is what is pleasing to God most of all. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "tithes...neglect mercy”; tithing means we give 10 % to support the church or to support charitable endeavors; mercy means we show true love to others especially those who do not deserve it. In prayer seek the grace to keep the Great Law of Love always in focus and to allow it to be the guiding principle in all my actions and inactions.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 23.27-32

8.25.13

Lectio:  Mt 23.13-22                                                                

Meditatio: “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold on the temple, one is obligated’.” Mt 23.16

Oratio: O God, how amusing we must be when we seek to make what is an unsupported principle  for our position in order to feel good about doing what we should not.

I remember Jesus castigated the Pharisees and Scribes for holding that you could swear by the temple and it meant nothing but if you swore by the gold on the temple, you were bound!

Grant that I may be careful to judge rightly in accord with God’s will and not in accord with what I want to do as God is our moving principle and not us and we need to conform to what He wants of us and not what we want for ourselves. Seek to know the truth and put it into practice. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "blind guides?"; the religious leaders of the people; they should have known better and they most likely did; but they rationalized everything so that they could do as they wanted and not as they ought. In prayer seek the grace to keep in focus the good and the right as established by the source of All-Good and Righteous; and then live in accord with God’s principles and not man’s.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 23.23-26

8.24.13

Lectio:  Lk 13.22-30                                                    

Meditatio: “Someone asked him [Jesus], ‘Lord, will only a few be saved’?” Lk 13.23a

Oratio: O God, You desire all to be saved but we must accept Your invite and strive to live in accordance with Your will.

I remember Jesus was asked the question as to whether only a few be saved, and He did not answer it but instead urged that we strive to enter through the narrow gate and He also said that simply because we knew Him, even having eaten with Him, will not be enough.

Grant that I may never be presumptions that I will share in God’s kingdom, but also realize it is not something I earn but a great, great gift from God, and show my gratitude by living the way God wants me to live; namely, in accordance with the great Law of Love. I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what God is saying to you..

Operatio: reflect on "a few saved?"; a question Jesus did not answer; but He urged that we strive to enter through the narrow gate - living a life of selfless love; and God will gift you with a place in the kingdom. In prayer seek the grace to keep in focus the narrow gate as the path to travel and with God’s grace travel it; and one day God will gift me with a place in His kingdom.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 23.13-22