8,17,14 to 8,24,14

 8..17.14

Lectio: Mt19.16-22

"He answered him, 'Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter eternal life, keep the commandments'." Mt 19.17

Oratio: O God, You know how weak we are, and You graciously and mercifully take this I to our account.

I remember that Your Son told us that if keep the commandments and live our neighbors, we will enter heaven. He also urged us to be perfect by living  a life of radical poverty such as was lived by St. Clare and St. Francis and which those in religious life strive to live today. In prayer seek the grace of inordinate attachment to material things so that love for things may never supplant our love of our neighbors

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


Operatio:  reflect "eternal life...keep commandments"; our destiny is within our reach-Love and then do what you are able. In prayer pray for those in religious life who live radical Gospel poverty and seek the grace to at least avoid undue attachment to things of this work so as to have a heart that can love all and we will be greatly blest in the end.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 19.23-30

8.18.14

Lectio: Mt19.23-30

Meditatio: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God'." Mt 19.23

Oratio: O God, You know how easily we can substitute a false god for You.

I remember that Jesus warned us that riches could keep us from You -why? Because riches becomes a god for us and the love of our lives rather than You. In prayer seek the grace to use any riches that come your way as a means to aid us and those whose lives we touch in our journey to You and not as the End we seek in thus life and riches will not keep us from You, who alone can satisfy our deepest longings and need.

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


Operatio:  reflect "hard...rich...enter ...kingdom"; hard because they become the love of our lives and crowd out Jesus; but God in His compassionate love will give us the grace to uses riches rightly if we allow Him to have sway over us.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 20.1-16


8.19.23

Lectio: Mt 20.1-16

Meditatio: "When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ' Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first'." Mt 20.8

Oratio: O God, Your justice is not our justice.

I remember that Jesus told a love parable about the kingdom and likened it to an owner of a vibe yard who hired workers throughout the day and at the end of the day, gave everyone the usual daily wage, making it clear that so long as we work for the kingdom no matter how late in life, God will give the kingdom to such a person for His justice is to give to us what we need and not what we deserve. In prayer seek the grace to work for the kingdom by being a person of selfless love and God will gift us with heaven no matter how long we worked for Him,

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

Operatio:  reflect "pay...beginning ...last...ending...first"; God's treatment for all who work for the kingdom no matter how late in life, is the same for we could never earn the kingdom, but we all need it and God gives it as a gift to all. In prayer seek the grace to continually work for God and He will take care of us when this life is over with a life that never ends and with Him. What a generous God we have who loves us dearly.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 22.1-14       


8.20.14

Lectio: Mt 22.1-14

Meditatio: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son...the servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the King came to meet the guests he saw there a man not dressed in a wedding garment."  Mt 22.2, 10, 11

Oratio: O God, You want all to be part of Your kingdom.

I remember that Jesus told a parable and likened heaven to a wedding feasts to which both the good and bad were guests; but one was found without a wedding garment -a change of garments and a symbol of repentance-and that guest was thrown out for he showed by his attitude he did not want any part of heaven - how sad for that person! How little God asks of us in return for His gift of eternal life of love and joy.  In prayer seek the grace of a contrite heart so that I will always be prepared to receive God's gift - a guest in His kingdom,

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what
God is saying to you.
   
Operatio:  reflect "heaven...feast...all..wedding garment"; a wedding garment was supplied to all guests when they arrived for a regal celebration because their clothing would have been covered with dust and dirt from their travel. So there was no excuse fro a man who received a last minute invite to the wedding, not to have one when he entered the hall. Just like there is no excuse to not seek forgiveness for our sins from God as often as we need it for He gives it as often as we asks and heaven as well.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 22.34-40



8.21.14

Lectio: Mt 22.34-40

Meditatio: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Mt 22.36

Oratio: O God, You made it do easy for us to know Your will

I remember that Your Son declared both the greatest and the second commandments and they can be summed up in one word - Love!  In prayer seek the grace to love God with my whole heart and my neighbor as myself and I will be most pleasing to You.

I ask these and all things through Your Son and the Holy Spirit, who live and reign with You 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: "commandment...greatest"; love God and then love your neighbor as yourself and you fulfill what the whole law and the prophets require. In prayer seek the grace to be a person of selfless love and The Lord will most pleased and others will be blest and we will abide in God for God is love.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 23.1-12
   
8/.22/14       

Lectio: Mt 23.1-12

Meditatio: "All their works are performed to be seen." Mt 23.5a

Oratio: O God, You want us to work  and to serve others. I remember Jesus warned against working to be seen; rather He urged us to work to serve others. In prayer seek the grace of being a true servant to others for that is how I will be most pleasing to God who is my All.

I ask these and all things in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with the Father 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: "all...works...seen"; the failure of the religious leaders of Jesus' day was in working to be praised but not to serve and pride became their downfall .  In prayer seek and practice the virtue of humility and your works will be most pleasing to God and beneficial to yourself

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 16.13-20


8.23.14

Lectio: Mt 16.13-20

Meditatio: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose  and on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  Mt 16.19

Oratio: O God, You know the importance of authority for the success of any enterprise and certainly for Your church on earth. I remember your Son gave Peter the keys alone, the symbol of authority and down through the ages, his successors have exercised the supreme authority in Your church. In prayer may I have the grace of a humble and submissive heart, and always accept what the Pope proclaims for He is the voice that You have given us for our salvation.

I ask these and all things in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with the Father 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: "keys...to...kingdom"; keys were a symbol of authority at the time of Christ and Jesus giving the keys to Peter was a clear indication that Peter was to exercise authority over the church and it is the basis for why we hold that the Pope, the successor of Peter as the Bishop of Rome, is the supreme authority of the church throughout the ages. In prayer thank Jesus for making His choice of an authoritative leader known while He was still with us for the Pope is a sure source of direction for a our salvation.

Tomorrow's reading: Mt 23.12-22


8/ 24/.14   

Lectio: Mt 23.13-22                                  

Meditatio: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. Yo do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter,” Mt 23.13

Oratio: O God, how You decry those who should lead Your children to You but become obstacles instead.

I remember Your Son called the religious leaders of His day - hypocrites! For their actions prevented people who were trying to enter the kingdom of heaven to do so; and He issued a very strong warning to them. In prayer seek the grace to show good example both in words and deeds so that I may be a stepping stone for others to enter the kingdom of heaven.
       
Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what
God is saying to you.

Operatio:  reflect "Woe .... hypocrites...lock”; the Scribe and Pharisees were more interested in power than in ministry and they became an obstacle for the people in the efforts to lead a life pleasing to the Lord. In prayer seek the help to lead people to the Lord both in my words and deeds and this will be pleasing to the Lord.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 22.23-26