12.14.15

Lectio: Mt 21.28-32                                                    

Meditatio: “ What is your opinion? A man had two sons....Which of the two did his father’s wills’?”  Mt 21.28a, 31a
                                                                                 
Oratio: O God, Your Son told a parable about two sons to show how inconsistent the religious leaders are for tax collectors and sinners were accepting Him while they were rejecting Him. Pray to accept the Word of God and live it for therein is my hope and my salvation.

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

Operatio: reflect: “two sons.....which...father’s will”; the one son who first refused to do the father’s will but did it and not the one who said he would but did not. Seek the grace to readily believe the Good News and live it for therein lies my greatest good..                                                                                         
Tomorrow's reading:Lk 18b-23

12.13.15

12.13.15

Lectio: Mt 21.23-27                                        

Meditatio: “ When he came into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority’.” Mt 21.23
                                                                                 
Oratio: O God, people, who sincerely seek the truth,  will find it;  but those who simply want to entrap those who proclaim the truth, will not. The religious leaders were not interested in the source of Jesus’ authority, they only hoped to entrap Him by His own words and declare Him a blasphemer. Pray to seek the truth always and proclaim it to others as well for the truth will set us free.

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

Operatio: reflect: “priests...elders....authority....these things.....who”; Jesus replied to the religious leaders with a question and when they coped a plea and said they did not the source of the Baptists’ mission, it was obvious to all, who heard the exchange, that Jesus had won the debate. Seek the grace to be a sincere questioner for the purpose of enhancing one’s faith and willing share the answers who are also seeking the truth and God will be pleased.                                                                                         
Tomorrow's reading: :Mt 21.28-32

12.12.15

Lectio: Lk 3. 10-18                            

Meditatio: “ John answered them all, saying, ‘I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming....He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’.” Lk 3.16a,16c
                                                                                 
Oratio: O God, John the Baptist made it clear that he was not the Messiah but the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire and not with water as John was doing. Pray and express your gratitude for being born at a time when you can easily recognize the Messiah and how you have been blest by the Holy Spirit at your Baptism                                     

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

Operatio: reflect: “baptizing...water...baptize...Holy Spirit”; Jesus did reveal Himself clearly to the people of His days and we are the beneficiary of their faith. Seek the grace to live in the Spirit and show it  in the love you have for others.                                                                                                                                       
Tomorrow's reading: :Mt 21.23-27

12.09 to 12.11.15

12.09.15

Lectio: Mt 11.11-15

Meditatio: "And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come." Mt 11.14

Oratio: O God, Jesus made it clear that Elijah, who was to come before the Messiah, had indeed come in the person of John, the Baptist. Pray to accept the words of Jesus for He can neither deceive nor be deceived.

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

Operatio: reflect: "if...accept...he..Elijah"; John the Baptist was the precursor of Jesus, fulfilling the role of Elijah, and thus fulfilling the expectations of the people.  Seek the grace of a strong faith in Jesus for He is my All.

Tomorrow's reading:  Mt 11.16-19

12.10.15

Lectio: Mt 11.16-19

Meditatio: "And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come." Mt 11.14

Oratio: O God, Jesus made it clear that Elijah, who was to come before the Messiah, had indeed come in the person of John, the Baptist. Pray to accept the words of Jesus for He can neither deceive nor be deceived.

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

Operatio: reflect: "if...accept...he..Elijah"; John the Baptist was the precursor of Jesus, fulfilling the role of Elijah, and thus fulfilling the expectations of the people.  Seek the grace of a strong faith in Jesus for He is my All.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk 1/26-38

12.11.15

Lectio: :Lk 1.26-38                            

Meditatio: "And coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you’.” Lk 1.28

Oratio: O God, Mary was highly favored by You and Mary in turn has highly favored us down through the ages including her appearance at Guadalupe. Pray that I may be always favored by Mary and she will guide me in the right paths to the kingdom.

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

Operatio: reflect: “favored....Lord...you”; Mary was graced in being offered to be the mother of Jesus and Mary in turn has graced us as her children. Seek the grace to always do what is right and pleasing to Mary, our Mother through grace,
and she will lead us home.

Tomorrow's reading:Lk3.10-18

12.08.15

Lectio:  Mt 11.28-30                            

Meditatio: “ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”
Mt 11.29                                                                      

Oratio: O God, Your Son knew how heavy life is for us at times and He generously offered to us His yoke for He knew His yoke is well fitting and would not cause painful rubbing and our burdens would be made lighter for He would be sharing them with us. Pray to willingly take  on the yoke of Christ and allow Him to use us to help the burdens of others for that is His wish.

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

Operatio: reflect: “my yoke....learn...I...meek... humble”; Jesus so much wanted to lift the burdens of life from us so we would not be crushed by them; and He wanted us to learn from Him - the great Law of Love - for He knew this would in turn make the burdens of others much lighter. Seek the grace to be a willing instrument of the Lord so as to spread His love.                 

Tomorrow's reading: :Mt 11.11-15

12.06.15

Lectio: Lk 5.17-26                 

Meditatio: "Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, ‘We have seen incredible things today’.” Lk 5.26            

Oratio: O God, Your Son could not have made it clearer to the religious leaders of the Jews who He is for in front of an audience of religious leaders from ‘every villages of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem’, Jesus healed a paralytic after first publicly forgiving his sins - a power that is God’s  alone- and these leaders that day were in awe. Pray that the many wonderful things God performs daily for us may be always be remembered and that we may be always grateful. 

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

Operatio: reflect: “struck...awe....in credible”; the reaction of the Jewish religious leaders from all over was one of awe at Jesus first forgiving a paralytic and then to show He had the power to forgive, commanding the paralytic to stand up and walk, and he did. Seek the grace to be ever grateful to Jesus for clearly revealing His identity and always place our trust in Him.

Tomorrow's reading: :Lk 1.26-38

12.05.15

Lectio: Lk 3.1-9

Meditatio: "He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins..”  Lk 3.3                         

Oratio: O God, Your Son’s coming was prepared by John, the Baptist. He did so by proclaiming a baptism for the forgiveness of sins and he cried out to make the mountains low and every filled. Pray to respond to his call and get to confession and experience Jesus’ forgiveness. 

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

Operatio: reflect: “baptism...repentance...forgiveness”; repentance and Baptism are two contrasting truths. Repentance calls us to look at the valleys of our life - our sinfulness and seek forgiveness; while Baptism calls us to look at the mountains of our life and realize we have been forgiven. Seek the grace to be ever grateful to the Lord for forgiving us our sins and to routinely go to confession for it is the sure sign that our present sins are forgiven and we will be richly blest for as John declared ‘all flesh will see the salvation of God.’

Tomorrow's reading:   Lk 5.17-26          

P.S. I was on retreat this past week and I remembered all in my prayer.