1.31.14

Lectio: Mk 4.35-41                                                                                 

Meditatio: “They were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey’?” Mk 4.41

Oratio: O God, You sent Your Son to us with great power so that people would more readily believe in Him.          

I remember Jesus spoke and violent winds and sea immediately grew calm  - Wow! Yet, His disciples were only astonished and they would continue throughout His public ministry appear to be dense as to Who Jesus is.

Grant that I may be grateful for the many manifestations of Your Divinity which You give for our edification and to draw us to faith and for the many manifestations of the divinity of Your Son; and may I have the grace to be open to the many ways You make Yourself known for it is for my benefit and for the lives of those I touch.

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"Who...wind and sea obey”: The question should have been Why for the answer to the question Who should have been obvious; in prayer thank God for loving us so and for manifesting so clearly in Jesus that we should put our faith in Him for our salvation and for the salvation of those whose lives we touch.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk 2.22-40    

1.30.14

Lectio: Mk 4.26-34                                                                      

Meditatio: “He [Jesus] said, ‘To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it’?” Mk 4.30

Oratio: O God, You want us to plumb the great mysteries so as to have some understanding  of them.                   

I remember Jesus used parables to teach the people of the great mysteries of their salvation and He used the parable of the  seed. which grows by itself, among others ; in this parable  when we search for its underlying meaning we come to realize that the growth of the kingdom of God is not brought about by our power but through His as He planted the seeds.

Grant that I may always be grateful for the gift of faith which was passed on to me through many throughout the ages and because of it, the kingdom of God is now a good possibility for us if we allow Jesus to use us as He wills. Like the seed which  is sown we will produce the results He wishes.

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"kingdom...parable”; the kingdom of God is a wonderful and glorious mystery; we best get a glimpse of it through parables, which are teaching stories, whose messages are not in the surface line of the stories but in its underlying meaning. From the parable of the sower of seed, we see that the growth of the Kingdom of God here on earth is through God’s power and its growth is through His using us to bring it about. And if we allow Him to do so, in the end God will give us a place in the eternal kingdom.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 4.35-41

1.29.14

Lectio: Mk 4.21-25                                                           

Meditatio: “He [Jesus] also said to them,’Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you’.” Mk 4.24

Oratio: O God, You want us to be fair in treating others for that is Your way.                

I remember Jesus called people to take care about how they measured for that is how they will be measured.

Grant that I may always remember the old adage, “Do unto others, as you would have them do to you.” And then seek the grace to abide by this principle and God will be pleased and we will be fair in our judgments.

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"you measure ...measure to you”; measure in this context means to judge. We must remember that judgment is the Lord and in our making judgements that we can only see things from the surface, and therefore should always give the other the benefit of the doubt. In prayer seek to be fair in judging others and seek the grace to abide be the Golden Rule. And if we do, God will in the end give so much more.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 4.26-34

1.28.14

Lectio: Mk 4.1-20                                                 

Meditatio: “but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the cravings for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.” Mk 4.19

Oratio: O God, You want to be the object of our love and the treasure for us beyond price.

I remember Your Son warned us of the dangers of worldly anxiety, riches and cravings that can choke off our love for You to our great detriment for without You we are nothing.

Grant that I may always remember You alone should I adore, You alone should I worship, You alone should I love with my whole heart, soul and strength and You will bring us safely home for we will have done Your will.                                   

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"lure...choke the word”; the attraction of things of this world, if unchecked, can become the object of our love and choke off our love for God; in prayer seek the grace to be attracted of the things of God so that our love for Him may ever increase and no other lure will have any hold in our hearts.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 4.21-25  

1.27.14

Lectio: Mk 3 31-35                                      

Meditatio: “[For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Mk 3.25

Oratio: O God, You desire an intimate relationship with us.        

I remember Your Son said that if we do Your will, we are His brothers and sisters and even mother to Him - what a close relationship You have made possible for us.

Grant that I may always remember doing Your will is the most important thing for me in this life for it assures me that close relationship with You that I could never have earned nor ever have deserved; and for the grace to do Your will in all things.

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"will ...my brother;” The will of God is my reason for being and the basis for my great dignity; In prayer seek the grace to know God’s will and then to do it in all things for that is the way of my lasting good.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 4.1-20         

1.26.14

Lectio: Mk 3.22-30                                      

Meditatio: “But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” MK 3.29

Oratio: O God, You are full of compassion and forgiving. But!

I remember Your Son said that there is one sin that is an everlasting sin and will never be forgiven - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  This seems to contradict Your willingness to forgive - but it does not because blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means the sinner has hardened his heart against You by attributing Your works to the devil; and to be forgiven requires a person to be open to it and seek it; neither disposition is present is a person who has hardened his heart against You.

Grant that I may always remember God’s all-forgiving nature and if I have the misfortune to sin, to immediately turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness and He will readily give it; and if the sin is mortal, to also receive the sacrament of reconciliation so as to have a sure sign of God’s forgiveness.

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"blasphemes ...Holy Spirit;” blasphemy consists of attributing ti Satan a work or a deed that clearly is the work or deed of God; if it is coupled with a hardness of heart, it is an unforgivable sin because of the disposition  of the sinner. In prayer seek the grace to always have a humble and contrite heart which is always open to our most kind and merciful God.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 3.31-35        

1.25.14

Lectio: Mt 4.12-23                           

Meditatio: “From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’.” Mk 4.17   

Oratio: O God, You made it clear when the fullness of time had occurred.

I remember first You sent John the Baptist to prepare the people by calling them to repent and after he was arrested, Your son continued to call the people to repent in the same words as John so the people would see in His preaching and healings that it was the work of Yours and a solid basis to accept Jesus’ message.

Grant that I may remember this great blessing You bestowed on us through Your Son - the kingdom of heaven,   and to do our part to make it known to all with whom we have influence.

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"preach....Repent”; Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who turn away from sin and John the Baptist did so too, if one wanted to participate in the Kingdom. In prayer seek the grace to always turn away from sin and believe in the Good News for therein lies eternal life and membership in the Kingdom forever.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 3.22-30