3.31.14

Lectio:  Jn 5.1-16                                                                                                                                      
Meditatio: "When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be well’? “ Jn 5.6

Oratio: "O God, what wonders You work even without faith on our part!                                                             
I remember that Jesus healed a crippled man simply because He took pity on the man and He only asked of the man what he wanted and of a  man who did not know who Jesus was. In prayer ask for the grace to always remember to ask of the Lord what you need for He will give you what you truly need and then some!

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: “ill...long time...want...well?”; Jesus cured the man who had been ill a long time merely because the man expressed a natural request. Sadly, because of their warped way at looking at things the religious elite  began to persecute Jesus because He did this on the Sabbath - how perverse!

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 5.17-30    

3,30.14

Lectio:   Jn 4.43-54                                                                                                                                   

Meditatio: "He [the official] asked them when he [his son] began to recover. They told him.’The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon’. The father realized that just at that time Jesus has said to him, ‘Your son will live’.” Jn 4. 51-52

Oratio: "O God, what wonders You work for our faith!                                                                   

I remember that Jesus healed the royal official son simply by willing it at long distance so that the official and his household would believe;  and they did. How wonderful for the son! How wonderful it was for his entire household!

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: “fever left....Jesus....said”; the royal official believed in Jesus and Jesus healed his son without physically coming down to him.  Jesus shows in this incident the power of faith. In prayer seek a strong faith not because of miracles,  but because faith in Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 5.1-16     

3.29.14

Lectio:   Jn 9.1-41                                                                                                                         

Meditatio: "So some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, because he [Jesus] does not  keep the Sabbath,’ But others said, ‘How can a sinful mad do such signs?’ And the was a division among them.” Jn 9.16             

Oratio: "O God, How obstinate we are at times!                                                                          

I remember that many of the Pharisees could not believe in Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath.  How sad for them that they allowed man made laws trump God’s love made manifest by Jesus healing many and in this case a man born blind. In prayer seek the openness of a child in things that our of God and we will never be misled.

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: “Pharisees...not from God...healed...Sabbath”: healing in the view of the Pharisees was considered work and not an act of charity and because of their misplaced belief they refused to believe the obvious. Are we not sometimes like them? Questioning what should be obvious. In prayer seek the grace of a strong faith so that miracles which do happen will be a source of enrichment for us.

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 4.43-54 

3.28.14

Lectio:   Lk 18.9-14                                                                                                              

Meditatio: "The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous -or even like this tax collector’.” Lk 18. 13

Oratio: "O God, You always listen to our prayers but You expect that we approach You in a humble and contrite way.

I remember Jesus told a parable about prayer in which He compared two people who went up to the Temple to pray. One extolled himself in his prayer while the other approached You in prayer with a contrite heart to seek Your mercy. And Jesus made it clear that the tax collector, one who was considered a public sinner, approached You in the right manner. May we always pray with our hearts and not with our self-righteousness.

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: “Pharisee...prayer...not like the rest”; the Pharisee started out right by addressing his prayer to God but he ended up wrong by using his prayer as a time to extol himself and put others down. In prayer seek the grace to approach God with a humble and contrite heart and we can count on God to be pleased with our prayers.

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 9.1-41

3.27.14

Lectio:  Mk 12.28-34                                                                                                  

Meditatio: "And to love him [God] with you all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mk 12. 33

Oratio: "O God, You have given us clear direction as to how to please You.

I remember one of the scribes, a Jewish elite, in his dialogue with Jesus, made it clear, that love of God and love of neighbor is better than all sacrifices - which were at the heart of divine worship in the temple until Jesus’ coming.  May all recognize the true praise and worship You want.

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: “love...Him...neighbor...yourself”;   in this triad of love, God is most pleased. In prayer seek the grace to not only Love God with your whole heart, but to love your neighbor to the same degree you love yourself for that is often so hard but that is so pleasing to God, Who is deserving of all your love.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk 18.9-14  

3.26.14

Lectio: Lk 11.14-23                                                                                       

Meditatio: "But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Lk 11.20

Oratio: "O God, how dense we are at times!

I remember Jesus’ opponents claimed that He was casting out demons by the power of the demons - how stupid! It was obvious that He was casting them out by the power of God and so His opponents should have looked no further for signs but they obviously did not want to know for if they did, they would have to give up on their positions and they were too entrenched in them to do so.

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: “finger...God...drive...demons...kingdom...has come”;   the only power stronger than the demon’s is God’s.  It is so obvious but the obvious means we then have to accept the message. We are often reluctant to do so. In prayer seek to be open to revelation and especially to the obvious for it is given to us for our betterment;  and then for the grace to love and do what You will for that is the key to right living.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 12.28-34  

3.25.14

Lectio:   Mt 5.17-19                                                                          

Meditatio: "Do not think that I [Jesus] have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” M5.18

Oratio: "O God, Your wisdom is from of old and it endures!

I remember Jesus declared that the law and the prophets would not be abolished but He would fulfill them. And the reason - because the Law was given by You to the people and the  messages of the prophets were inspired by you. He would fulfill them by emphasizing the necessity to do all things out of love. He would proclaim that the great law of love fulfills all the laws and the prophets. He was speaking of God’s laws and not the some 613 laws that the priestly class and Pharisees  developed over the centuries.

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: “abolish...law...prophets...fulfill”; God spoke in ages past by sending us prophets and giving Moses the 10 commandments; it is these that Jesus came to fulfill and He would do  so by His Gospel of love.  In prayer seek the grace to love God with my whole heart, my whole soul and my whole strength and my neighbor as my self for that is the way Jesus prescribed the fulfillment of all that God has commanded and that should be our goal.

Tomorrow's reading: Lk 11.14-23