Presence

“You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16). Lord, help me to live in Your presence today.

Freedom

Lord God, I thank you for the gift of freedom.
Help me to use this gift with integrity.
I am free to make choices.
Help me to choose to follow You,
to live in a Christian way by caring for others.
Remind me to consider always those less fortunate than myself:
the oppressed, the prisoner, those who are not free to worship in public.
Guide me always to seek Your holy will in all the events of my life.

Consciousness

Jesus, thank You for this moment where I am conscious of Your presence with me. Help me to be more and more aware of Your presence in my daily life, and in everyone I meet.

The Word of God

¹²“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³This will give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, ¹⁵for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Inspiration

Following Jesus will often bring struggles in relationships and involve suffering and betrayal, even by one’s own. Lord, give us the words of wisdom that we need in our own times of testing.

There was a clear call to trust God in the midst of all the difficulties that would arise because of the person of Jesus. Lord, may we have the endurance to stand firm, trusting in your presence and the promise of salvation.

Conversation

I imagine now one of the Persons of the Trinity before me, Father, Son or Holy Spirit, whoever comes to my imagination most naturally, and I have a heart-to-heart conversation about what I have just read or what I am feeling and experiencing in my life today.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen