Presence

My soul longs for Your presence, Lord. When I turn my thoughts to You, I find peace and contentment.

Freedom

I will ask for God’s help
to be free from my own preoccupations,
to be open to God in this time of prayer, and
to come to know, love and serve Him more.

Consciousness

When I return to my everyday tasks,
remind me, Lord,
that You are always there beside me.
I need never despair.

The Word of God

¹¹“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. ¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John came, ¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵Let anyone with ears listen!

Inspiration

John the Baptist’s preaching came at the end of the Old Testament and as the New Testament was about to begin with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We have the greater privilege of living in the era of the New Testament and the witness and the example of a multitude of saints and martyrs in over two thousand years of Christianity. However, we still have to struggle to attain the kingdom of heaven.

We have the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us and to our Church. How well do we use these gifts that we have received?

Conversation

Remembering that I am still in God’s presence,
I imagine Jesus Himself standing or sitting beside me,
and say whatever is on my mind, whatever is in my heart,
speaking as one friend to another.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Amen