Presence

God is with me, but more, God is within me.
Let me dwell for a moment on God’s life-giving presence
in my body, in my mind, in my heart,
as I am here, right now.

Freedom

Lord, I pray for Your gift of freedom.
May Your Holy Spirit
guide those in power to work for
true justice for all Your people.

Consciousness

I am surrounded by Your loving presence, Lord,
but I am aware of my fragility and weakness.
Thank You that I can face my shortcomings
in Your merciful embrace.

The Word of God

¹⁹This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰He confessed and did not deny it, but he confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”^{, 21}And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²²Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” ²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Inspiration

John the Baptist always spoke out the truth fearlessly to all who would listen as he called people to repent and turn from sin so that they could be open to the coming of the Messiah. He chastises King Herod for unlawfully marrying his brother’s wife and is killed because of this. We are all called to a life of fidelity to the truth.

John’s ministry took place near Bethany, which was a place our Lord later loved to visit as his friends Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus lived there. Jesus has asked us to make our home in him as he makes his home in us (John 14:23). We pray for the grace to welcome him into our hearts.

Conversation

How has God’s Word moved me?
Has it left me cold?
Has it consoled me or moved me to act in a new way?
I imagine Jesus standing or sitting beside me and
I turn and share my feelings with Him.

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