Presence

When I come into Your presence, O Lord,
I know I am in the presence of my Creator.
You created me out of love.
You even know the number of hairs on my head.
Your presence, O Lord, is the greatest gift of all.

Freedom

“In these days, God taught me
as a schoolteacher teaches a pupil.” (Saint Ignatius).
I remind myself that there are things God has yet to teach me,
and I ask for the grace to hear them and let them change me.

Consciousness

God, may I rest in Your radiant presence, just as a flower basks in the light and warmth of the sun. Thank You for bringing light and warmth to my life through other people, through nature, and through Your Word.

The Word of God

²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²²They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. ²³Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” ²⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” ²⁶And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Inspiration

We see again and again in the gospels about Jesus’ preaching, that his hearers were so often struck by how different he was  from their own preachers, the Pharisees and elders. He spoke with authority and with a new message that touched their hearts. They were to say, ‘No one has spoken like this man.’ 

Jesus is always the headline for us in how to live our lives. Let us pray as St Ignatius advises in his Spiritual Exercises, to know the Lord better so that we may love him more and follow him more closely in our lives.

Conversation

On reflecting on today’s Gospel, is there anything I believe God wants me to hear or know at this time? What truth does He want to speak into my life today?

Conclusion

I thank God for His gift of love
as I go forth with joy and hope
to serve His people.

Amen