Presence

Lord, when I am feeling lonely,
remind me of Your promise,
“You are never alone,
I am with you always,
yes, to the end of time.” (Matthew 28:20)

Freedom

Your death on the Cross has set me free.
I can live joyously and freely,
without fear of death.
Your mercy knows no bounds.

Consciousness

I exist in a web of relationships – links to nature, people, God.
I trace out these links, giving thanks for the life that flows through them.
Some links are twisted or broken: I may feel regret, anger, disappointment.
I pray for the gift of acceptance and forgiveness.

The Word of God

¹⁴Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”^{, 16}They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” ¹⁷And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” ²⁰“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” ²¹Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Inspiration

There are times in the gospels when Jesus must have wondered about his apostles and their slowness to take in his words. This is one of those times. His reaction to them here is so very human in his frustration. Many years ago I attended a stage performance by the actor Alec McCowen where he simply recited the Gospel of Mark. When he came to this part he expressed very well with his voice the frustration of Jesus.  How often God has to be patient with us in our own blindness and lack of faith. Let us talk to him about this now and ask for the grace to be patient with our own slowness to understand and our lack of trust.

Conversation

Conversation requires talking and listening.
As I talk to Jesus may I also learn to be still and listen.
I picture the gentleness in His eyes
and the smile full of love as He gazes on me.
I can be totally honest with Jesus as I tell Him of my worries and my cares.
I will open up my heart to Him as I tell Him of my fears and my doubts.
I will ask Him to help me to place myself fully in His care,
to abandon myself to Him,
knowing that He always wants what is best for me.

Conclusion

Filled with the loving presence of God,
I ask Him to bless me and guide my steps
as I go to do His work in my daily life.

Amen