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

Heavenly Father, make me conscious of whatever burden I am carrying today and give me the grace to place it at the foot of Your Cross and so enter freely into this time of prayer.

Consciousness

Dear Lord, by spending time with You, may I become more like You, so that others will see Christ in me and come to know Your love.

The Word of God

¹⁴When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. ¹⁶He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak, ¹⁸and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid, and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” ¹⁹He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²²It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, help us! Have compassion on us!” ²³Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things can be done for the one who believes.” ²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” ²⁶After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. ²⁸When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹He said to them, “This kind can come out only through prayer.”

Inspiration

How often we can say to ourselves, if only my faith were stronger, and we make the prayer of this distraught parent our own: ‘Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.’ Just as our muscles grow stronger by using them so our faith will grow through frequent use. Recalling and being more aware of the times our God has helped us in difficulties will also help. In John 5 we are reminded that God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are at work continuously in our lives.

It has been said that more things are done by prayer than this world dreams of. Let us trust more in the power of prayer, which is made to the Person who loves us most and is always attending to us.

Conversation

Lord, I know that when I turn to You there is no need for words.
You can see into my heart.
You know my desires and You know my needs.
I place myself into Your hands.

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