Presence

I pause for a moment, aware that God is here.
I think of how everything around me,
the air I breathe, my whole body,
is tingling with the presence of God.

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

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love never fails and that Your mercies are new every morning. May I never fail to turn to You with my needs, with my love.

The Word of God

¹⁷As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” ²⁰He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²²When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

²⁸Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news^{, 30}who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

Inspiration

The man who had great wealth found sadness in his wealth. Somehow, the Lord's invitation to give away and to share threatened him badly. Jesus knows the way possessions, wealth and comforts can tie us down. He knows that his compassion makes up for much human weakness. We offer to the Lord in prayer all we are and all we have, asking for help in using wisely what we possess and living easily without what we might like to possess but cannot.

Our role in life is to sow seeds and not to be preoccupied with producing a harvest. The seed given to us is the word of God that serves to bring about a Kingdom of justice, love and peace. We have a contribution to make, although it may seem small. We have to begin somewhere, perhaps with a small initiative.

Conversation

“There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:1). I turn to the One who loves me and knows me better than I can love or know myself. I ask Him for whatever it is I need right now.

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