Presence

I slow myself down for a moment, and try to realise that God is present,
To me, here and now. He is present in what I do,
in the people that I meet, and the situations I find myself in daily.
I become present to the One who is always present to me.

Freedom

Lord, like Saint Ignatius, I offer you my memory, understanding,
my entire will. All I ask for in return is Your love and Your grace – that’s enough for me.

Consciousness

Conscious of Your presence, Lord,
I look over my recent past.
Let me be honest with myself about how I’ve been
and what I’ve done,
because I know You love truth in the heart
and accept me just as I am.

The Word of God

²⁰For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Inspiration

Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to one another. His final word to us was that we were to love one another, and his great desire was for us to be united. This involves forgiveness and being reconciled with each other, and then we can worship God as one people.

Conversation

“He looked at him and loved him”. (Mark 10:21). Can I allow myself to sit in the loving gaze of Jesus, Who loves me at all times and places, in all circumstances? God always looks at me with unconditional love.

Conclusion

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

Amen