Presence

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” (Gerard Manley Hopkins)
I dwell for a moment on the presence of God around me,
in every part of my body,
and deep within my being.

Freedom

Dear Lord, instil in my heart
the desire to know and love You more.
May I respond to Your will for my life.

Consciousness

Lord You have called me the “light of the world”.
Let me be always conscious of those You want me to serve:
the hungry and the homeless,
the sick and the destitute,
the stranger and the refugee.

The Word of God

²⁷“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; ²⁸bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³²“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Inspiration

It is not easy to forgive those who have seriously hurt us, but we have the example of Christ and the many martyrs. On the cross, Jesus prayed for his executioners, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’ Let us pray for the grace to forgive others and to recognise our own need for forgiveness.

Our Christian faith calls for us to live in a different way from our secular culture. The gospels remind us of the golden rule to treat others as we would wish to be treated. Before Jesus departed from us, he gave us a new commandment: to love one another. This was to be the distinguishing mark of his disciples. How well do we measure up to this?

Conversation

Dear Lord, stay by my side always.
Gain for me a trusting heart.
Thank You for loving me.

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