Presence

Dear Lord, You have called me by my name.
You have carved me in the palm of Your hand.
May I grow in trust and never give in to despair.

Freedom

I ask for the grace
to let go of my own concerns
and be open to what God is asking of me,
to let myself be guided and formed by my loving Creator.

Consciousness

I ask how I am within myself today.
Am I particularly tired, stressed, or off-form?
If any of these characteristics apply,
can I try to let go of the concerns that disturb me?

The Word of God

²⁰“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.^{, 21}Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it, ²²for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. ²³Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; ²⁴they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the times of the nations are fulfilled.

²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”^,

Inspiration

The prophecies in the scriptures must be fulfilled, and in the fullness of time, all will come about. In just forty short years, what Jesus foretold here came about. God, who is the Supreme Being and all-powerful, will bring about all that he has decided. Let us take the first half of the Our Father and, using St Ignatius’ second method of prayer, pray it phrase by phrase.

Conversation

What feelings are rising in me as I pray and reflect on God’s Word?
I imagine Jesus Himself sitting or standing near me and I open my heart to Him.

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