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

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

Dear Jesus, may I always be aware of Your presence,
Your power and Your Love,
all the days of my life.

The Word of God

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Inspiration

The question that you asked your disciples, Lord, was straightforward enough. So what would my answer have been if you had asked it of me? My first response may well have been, ‘I couldn’t rightly say’, but the other disciples would probably have insisted that I get off the fence. They were being asked, not because Jesus needed to get some clarity for himself, but rather for their sake. They needed to clear up the matter in their own minds.

Conversation

Friends don’t keep secrets from one another.
As I pray, can I look at Jesus as my friend
and share my innermost thoughts with Him,
trusting that He understands?

Conclusion

Filled with the loving presence of God,
I ask Him to bless me and guide my steps
as I go to do His work in my daily life.

Amen