Presence

“Come to me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28). Here I am, Lord. I come to seek Your presence. I long for Your healing power.

Freedom

“There are very few people
who realise what God would make of them
if they abandoned themselves into his hands,
and let themselves be formed by his grace.” (Saint Ignatius)
I ask for the grace to trust myself totally to God’s love.

Consciousness

Dear Lord, help me to be always
aware of the important things in life,
to care for those around me,
to seek Your presence in everyone I meet.

The Word of God

¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

¹⁵When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many followed him, and he cured all of them, ¹⁶and he ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles. ¹⁹He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. ²¹And in his name the gentiles will hope.”

Inspiration

The readings these days contain a good deal of information about the Pharisees and how they viewed Jesus. You were a threat, Lord, and their dealings with you meant you constantly had to be on the lookout for deceit and trickery. Basically, their intentions were usually less than noble when they came to visit and question you. Give us an eagle eye, but also an open heart, when we try to fathom your love for us.

Conversation

I settle myself once again after hearing the Word of God. What would I like to take with me into my day? What do I want to remember from today’s reading or prayer time?

Conclusion

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

Amen