Presence

God is with me, but more, God is within me.
Let me dwell for a moment on God’s life-giving presence
in my body, in my mind, in my heart,
as I am here, right now.

Freedom

Heavenly Father, make me conscious of whatever burden I am carrying today and give me the grace to place it at the foot of Your Cross and so enter freely into this time of prayer.

Consciousness

Help me, Lord, to be more conscious of Your presence.
Teach me to recognise Your presence in others.
Fill my heart with gratitude for the times Your Love has been shown to me through the care of others.

The Word of God

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Inspiration

Property and inheritance are prominent issues in life and give rise to many conflicts. For many people, a sense of security can be sought in possessions and property. May we have the freedom to see all things as a gift, so that we find our true security in the Lord.

Building, accumulating and storing up take on great importance for many. Jesus spoke of being free and not to be worrying about passing things, like food and clothing (Luke 12:22–34). Lord, help us to know what is of lasting value, and to remember that you yourself are our treasure.

Conversation

I sit quietly with my God who knows my every thought, every need and every desire, and I allow Him to minister to me in this moment. I receive whatever nourishment I need for the journey.

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