Meditation Mk 9,30-37

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace:I will beg God our Lord that all my intentionsand actions may be directed purely to the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus and his disciples are on their way from Galilee to Capernaum. In this way he teaches his disciples. They, however, do not understand what he is saying to them. There is also a quarrel between disciples. See and hear their argument, who’s the greatest of them. In Capernaum, Jesus is asking them a question about what they were talking about on their way. He does not get an answer. He takes a child who is probably somewhere nearby, hugs the child and explains what it means to accept and serve him. Find yourself in this scene.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I find my identity and my value in God

1.     But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Disciples are afraid to ask, they feel fear, which makes them mute and deaf. Anxiety can be paralyzing, it does not allow to know the truth, it blocks the relationship and action. What did disciples really fear? They know Jesus, they have been with him for a long time, so they couldn’t feel a fear of Jesus.What fears do you have? What do they result from and what they concern? What is your courage to go forward, in spite of fears, to keep your eyes and ears open, to take an action or to consciously not take for the greater glory of God?

2. … must be last of all and servant of all

How do you serve (serve this does not mean to servile) to others? How do you serve in your home, everyday life, your relatives, how do you serve your wife, husband, children, fellow brothers, your sisters, in the workplace?

3. … they had argued with one another who was the greatest

Probably each of the disciples in this pericope sought recognition, confirmation that it is important, needed, accepted. This is the basic human need to affirm, to be loved. It is difficult to satisfy it only in a human way. It will probably do only for a moment, and then we need to recognize others again. Maybe it is worth looking for it somewhere else, find your identity in God, feel you are the best friend of Jesus. You are always important, valuable and very loved for him.See how it looks in your life. Where do you look for assurances about your value Meet Jesus and ask him: who am I to you, how much do I mean to you? 

Meditation:St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

 

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)

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Meditation Mk 8,14-21

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

 

Ask for the Grace:I will beg God our Lord that all my intentionsand actions may be directed purely to the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Lake. Jesus and his disciples are in a boat. At some point disciples realize that they took with them only one loaf of bread. They probably feel quite anxious about it because they stop hearing what Jesus says. Jesus notices this and asks them the question, do not they remember that there were similar situations before and he took care of them? Where are you in this scene?

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would learn to see what I have and see good in others

1.    Why are you taking about having no bread? (…) do you not remember?

Disciples are worried that they took with them only one loaf of bread. Their care is so much that they stop listening to Jesus. Jesus sees their anxiety and asks the question: why do not they understand, why do not they remember that he always cared about them? Disciples can’t enjoy the present moment.Is not it similar in our lives? We’re talking, we’re worried about something we do not have to. We direct our attention to the deficiencies we see in us, in others, in our existence. We ask questions: why do you love me so little, why do not you give me one or the other thing, why do not I have something? It is so easy to see what is not there. What a paradox: see what is not and do not see what is! Why is it easier to feel unhappy due to lack than happy because of what I have? Why is it easier to point out to someone who does not give me than to thank for what he gives? What is your memory for the good you receive?

a.   Look at yourself: what is good in yourself, what you like in yourself, what goods you do for yourself and others.

b.   Look at your relatives, your husband, wife, children, sisters, confreres: what you get from them, what good you experience from them.

c.   Look at your life: what good you experience from God in your everyday life through the people whom you put in your way, situations, environment and nature.Thank God for what you have, what you get.

2.  Get in the boat in which Jesus is with his disciples. Listen to Jesus’ words. Let your eyes see, hear your ears and feel your heart. If you want … 

Meditation:St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

 

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)

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Meditation Mk 7,1-13

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace:I will beg God our Lord that all my intentionsand actions may be directed purely to the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus is in Gennesaret, on the plain on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Pharisees and some of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem, gathered around Him. They accuse Jesus that his disciples do not follow the traditions and customs of washing hands before a meal. See how Jesus reacts to these accusations, listen to what he says. Probably the Pharisees and the scribes are not satisfied with his response. Where do you find yourself in this scene?

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the purity of my intentions in my everyday life

  1. Pure intension.

a. The ritual of washing hands before a meal was not about hygiene, but about sanctity. The external attitude was to testify to the depth of faith. Jesus, however, shows that gestures and religious attitudes can be very far away from what is inside a person, what is happening in human heart. External signs should be the fruit of what is inside. It should flow from the desire to be in a relationship of love with Jesus, with others. Take a look again for your inner intentions: why do you do something or not, why do you say something or do not say why do you write something or do not write, why do you pray or do not pray …

b. Read the beginning ask for the Grace one more time, maybe it will become your daily prayer?

2.     Corban.

a.Corban means the vow of the destiny of a given thing for God, and as a result this thing could no longer be the subject of normal use (see the New Testament for moderators, OW Vocatio Warsaw, 2010, page 103). If the son wanted to sacrifice his property as a corban for the temple, so that he no longer had the resources to support his older parents, he became relieved of this commitment. It is a perverse action to avoid responsibility to escape difficulties of everyday life. What is your corban? Why?

b. Escape from everyday life does not allow for real encounter with God. He comes in the ordinariness of our lives. He gives you the grace of everyday life. Notice it: what is the grace? Thank you for it.   

Meditation:St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)

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Meditation Mk 5,21-43

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace:I will beg God our Lord that all my intentionsand actions may be directed purely to the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: A Lake. Jesus comes out of the boat to the shore, where a crowd of people is waiting for him. One of the men – Jairus falls to the feet of Jesus and asks him to heal his dying daughter. Jesus goes to his house with this man. Also all gathered people follow Jesus, maybe everyone wants to be as close as possible to Jesus. There is also a woman who was considered unclean because of the hemorrhage. She walks over to Jesus and touches his clothes. Then she becomes healthy. Jesus talks to her for a moment. Then he goes further to Jairus’s house, and in this way he allows only his disciples to do with him. He goes into the house where the dying girl lies, grabs her hand and tells her to get up. The girl gets up. Be as present in this scene as you can.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for meeting and trusting Jesus 

1. A touch.

Jairus asks Jesus to put his hands on his daughter, because she is point of death.  A woman with a hemorrhage touches clothes of Jesus. They ask for touch because they believe in the healing power of Jesus’ touch.What do your places need to be touched by Jesus? Ask Jesus to touch these places. Let him do it.The touch of Jesus is healing. What is your touch you give your nearest (you can touch others also by words, mimicry, gaze …)

2. He looked all around to see who had done it.

Jesus seeks contact with a human being, wants to see him, wants to be in a relationship with him. Here, the woman got scared that she did something wrong. However, she had the courage to come and show herself to Jesus. She did not hear any reproaches from Jesus, but words that were warm that could give hope.How do you accept others, how do you take care of contact and relationships with your loved ones?

3. Jesus said to the dying girl: get up.

Jesus also says you the word: get up. What does it mean to you?  

 

Meditation:St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)

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