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 intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus and his disciples in their way.

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

1.  Messiah.

Probably Jesus does not want the inhabitants of the area (which he went with his disciples from Galilee to Capernaum) to know about him, because of the publicity and the messianic secret. Jesus is the expected Messiah – he works miracles, heals, casts out evil spirits. The Jews needed such a powerful Messiah and they were waiting for him. Jesus shows his disciples the other side of his how he gives much love to every human being, but at the same time he will show his weakness. So, he prepares disciples for his departure, for the scandal of the cross, although they do not yet understand it. Jews do not need such Messiah – a weak one who will allow himself to be killed. That is why Jesus does not want to reveal himself.What Messiah do you want? What is your relationship with him? What is your image of Jesus? Maybe today you will verify your expectations for the Messiah …

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

Probably every disciple in this pericope is looking for recognition, confirmation that he is important, needed, accepted. It seems very human. Disciples lose awareness of what Jesus says to them by focusing on caring and fear for their own greatnessMaybe you have similar. See how it looks in your life. Meet Jesus and ask him: who am I to you, how much do I mean to you?

3.  Jesus shows the child.

You could probably say that Jesus performs a therapeutic exercise. A child is a symbol of helplessness, various difficulties, sleepless nights … Each of us has such an inner child inside us. To accept yourself means to accept this inner child, to hug the child. Meet your inner child as much as you can, also let the child meet Jesus.

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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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 intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Lake. Jesus and his disciples are in a boat.  Ask for the fruit of meditation: about my skill to use my good experiences (my memory)

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? Their concern for lack prevents disciples from staying in the present moment, enjoying the moment. Their attention around the lack of them does not allow them to search and find new opportunities and solutions. How do you experience lack? How do you find yourself in this scene?

2.     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. How do you feel it and what does it mean to you ?Thank God for what you have, what you get.

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

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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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 intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: see hand washing

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 slowly the beginning ask for the Grace one more time.

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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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 intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: see the scene from the Gospel: Jesus, the crowd around him, Jair, who is asking for healing his daughter and a woman who also wants to be healed.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the experience of Jesus’ presence that deepens my faith 

1. Faith.

We see Jair who asks for healing his daughter and a woman who believes that touching Jesus will heal her. Jair and the woman receive what they ask for. Note that their attitude does not end only with a request but with undertaking a specific action. Jair comes to Jesus to go with him to his daughter, and the woman touches his coat. In the Gospel we read that the woman was frightened. Both persons could feel fear that did not block them from taking specific steps. So maybe faith does not exclude fear, but it gives you strength to take on what everyday life brings, to stay on the path to the Full of Life. Look at your faith: what blocks you from Life and what helps you go to Life.See also that faith connects with touch here. Touch heals. Touch is also a sign of closeness. This also applies to our human relationships. Each meeting: with God, with man can be a kind of touch (physical, verbal, we can touch with a look, facial expressions). In this sense, how do you touch others and how do you let yourself be touched?

2. Perseverance.

Jair and the woman were persistent. Despite the voices of discouragement of others, they stubbornly strove to meet Jesus. Jesus also does not go out of the pressure of the crowd that Jair is unnecessarily engaged. Today, we would probably use words: you will certainly fail, you can’t do it. You probably know the beliefs that you once said and to this day in many situations you have in yourself. Hear them and think about what they do to you. Maybe is it time to leave them?What is your persistence in life, in pursuit of good, in prayer? What helps you to be persistent?

3. Maybe the words from the book by Silvano Fausti “Consider and proclaim the Gospel” (p. 187) can be helpful in this consideration:

Faith is born of hearing Jesus. It allows us to go from despair because of our powerlessness to open ourselves to his power; it causes him to be touched from behind to become a face-to-face conversation with him.Be with these words, allow yourself to meet and experience the presence of Jesus as you can.   

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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