Mt 13,36-43

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 whole world. This world is a soil ready to receive seeds. Therefore, Jesus spreads the seeds all over the soil. Then you can see how he cares for them: watering, giving the sun, fertilizing when needed. The seeds begin to germinate, green stems and leaves grow, until the plants start to bear fruit. See this scene through your eyes of the imagination, smell plants, taste of fruit.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would seek and find God in everything

In this passage of the gospel, Jesus explains to his disciples the parable of the weed. Good seed is sown in the world by God – means the sons of the kingdom and the weed sown by the Devil. Each of us can grow wheat – something that is life-giving, brings good fruit or a weed that does not seem good. The weed grows among cereals and is poisonous, although it is deceptively similar to the stalks of wheat. You have to be extremely careful not to confuse good grains with bad ones. Therefore, the process of discernment is very important: what I choose, why and what fruit has my choice brings. Note that God allows both good grain and bad to grow, there is room for everyone. This, among others, manifests God’s logic of salvation. God is not guided by the logic of condemnation, which is so often close to us. God gives everyone the chance to choose a good grain that gives freedom and brings them closer to God. What is your choice? What does your discernment process look like?

Saint from the Basque country, knight and pilgrim, apostle and mystic who sought God in his experiences with all his heart (1), he had an adventure in his way, which he talks about in order to better understand how our Lord dealt with this blind soul yet although animated by the great desires of serving God in a way that is already known and considered good by braces. So, he decided to practice great mortifications (…). And so, when he recalled some penance which the saints did, he decided to do it too, and even more. (…) He did not pay attention to any internal things, nor did he understand what humility or love or patience or prudence is, which guides these virtues and keeps them to the proper extent. (2)

The aforementioned knight is Saint Ignacy Loyola (his feast is 31th July). A very real man who has various internal difficulties, including his emotions, but also a man with a great desire to seek and find God. He was not perfect, without flaws, but many times, we could say, in a foolish way, he sought the will of God. For example, during a trip to Montserrat he met Maur, with whom he talked about the virginity of Mary. He did not agree with him, he even wanted to stab him. The mule, on which he traveled, saved the case. Ignatius then said to himself: If the mule goes to the village, he will search for Maua and blow him with a dagger; if it sticks to the main road, it will leave him alone (Autobiography, p.16). Mulica stayed on the main road, so Maur survived. It was the beginnings of Ignacy’s discernment. Later, he knew that when making choices, one should not look for magical signs, or throw in more and more penance practices to win God’s friendship, but ask himself the most important questions: what more is the greater glory of God (AMDG – for greater glory of God) why I am doing something or not doing what I am using and for how much, and from what I should not use, to be closer to God (tantum quantum – as much as I can). Do not we sometimes often live in a world of our own illusions and delusions that do not bring us closer to God, but bring us nervousness and fear? These delusions, illusions may be: the more I pray, the more graces I will ask, the ones that I think are good, or the more I make mortifications, the better I will be a man, if I escaped the bus, I certainly would not go … What do you bring to your decisions and actions: greater peace or fear? Peace gives what comes from God and it is worth following. What are your illusions and delusions? Verify them, what can you change? What gives you inner peace and allows you to breathe freely?

See also – what fruits you bring? What are your desires? How does the principle ad maiorem dei gloriam work in your life: for the greater glory of God? Look today at your life, your loved ones, the world in which you live, guided by the logic of saving and reconciliation.

Remember that you are the seed God cares for each day. Every day he gives you a new chance to live more for his greater glory.

  1. Kotlewski SJ, with a generous heart and a fiery Love. On the Ignatian mysticism, Rhetos, Warsaw 2005, pp. 11-12
  2. Ignacy Loyola, The Tale of the Pilgrim. Autobiography., WAM, Kraków 2002, pp. 39-40

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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Mt 12,46-50

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 is speaking to the crowds. See the place where he is – maybe inside the temple. During this time, his mother and his brothers have come to Jesus. Someone notes them and announces to Jesus their arrival. Jesus, however, does not go out to the people who came, but he begins to explain what it means to be his mother, sister and brother.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the grace of getting to know my motivations in contact with others

  1. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother and sister, and mother.

God’s will is a love that seeks to express itself in specific circumstances. It is not destiny. It is the search for an answer to the question: How can I serve God in a given situation? To do God’s will is also means to recognize our desires and follow the desires of the free heart. It means the heart which in its election is guided by the greater glory of God. So, you choose what will bring more goods. It is not enough to go to the Church and pray. Our prayer life should be translated into concrete actions in our lives.

You can look at the life of Jesus. He lived the most perfectly according to the will of God. See what it meant in his life.

Look at your life: how do you recognize and fulfill the will of God? What are your choices?

  1. … wishing to speak with him…

Mary comes to Jesus with her relatives because they want to talk to him. Natural curiosity directs us to the question: what do they want to talk about. However, the more interesting question may be: what is going on in them that they want to talk about something, why is it important, what does it do in them that they go to him to talk, and do not wait for a more convenient time to talk?Look at your contact with others: why are you talking about something, what is happening inside you that you have to say something, or that you keep silence. What happens in your contact with another person that you say something or you avoid talking?

3. Meeting and conversation.What is your meeting with Jesus like? How often do you meet him? Who is talking and about what? Conversation also requires listening. Who is listening and how is listening look like?

 

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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Mt 11,20-24

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 cities: Chorazin – located in the mountains of the northern Galilee, about 3 km from Capernaum and Bethsaida – a small fishing village located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. In these cities, Jesus dwells, walks, teaches, and does miracles. Although Jesus spends a lot of time there, people behave as if he did not exist, as if they did not know him.

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

1.  Woe to you …For it the mighty deeds done

Jesus performed the most miracles in Chorazin and Bethsaida, but the inhabitants of these cities did not convert. Maybe it is worth considering: why? This is interesting because people expect miracles, Jesus does them miracles but they do not affect the lives of these people. Maybe people’s expectations are not the same as they receive from Jesus? Maybe your fixing on expectations does not let you see Jesus’ miracles? Hence, these cities hear quite strong words of Jesus: woe to you … It is also interesting that more sinful cities could be easier to see miracles and convert. Isn’t it similar with us? Is it sometimes the case that when we go to church almost every day, we pray five times a day, we think about ourselves in an idealized way, deviating us from the truth? Your change can occur only when you can stand in the truth and see your real self – our good and difficult sides and accept them. Perhaps sometimes we think that if Jesus did something special in our lives then our faith would look completely different. So how? Maybe ask yourself whether you still need new miracles or maybe more mindfulness to see Jesus’ presence in your life and the miracles he does for you.

2.      Change.

Think about the change you need to live more fully in God, to experience his love more and share it with others. Change can mean doing something more or less, doing something else, or stopping.

3.     For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained have until this day.

A miracle is an event that cannot be rationally explained. Nevertheless, it is probably a miracle that everything that helps us live: our own strength, work, loved ones, etc. See what helps you to survive the day, which gives you strength and motivation in your everyday life.

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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Mt 9,32-38

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 walk around the cities and villages and he teaches in synagogues. He also heals people. One day, people bring a mute person from whom Jesus throws out a demon. This man begins to speak, to hear.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the experience of God’s love 

1. … the mute man spoke …

Maybe you should think about your speech, your language. What you say and how you speak, as well as how you are silent, can hurt others, can mean your anger, it can also be an expression of love, compassion, joy. What is your speech, what is your silence? What do you give to others with your words and your silence? 

2.Relation with Jesus.

In the meditated passage of the gospel, Jesus is presented as a miracle worker whose activities include healing people. In those historical realities in Palestine it was thought that all illnesses are the result of satanic possession. Hence, the healing often involved throwing out an evil spirit.

a.  Jesus’ healing made various reactions to people. The Pharisees saw it as the result of Jesus ‘collusion with Satan, others admired Jesus’ deeds without any prejudice. Let’s see that the same action causes a different reception depending on the attitude of the recipients. Therefore, it seems important thing to distance yourself from your beliefs, thought patterns, and prejudices in your relationships with others. How is your relationship with yourself and others?

b. Probably people living at that time needed very real miracles, signs to believe in God. But did God give us his son just to heal us from various diseases, save us from difficult situations that we often enter into ourselves? What relationship does God want? What relationship do you seek with God, and what do you expect from it?

3. A plentiful harvest.There is very little time in Palestine for the harvest because of the weather conditions. Hence there was a need for many workers to be able to collect all the fruits and yields. Refer it to your life. Let this field be your day, from which you need to collect fruit. Think about what is your harvest?  

4. Jesus had compassion for people.Jesus compassions for the lost, wounded people, shows his love, does not tell them that they are losers. Today, look at yourself: what spaces in you are wounded, lost, abandoned, forgotten, what spaces need help and support? Look at them like Jesus: with love, embrace them and give them what they need. Talk to Jesus about this.

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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Mt 9,32-38

Stanąć w obecności Bożej: Bóg jest obecny tu i teraz.

 

Prośba ogólna: Prosić Boga, Pana naszego, aby wszystkie moje zamiary, decyzje i czyny były skierowane w sposób czysty do służby i chwały Jego Boskiego Majestatu.(CD46).

Ustalenie miejsca, obraz do medytacji: Jezus wraz z uczniami chodzi po miastach i wsiach, naucza w synagogach i uzdrawia ludzi. Pewnego dnia ludzie przyprowadzają do Jezusa niemą osobę, z której Jezus wyrzuca demona. Człowiek ten zaczyna mówić, słyszeć.

Prośba o owoc medytacji: o doświadczenie Bożej miłości

  1. … niemy odzyskał mowę ….

Może warto, abyś zastanowił się nad swoją mową, swoim językiem. To co mówimy i jak mówimy, również jak milczymy może być raniące dla innych, może oznaczać naszą złość, może też być wyrazem miłości, wzruszenia, współczucia, radości. Jaka jest twoja mowa, jakie jest twoje milczenie? Co dajesz innym swoimi słowami i milczeniem?

  1. Relacja z Jezusem.

W medytowanym fragmencie ewangelii Jezus przedstawiony jest jako cudotwórca, którego działalność między innymi polega na uzdrawianiu ludzi. W tamtych realiach historycznych w Palestynie uważano, że wszystkie choroby są wynikiem opętania przez szatana. Stąd uzdrawianie często wiązało się z wyrzucaniem złego ducha.

a.Uzdrawianie przez Jezusa wywoływało różne reakcje u ludzi. Faryzeusze postrzegali je jako wynik zmowy Jezusa z Szatanem, inni podziwiali czyny Jezusa bez żadnych uprzedzeń. Zobaczmy, że to samo działanie powoduje różny odbiór w zależności od nastawienia odbiorców. Ważne zatem wydaje się dystansowanie od własnych przekonań, schematów myślowych, swoich uprzedzeń w relacjach z innymi. Jak jest z twoimi relacjami, z twoimi ocenami siebie i innych?

b.Prawdopodobnie ludzie żyjący w tamtym czasie potrzebowali bardzo realnych cudów, znaków, aby uwierzyć w Boga. Czy jednak Bóg dał nam swojego Syna, tylko po to, aby uzdrawiał nas z różnych chorób, ratował z trudnych sytuacji, w które często sami wchodzimy? O jaką relację Bogu chodzi? Jakiej ty relacji z Bogiem szukasz i czego od niej oczekujesz?

  1. Wielkie żniwo.

W Palestynie na żniwa jest bardzo mało czasu ze względu na panujące tam warunki pogodowe. Stąd była potrzeba wielu robotników, aby móc zebrać wszystkie owoce, plony. Odnieś to do swojego życia. Niech tym polem, z którego trzeba zebrać owoce będzie twój dzień. Co jest twoim żniwem?

  1. Jezus litował się nad ludźmi.

Jezus widząc zagubionych, poranionych ludzi wzrusza się i lituje się nad nimi, okazuje swoją miłość, nie mówi im, że są nieudacznikami. Dzisiaj ty spójrz na siebie: jakie przestrzenie w tobie są poranione, zagubione, porzucone, zapomniane, jakie potrzebują pomocy, wsparcia? Spójrz na nie jak Jezus: z miłością, przygarnij je i daj im to, czego potrzebują. Porozmawiaj o tym z Jezusem.

Medytacja: Św.Ignacy zachęca w CD2 …Bo przecież nie obfitość wiedzy, ale wewnętrzne odczuwanie i smakowanie rzeczy zadawala i nasyca duszę, czyli zostajemy tam, gdzie odczuwamy poruszenie… i nerwowo nie staramy się iść dalej, wszystkiego zaliczyć/odhaczyć.

Rozmowa końcowa: Rozmowę końcową, ujmując ją trafnie, należy odbyć tak, jakby przyjaciel mówił do przyjaciela, albo sługa do pana swego, już to prosząc o jaką łaskę, już to oskarżając się przed nim o jakiś zły uczynek, już to zwierzając mu się ufnie ze swoich spraw i prosząc go w nich o radę. Odmówić Ojcze nasz.(CD54).

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