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 those cities did not convert. Maybe it is worth considering why? It is interesting because, on the one hand, people expect miracles, Jesus does them, and it does not affect the lives of these people. Perhaps people’s expectations do not match what they receive from Jesus? Maybe they don’t want to see these miracles? Maybe something is blocking them from believing in the experience of God’s love? Or maybe fixation on their expectations does not allow them to see the miracles of Jesus? Or with their faith, or rather its cloak, they cover their real motivations, their behavior, thinking which, looking deeper, still remains the same, does not change under the influence of the relationship with Jesus? Hence these cities hear quite strong words of Jesus: woe to you… It is also interesting that more sinful cities might find miracles easier to see and convert. Maybe they see their sinfulness, weakness and at the same time believe that God loves them, accepts them all. Believing in Love, allowing yourself to feel loved is transformative and is the greatest miracle that can be experienced.Is it not the same with us? What is my Bethsaida? What prevents me from believing in Love, confidence, trust that I am loved, wanted?

 

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. …the mighty deeds done in your midst…

What miracles do you notice in your life, that is, the experience that you are loved, wanted, accepted as you are by God, yourself, and others?

 

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)