Lk 12,35-38

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. (The Spiritual Exercises No.46)

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: See yourself expecting someone important to you, see the place where you are waiting.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the desire to be mindful of God’s presence 

1. Gird your loins and light your lamps …

This means that we should be ready to go. Basically, our whole life is on the way. It is important for us to know where we are going, what is the purpose of our way. Even if we go astray, we get lost for a moment, we know what way to go back to. Probably most of us today use GPS, at least when driving a car, and probably most of us have the experience of going in a different direction than it indicates. This is usually because the GPS directions were not read correctly. Then the navigation once again looks for the possibility of returning to the right way, and it is true that we reach the main route using other methods, different paths, but we do it.

Take it to your life. See what your GPS is, what is your way, what is your willingness to be on the way, and what is your perseverance and faithfulness on the way. What purpose does it lead you to?

2. … be like those who are waiting …

When we are sure of full acceptance by another person, then our waiting is calmer, we do not worry that something is still imperfectly done, but we are filled with joy of meeting. However, if we fall into the fear of the reaction of the other person and constantly improve something, clean and in fact we are closed of the meeting and it is difficult for us to feel real joy. So, we prepare the whole preparation for the arrival of the guest because of fear and but our love. Maybe we cannot hear a knock on the door because of our fear.

Consider in this context what it means for you:  to be waiting for. How are you waiting for a second person? What affects the way you wait? See also how are you waiting for Jesus? What relationship connects you with him, how do you feel in it? What is your waiting for Jesus? What do you want to surprise him with?

Lamps lit illuminate the space. They let us see what would be invisible in the dark. What is your lamp? What does it help you to notice? What God’s activities do you see through her?

3. I expect you …

In today’s Gospel passage, we are talking about waiting for the second coming of Jesus. However, do we sometimes wait for Jesus in our everyday life, who is somewhere and to meet him we have to go to the Church (where he is too), or sometimes we do nothing and wait for some extraordinary miracle or sign that Jesus will confirm his presence? Maybe in your daily relationship with Jesus you don’t have to wait for him, just notice his presence, because he is waiting for you and he is happy if we allow him to meet us.

Notice how did you meet Jesus today.

See with your imagination that Jesus is waiting for you. What does his expectation look like, maybe he is preparing something for you? How will you respond to his waiting?

3. One of the experiences of God’s presence in Ignatius’s life after conversion.

After the above-mentioned temptation, he began to feel notable changes in his soul. Sometimes he was so dejected that he found no enjoyment in the prayers he recited, not even in attending Mass, or in any other form of prayer. Sometimes the exact opposite happened to him, and so suddenly that it seemed he had stripped away all sadness and desolation, just as one strips a cloak from one’s shoulders. He was astonished at these changes, which he had never before experienced, and said to himself: “What kind of a new life is this that we are now beginning?”

Ignatius noticed the coming of God in this change, God who always was, is and will be.

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)