Meditation J 15,12-16

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 with disciples in the garden. Maybe you are with them. See this garden, trees, flowers. Feel their fragrance. Jesus calls everyone with the words: you are my friend, I chose you and appointed to go and bear fruit.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would like to love others and myself, just as you Jesus love me

1. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.

The most common interpretation of these words speaks of giving your life for the one you love. You can read it simply as your death, so that someone else can live, as we know such cases from history. However, you can look at this sentence a little differently: to devote your life also means to look away from yourself, from your own ego and see the other person, with his/her needs, desires. To sacrifice your life can mean finding a way to communicate or help someone in the best way for him/her but not according to us, only according to that person. It is a difficult art to accompany someone, so that this person will feel fully accepted and respected by us.

What are your relationships? How do you lay down your life for your relatives and friends?

2. I have called you friends (…) I who chose you (…) to go and bear fruit…

a. We are the chosen ones and appointed to bring fruit, spread love in the places where we live. What fruits have you brought today? How did you share them with others?

b. We are friends Jesus chose. We miss the loved ones, friends with whom we could talk about what hurts us and what enjoy us. Invite Jesus, sit down with him and talk like a friend with a friend, that is let him tell you about his joys and sorrows, and then tell what you want to share with him.

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)