Meditation J 8,21-30
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 Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives. Jesus is there. Then he descends from the mountain and goes to the temple. People are there, too. Jesus sits down and begins to speak. He begins to prepare people for his going away. See everyone gathered and look at the temple as it looks. Hear and see the misunderstanding of Jesus’ words on human faces. You can make room for yourself in this scene.
Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would always desire to have my eyes and heart open to the action of Jesus in my life
1. Jesus says simply: I am going away.
He already knows that his mission on earth is coming to the end and he wants to prepare for it those who are gathering around him. It could have been a difficult time for Jesus. Probably the attitude of the people, their lack of understanding, their supposition that he may want to kill himself, did not help him. Jesus leaves and perhaps he feels kind of defeated, not fulfilling his task. Humanly, but from God’s perspective, he did took on a completely different dimension. Jesus fulfilled the will of God until the end.
a. Maybe today it is worth to look at your life, your defeats, complexes, what is so glaring looking humanly – name these cases specifically. How can God see the same things? Maybe what is a failure for you – it is a success for God, maybe your complex in the eyes of God is a beautiful work of art…? Think about it and say thank you.
b. How can you help and how do you want to help Jesus during this time of his going away? Look around you, there are people go away too – not only physically die, but also mentally, spiritually. In each of them lives Jesus, just like in you. How will you help them? Maybe you need help yourself – what do you do good for yourself?
2. …you will look for me, but you will die in your sin….if you don’t believe…
In our life, we look for things that are precious to us that feed us. We are looking for what we have already tasted, experienced, hence our longing and searching. Perhaps that is why Jesus says if you do not believe, that is, you will not experience him, you will not meet him, you will spend your life searching Jesus, because you will not know what you are looking for. And if you find, you may not recognize that it’s the One you are looking for.
What is your faith? How do you experience God’s presence, God’s action in your life? What do your encounters with Jesus look like? What is the difference in the experience of going with Jesus and spending time in constant searching him? How does it look in your life?
3.I AM
He is. He – Jesus, the Son of God is. Jesus says several times: I AM (I AM is also the name of God, whom he introduced himself to Moses: IHWH – YAHWEH – I AM WHO I AM). Jesus speaks about his identity. He knows who he is, no matter what others say about him and think and what image they carry in him.
a. What is your identity? Who are you – a child created in God’s image?
b. What was it in Jesus’ words that many believed in Him?
c. Jesus is always present. Take a few minutes in His Presence, feel His Love for You.
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)
