Meditation Lk 8,19-21

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 Lordthat all my intentionsand actions may be directed purelyto the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus is surrounded by a crowd of people. In this situation his mother and cousins come to him. Someone notices them and goes to Jesus to tell him about their arrival. The family has to wait. See this scene, see what Jesus could feel and his family. Where are you in this scene?

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I may hear the word of God

1. The mother and brothers of Jesus cannot meet Him because of a crowd of people. Sometimes the crowd interferes us with meeting Jesus. This crowd can be our obsessive thoughts, fears, our beliefs, patterns, our pursuit of work, of duty. What is the crowd that bothers you in meeting Jesus? Why do you allow it?

Note that Jesus does not do the crowed, only he has to be done. What are you doing with the crowd? Maybe it needn’t  be an obstacle …

2. Mary and brothers probably come to Jesus just to meet him. From the description of Luke, it does not appear that they were impatient, they demand immediately to see him, quick satisfaction of their needs. And how do you come to Jesus? For what purpose do you come to him? What do you expect from meeting him?

3. My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.

In this way Jesus determines who his family is. In this context, do you belong to his family? How do you listen to God’s word? For whose glory are you doing this? What are you doing later with the heard Word? How do you introduce the Word into your life, how has the Word influence on your relationship with your loved ones?

What Word have you heard today and what will you do with the Word?

4. Go to meet Jesus. Wait patiently and let the crowd go. Jesus is waiting 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)