Meditation Mt 18,12-14

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 a hundred of sheep on a mountain pasture, the shepherd is counting his sheep and he is finding, that one has missed. He is leaving the ninety-nine and is going to search for the missing one. Finally, he finds it and returns happy with the sheep. Where are you and who are you in this picture?

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for perseverance in following Jesus

1. What is your opinion?

What must the shepherd be like, what does motivate him to do a such crazy act to leave ninety- nine sheep and start to look for one missing? In what areas of your life do you behave like that? What are your motivations? What shepherd are you for your friends, family, children, for those who can not take care of themselves and for those with whom you have difficult relationships? Note that Jesus does not punished a lost sheep, he does not judge it. How do you relate to the lost people, those you do not like, those who appear to you unfavorable, those who are called the social margin? What are you doing for them?
Why did the sheep get lost? What could have led it to leave the herd, to go beyond the way to the goal? What was its obedience to the Shepherd? Why and when do you descend from the path leading to the fullness of life? What blocks you and what gives you the strength to follow the path to the goal – the Highest Good?

2. 100 sheep symbolize some kind of fullness. Lack one means imperfection. See what is your weakness? Meet with this. Invite Jesus to help you to find your limitations and bring them back to life. It means to show the positives things that you have because of these weaknesses.

3. Imagine that you are the lost sheep, that Jesus is looking for. Why does he want to find you? What do you have so special and unique in yourself, that Jesus just needs you?

4. Jesus seeks you because he loves you. What are you doing and what can you do for Christ? 

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)