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Mt 11,20-24

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 cities: Chorazin – located in the mountains of the northern Galilee, about 3 km from Capernaum and Bethsaida – a small fishing village located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. In these cities, Jesus dwells, walks, teaches, and does miracles. Although Jesus spends a lot of time there, people behave as if he did not exist, as if they did not know him.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for my experience of Jesus’ presence

 

 1.  Woe to you …For it the mighty deeds done

Jesus performed the most miracles in Chorazin and Bethsaida, but the inhabitants of those cities did not convert. Maybe it is worth considering why? It is interesting because, on the one hand, people expect miracles, Jesus does them, and it does not affect the lives of these people. Perhaps people’s expectations do not match what they receive from Jesus? Maybe they don’t want to see these miracles? Maybe something is blocking them from believing in the experience of God’s love? Or maybe fixation on their expectations does not allow them to see the miracles of Jesus? Or with their faith, or rather its cloak, they cover their real motivations, their behavior, thinking which, looking deeper, still remains the same, does not change under the influence of the relationship with Jesus? Hence these cities hear quite strong words of Jesus: woe to you… It is also interesting that more sinful cities might find miracles easier to see and convert. Maybe they see their sinfulness, weakness and at the same time believe that God loves them, accepts them all. Believing in Love, allowing yourself to feel loved is transformative and is the greatest miracle that can be experienced.Is it not the same with us? What is my Bethsaida? What prevents me from believing in Love, confidence, trust that I am loved, wanted?

 

2.  Change.

Think about the change you need to live more fully in God, to experience his love more and share it with others. Change can mean doing something more or less, doing something else, or stopping.

 

3. …the mighty deeds done in your midst…

What miracles do you notice in your life, that is, the experience that you are loved, wanted, accepted as you are by God, yourself, and others?

 

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)

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Mt 16,13-19

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 Jesus meeting Peter.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: about the desire to meet Jesus as I am  

 

  1. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Jesus is curious how people see him and who they think he is. This curiosity may seem very natural. However, it takes courage to ask such a question. Jesus might have heard various things about himself, not necessarily all pleasant and easy to accept. He wants to meet every human being, no matter who that person thinks he is. We know from various passages of the gospel that even his disciples, considering him their Teacher, they had difficulty trusting him, believing what he said, he promised. As if the mere experience of having a relationship with him, of experiencing an encounter with him, is not enough to believe that he is the Messiah. Believe, not just know. Knowledge, although helpful, is not enough to build a close relationship. And this is the relationship that Jesus wants with each of us.Probably if you had heard the question today from Jesus: who do you think I am, you would have answered similarly to Peter. But do you believe he is the Messiah? Who do you consider Jesus to be, not on the level of your knowledge, but on your inner feeling, experiencing a relationship with him?

 

 2.     Simon Peter 

Today, on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, I invite you to look at Peter. We know that Peter became the first pope, Jesus gave him authority: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Peter was a fisherman, he was also a man of self-confidence and great ideals. He had various contradictions within him that we can call internal conflicts. He has the courage to walk on water, and then he melts. He does not want Jesus to wash his feet and then he wants to be completely bathed by him. He declares that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not deny him, and immediately after that he denies him three times. In all of this and with of all this, Peter is with Jesus all the time, meets him, allows him to touch himself, to touch these difficult, conflicted places. Therefore, it did not have to be easy for Peter to touch, confront himself, perhaps he felt ashamed, he wanted to run away. Jesus accepted Peter as he was, loved him. Peter endured these difficult moments and thanks to this a transformation could take place in him.How is it with you? How do you allow yourself to be met, touched by Jesus?

 

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)

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Mt 7,6.12-14

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 the wide and narrow gate. What do the gates look like, what are they made of? Look what’s behind the gates.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the desire to find my value in God 

 

1. Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

We can treat these words as a warning to carefully consider what and to whom I can say. Not everyone is able to accept and respect what I want to say or do to him. This applies to various spaces: both matters related to my life, advice on the life of another person, or what I would proselytize others. Maybe it is worth reflecting, for what purpose I want to say something, what the other person can gain thanks to it (and not me – e.g. expanding my ego, raising my value, showing on what heights of spirituality I am already)? Look also at yourself, how do you accept what others give you, what they say to you?

 

2.In everything do to others as you would have them do to you …

It seems as a simple rule: let’s give others what we would like to get. I suggest that you start with yourself, that you see: how you treat yourself, what you are to yourself, what your expectations are, what kindness, gentleness you have to yourself. It’s very likely that just as you approach yourself, you do the same to others (you may feel disagreement with these words now, but I know from experience that it is the truth).

 

3.… narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life

How is it possible for God to create a gate too narrow to pass it for us? Is it possible that God wants only a few people to come to him? Rather unbelievable! God wants to meet each of us. So, what can happen if the gate is too narrow to pass? Perhaps we are making this gate too narrow, not because of its size, but because of the luggage we carry and we want to carry. It may also be needed to hand luggage, look after, but if we focus all our attention on it, it may obscure other things, important relationships, and the luggage can become more important than them. What is your luggage: what beliefs, obligations, care for financial and material security are in it? What does the carrying the luggage give you? How do you feel this luggage in you? Think you leave it, how do you feel then? What can you lose and gain? 

 

4. Fortunately, there is good news: Jesus is waiting for you and he can help you pass this gate.

Meet with Jesus, maybe just near the narrow gate. Perhaps now he will help you unpack your baggage and guide you through this gate …

 

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)

 

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Mt 5,43-47

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 in Galilee. Perhaps he is on one of the mountains, fewer it is a beautiful view of the area. See the lake, fields, meadows. There are a lot of people on this mountain. Everyone is listening to what Jesus says. Today, he explains to people what love to another person is about. Listen… be present in this scene.

 

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would like to love God, myself and others more 

 

1.     … love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you …

Jesus sets a very difficult requirement for us. Perhaps each of us can still pray for our enemies, but to love them seems impossible. However, we can realize that Christ lives in everyone, and if I cannot love my enemy, I can love Christ who is in him.Also ask yourself: who is my greatest enemy, who do I think badly about, who do I complain about the most, who do I reject, etc.? Are you not your own enemy? Do you forget about yourself, add more burdens to bear and punish yourself? Maybe it is worth starting with yourself, liking yourself, loving yourself with everything you have and what you are. The commandment of love says: love your neighbor as yourself. So, until you love yourself, you will not be able to love others, especially your enemies. And now you may not even agree that this is the case, and you may think that you love others but not yourself. But is it really? If you are strict and very demanding on yourself, then for others as well. If you do not give yourself the right to make a mistake, the failures of others will make you very angry. Look at yourself with love and tenderness, touch yourself with love and tenderness, just like the loving Father God does. He accepts you as you are now, you don’t have to do anything else to deserve his love. Perhaps, starting today, you will stop persecuting yourself and be gentle with yourself. What are you feeling now?

 

2. …he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust

These words show that there is a place on earth for everyone. Every man is God’s creature and God loves everyone, and he gives everyone the same goods out of his love. It is up to each of us to see and accept them. Both abundance and shortage are often difficult to accept. Look at the reality that surrounds you as a certain unity, in which there is a place for every human being, in which there is a space for difficult and pleasant feelings, in which there is a space for good and unpleasant events. Maybe it is worthwhile to merge what seems difficult to accept …

 

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)

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Mt 5,13-16

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: Imagine your home, the room. There is a lamp. It’s evening. You can light the lamp and notice what you can see thanks to the light. Feel the warmth of light, its glow.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would like to be the salt of the earth and light for others

 

1.     You are the salt of the earth. …if salt loses its taste…

Jesus calls us the salt of the earth. Salt has various properties: it cleans, gives flavor, preserves, and enhances the value of dishes. So, it is a very important ingredient that gives and extracts flavor. However, salt may lose its flavor if it is not properly cared for and stored. It may not be known to us, but in the place where Jesus lived, salt was sourced from the Dead Sea and needed to be cleaned and properly stored, otherwise it would not be usable. So, Jesus, calling you salt, tells you how important you are and how much you need to take care of yourself in order to be able and feel the flavors of your life and at the same time give flavors to your life and life in the places where you are. Tastes don’t always have to be pleasant, each of us has our favorites and the ones we don’t like. Both are important and tasting everyone allows you to feel their fullness, variety and finding your favorites. Sometimes it happens, especially when we are in a rush, that we swallow food and do not even know what it tasted like. Today try to taste what you eat, drink. Note that when you eat a mixture of ingredients (e.g. a salad), one of the unlikely taste ingredients can sometimes even increase the flavor of the whole dish, and sometimes make you unable to eat it, and sometimes you just need to add salt to be able to eat it, eat this dish. And it is probably the same in our lives …Think about what it means to you that you are the salt of the earth. What flavor are you giving your life? What flavor are you giving others? How do you care for your taste? What shapes your taste? How does your relationship with Jesus affect your taste?

 

2.     You are the light a lamp… it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

Jesus says about us again: we are the light of the world and we are to shine for others. The lamp illuminates the darkness, allows you to see what cannot be seen in the dark, illuminates the path you are walking, enables you to be on the right path, and allows you to avoid getting lost. However, it does not seem to be able to blind you. The light you give is to be adapted to the person using it. It should help on the way, in life. You also need light that illuminates your path, that illuminates your interior, allows you to see darker spaces inside you, find what is hidden, invisible. It may not be pleasant sometimes, it may even be painful, but only what is visible and conscious gives us understanding of ourselves, our behavior and, if necessary, it can be changed by us.What kind of light do you shine for others? What is the light you give to your loved ones in their life and your everyday life? What is the light for you?Maybe today you will let Jesus illuminate your interior and see darker recesses?

 

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)

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Mk 12,13-17

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 in Jerusalem. Pharisees come to him and ask questions. Listen, look at the people in this scene, maybe you are also present there.

 

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would follow God’s greater glory in my life

  

  1. Knowing their hypocrisy…

Jesus recognized the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes who came to him to catch him for some untruth. Their two-faced attitude was visible to him, they failed to hide it from him. Sometimes we have this hypocrisy, too. We have something else inside, feel different, think different, say differently and act differently. And it does not only apply to our evil intentions, but also to our good feelings, motivation and thoughts. It is difficult for us to admit that, for example, we don’t like someone, we hate someone, and that we like someone, miss someone, love someone. Hypocrisy is not only manifested in a relationship with others, but perhaps the most difficult thing is for us to admit to ourselves what we have inside us. Maybe it is not right that our behavior is consistent with our actual motivations, feelings, because it can do a lot of harm to others, but that we should be aware and be able to admit to ourselves what we have deeply inside, because only then can we change it.

Jesus knows what you feel, think, want, desire and don’t want anyway. Tell him about it, even if you feel ashamed. He welcomes you with your shame.

  

  1. State law and God’s law.

Jesus answers the Pharisees when he says: Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God. So, he talks about respecting the law created by people and respecting God’s law. One can say that Jesus says: be honest, do your best, obey the rules. The difference between God’s law and human law is fundamental: God’s law comes first, it is supra-state and the moral attitude of man and it is based primarily on God’s law. Ideally, the law created by people would be in accordance with God’s law. This is often not the case: for example, in the case of defending unborn children. It seems that we like to interpret the rules in his own way, convenient for himself, stretch the law, both state and God’s. If I’m comfortable explaining why I don’t pay taxes, what I’m saying about others is not talking about how to hide some difficult truth, it’s not a lie … We often explain to ourselves that it is not a lie or a lesser evil. However, it is not about choosing the major or lesser evil but we should choose goods. So, if you undertake something, or do not undertake, speak or you are silent, the motivation should be to look for the greater good.

Look how you obey human and God’s laws. How are you looking for a greater good?

 

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)

 

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Mk 10,28-31

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 talks with his disciples. The entire conversation concerns the theme of entering the kingdom of God. At one moment Peter says that they – the disciples have left everything and followed their Master. Then Jesus probably says uneasy words that anyone who leaves their loved ones will receive a hundredfold more and eternal life in the future. See how the disciples receive these words. Be present in this scene.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the desire to experience his love, that I am loved by him 

1.     We have given up everything and followed you.Perhaps when you hear these words, you may feel discord, fear, anxiety, anger… It sounds a bit as if we have to leave everything and everyone we love to leave in order to follow him. Is it possible that God, who is love, a relationship of Three loving Persons, would like us to leave everything behind? It seems not. So maybe it’s not about literal abandonment here, but to connect with what I have and with those I love in a way that prevents me from following him, who keeps me on a leash and limits my relationship with the One who invites me to love based on trust, tenderness, dialogue and faith that I am loved by him. Love that teaches me to choose what brings me closer to him, myself and others, which allows me to live, breathe, receive and give more and more fully, and thus is an exchange, flow – I give what I have the best (does not mean perfect) and I accept it what he and others give me.See what is holding you back from Living Fully (what attachments, life scripts, schemas, thoughts…). What does Life give you, what allows you to draw full breath? What brings you closer to Him, yourself and others?  

2.     …receive hundredfold now in this age (…) and in the age to come eternal life. While it seems as though each of us should feel so much joy at this promise, for some reason it is not so easy to let go of everything. Why? Maybe it’s because we lack trust, maybe because it’s hard to imagine what I’m going to get, and I know exactly what I’m losing now? And perhaps without taking risks, we will not be able to go further, deeper in life, towards him, ourselves and others. What can help is continuous, daily awareness of what I have already received, what I have been gifted today. It builds trust and confidence that He loves me. I invite you now to look at your past day, a few days, and see gifts from God, gifts that you have received from Him, also through the people who have stood in your way at that time. Start with the simplest gifts: you can breathe, you can look, someone smiled at you… Thank Jesus for everything.

 

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)

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J 17, 1-11a

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 together with the community of disciples in the Upper Room. She looks up and starts praying to God the Father. Listen to this prayer, be present in this scene.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for my  desire to know God

 

1.  … this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

I think we reflect on eternal life many times, often in terms of something that is still ahead of us. Today we hear a beautiful definition of this concept. Eternal life is knowing God and the One He has sent – Jesus Christ. It is getting to know Love and Life so that we can love more and live more fully. Eternal life is therefore a relational life, because only then it is possible to know the other person, only through direct experience can we know the other person. It is a process of opening up, discovering each other in order to be, trust and love more. In human terms, this carries the risk of rejection, but failure to take it deprives you of the opportunity to be fully enjoy of the good, the benefits of the relationship. God does not reject anyone, He is always open to every human being, He is gentle and constantly waiting for a human being. He has space for each of us. Therefore relational life  is also giving space to receive the other person and giving myself, giving space to curiosity about the one with whom I am creating a relationship.

Re-evaluate your concept of eternal life today. See how you get to know God, others, yourself, and how you let yourself know, what your relational life is like. You don’t have to judge, change anything, just see and realize it.

 

2. Interpenetration

Reading today’s Gospel text, one can get the impression of an immense unity between God and Jesus, a continuous, unbreakable bond: everything of mine is yours, and everything of yours is mine. The greatest intimacy, the interpenetration of two spaces, so that they can create unity. God is not somewhere, you don’t have to go away, look far. He is in you, in the space where you are now and, in every person, you meet. He everywhere and constantly wants to be one with you. Maybe you just sit down and be with Him now, where you are, as you can and want.

 

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)

 

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J 16, 5-11

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 stays with his disciples in the Upper Room all the time and prepares them for his departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. See the Upper Room, look at Jesus and the disciples. Feel the atmosphere of this place, those moments of farewell to Jesus. Be in the upper room with the disciples and Jesus.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would be able to accept the reality in which God comes to me

 

  1. … it is better for you that I go.

Today, we consider again Jesus’ farewell speech and hear how Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure. Jesus goes away, in a sense way he gives a space the Holy Spirit and gives a space the disciples to become independent. Yes, he will be all the time, but not in such an easily visible way, the disciples will not be able to wake up their Master and say: Lord save us! and receive direct help from him. Jesus revealed to the disciples everything he got from the Father, so the disciples have everything to be able to live.

It seems like an invitation from Jesus to take responsibility for their life, to be independent. Perhaps this is where the disciples pay more attention to the departure of Jesus than to the coming of the Advocate, and perhaps they pay more attention to the sadness than Jesus’ departure. They must take their lives into their own hands, of course in union with Jesus, who is and will be present with them, but in a different way. Disciples must understand and embrace reality fully, with what they lose and gain, with what is difficult for them but which will allow them to live fully. Staying in sadness may be easier than seeking hope and seeing joy. Living in some despair, sadness can justify stagnation, some kind of doing nothing. And looking for solutions to what is good forces you to act in some way, to break away from your old thinking, beliefs and patterns.

Think about your responsibility for your life, what it is, how you live it, how you find the fullness of life to which Jesus invites you. What are your attachments that block you from experiencing all the emotions, the difficult and the pleasant ones, from seeing the shadows and bright sides of yourself, that is, from accepting the full reality, that is, living fully in God?

Look at Jesus again. He prepares his disciples for his departure. They must be very important to him. He doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. He may also experience his departure, and he may have become attached to them. Think what Jesus’ departure meant for Jesus, what he might have felt when he said goodbye to his disciples.

 

  1. not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

Jesus tells his disciples that none of them asks him where he is going. Getting to know the truth requires asking questions. Faith requires questions. Our life requires asking questions. Here our curiosity can vent, here it can be put to good use. How many misunderstandings in relationships there are because we do not ask questions, but only guess and expect that others will also guess. They won’t guess! They don’t have to and we don’t have to guess either. It is worth accepting it. Think what questions do you have in yourself, what answers do they need – from whom? What questions do you want to ask Jesus today?

Also ask yourself: where am I going, what is my goal, what gives meaning to my life, what makes me want to get up and live the day?

 

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)

 

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J 14, 27-31a

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 his disciples. See the place where they are staying: how it looks, notice how and where Jesus and his disciples are in this room

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the experience of peace, which is the result of a living relationship with the risen Christ

 

1.Loss and new.

Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure. He must go away, because he loves his Father and he wants to fulfill his will to the end. However, he promises them his return, which may refer to his coming after the Resurrection. Disciples may feel the loss as their Master leaves. They know what they are losing, who they are losing in such a human experience. Even though Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit and his return (we know this from the earlier verse Jn 14:26), they seem the promised novelty as a something uncertain,  and intangible. It is difficult for them to see any benefit from their Teacher’s departure.

Try to be with disciples as you can: what is happening in them, what causes their anxiety, what gives them hope?

The experience of losses is inscribed in our lives and although it is difficult to accept this experience as something positive, only such an experience can leads us to our development, teaches us confidence and gives us wealth. In the present time, we too can feel anxiety, uncertainty that arouses fear for the future, we constantly experience various losses (existential, related to human relationships, material, or our schemas, or even values crumbling). The loss creates a blank space that waits to be filled. It depends on us what will be built in this place.

 

2.Peace.

Jesus says to his disciples: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Peace is one of the gifts of the Risen Jesus. It does not mean external peace, no conflicts, tensions, wars, or a life without difficulties. Rather, its meaning is associated with happiness, unity, fullness, and a sense of inner, deep security that comes from our being rooted in Christ. Pope Francis, in one of his homilies, compared peace to the sea, which is rough on the outside, but in the depths the water is calm. The peace of Jesus does not exclude human fear and anxiety, but it is a gift of faith, life, joy as a result from my relationship with God. Each of us is invited to share such peace with others, a peace that gives others hope, trust, and the joy of the presence of Jesus and loved ones.

What does Christ’s presence bring to your life? How and where do you seek and find your deep inner peace? What peace do you give to others? How do you take it from others?

 

3. The Father.

In this Gospel, Jesus places us strongly towards the Father: the Father is greater than I I love the Father. God the Father is greater than our weakness, sins, fears, and errors. He is with us when we experience loss, difficulty, but also joy and happiness. There is no moment in our life where God is not present. Even if you don’t feel his presence, he is and accepts and loves you as you are right now.

What do your awareness of God’s constant presence make in 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)

 

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