General Theme: The Missionary Zeal of Jaime Bonet in the encounter with God and the efficiency of Hacer-hacer General Objective: - To deepen and follow the same missionary zeal of Jaime to encounter God. - To live out the efficiency of ‘hacer-hacer’ Objective of the week: To deepen and follow the same missionary zeal of Jaime Bonet to encounter God.
INTRODUCTION
How is everyone in their relationship with the Lord? Welcome to a new month of deepening and praying with Jesus through His Word. Last month was a time to taste and live out the Verbum Dei charism and mission. This month, we will listen to Jaime, our founder and be drawn by his same missionary zeal to encounter God in his life. “A life of prayer requires a centered exercise of serene and prolonged prayer each day, in silence and deep assimilation. It supposes a true interest, a sincere desire and real enthusiasm for prayer and its daily practice. The dedication of our lives to convince and encourage people to pray so they live from Christ requires a falling in love with Jesus. It cannot be improvised and does not emerge spontaneously. The habitual attitude and choice of a deep life of prayer requires a determined determination.” (Jaime Bonet) Jaime is inviting us to have this missionary zeal to encounter God daily. Do I have that zeal to pray? If our dedication as a VDFamily is to convince and encourage people to pray and live everything from Christ, then how is my love for Him? He is asking us to fall in love. And only in this daily encounter we fall in love and grow in our love for Him. When we have love for Him, we don’t run away from prayer but seek for every moment to keep alive this encounter. How am I keeping my dialogue and encounter with God alive during the day? “Our vocation and mission is to give the Word of God. And to give it is a result of our dialogue with God, which we keep alive during the whole day in a living and intimate relationship with the Trinity and Mary present in our being.” (Jaime Bonet) Let us create and build this habit to choose always for a deep life of prayer. Let us do this as a Family helping one another to increase more each day this zeal for Him. Lord, we ask for a determined determination to encounter you. MONDAY God seeks to encounter you (Memorial of St. Alphonsus de Ligouri) Exodus 3:1-8 Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led it to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up. 3 Moses said, 'I must go across and see this strange sight, and why the bush is not being burnt up.' 4 When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 'Here I am,' he answered. 5 'Come no nearer,' he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors,' he said, 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Yahweh then said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying for help on account of their taskmasters. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. 8 And I have come down to rescue them from the clutches of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that country, to a country rich and broad, to a country flowing with milk and honey… For Jaime, prayer has always been this essential way to draw close to the living fire, and listen to God in a personal way. Jaime remarked that prayer “in a spontaneous and necessary way, spreads the love of Christ like a burning fire”. (A Heart on Fire) TUESDAY You are seekers of God (Portiuncula Indulgence) “Contemporary society needs and the Church expects you to be a living Gospel… You are seekers of God by vocation… You seek the definitive, you seek God, keeping your gaze fixed upon him… Always be passionate pursuers and witnesses of God! (Benedict XVI) Jeremiah 29:11-14 11 Yes, I know what plans I have in mind for you, Yahweh declares, plans for peace, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 When you call to me and come and pray to me, I shall listen to you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; when you search wholeheartedly for me, 14 I shall let you find me… Jeremiah 15:16 16 When your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the joy of my heart; for I was called by your Name, Yahweh, God Sabaoth. We are missionaries of the Word of God. The Word of God must move us. How is my interest in seeking God and His Word? Is my desire to pray sincere? Do I have the real enthusiasm to pray and to practice it daily? WEDNESDAY Take courage to encounter Him Matthew 14:22-33 22 And at once he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he sent the crowds away. 23 After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 while the boat, by now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for there was a head-wind. 25 In the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea, 26 and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 'It is a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.' 28 It was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.' 29 Jesus said, 'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, 30 but then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!' 31 Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'You have so little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?' 32 And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. 33 The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.' Zeal to come to Jesus brings with it the courage over stormy seas. Let us ask constantly for that zeal and the courage to have Him and the courage to seek for Him especially in challenging times. THURSDAY Persons with great faith in this encounter (Memorial St. John Marie Vianney) Matthew 15:21-28 21 Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And suddenly out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.' 23 But he said not a word in answer to her. And his disciples went and pleaded with him, saying, 'Give her what she wants, because she keeps shouting after us.' 24 He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.' 25 But the woman had come up and was bowing low before him. 'Lord,' she said, 'help me.' 26 He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.' 27 She retorted, 'Ah yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table.' 28 Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again. Never get tired of approaching Christ through His Word and experiencing the fire of his great love for us and for all humanity. (A Heart on Fire) Ask the Lord that we be persons with great faith in this encounter, where we experience deeply the Lord granting us our deepest desires. FRIDAY Our encounter will reveal to you who I am and who you are. (Dedication of St. Mary Major in Rome) Matthew 16:13-19 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of man is?' 14 And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 15 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?' 16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Every encounter brings us to the true face of God and who we are before Him. Be open and be glad to what He shows you. SATURDAY Our encounter will give you assurance from God. (Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord) Luke 9:28-36 28 Now about eight days after this had been said, he took with him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. 29 And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. 30 And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah 31 appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they woke up and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what he was saying. 34 As he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. 35 And a voice came from the cloud saying, 'This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.' 36 And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen. Every encounter is a personal experience of being personally assured by God of His presence and His friendship. ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.’ I am real and I am here with you always! SUNDAY 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time St. John Baptiste Marie Vianney Sunday 1st Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33 2nd Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 Gospel: Luke 12:32-48 Comments are closed.
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