Guidelines for prayer: August 8-14, 2016 - The Missionary zeal for a transforming encounter8/9/2016
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 seek for a more and better prayer
INTRODUCTION
Truly being a Verbum Dei disciple is a precious gift from God. Because it is where we learn what real prayer is. How are you after last week’s guidelines of prayer? How was your encounter with God as one of our missionary zeal? Isn’t it a wonderful Experience to be on the holy ground? How beautiful to discover that the holy ground when we are praying is the heart full of love of our Father in heaven. That is why our VD founder reminds us of these words: “Verbum Dei without prayer will not exist, nor preach, nor expand, nor can it grow, nor can it be happy, nor have a reason to exist. I would like and so I ask God with insistence – day and night – a Verbum Dei of more and better prayer, and of Verbum Dei prayer…. that is an affective prayer, a one-to-one intimate prayer that consecrates, woos, and makes it possible that the terrible temptations and difficulties, ever stronger each time… may not knock them down, may not make them fall into the mediocrity of a non-consecrated life without direction or meaning (Jaime Bonet) This week we are invited to seek for more and better prayer where we can experience a transforming encounter with our God who loves us so much. MONDAY God Searches for a Deeper Relationship with us as we are Entitled to own Eternal Life (Memorial of St. Dominic) Matthew 19:16-22 16 And now a man came to him and asked, 'Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?' 17 Jesus said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.' 18 He said, 'Which ones?' Jesus replied, 'These: You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false witness. 19 Honour your father and your mother. You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' 20 The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?' 21 Jesus said, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' 22 But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. What hinders you to seek eternal life while you are still here on earth? How much time do you spend to attain eternal life? Are you aware how many times in our life, God seeks for us in order that we have eternal life? TUESDAY Seek life and Peace for this is what the Spirit wants for us. (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) Romans 8:5-6 5 Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. 6 And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace, Luke 10:25-28 25 And now a lawyer stood up and, to test him, asked, 'Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 26 He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?' 27 He replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.' 28 Jesus said to him, 'You have answered right, do this and life is yours.' Are you happy in your life now? What are the treasures you are seeking in your life? How peaceful is your life on earth? Is your life controlled by the Spirit? In what way? WEDNESDAY A joyful encounter being God’s Verbum Dei children. (Memorial of St. Lawrence) Matthew 18:1-5 At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?' 2 So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. 3 Then he said, 'In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. 4 And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. 5 'Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:12-14 12 'Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? 13 In truth I tell you, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. 14 Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. How joyful are you as a Verbum Dei Disciple? Are you enjoying the privilege of being a child of God? Were you able to find time to connect your life to the real source of humility? Do you recognize the openness of God to welcome you to his loving heart? THURSDAY Service and Forgiveness… Real expressions of Love. (Memorial St. Clare) John 12:24-26 24 In all truth I tell you, unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest. 25 Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me, must follow me, and my servant will be with me wherever I am. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him. Matthew 18:21-35 21 Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' 22 Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. 23 'And so the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. 24 When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; 25 he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. 26 At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet, with the words, "Be patient with me and I will pay the whole sum." 27 And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. 28 Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow-servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying, "Pay what you owe me." 29 His fellow-servant fell at his feet and appealed to him, saying, "Be patient with me and I will pay you." 30 But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 His fellow-servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. 32 Then the master sent for the man and said to him, "You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. 33 Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?" 34 And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. 35 And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.' Why are we not preaching, nor desire for it? Are you willing to expand the Verbum Dei mission, How? Are you willing to serve in the mission? How do you grow in the mission? Who are the people in your life that needs your love and forgiveness? FRIDAY Seek the mind of God through the Verbum Dei way of praying (St. Jane Frances de Chantal) Romans 8:26-27 26 And as well as this, the Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words; 27 and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God. 1 Corinthians 2:16 16 For: who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser? But we are those who have the mind of Christ. Our own eternal life and that of many depends on the contact, communion and vital transmission that only emanates from prayer, our living dialogue with Christ. (Jaime Bonet) What is the Verbum Dei prayer according to Jaime? How is your prayer life as a Verbum Dei as well as praying in a Verbum Dei way? How wonderful to realize that the spirit beings all our heartily prayers in front of our God. Together as one family let us ask the Lord : “Teach us how to pray.” SATURDAY Be one in the mind and in the heart of Christ, in seeking a transforming encounter in our way of praying (Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus) Romans 12:1-2 I urge you, then, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people. 2 Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and mature. 1 Peter 5:7-11 7 unload all your burden on to him, since he is concerned about you. 8 Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that it is the same kind of suffering that the community of your brothers throughout the world is undergoing. 10 You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will restore you, he will confirm, strengthen and support you. 11 His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen. What is to encounter the Lord? Are you willing to be transformed by the love of God? God wants us to be beautiful in his eyes. That is why we are reminded that we need the strength to transform ourselves through a transformative experience. Have this Zeal of transformation. SUNDAY 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40 2nd Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53 Comments are closed.
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