Meditation — August 12, 2018
Posted on Sunday, August 12th, 2018
Scripture: “This is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who easts this bread will live forever.” John 6:58
Prayer: I just returned from an early mass that was filled with young parents and their children—one of whom turned and waved shyly to me—two rows behind, old couples with their aches, and young men and ladies comprehending together the mystery before them.
Response: The mystery before them—has touched you from your earliest days. Serving mass in a quiet basement chapel where only the sound of a single bell chimed the elevation of the host and wine. Perhaps, it was during that time when you feasted alone on the miracle before you, and still do so to this day.
The same sense of awe captures you sitting in a quiet chapel alone in prayer, or on a walk in a forest whispering prayers, or sitting at a table jotting down the deepest sentiments of your heart.
You have been drawn close since you were just a young boy, to a father separated from your family in a war-ravaged area, to now—an older version of yourself, alone and suppressing any thought of your aging frame, but more than hesitant to race down the beach at dawn. There you are still waiting patiently at the alter to receive the body and blood of Jesus. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — August 11, 2018
Posted on Saturday, August 11th, 2018
Prayer: Oh, Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day; in union with the holy sacrifice of the mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my associates, and for (the daily intention). Amen
Prayer #2: Since as long as I can remember, I have begun each day with this prayer that I learned in my first year of high school. It has travelled with me during my entire life journey in all circumstances—holed up in a safehouse in Beirut, climbing toward the base camp in the Himalayas, recovering from loss, inviting new challenge, and this morning as I stood in the sand bordering the ocean.
Response: It is good to examine from time to time those gems of life that are as ingrained in you as a precious cloak you wear almost unaware. Give thanks to those tutors from your youth who passed on the prize that you had not earned. Be sure to pass it on to others who are searching sometimes unaware for a similar garment.
Consider beginning each day by offering your prayers, works, joys, and, yes, sufferings in the sweep of the Lord’s healing presence, manifest to you each day, for those who are in special need this day. Reflect on how this prayer sparks you to reach out in prayer for those whom you will never meet and rewards you with a special consciousness of His presence in your life.
Today, be especially moved to pray for those in desperate conditions or facing untold challenges of the heart and soul. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — August 10, 2018
Posted on Friday, August 10th, 2018
Scripture: God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work. As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm forever. 2 Corinthians 9:8-9
Prayer: Is it possible that the morning could be more still? I am caught in the rapture of the silence—a silence that wafts through inner corridors of my heart. Lead me, Lord. I am listening.
Response: This is one of those mornings when there is nothing for you to do, but only to be—to be attentive to His presence that enfolds you as manifest in the peace you are witnessing and experiencing now in these seemingly timeless moments.
You are also experiencing a hint of eternity—a timelessness and rapture that arises without a prelude, capturing your full attention and devotion. You are like someone who arrived late for a performance and just as you were seated find yourself captured by a rhapsody that you had never witnessed previously.
Yes, the Lord is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace and your resources overflow. Spend a moment in praise and thanksgiving for His presence in your life this morning, and the mornings following. Praise God!
All for this morning.
Meditation — August 9, 2018
Posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2018
Scripture: No, this is the covenant I shall make with the House of Israel when those days have come, Yahweh declares. Within them I shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33
Prayer: Indeed, there is a rhythm in my heart each morning as I walk toward the beach and remember in prayer those in great need of support; and this morning is no exception. My world is populated with those for whom I pray and who, seemingly alone, address challenges that would discourage the hardiest in my midst.
Response: In time you came to recognize in the Lord’s grace the writing on your heart. Earlier, it was a challenge for you to decipher the shadows of light that touched you at different stages in your life.
As your faculties have slowed in age, your perception of the Lord’s whispering in prayer reflects a focus that penetrates the thickest fog of disinterest and you are spurred on to increase your pace in contributing to the healing of the weary and the befuddled.
Jeremiah witnesses to you his journey of the heart, reaching you from a distant past. Yet, it is as if he is sitting opposite sharing his insights as they apply to your experiences. In prayer, the Lord provides guidance, patience, and wisdom.
Spend extra time this day praying for those who face and encounter sometimes unimaginable challenges that only the hardiest in your midst would continue to persevere.
Praise God!
Meditation — August 8, 2018
Posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2018
Scripture: With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love. Take every care to support each other in love. Take every care to support the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one body, one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God. Ephesians 4:2-4
Prayer: On this 54th anniversary of my marriage, I bless the grace I received during those forty years together—the love, children, travel, and even the sudden farewell we had to accept. So much do I owe to the Lord for His care, love, and healing of me and my loved ones.
Response: Yes, who would have ever considered you humble, gentle, or patient? Yet, your journey to date continues to nudge you into that column of those who see the life-journey in the most intimately and praise the Lord for His over-whelming grace in all circumstances; and you don’t want to miss the subtle expression of His love and guidance.
Look around at your fellow-travelers. Notice that only a few can still sprint down a beach, or scale the heights without a pause, or swim out into the deep without a second thought. Yet, all of you are becoming sensitive to those around you; you seem to have lost your desire to take over a discussion; and, yes, you listen as you don’t want to miss a heart expression of a loved one, friend, or even stranger.
Be ready this day and the following to welcome those still sprinting who come to the end of their run. Embrace the stranger, and, of course, delve ever deeper the love you share with a loved one. Praise God!
All for this morning.
