Daily Prayer with Regnum Christi

• JWorld

  25 Oct 04, 13:15

  
  We pray so that all Catholics will live the virtue of charity in a special way throughout the day.
  
  Topic : Compassion
  
  October 25, 2004
  Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
  
  Luke 13:10-17
  Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
  
  Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, today I am going to contemplate your love in action. You came to give me an example to follow. You came to show me the path to happiness and heaven. Thank you Lord for another day, for another opportunity to deepen my love and friendship with you.
  
  Petition: Christ, please give me the strength not only to contemplate your example but also to come out of this meditation with a firm resolve to imitate it.
  
  1. Following the Example of Jesus. “Jesus showed his compassion for the sick and the infirm, revealing his great kindness and tenderness of heart; he was also prepared to save those suffering in soul and body by means of his power to work miracles. He therefore worked many cures, so many that the sick flocked to him to benefit from his miraculous power. As the Evangelist Luke said, numerous crowds assembled not only to hear him, but also ‘to be cured of their ailments’ (Luke 5:5). In his dedication to freeing those who approached him from the burden of sickness or infirmity, Jesus allows us to glimpse the special intention of God´s mercy in their regard: God is not indifferent to the sufferings caused by disease. He offers his help to the sick through the saving plan that the incarnate Word reveals and fulfills in the world” (Pope John Paul II, General Audience, June 15, 1994). In spite of our busy schedules and multiple commitments, we need to make time to visit and pray for our loved ones and friends who are suffering. Christ wants to touch them through our words and prayers. He is asking us to be his ambassadors and instruments of his love.
  
  2. We Will Be Judged on Our Love. When that final day arrives, and we breathe our last breath, every one of us will meet Christ face-to-face. Christ will show us the history of our life and will highlight all of those moments in which we loved. Our trophies, medals, and human accomplishments will no longer carry that much weight; rather, Christ will base his eternal judgment on how much we loved. I remember how my mother lived and continues to live this precept of love in so many different ways. She would often convert our garage into a massive flower shop, and just about every Saturday, she would dedicate most of her day to making flower arrangements, delivering them to all of her sick friends and neighbors in the area. My brothers and I would help her with this effort. We also helped in delivering home-cooked meals to a family in our subdivision whose mother was dying of cancer. My mother could have been playing tennis with her friends or just relaxing on the couch in front of the television, but she chose to love. Love is very practical, and it demands time and sacrifice.
  
  3. Prayer Feeds the Fire of Love. “Pope John Paul II reminds us of a Gospel maxim: “Cut off from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We can put together any number of pastoral plans, be always on the go, and run initiatives that mobilize thousands or hundreds of thousands of people; but if we rely on our strength alone and not on God’s, we are headed for failure. Without Christ’s grace we can do nothing. Grace holds absolute primacy in the spiritual life. This doesn’t rule out human cooperation. Man also has to do his part. God does nothing if a person resists his grace, but grace precedes whatever human work is going to give results in terms of salvation” (Fr Marcial Maciel, LC, Christ is My Life, no. 150). True compassion needs to be fueled and sustained by a life of intense prayer. The inspiration to show compassion, the strength to actually follow through with acts of compassion, and the fruit that will come from this act of compassion are all dependent on God’s grace. Prayer is essential to living a life of charity and self-giving. We will live as we pray!
  
  Dialogue with Christ: Thank you, Jesus, for this time of dialogue and contemplation. You are the Lord of my life and my most intimate friend and traveling companion. Please flood my heart with an abundance of your grace, so that I too can imitate your example of compassion and self-giving.
  
  Resolution: I will visit or pray for a sick relative or friend in the next few days.
  
• JWorld

  26 Oct 04, 13:03

  We pray so that all Christians will be able to detach their hearts from material things in favor of the poor.
  
  Topic : We are the Branches of God
  
  October 26, 2004
  Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
  
  Luke 13:18-21
  Jesus said, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ´the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.´" Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed (in) with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."
  
  Introductory Prayer:Hello, Jesus. Thank you for making yourself so accessible and easy to reach. There is no red tape, no paperwork or waiting rooms, no need to schedule an appointment Â…; you are always there just waiting for me, anxious to share with me your love and grace. Christ, do not allow me to fall into routine or familiarity in my relationship with you. I need this time with you, and I truly do want to transform my heart into yours. Allow me to perceive and especially put into practice all the insights and inspirations that you have prepared for me this day.
  
  Petition: Lord, please help me to be an effective and dynamic apostle in my ordinary life with a real desire to bring more people closer to your heart.
  
  1. A Cause for Hope. “Jesus Christ compared the Church to a ‘mustard seed,’ to that small seed that, in growing, becomes the biggest plant in the field and turns almost into a tree, so that the birds of the sky come to rest in its branches (cf. Matthew 13:32). In fact, the Church, despite trials and difficulties, continues to grow like a flourishing tree. She began with the group of apostles and disciples. She spread later to many who had the fortune to take part in the meetings with the Risen Lord before his Ascension. She extended subsequently to the thousands who believed on the day of Pentecost” (Pope John Paul II, Homily, January 26, 1990). In spite of the recent hardships of the Church, she continues to prevail, to grow and stand firm as a beacon of light and hope for so many cultures and nations. Now, this growth in some ways has also been entrusted to us; Christ is appealing to each one of us to continue to help build the Church through our prayers and especially through our holy lives. In a certain sense, we are the living branches of God, called to reach out and offer shelter to the many souls entrusted to us.
  
  2. Christ Is Looking for Apostles. “Christ today is looking for apostles, workers for his vineyard, missionaries, volunteers for the Gospel. We need lips to announce him and feet to reach the ends of the earth so that no one is left without hearing the Good News; hearts burning with the flame of love for Christ; souls in love and willing to give everything for him, even life itself…. When the world seems to walk away from Christ is when he walks toward it, and he will do so through the apostles of the new evangelization” (Fr Marcial Maciel, LC, Christ is My Life, no. 149). We are a part of this mustard “bush,” we are living branches upon which many souls have taken refuge to find peace and fulfillment in this disoriented and hedonistic society. We need to extend our branches out even further, stretching to touch those souls who have been providentially placed in our lives. Christ is the one asking you for help. He is asking, waiting and hoping for a generous response.
  
  3. Brick by Brick. Great buildings are built brick by brick. The greatest gift that my parents have given to me was their faith and fidelity to their marriage vows. They were faithful, day after day. They loved each other and others, in good times and bad. We are all in the process of growing and developing in our spiritual and apostolic life, and we need to remind ourselves that the little things matter. Our daily prayer commitments, like fertilizer and water and sun for the trees, continually nourish and strengthen our souls. Our little acts of love and charity help keep the flame of love strong in our hearts. The growth of most trees and bushes is generally imperceptible on a day-to-day basis, but there is an internal dynamism that is working day and night, whether we recognize it or not. So too, in our spiritual life, if we have these two key elements of prayer and love, our hearts will naturally expand and our love will gradually reach out and touch more and more souls everyday.
  
  Dialogue with Christ: What a gift to have you so close and accessible, Jesus. Thank you for reminding me of my mission to be an apostle of your love. You have called me to share in this mission of building your kingdom, of truly being a living branch on the vine of the Church, which is called to bear much fruit. Thank you for your trust in me, Christ!
  
  Resolution: I will see how I can practically commit to being more effective in my current apostolate.
• SingaporeMacross

  26 Oct 04, 22:53

  Resolution: I will see how I can practically commit to being more effective in my current apostolate.

  Lol!! This comes at a really good time for me....
• JWorld

  5 Nov 04, 23:02

  Let us ask our Lord to bless those young men and women who are discerning their vocation so that they may be generous and at peace.
  
  Topic: Children of Light!
  
  November 5, 2004
  Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
  
  Luke 16:1-8
  Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ´What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.´ The steward said to himself, ´What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.´ He called in his master´s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ´How much do you owe my master?´ He replied, ´One hundred measures of olive oil.´ He said to him, ´Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.´ Then to another he said, ´And you, how much do you owe?´ He replied, ´One hundred kors of wheat.´ He said to him, ´Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.´ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
  
  Introductory Prayer:How is it, Lord, that you never tire of my coming to me? Am I not the same each day, with the same petitions, the same sins? But, that would be unfair to say because I know that you are truly transforming me. I am coming to you day in and day out to accompany you, to be transformed, and I know that you are not intimidated by my weaknesses, smallness or distractions. Your grace is always effective. Lord, transform me! Make me into your apostle, holy and courageous, always doing your will. Thank you for the graces you will give me in this meditation.
  
  Petition:Grant me the grace, Lord, of a passionate heart for my mission.
  
  1. Children of Light! In this passage, Christ sets the children of the world in contraposition to the children of light. Who are the children of light? Evidently they are those who follow the Light, namely Jesus Christ. The children of light have come into the Light of Christ and they see. As long as Christ is in the world there is light (Cfr John 9:5). And how is Christ present in the world today? He is in the world inasmuch as we carry him as children of light. Like Moses who spoke face-to-face with God, the children of the light, on finishing their meditation, their time with Christ, should shine as light for the world. If you are what you should be you will set the whole world ablaze! If you pray as you should pray, you will light up the world.
  
  2. Your Turn to Deal! It seems like Christ is challenging his listeners to outdo the children of this world. He states that the children of the world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation. What about us? How are we, as the children of light, dealing with the present generation? What are we to do with this present generation? Save it. How do we do this? Prudently. We need to be astute. We need to evaluate how we can most effectively bring souls to Christ and re-evangelize the culture, re-Christianize it. But, of course, this is not an easy task and it implies a risk. As Legionary of Christ founder Fr Marcial Maciel writes: “Preaching the Gospel has always entailed a grave risk. Today is no exception. To be an apostle means endangering your reputation and status, and even your life; it means leaving your comfort zone and not fearing to be labeled as crazy or a dreamer. This doesn’t unsettle the true apostle. He knows he is running a risk, but he is sure of what he is reaping. As St Paul said, ‘I know who it is that I have put my trust in’ (2 Timothy 1:12). An apostle’s worry is to be faithful to Christ, faithful to his command to announce the Gospel” (Christ Is My Life, p. 263).
  
  3. Possessing the Ideal! In order to accomplish this we need to first possess the ideal of Jesus Christ. Our hearts must be full of him. Nemo dat quod non habet, says the Latin refrain: “No one gives what he does not have.” Therefore, we must be filled with Christ. Fr Maciel reflects on what possessing this ideal entails: “The ideal involves the insight of your intelligence and the energy of your will, and propels you out of yourself to obtain a goal, committing your entire person. The ideal carries within its own transforming energy and vigor; it enables you to face the greatest sacrifices with joy” (Letter, September 3, 1989). Christ is our ideal. Christ is our light. Possessing Christ will in turn bring us to deal astutely with our present generation and bring it to Christ’s light.
  
  Dialogue with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for this time of meditation. You choose to give me this opportunity day after day. There are so many souls hustling through this world without knowing where they are going and without enjoying your friendship as I do. I know, Lord, that you want me to be a bridge for you to reach those souls. I do not know if they are many or few that you want to reach through me, but I think they are many. My heart is ready, O Lord. Fill me with apostolic zeal, with a passionate love for my mission. Fill me so that I will be able to fill others with you.
  
  Resolution: After reflecting on my efforts in the apostolate, I will ask Christ for the grace of being as astute as possible, seeing whether there is something more I can do to carry out my apostolic work.
  
  Father Michael Goodyear, LC