Meditation is an ideal way to pray. Using God's word (Lectio Divina) allows me to hear, listen and reflect on what the Lord wants to say to me - to one of his disciples - just like He did two thousand years ago.
The best time to reflect is at the beginning of the day and for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Prior to going to sleep, read the Mass readings for the next day and then, in the morning, reflect on the Meditation offered on this website.
I hope these daily meditations allow you to know, love and imitate the Lord in a more meaningful way.
God bless you!


Saturday, January 15, 2011

Mk 2:1-12 An Invitation to All

Mk 2:1-12 An Invitation to All

(Click here for readings)

I am a fool for Christ. After years and years of wandering, I came back home. I decided to leave it all and follow the Lord. “There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there” (G. K. Chesterton). How many times have I traveled around my world, only to come back, again and again, to my Father’s House? It starts the same way, over and over again: I sin and fall over. I ask for His grace and arrive home in peace. The world is round and so are my sins. Sins lead to chaos that wounds my soul and leaves me in pain. And so, what do I do? Again and again, I seek the Lord who rebuilds his home within my soul. I am a sinner and yet, he calls me his friend.

I am a fool for Christ. I am still unpacking. Still examining this life of mine and the miracles it has brought into my life. I am still deciphering all its codes and mysteries. What will be next? What will come from this or that encounter? Who will I meet next? What will it all mean? The Lord seeks me. He invites me to dine with Him.

I am a fool for Christ. Open to scorn and ridicule; open to labels and categories; lies and mistrust. In order to live the truth, I must be transparent with, in and through the truth. When I speak, all listen. Am I listening to my own words? Following the Lord and truly leaving everything behind? The Lord did not come to call the righteous but sinners. He invites me to follow Him.

I am a fool for Christ. I still hold on to dear life. I still hold tight to my deepest desires – my pride, vanity and a deep desire for comfort. Those who disagree with me, WATCH OUT! Not so much out of love for God but more so out of love for self. I hold on to my greatest possession: my will! It’s all mine! And I will not share it with others. And so I have become a single-edged sword, one that only knows how to slash and wound. How ineffective! It strikes at the heart, regardless of whose heart it is. It penetrates deep, but only striking flesh and spilling blood. It has no power over the spirit and soul. In reality, it will never kill. “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit.” (Heb 4:12) The Lord invites me to sharpen my sword and slay the dragon.

And so, I have walked a life time - not much different from all those before me. I seek to understand and to be understood. How I long to come back home, to my resting place, my home, my Father’s House.

Make every turn and twist count! Make every single decision end with grace! Turn what was evil into a grace. Do we realize that every decision we make is a yes or no to God. Every decision has its consequences in time and eternity. Give the Lord the final word! Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63) A decision is a way to show what side we are on: faith or reason, grace or sin; life or death; trust or fear. “Let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Heb 4:16). Amen.

10 comments:

  1. Very powerful meditation Father!

    “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit.” (Heb 4:12) The Lord invites me to sharpen my sword and slay the dragon.

    Wow! What a battle cry! That totally got me pumped up to do battle with the devil today!

    “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63)

    Whenever there I have confusion or choas in life, this will be a great scripture verse for me to reflect on.

    God Bless You Father Alfonse!
    Rose :)

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  2. WOW! What a powerful meditation! The passion and commitment to live for the Lord have to always be in check, as you so powerfully stated...Satan can so easily fuel them for him. We can so easily let him, but we must not. Pride, vanity, a single edged sword...tearing away at our souls. But praise be to God, He hangs in there. He never gives up. He waits for us to open the slightest crack, and then His all encompassing grace can heal in an instant or a lifetime if only we allow Him. He knows it will take conversion after conversion because we fail. But he doesn't change. He is always there..If only we would allow him to do His great work, and commit ourselves to do our greatest work... change our lives for him. So, thank you for this powerful message and the rich, moving imagery. Your zeal shines through and is inspiring!!!
    Thank you Fr. Alfonse. May God bless you!
    Jenny

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  3. I just wanted to add...this is the way I have been instructed to battle:

    1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

    Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

    you know, kill the devil with kindness and Christ's love!

    Thank You Father! I am ready to battle today!

    God Bless You Father Alfonse!

    Rose :)

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  4. Dear Fr. Alfonse,

    Hope you are having a good day! Just a quick thought. Your meditation was very helpful today, but I don't quite understand the last little reflection (I'm totally going to sound like a broken record here, but oh well! ; )…

    You say, "A decision is a way to show what side we are on: faith or reason, grace or sin; life or death; trust or fear." It sounds kind of like 'reason' is grouped together with 'sin', 'death', and 'fear'? Did God not give us our reason to USE it? Can faith ever be separated from reason? John Paul II's encyclical on Faith and Reason (Fides et Ratio) comes to mind:

    "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (cf. Ex 33:18; Ps 27:8-9; 63:2-3; Jn 14:8; 1 Jn 3:2)" (Fides et Ratio n.1)

    “…with the light of reason human beings can know which path to take, but they can follow that path to its end, quickly and unhindered, only if with a rightly tuned spirit they search for it within the horizon of faith. Therefore, reason and faith cannot be separated without diminishing the capacity of men and women to know themselves, the world and God in an appropriate way.” (n.16)

    “There is thus no reason for competition of any kind between reason and faith: each contains the other, and each has its own scope for action.” (n.17)

    Well I would quote the whole encyclical if I could because it’s so beautiful…but I think the above quotes summarize what I was thinking.

    Anyways, I’m sure I’m totally being too ‘technical’ in focusing on the simply phrasing of something. I don’t mean to be critical or anything at all!! I probably shouldn’t post this, as I’m interpreting things through my own personal struggle with the relationship between faith and reason…but I am curious for your thoughts if you have time : )

    Praying for you, as always! God Bless!

    - Jessica

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  5. Jessica
    I was thinking that too, but what I thought of was 'logic'. Because logic seems to be the opposite of faith to me because faith is so illogical.

    my two cents

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  6. "Not so much out of love for God but more so out of love for self. I hold on to my greatest possession: my will! It’s all mine! And I will not share it with others. And so I have become a single-edged sword, one that only knows how to slash and wound. How ineffective! It strikes at the heart, regardless of whose heart it is. It penetrates deep, but only striking flesh and spilling blood. It has no power over the spirit and soul. In reality, it will never kill. “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit.” (Heb 4:12) The Lord invites me to sharpen my sword and slay the dragon."

    These words stabbed me in the heart when I read them because they are true for me. I have too often put my own will/desires before those of others and have only seen things from my perspective without even being open to their side and in doing so, I have lashed out in self-righteousness often wounding and spilling the blood of those I love.

    Being on the other side of the ‘lashing’ has made me more sensitive. I don’t understand what, "it has no power over the spirit and soul" means. Maybe I don’t know the difference between the spirit and soul. Anyway, I think it can kill because, as the receiver, I have the choice to be healed and grow and be strengthened by it or to curl up and die a victim.

    I do however like the last sentence about slaying the dragon. In my experience it seems the devil loves to get people slaying and slashing each other to avoid us focusing on him. I’ve seen it in every relationship, every ministry, and every place where people have to relate and cooperate with each other.

    If I spent as much time “slaying the dragon” as lashing back and forth with others, hurting and being hurt, maybe I’d be much farther along in my spiritual journey toward God!

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  7. What I wanted to say and describe, more or less, is when reason tries to supersede faith. In other words when reason makes us so efficient we forget God's plan for our life

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  8. hello padrecito

    What times are your masses tomorrow? Thank you.

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  9. Thanks for the response Father!
    Sorry I misunderstood what you were saying : )

    - Jessica

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