Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
MONDAY, August 30th Lk. 4: 16-30 “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”
Reflection by Pope Benedict XVI:
“…this is exactly the point: Jesus did not come to seek the agreement of men and women but rather – as he was to say to Pilate in the end – to bear witness to the truth. The true prophet does not obey others as he does God, and puts himself at the service of the truth, ready to pay in person…. Believing in God means giving up our own prejudices and accepting the actual face in which he revealed himself: Jesus of Nazareth.
On this path Mary’s attitude is enlightening. Who could be more closely acquainted than her with the humanity of Jesus? She cherished this mystery in her heart and was always and ever better able to accept it on the journey of faith, even to the night of the cross and the full brilliance of the Resurrection.”
- Who is Jesus to me? Do I seek to know Jesus in all His different facets? Do I place my trust in Jesus? Are there particular ways I need Jesus to be present to me here and now? Fr. Ed answers these questions and more in the richly contemplative meditation to follow.
JESUS AS THE CENTER OF MY LIFE! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Jesus Christ is the center of all human history, the alpha and the omega, the principle and foundation, the beginning and the end, the key that unlocks eternal life to all who believe and place their trust in Him. By His Incarnation, life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus has divided history into two blocks of time: B.C. and A.D. Never has any other person come onto the stage of human history and had such a huge impact, and He did this all in no more than 33 years.
The following exposition in its essence is a prayer to Jesus. The short prayer expressions or prayer gems are taken from Sacred Scripture, most of them from the texts of the Gospels. If you like, these are Christological titles transformed into short prayers. It is our intention and desire that you will very slowly pray over these titles in imitation of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who pondered the Word of God in her Immaculate Heart.
CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLES TRANSFORMED INTO PRAYER…
Titles for Jesus are many and rich indeed! Let us learn to pray, to really talk to Jesus through His many and various titles inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, give me a growing hunger and insatiable thirst for you. (Jn. 6: 25-71)
Jesus, you are The Good Shepherd, grant me the deep inner security that I am really never alone because you are walking next to me, by my side; with your rod and your staff you guide me. (Psalm 23 / Jn. 10: 1-21)
Jesus, you are truly The Resurrection and The Life, attain for me an ardent yearning to live with you for all eternity in heaven. (Jn. 11: 1-44)
Jesus, your name means Savior, I beg you to stretch out your gentle but strong hand to save me. Lord Jesus, save me from doubt, from my inner fears and anxieties, from my lack of trust in your Divine Providence. Lord, in the midst of the storms of life, when it seems as if my life is on the verge of capsizing and sinking, descend upon me with your calm and lead me to a safe haven. (Lk. 1: 26-56)
Jesus you are truly the Divine Physician, the Divine Doctor, I implore you to touch me with your hand and heal me. Lord Jesus, I admit my infirmities. Heal my mind with your light. Heal my soul with your grace. Heal my memory with your peace. Heal my body with your strength. (Mt. Chapters 8 and 9)
Jesus, you are the best of all Teachers. (Jn. 20: 16) I sit before you and beg you to truly become my Teacher. I thank you for the Gospels (the Good News) in which I can sit at your feet to drink in and absorb your Words of Truth. (The Gospels)
Jesus, you are The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Pave the way for me on the highway to heaven. Inundate me with the rays of your truth. Attain for me eternal life in heaven. (Jn. 14: 6)
Jesus, you are the Alpha and Omega, the Principle and Foundation of my life. Attain for me fullness of life by having you at the very center of my life—in my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions. (Rev. 22: 13)
Jesus, you said: I am the Light of the world, cast out the dark regions present in my mind, in my memory, my understanding, my will, my desires, my intentions, and my life. Shine on me and in me, so that your Presence in my life may enlighten many others. (Jn. 8: 12)
Jesus, you are truly the Logos—the Word of God issuing forth from the Eternal Father. May your Words be engraved deeply in my whole being so that I will be a living expression of your truth in the world. (Jn. 1: 1)
Jesus, you are Emmanuel—God with us! In this journey of life heading toward our eternal destiny—heaven, may I constantly be aware of your gentle and consoling presence. May my prayer be that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus: Stay with us, Lord, for the day is far spent. (Lk. 24: 29)
Jesus, you are the Christ-Messiah, the Anointed One. Through Baptism and Confirmation, I have received a double-anointing. I implore you to anoint my thoughts and my words so that I will be an anointed presence in the lives of my brothers and sisters. (I Jn. 5: 1)
Jesus, you indeed are The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. By your Precious Blood, that I receive through the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, may I be cleansed and purified of all my past and present sins, and so live in the liberty of the sons and daughters of God. (Jn. 1: 29)
Jesus, yours is the Healing Hand that saves. Stretch out your hand to touch my festering wounds and heal me, and all of suffering humanity. (Mt. 8:1-4)
Jesus, you are truly the Wounded-Healer. Indeed, it is by your wounds that we are healed. May I seek refuge in your wounds, especially your wounded Sacred Heart – my true and eternal refuge! (Is. 53: 5)
Jesus, you are the Friend who is always faithful. May I experience you as a true Friend, always ready to welcome me, willing to walk with me, talk with me, and be present to me. You indeed are my true Friend who will never fail me. (Jn. 15: 15)
Jesus, you are the Son of God made man. I am eternally grateful to you for becoming like us in all things except sin. I praise and thank you for assuming your humanity from the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Jesus, you are the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. As such, I adore you and pay you homage as King of my whole being. Jesus, I beg you to reign over me. Reign over my mind, my thoughts, my imagination, my feelings, my intentions, my body and my soul, in time and for all eternity. (Rev. 19: 16)
Jesus, you indeed are the Crucified Savior. May my love and devotion to you result in crucifying and putting to death all that is in me that is unworthy of you—that is to say, sin and all of its negative effects. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. (Mt. 27: 32-56)
Jesus, your Most Sacred Heart is a burning furnace of charity. Set my heart on fire with love for you and love for souls. You said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” Lord Jesus, give me that fire! (Lk. 12: 49)
Jesus, you are the Son of God, the Son of man, and the Son of Mary! Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your loving Mother, may I arrive at a deeper knowledge of you, a deeper love for you, a deeper understanding of you, and a more earnest yearning and longing to follow you all the days of my life! Jesus, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may you be the very center of my life, now and for all eternity. Amen. (Mk. 6: 3)
Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
