Thursday, November 26 – Do Not Fear the Coming of Christ.
Preparatory Prayer
(to place myself in God’s presence)
Lord, I believe and trust in You, which is why I want to promptly accept the guidance and inspirations of Your Holy Spirit. Allow this prayer to give me the wisdom to love and follow Your will, as well as the gift of understanding to deeply comprehend the truths of my faith and the signs of the times.
Gospel of the Day
(to guide your meditation)
From the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 21, 20-28
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its destruction is near. Then those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains; those who are in the city, leave it; those who are in the countryside, do not enter the city; because these will be days of punishment to fulfill all that is written.
Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! For there will be great calamity upon the land and God’s punishment will be poured out against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, be taken captive to all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
There will be miraculous signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in distress and perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Word of the Lord.
Reflect on what God tells you in the Gospel
(we suggest you read what the Pope said about this)
“We think about the return of Christ and His final judgment, which will reveal, to the very last consequences, the good each one has done or failed to do during their earthly life. We realize that we are faced with a mystery that surpasses us, that we cannot even imagine. A mystery that almost instinctively evokes in us a feeling of fear, and perhaps also trepidation. But if we reflect well on this reality, it can only enlarge the heart of a Christian and be a great reason for comfort and trust.
In this regard, the testimony of the early Christian communities is very suggestive. They used to accompany their celebrations and prayers with the acclamation Maranathá, a phrase composed of two Aramaic words that, depending on how they are pronounced, can be understood as a plea: “Come, Lord!”, or as a certainty fueled by faith: “Yes, the Lord is coming, the Lord is near.” It is the exclamation with which all Christian Revelation culminates, at the end of the marvelous contemplation offered to us in the Book of Revelation by John. In that case, it is the Church-bride that, on behalf of humanity, of all humanity, and as her firstfruits, addresses Christ, her Bridegroom, longing to be embraced by Him; an embrace, the embrace of Jesus, which is fullness of life and love.” (Catechesis of His Holiness Pope Francis, December 11, 2013).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare to speak with much love to the One who loves you.
Purpose
Set a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved… or, if you believe it is what God asks of you, live what is suggested below.
I will offer to God, several times during this day, to renounce what I want by telling Him: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
