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Jesus : We begin this session of prayer with the usual time spent in silencing our inner thoughts and feelings.  If left unchecked these can cause havoc during prayer in that they could take your mind everywhere except where it should be focused – on the message that the Father wishes to give you.  And since we all believe and accept what Peter said to Me, “Lord, to whom shall we go; you have the words of eternal life” you could be missing out on just what you need for the moment if and when you are distracted.

So, spend some precious time calming yourself down so that you can focus on My message to you.  When you are sufficiently quiet within, turn your mind to a quick review of last week’s prayer and the message you tried to live out – did it help to transform your life at least in one aspect?  What could have done better and more effectively last week?  Place all these reflections in My hands and allow Me to arrange things differently in the coming week so that you can benefit much more as you go along.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : We are now ready to take up the Gospel passage of this Sunday.  Begin by reading it again slowly and with attention to every word… even the positioning of the words, (although what you now read is a translation into a different language from the one in which it was originally written), for the meaning of things can change according to the attention given to them.  As you read, listen deeply to the inner message that you receive from the Spirit …

Did you notice that this passage begins with the question, ‘What do you think?’  Jesus invites you to think about this personally so that the answer you give comes from deep within your heart and life… from your own experience perhaps!  But unfortunately, most often you and most Christians do not think for themselves but move straight on to the main message, may be as interpreted for them by the reader/preacher.  The results of this kind of an approach could be disastrous in that what you pick up does not last long in your mind since it is not personal.  But if you did spend some time grappling with the question or problem posed to you, its effect in terms of personal transformation would be quite surprising!  So, with regard to this question about which approach is better, that of the first son who was approached or the second one – think out your answer and speak it out to Me… don’t forget to give Me your reasons too, as these are what really make the difference!

You :  Lord, thank You for reminding me of this aspect, as I too rarely stop to think for myself… Not only is this time consuming, but basically I am frightened that I may not know the correct answer. I don’t often stop to discover that even if I am wrong, the correct answer will most likely remain much longer with me after this little personal struggle… Lord, henceforth, I will work to discover things for myself and then check it out with what You have to say!

Jesus : Yes, coming back to today’s question, the bottom line seems to be that words alone are not enough, no matter how correct or appropriate they may appear!  What matters is action.  Besides, it is only action that is the final answer, the real answer that comes from within.  It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions!  So, no matter how many good intentions you have, or for that matter, how many good resolutions you make, ultimately what will stand you in good stead on Judgment Day is what you have actually carried out in practice.

You : Lord Jesus, I have hardly focused on this aspect before whenever I heard this parable. I always took it that God our Father gives us several chances to change our answer and return to the right path.  While this is true, I would need to emphasize more the question of effective action!  I need to learn to be a person who acts more than talks, one who ‘walks his talk!’  Lord be with me now as I apply this principle to some concrete situations in my life…

One area where this truth seems to apply is the resolutions I make during prayer itself… often I forget them no sooner I leave the Church.  Maybe I should begin practicing the key point already as part of the prayer. I could do this by internally ‘visualizing’ the action I need to take.  Thus, if You inspire me to forgive someone in my family or neighbourhood, then I should actually “see” myself doing this in as concrete and detailed a manner as possible.  That would ensure that the decision is firmly embedded in my subconscious and that consequently the action is really carried out and the resolution fulfilled.

Lord, I do not ever wish to remain on the level of theory – so let me begin with today’s prayer itself.

Jesus :  That is good!  In silence and stillness, listen deeply to the Spirit telling you of your ‘task’ for this week.  Then spend some quality time ‘seeing’ how you are going to do it… Look at concrete details like the exact time when and the place where you would do this action… visualize also the outward expressions on your face, the concrete way you approach the person concerned, the actual words you will use, the obvious reactions of the other person, some of the obstacles you are likely to encounter, and so on.  The more detailed your visualization, the more likely will it work itself out perfectly in actual life situations.  Attend to whatever the Spirit tells you, but don’t take more than two points for this week’s work.  Attempt little, for a start, and do it well.  Once the habit it built up then you could take on a couple more points, if needed, for future occasions.

When you have finished with this visualization, spend some time in total silence and stillness.  During this time, you need to focus totally on Me and the point/s under consideration.  While this might be a little difficult, it is vitally important that you do so… Spend as much time as you need in this exercise and then as you come out of prayer, engage in a few intercessions for persons in need.  For today you could pray for some persons you know who would also profit from learning to emphasize action more than words in their lives!  However, ensure that you do not indulge in any kind of judgment regarding these persons.  Rather your aim should be to help them as much as you can, while also learning some important lessons for yourself.

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Jesus :  We enter into this hour of prayer again with some effort to quieten the mind and heart… should there be any persistent disturbance, pick out the subject that upsets you currently and talk to Me about it… may be there is something that you need to attend to first, before entering wholeheartedly into the prayer.  Listen to what this distraction says to you and it could happen that you find something fruitful that you have to focus on first… If you do find something to work on, that would indicate that this is a problem you have been facing in your life, may be for some time now. And this would be the right time to attend to it – in My presence!  However, before you move to the prayer itself, do spend a few minutes reflecting on how you have lived what you prayed over the last week …

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : At the head of these reflections, you read:  ‘A Privilege or a burden?’ indicating that there are two ways of looking at the invitation that you receive to the Wedding Banquet.  Some would see the invitation as a tremendous privilege, pointing out to the close and perhaps familiar relationship between the guest and the nuptial family. When they respond positively to the invitation they express their loving sentiments towards the family and are present to share in their joy and festivity and thus enhance or increase their happiness. They attend the function not so much with the idea of receiving but rather of giving to the others something of their very own lives - their time, loving presence and so on. They sincerely pray for the bridal couple and wish them well in their married life.  Further, their joyful attendance at the celebrations would cement their relationship which would then continue to be expressed in mutually beneficial ways in the future.

You :   Lord Jesus, but isn’t this the normal way of responding to an invitation to such an occasion?  Why wouldn’t people see this kind gesture as a privilege, an acknowledgement that the invitees are esteemed in the minds and hearts of the inviting family?  Actually, I’ve noticed that when the wedding family makes out its list of invitees, they ensure that those who are mentioned in it are only those who are close to the celebrating family while all others are discreetly kept aside.

Jesus :  That is usually the case. And so, that is what makes the refusal of the people in the Gospel story all the more reprehensible.  Their main reason for not attending was that their own agendas were more important than maintaining the loving and cordial relationship with this celebrating family.  This brings out the fact that to foster and maintain a love-relationship, there has to be a readiness to sacrifice oneself for the others.  When everything has to revolve round one’s own convenience and preference, there would hardly be any worthwhile relationships with people around.  Such people generally live as islands unto themselves. Rather than relate to others, they tend to use others for their own convenience and profit.

And strangely enough, it is their abundant blessings and possessions that are at the root if this kind of a self-centred attitude.  If their excuses had indicated that their main reason for not attending was their prior commitment to some activity that is directed towards building God’s kingdom or perhaps favoured others, like attending to a sick person in a hospital - that would be another matter altogether.  But theirs is a totally different situation.

There is another more serious implication involved here. The King who invited them showed himself to be a very kind and understanding friend – he offered them several chances, as it were, to change their mind and come for the celebrations.  But his goodness cannot be expected to last forever – at some point of time, the offer is bound to be closed, and only then would these obdurate and unfortunate guests realize their folly.  But by then, it would possibly be too late. “O that today you would hear his voice, harden not your hearts…”  When you come to think of it, this is a very serious consideration - to be cast aside by God, not because he is angry with you or whatever, but simply because you have consistently chosen not to respond to his love.  Truly this is a classic case of ‘hardening one’s heart’ to everything the Lord does for you!

You : But, Lord, does this invitation apply only to the question of accepting Your covenant, or even to smaller items like the little blessings You shower on us a thousand times each day?  I can see that there is a close connection between the two, yet wouldn’t it suffice if we were open to the larger more consequential issues even if the tinier ones were missed, now and then?

Jesus :   Psychology today reminds you that humans are much more integrated that they realize.  When you build up the habit of focusing on yourself even in small matters, don’t you make it that much easier to refuse even the bigger offers in life?  By repeated little acts of self-centredness, you foster the habit of putting yourself at the centre of life and once this attitude sets in and takes root, then all you will ever choose is that which fits in with your own thinking, convenience, plans and purposes.  Everything extraneous will be weeded out systematically!  What is worse, when you refuse to respond positively in weightier matters like entering the kingdom of God, you won’t even notice how damaging your attitude is, geared as it is primarily to yourself and your well-being. He who is faithful in little things will be faithful in bigger things also… (Lk. 16:10).

You :  Lord, stay close to me as I remain in silence and check how far this self-centred attitude is part and parcel of my life. Don’t allow me to stray from this difficult task, but point out to me areas in which I need to work to improve myself… I begin to see the havoc a self-centred attitude plays in a person’s life and what is worse that all this happens even without the person being aware at all of what is really happening.

Jesus :  That’s right.  Remain in deep inner silence and stillness for as long as you need – but listen deeply to the Spirit as he points things out to you.  Some of these might be difficult to stomach or even to fathom, but it is important that you weed them out in good time, before they harden into set attitudes and habits.   [Time for silent prayer and reflection]

As you come out of this silence, spend a few moments remembering the needs of others around you… through your prayer, draw these people you pray for, into the circle of My love and allow My redeeming love to heal and bless them… However, for this to be really beneficial to those you pray for, it must be totally ‘self-less’ and so you would need to pay keen attention to the way you make this prayer. Conclude with a brief prayer or hymn.

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Jesus : This evening too begin your prayer with a brief period of intense silence and stillness in which you seek to consciously quieten yourself in My presence.  I have some very valuable insights to share with you, but for this I need your undivided attention.  The value of this entire hour of prayer will depend on the seriousness with which you begin the prayer.  So, put your best foot forward and you will be amply rewarded for your efforts. “Well begun is half done!”  Don’t forget the brief review of last week’s prayer too, from which you learn something for the coming week!

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : You possibly have noticed that as we near the end of the Liturgical Year, the topics dealt with in the liturgy for your reflection and action deal more and more explicitly with the basics or essential elements.  The bottom line of today’s passage is: Make sure you give to God what is his due, while you also give to earthly powers what truly belongs to them… problems arise when the two levels get mixed up, somehow!

An example of how earthly and spiritual matters can get mixed up could be:  some people feel that God is happy and satisfied when they make big monetary donations to the Church or to religious causes. This trap is as old as the hills. It also was the main reason for the corruption of the heart of the great king Solomon!   Having begun his reign in an almost ideal manner when he asked for divine wisdom to rule God’s people effectively, he soon saw himself going from success to success.  Once he reached the pinnacle of earthly glory he found himself aspiring to even more. He set out to accomplish what God himself had allotted to him – the construction of the great Temple at Jerusalem.  Long-drawn as was this project, once it was completed, he felt he could now take the law in his hands and do whatever he liked.  He had fulfilled his obligations towards the Lord – now he would attend to his own heart’s desires… he began to build shrines to the gods and goddesses of pagan religions, most of those to which his numerous wives belonged.  Little did he realize that this attitude of his would be the cause of his own downfall and also result in the division of the entire nation – eventually, into two separate kingdoms, the northern and the southern kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

So, it is always important to remember that while money can be very important and helpful in religious matters, it is not the heart or core of true religion. God does not primarily seek your money nor depend on it, but rather he looks for and desires to have your hearts. He wants your personal devotion and sacrifice that involves the sacrifice of your self-centred wills.  Where these recalcitrant wills do not come into the picture, whatever you do will not have much value in his eyes.  You end up doing what the prophet described regarding Israel: ‘these people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,’ says the Lord (Is. 29:13). The other side of the coin too is worth looking at – the simple old widow put in only two little copper coins, but in the Lord’s sight, that was far more precious than all that the rich were putting in, out of their abundance, but without their hearts being part of it! (Mk. 12:42-44).

You :  Lord even in our day, so many seem to get all confused where money is concerned. Many even today think that if they have given a certain amount of money to the Church or to God’s projects, they are then free to act as they please, sometimes even  in serious matters.  They seem to somehow put ‘God in their pockets’ and they begin to dictate to God!

Again, Lord, when you say ‘Give to God what is God’s …’ doesn’t that mean that we need to give everything that we are and have and allow God to direct us in the best possible way?!  Whatever we have is a sheer gift received from the Father, so … Again this is an application of the commandment, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and with all your mind’ (Mt 22:37) – which naturally means that there is nothing in us that falls outside the realm of what belongs to the Lord. “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand! O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness. (Ps 95:6-8)

Jesus :  Yes, and I am sure you are aware that no one can love God in this fashion unless the Lord himself leads him to it.  So, in the rest of your prayer, remain in silence and stillness and ask God insistently to fill you with a strong desire to give your very all to him right here and now.  While that may seem to be a tremendous deprivation or loss, yet you will see from experience that this is the best way to be free and to experience the goodness of the Lord.  Remember that the Father can never go back on his promises and so all you need to do is to cling to his promises and you will be safe! It would be a good thing to learn a few of these important promises by heart, so that in a moment of crisis you can come back to it.  E.g. “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” (Jer 29:11-14).  Isn’t this a powerful reminder that you need not fret about the future, about what it will be and so on, nor about the present, because the Lord holds both in his powerful and loving hands.
  
During this silence, ensure that you are perfectly still – resist the temptation to make any suggestions to the Father – he certainly knows what you need most and is eager to grant it to you… You need to listen to him more than he needs to listen to you!  Let yourself be totally pliable in his hands, moulding and shaping you as he desires and knows best.

As you near the end of your prayer, spend some time in praying for others who are in need – reach out to them with the compassionate heart of the Father himself.  Better still, allow the Spirit himself to pray within you for the needs of those who are in distress…  Recall the need of being totally selfless also in this prayer for others.  Conclude your prayer with a short ejaculatory prayer or a stanza of an appropriate hymn.

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Jesus :  Each year the Church offers you this precious opportunity to recall your basic privilege and duty as a Christian – to engage in the mission of spreading the knowledge and experience of God’s love…  No matter how much you do in this regard, there will always be innumerable people who haven’t yet experienced God’s love in a redemptive and transformative way.  So, begin your prayer this evening with a deep inner silence and stillness so that you can understand what the Father wishes to say to YOU in particular about your contribution to the Missions.  Remember the review of last week’s prayer – and pick out at least a couple of points for improvement this week.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : The Gospel today refers to the greatest commandment – to love God wholeheartedly and also to love your neighbor as God loves people! This commandment is not given as a duty to be performed, but rather as a reminder that genuine love, which must have the twin characteristics of selflessness and limitlessness, is the only remedy for all the ills of the present-day world.  For centuries the world seemed to pay only lip-service to this great truth, and very few ventured to show how this is possible in one’s daily life. So, the Father sent Me to be a living example of such selfless and limitless love.  And that is what I did particularly through My passion and death on the Cross.  Was this plan of the Father successful or was that also a vain attempt at achieving the impossible?

When you look closely at the Gospel narratives regarding My passion, you will see that there was at least a glimmer of hope that this infinite and unconditional love of Mine would touch a few hearts and lives!  A few seeds of divine love seem to have been sown during that almost inhuman series of events of My passion  and death.  At St. Luke puts it, ‘When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things’ (Lk 23:47-49).  The strange thing here is that while the Roman (non-Jew) officer was led to make an act of faith at seeing ‘the manner in which I died’ and the crowds (Jews) made an act of contrition, My own followers seem to have been totally lost and out of sync with the Father’s plan!

Yet all was not lost, for Luke continues, ‘Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid’ (Lk 23:50-53).  Next, there was Nicodemus too who volunteered his services and helped Joseph.  Earlier there was Simon of Cyrene, Mary Magdalene, John, the women who sympathized with Me and others who openly showed that they were on My side. So we could say that when the proof of love is taken to the utter limits of genuineness, it must and will touch the hearts of at least some people. And what is more, it is these whose hearts have been touched who will in turn become apostles of this same love and pass it on to others.  Thus a chain is started and there is no telling where it will end.

Today too, this is shown to be true in a number of instances.  To mention only one outstanding example: Mother Teresa.  Time and again, her immense yet genuine love for the poor, especially orphaned and abandoned children and the dying destitutes, has shown the miracles worked among not only those who see and hear of her heroic acts of love, but also among the beneficiaries themselves.  Several of them, even some literally at death’s door, who have been helped by these Sisters remain behind in their shelters and serve others as volunteers once they themselves have been nursed back to health.  Their idea is to give back something to the Institution in return for all that they themselves have received in their hour of need.  Several of the orphaned children brought up in these convents make it a habit to send each month at least half of their salaries for the upkeep of other orphaned children being taken care currently! Here too one can discern the chain reaction. In fact, no one who has tasted genuine love can really refrain for long from passing it on to others.  This is how one almost automatically becomes a missionary of love!

You :  So, Lord, if I understand You correctly, You seem to be saying that the best way to spread knowledge and love of the Kingdom You came to establish is to go about loving people genuinely and selflessly.  And this is something any and every person can do at least in a small way.  So no one can say s/he cannot be a ‘missionary’ of charity (love)!  Most of us can do this starting with our own homes and families – who is there who is impervious to love?  And I guess that once this approach becomes a habitual thing in our lives, it will spread to all the others we interact with be it at our place of work, while travelling, in Church or parish, in fact any and everywhere!

Jesus : You are right here!  Love is the only key to the hearts of people and the only answer to all their problems. However, it is very important to note that theorizing about love will not help much, because the world is saturated with empty talk about love.  Very few of My followers will dare to love, especially when it costs. Again, it is a question of loving all those whom God brings into the circle of your life, and not just those whom you choose to love. So, could I suggest that you spend the rest of this hour of prayer remaining in silence and stillness so that the Spirit can fill you with his love and send you out as an enthusiastic instrument of Mine … Just be still and allow God’s Spirit to transform you.  Listen, however, with keenness and openness to whatever the Spirit tells you, especially when he points out how you can improve in the art of loving others. Ask the Spirit to point out to you how you perhaps unconsciously allow the Self to creep into even your best acts of love, thus vitiating them and making them useless as far as extending the Kingdom of God goes. As you draw near the end of your prayer time, turn your mind to the needs of others around you and pray for them from your heart.  Conclude your prayer in the usual manner.

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Jesus : We enter into this hour of prayer with a concerted effort to still and quieten the racing mind and heart.  There are undoubtedly so many things to attend to, but these can wait till the end of this prayer session.  So, with firm determination yet a gentle approach, put them aside and prepare your mind and heart to listen to My word.  That is the one thing you would need to do properly in this hour of prayer – Listen.  When you find that you are sufficiently quiet within, reflect for a while of your experience of the last week – and pick out a point or two on which you can improve as you seek to live out your prayer this week.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : You will have noticed that My approach towards the Pharisees was a pretty tough one.  Rarely would I speak like that to other people. I guess you have figured out the reason for this stern approach – it is their hardness of heart and their cocksure attitude in religious matters; they lived as if they literally had God in their pocket and that he is at their beck and call.  Their awe and reverence for God had vanished long ago, and they had made a convenience of Religion.  Now the sad part is that this can happen even to good people and in our day as well. At the root of this kind of tragedy is the fact that some people misread the events of history – they see everything in terms of their own happiness and prosperity, even the patience and goodness of God is often interpreted as being a sign of God’s favour towards them.  Thus, when they find that they have been spared from perishing in a flood or violent storm they would rather read this as their just reward for being good, than interpret it as a ‘chance’ God gives them out of love to change at least now!  And so, they go from one event to another seeing God always on their side, but with the wrong kind of lenses.  The result is that everything in their mind gets distorted and becomes false, out of touch with Reality and the worst part is that they cannot see this happening for themselves, while everyone else around them can.

You : Lord, sometimes I have seen that happen to me also, but perhaps in little things, not very consequential, but I can well imagine it happening on a larger scale.  How terrible would that not be?  It is almost like becoming blind to the Truth and since you are Truth, it means in practice losing real effective contact with You! When this happens, what else is left that can bring a person back on track?

Jesus : This kind of a situation is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to anyone, for once this mind-set had taken root, not even God can change it unless the person concerned takes stock of what is happening and allows God to shatter his wrong mental attitudes.  The sad part, of course, is that being in a position of authority (not necessarily ecclesiastical authority, but more often they possess a kind of moral authority, e.g. a father of a family, a prayer group leader and so on) they can easily mislead others who are unaware of their mistaken authority.  Hence, there was a real need for Me to warn the common people of those times.  But it is true even today. However, there is one nugget of truth in all this: one can safely do what the Pharisees teach, but must carefully distinguish this from what they themselves personally do.

Another safeguard is to listen deeply to the Word of God oneself in the silence of one’s heart and if one finds any discrepancy, to check it out with a reliable person before launching into the practice.  Blessed are you when you can find such a trustworthy person to guide you.  Ultimately it is ‘by its fruits than one can judge a tree.’  So when reviewing one’s own life, one needs to always look at the kind of fruits that are being produced. St. Paul offers worthwhile advice when writing to the Galatians, ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another!’ (Gal 5:22-26).  A simple summary of this is – wherever the Self predominates, one would need to be careful and watch one’s step.  But if your actions in some way entail any kind of ‘death to self’ you have nothing much to fear!

Another useful tool is to listen to the criticism of the others around you.  Even when offered in jest, remember that there is always some little truth, at least a grain of it, that would be useful to consider seriously.  Unfortunately, most people react strongly to criticism and simply reject it wholesale; they might even get angry and spend a lot of time and effort in justifying oneself.  Instead of that, it is always helpful at least to look at the content of the criticism dispassionately and objectively.  If after serious consideration you find nothing in it worth attending, then you can safely discard it and move on.

Realizing that even these simple rules of thumb are in practice difficult to follow, recede now into your inner self and remain there in deep silence and stillness allowing God’s Spirit to speak to your heart.  Listen carefully to him point out to you the areas in which you are most vulnerable to the onslaughts of the Self, and seek for some concrete action that you can take against this.  To obtain the best results present to the Spirit a total openness and readiness to follow his guidance especially when his suggestions seem to be difficult and destructive of the Self.  Remember that whatever the Spirit tells you is for your benefit and growth.  It is to your advantage to follow his directions because they will lead you unmistakably to the fullness of life.  Ensure that you understand thoroughly what the Spirit tells you, because quite often one hears only what one wants to hear – and so, even the best advice can get distorted.

When you have received enough material for a fruitful practice this week, turn to the needs of others, spending a few minutes in Intercessory prayer for them. If you pray for people who seem to have pharisaical attitudes, remember that you are not to judge them, but merely refer to their external actions – leave the judgment to the Father… and finally conclude with a short vocal prayer or hymn.

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Jesus : We begin this prayer in the customary manner – with a few minutes of intense silence and stillness in which your main work is to quieten your heart and mind and focus it quite firmly on the Lord and what he shares with you.  You could consider these few minutes as a ‘warming up’ exercise before beginning the main task of the evening. It will take just a few minutes but its beneficial effects will last the whole hour of your prayer. Do it as sincerely and effectively as you can…  Do not omit the brief review of the prayer of last week and its effect on your life! Learning from your mistakes is an effective way to keep close to Me all through your life.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : Once again you have for the Gospel passage this week, a text warning you to be awake and alert every waking moment of your life!  This is because the Self is so insidious that it can creep into every possible nook and cranny of your spiritual life.  The key point in today’s passage is:  ‘Do not take things for granted’ for in life many unexpected things do happen.  In fact, quite often what actually happens is just the opposite of what one would normally have expected.  So, anticipate the worst, meaning ‘be ready to expend the utmost even if some of your time and energy seem to go waste in the long run.’  Or, as others would say, ‘It is better to be half an hour early than a minute late!’

You will notice that in all these suggestions, the bottom line is precisely this: keep your attention on the other and not on your own convenience and comfort. It is a wise thing to put oneself in the shoes of the other and see life from that perspective. Or again, seek always the best for the other just as you would like that done for yourself!  This would then require of you to do your utmost, to lose your Self to the full in order to secure the best results. If things work out in your favour, you will have obtained the desired results anyway. If they don’t then at least you have offered your best and you will not lose out in the end.  The five wise virgins who took extra oil with them got what they had set out for – an entry with the bridegroom and a share in the party going on in the wedding hall; they contributed positively to the festivity and the joy that ensued would be worth the extra trouble they took, even though unasked. By saving the little extra effort needed to carry a spare flask of oil, the five foolish virgins missed out altogether from the festive celebration.

You : Lord, it doesn’t take much effort to realize that the foolish virgins focused only on themselves and their own convenience.  They spared themselves the trouble of carrying that additional weight in the form of the oil they would need to refill their lamps if and when the bridegroom was late in arriving.  But because of this little inconvenience, they forfeited their entry into the joy of sharing in the wedding festivity.  Aren’t they somewhat like Esau who was stupid enough to sell his birthright for a bowl of porridge – just because he was too lazy to cook it for himself, or to wait for some more time before it was provided for him! This ability to defer a present enjoyment for something greater in the future is called ‘Emotional Intelligence’ which is as important in life as one’s I.Q. But here again, it must be noted that one’s E.Q. is a faculty that needs to be cultivated by serious and repeated practice.

Jesus : Yes, that makes sense, alright! Another aspect of their self-indulgence was that they trusted too much in their own previous experience.  While it is true that experience is a reasonably good guide, one must remember that things do not always happen in the same manner.  Besides, more often than not, things do go wrong and it does not hurt to be prepared for the worst!  This approach of course, does not make one a pessimist, but simply a cautious and responsible person. And when it is something important that is at stake, it is worth being doubly cautious!  If it is a matter that is easily reversible, then it doesn’t matter much if one takes a calculated risk and chooses the easier way. But in weightier matters – prudence is the better part of valour, indeed!

Perhaps yet another aspect that contributed to the foolishness of the five lazy virgins is that they might have felt that, had they been able to beat the difficulty, their friends would have considered them as great heroes! These friends might have even tried to imitate them and may have taken them as models, and wouldn’t that make these virgins feel great?!?  While this is true, one would do well to also consider the opposite possibility.  Wouldn’t these virgins have seemed truly foolish even in the eyes of their ‘fans’ when they had to keep knocking on the front door only to hear a rebuke from inside – “I don’t know where you come from!?  So, in the long run, they would have missed out on all fronts; not only would they have not been present at the wedding festivities, but they would have lost their pay and also their prestige in the eyes of their friends!

So, sit back and relax allowing yourself to drift into a deep inner silence and stillness as you listen attentively to the still inner voice of the Spirit showing you how and where you would need to practice this during the coming week.  Stay with this one point of teaching for today but seek several practical applications that will make it part and parcel of your daily living.  The Spirit will show you various possibilities – take each one of them and ponder each in your mind for as long as it offers you something worthwhile!  Look at each point from as many angles as you can… you could also visualize how you would put it into practice during the coming week.

When you have got sufficient material for practice during the coming week, you could switch to intercessory prayer for others in need.  You could think of any of your acquaintances who tend to be neglectful of small details and is satisfied only with the broad, overall picture!  However, let your prayer come from the depths of your being and be as selfless as you possibly can. No judgments passed on them, nor posing as being better than they are!  The more genuine humility you bring to bear on your intercessions, the better and more effective will your prayer be.  Finally, wind up your prayer with the brief vocal prayer or hymn that you usually use!

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Jesus : Once more we enter into this hour of prayer with a good amount of effort to remain in silence and stillness, especially at the start. It will certainly enable you to pray better, at least with greater attention to all that I say. You are well acquainted with the technique, and so rather than say more about it, I leave you to practice it.  You might use the help of your breathing, consciously slowing it down to a deliberate pace, being careful to retain the breath for some time before each exhalation.  You will notice the rush of thoughts in your mind slowing down considerably thus allowing you to listen more deeply … don’t forget to add a brief review of last week’s prayer and to learn something from it for the betterment of your prayer and life this week.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : We have yet another parable today dealing with the need to be vigilant and make the best use of all the opportunities given to you.  But once again, when we focus on the key point, we notice that the last servant took things easy because he kept insisting on remaining focussed on himself rather than on the Master.  For as the Master himself pointed out to him, had he really thought of the welfare of the Master, the servant would have at least deposited the money in a bank and allowed it to collect interest – that was the least he could have done, and there is certainly not much effort in that action.  His approach shows that he had no concern about the interests of the Master, but thought only of himself.  I have emphasized this point in so many different ways – God and Self cannot co-exist and the outstanding quality of a disciple is that he has put to death the demands of Self in his life. He lives only for the Lord, as the first two servants showed.

It is worth noting too that how much each servant received is really beside the point in the story.  What matters is how the servant received what he got.  Possibly there is also the element of comparison which could have come into the thinking that led to neglect. But here too we notice that the servant actually focuses on his own situation; he sees himself as being down-graded, not given the same as others, not trusted enough and so on.  Had he but said to himself, ‘let me first work with what I have and show that I too am trustworthy and surely the next time the Master will entrust me with more’ – and had he worked with this attitude, things would have been quite different.  His very negativism worked in a spiraling circle of downward movement, landing him further away from the desired goal.

You : Could we say then, Lord, that the first essential quality of a good disciple is that he be keen in giving of his best, no matter what the circumstances or the situation of others around. He should learn to see every set-back or obstacle as an opportunity to creatively work to give of his best.  Further, if he could get himself to stay with what is not the best, but bide his time, he will most certainly get his reward and achieve his goal in life.  Here again the “Emotional Intelligence” of a person is what comes to the rescue and saves the day… together with a clear-cut approach towards eliminating the Self.  The problem of neglect could also arise from a faulty perception of the task given us by the Lord.  If we see the task as being primarily designed to benefit only ourselves, then we are in trouble.  But when we realize that all the tasks entrusted to us by the Lord have been given mainly to sharpen our own skills for the benefit of others primarily, then we would waste no time looking at others and comparing ourselves with what they have received or not received.

Jesus :  Further, working in the Lord’s vineyard must be always seen as a great privilege. In another parable, I had already warned the people that there are several workers who are forced to remain idle all day because no one cared to hire them.  With regard to the Kingdom, however, no one is ever left without being given some share in building it.  When they can hop into their task enthusiastically, they get in return as much as all the rest get! This is because the amount one receives does not matter, but the amount one returns to the Master does matter.  It is this that reveals the inner attitude of the labourer and also the level of relationship existing between the Master and servant.  Review your life, then, to see exactly what your attitude towards your “patrimony” in life is, the key task that I have entrusted to you!  In patrimony I would also include all the blessings, skills, opportunities etc. which God offers you so that you can build the Kingdom among the people assigned to you.

Enter now into the cave of your heart and listen in deep silence and stillness to all that the Spirit wishes to speak to you… Don’t speak too much but mainly listen and let the Spirit work within you as he pleases.  He will show you that you have to give of your best, no matter what the attendant circumstances – that will certainly bring you the happiness and fulfillment that you seek, deep down in your heart.  When you have received enough inspiration for the week, turn to a few petitions for the people around you who are in some kind of need or other.  It would help to make your prayer more pointed and effective if you can visualize clearly what their need really is!  Give even these few minutes your full attention, your very best!  After spending some fruitful time in this kind of prayer, end with a brief vocal prayer or hymn.

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Jesus : We enter into the last week of the Liturgical Year and so if “all’s well that ends well” we would need to make this hour of prayer something special!  And so, begin with an extra effort to quieten your mind and heart to be able to listen profitably to all that the Father and the Spirit say to you.  Remember that in this effort your work is merely to let go of all that disturbs you; don’t try to forcefully push away any disturbing thoughts and feelings, because the more you try to do this, the more insistently will they return and you will end up spending all your prayer time in chasing away these extraneous hindrances. Turn your mind away from these disturbances gently but firmly… fix your imagination of a particular scene that grips you and focus on Me. Don’t omit at the end the brief review of the previous week’s spiritual effort and the lessons to be learnt from it.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : For this Sunday’s Gospel, you have the Last Judgment scene, not so much emphasizing the judging part, as the King’s role in it.  When the end of the world comes, he, (who is really Myself, Christ, the King) will be seated in glory on his eternal throne.  That itself should make you feel tremendously happy and proud of him, not only for all that he has done in the lives of so many millions of people all over the world and all through history, but especially for what he has done in and through you.  Recall some of the times when you were able to allow Me to work through you (in terms of ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat, thirsty and …’) so that others were blessed because of you.  I am sure you will not able to recall too many of these – if you are really like the ones mentioned in the Gospel who say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you…?”  This is a sure sign that your actions were truly selfless!

Yet, take a few instances that stand out in your mind and review them briefly. Pick out significant details and praise the Father for all that happened on that occasion. Visualize the joy and sense of pride in the Father when they see that He and the Spirit were able to achieve so much through you, in spite of your innate limitations… see how the recipients too are happy and grateful.  Possibly the exercise will make you feel even more small and humble because you will immediately see how much more you could have done, had you been more responsive!  But don’t cry over spilt milk and lost opportunities – much has been achieved and so rejoice and share in the joy of the whole heavenly court.

If you were asked to give a brief message to those who remain behind on earth, awaiting their turn to come up to the Father’s throne, what would you say to them?  I’m sure you would suggest a more positive attitude towards every event of life, which could actually be seen as an opportunity, an invitation from the Lord to step out in faith and reach out to the needy person/s.  You will also have realized that the biggest obstacle in your path to doing this consistently has been the Self which has its own insidious way of blocking the good that you could have done.  So, people on earth need to work hard to eliminate the tendencies to self-absorption in their daily activities… You will also have realized the value of giving of your best in every situation no matter what the response or reactions of the recipients or any others around you!

You:  Possibly, Lord, I would also advocate a more wholehearted participation in the Liturgy, meaning by that, paying attention to every gesture that we make there and particularly to the meaning we put into it.  What marvels can we not work when we sincerely place ourselves in Your hands and enter into Your plans for the good of people around us!  Lord, what wealth of grace and spiritual help have You not given us through the Liturgy, which most people somehow take for granted and utilize only to just one-tenth of its capacity or less?  I would want to shout this out from every housetop – that if people could only make better use of the Liturgy, their lives would be so much different, so much happier and more peaceful.

Jesus : The truth of what you say is clear to all who reflect even a little on the meaning and purpose of the Liturgy.  Now enter into silence and visualize how you are going to thank the Father for all the blessings showered on you during this Liturgical Year… recall them gently and peacefully; without allowing your mind to wander, thank God for each of these blessings.  Remember also the people who have entered into your life this year and made a difference, encouraging you for the better!  Bless the priests and leaders in your parish you spare no effort to make the Liturgy come alive for the people, who organize various course and sessions all through the year to help people grow spiritually!   Spend as much time as you need and can send fruitfully in this exercise - and then move into the Intercessory prayer for others in need and eventually conclude with the vocal prayer of short hymn that you choose.

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Jesus : Begin this session of prayer with the usual time spent in silencing your inner thoughts and feelings.  If left unchecked these can cause havoc during prayer in that they could take your mind everywhere except where it should be focusing – on the message that the Father wishes to give you.  And since all believe and accept what Peter said to Me, “Lord, to whom shall we go; you have the words of eternal life” you could be missing out on just what you need for the moment if and when you allow yourself to be distracted.

So, spend some precious time calming yourself down so that you can focus on My message to you.  When you see that you are sufficiently quiet within, turn your mind to a quick review of last week’s prayer and the message you tried to live out – did it help to transform your life at least in one aspect?  What could you have done better and more effectively last week?  Place all these reflections in My hands and allow Me to arrange things differently in the coming week so that you can benefit much more as you go along.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : Strangely, the theme of the Gospels of the end of the liturgical year and the beginning is the same – ‘Be alert, awake’ - for you do not know when the Master will come.  It is the element of surprise that keeps you alert and watching carefully all the time.  Had you known at what exact hour the Master would come, most probably you would take things lightly till the last moment and only then start preparing for his coming.  Is this not what students do with regard to preparing for the exams? You would then run the risk of not having prepared sufficiently or properly. You would be like the five foolish virgins who were caught on the wrong foot when the bridegroom did eventually arrive – and they had to forfeit an entry into the wedding hall.  I don’t want any of My chosen ones to be left out or not receive the full reward of their efforts and so the best way to ensure this is to always be ready!

How, in practice, is this to be done?  Perhaps the simplest way is to “do what you do, do well.”  In almost every sacristy of a Mother Teresa Convent, one would find a placard reminding the priest getting ready to celebrate Eucharist that he should celebrate it as if it were his first Eucharist, the last Eucharist and the only Eucharist he would celebrate!  If one did heed this message, there would be a tangible difference in the way the priest did actually celebrate that Eucharist.  The suggestion of doing what you do – well, perfectly, is indeed a very simple and easy suggestion to follow and yet in practice it is so difficult because we are always in a hurry, wanting to rush into the next job awaiting us.  Happy is the person who has trained him/herself to stay with one job and complete it satisfactorily before moving on to the next one.

Perhaps the best inspiration in this matter is God, the Father himself.  Whatever he undertakes he does perfectly, so much so that he stops at the end of the work and himself admires ‘the work of his hands.’  He is shown as doing this on the seventh day of Creation when God is said to have rested.  He rested not because he was tired but because he desired to step back, as it were, from what he had been doing and look at it from a distance – only to find “that it was very good!”  Only then did he move on to the next undertaking.  If only you too could do the same, you would possibly find that you have so much less to regret for not having done it thoroughly or conscientiously.  In practice, by rushing through an assignment and doing it only half-heartedly you create more work for yourself – and more wastage of time and effort!  For you have to destroy all that you have done, and start again… we all know this from our own experience.  It is far better to go slow and do each section thoroughly, relish its goodness before moving on to the next part and so on. In that way you may end up doing less, but you will save time, effort and money by not having to repeat any given part unnecessarily.

Another benefit of doing things well is that through this approach you express your gratitude to God for the opportunity to be engaged in this particular work. If he always gives you of his best, then you owe it to him to give him of your best – also on every occasion.  And that in turn will bring you his further gifts expressing his best for you!  Thus you go from blessing to blessing and are happy at every single moment of your life.  Imagine what your life would be if you could make of it an unbroken chain of blessings.  And if this is your habitual approach, then would you have to be afraid of the day and hour when the Master will come? In fact, you could even say that the Master has come and actually works together with you – so the final coming could happen at any time for you to still receive the rewards in store for his faithful servants. In this way, the saying – ‘you reap what you sow’ would be true for you at every moment.

You :  Lord, there could possibly be some further benefits to this approach in that this kind of attitude in one servant would inspire others around to also follow suit – for they too would see the beneficial results coming from this approach.  And the more people there are who follow this approach the better would the world be – for everyone.  On the commercial level, is this not what most Corporate firms aim at – the “zero defect” product?  Lord, enable us to understand that it is we ourselves who benefit first and foremost from following these principles!  That realization will perhaps enable us to adhere to them without fail!

Jesus :  Yes, it certainly will.  If you have a concrete example before your mind’s eye, that would definitely help you see clearly how effective it is when you focus on doing a work conscientiously!  Recall a few such incidents if you can and relish the truth underneath them till it is firmly registered in your subconscious!

So now, move into deep silence and peace and stay with the Spirit listening to the concrete applications he shows you of this principle… Check with him also which is the best way to find out whether you are really on the right track or not!  Visualize how you could practice this, beginning with this week itself, as you enter into a new Liturgical Year – hopefully then the entire year would run along these fruitful lines!  After spending sufficient time gazing at these truths and interiorizing them, move into Intercessory prayer for the needy; but do this too in a concentrated fashion so that you ensure a good result for yourself throughout the week - and finally, conclude with the customary vocal prayer or hymn!

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Jesus : This evening too begin your prayer with a brief period of intense silence and stillness in which you seek to consciously quieten yourself in My presence.  I have some very valuable insights to share with you, but for this I need your undivided attention. Focus on My presence and also deliberately slow down your breathing – so that your train of thoughts also slows down considerably.  The value of this entire hour of prayer will depend on the seriousness with which you begin the prayer.  So, put your best foot forward and you will be amply rewarded for your efforts.  Don’t forget the brief review of last week’s prayer too and the lesson or two you need to learn  from this review!

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : As you reflect on the Gospel passage of today, you could focus on the preaching of John the Baptist who went about telling the people to prepare themselves by strict and rigid penitence themselves strenuously for My coming as the Saviour of all mankind.  According to him, the people needed to put in a lot of effort to produce “fruits of repentance” else, since the axe is laid to the root, they would be cut down and thrown into the fire! Further, there is no escape for them as the light has come into the world and so the world should not prefer darkness to light if it wished to be saved.  This God-given opportunity should not be missed or there may not be another chance offered. This is a pretty frightening prospect for most people who know from experience that they are by themselves incapable of really reforming their lives in such a fruitful manner that they definitely qualify for heaven.  Nevertheless, John is unbending in his message and warnings. 

Yet, not long after John’s preaching, I came on the scene and proclaimed that ‘this is the year of the Lord’s favour’ – the Jubilee year in which God unilaterally forgives all the sins of his people, offering them the free gift of forgiveness and redemption, through My presence as the Saviour.  A person doesn’t need to have great intelligence to pick out which of the two messages is truly ‘Good News’ – and yet, isn’t it strange that many chose the way of John, rather than accept the free gift that I offered them? 

The explanation for this could possibly be that somehow people want to feel that they ‘earn’ their salvation, that they too have personally contributed towards attaining it.  While this might sound like a very good idea, there is a big difference in the two approaches.  For one thing, even when people are totally sincere in their efforts to work out their own salvation by their personal efforts, it doesn’t take them too long to realize painfully that they are totally incapable of this… all mankind has become a slave of sin and is need of a Saviour!

It is for this very reason that the Father sent Me so that anyone who believes in Me could be saved. And so it is only in humbly accepting salvation as a gift, and working to develop and deepen it that people will experience the joys of the kingdom.  That is why, one of the pillars or foundations of My teaching is, ‘Unless you become like little children …’ (Mt. 18:3) or again, ‘unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the Scribes and the Pharisees…’ (Mt. 5:20). The pharisees prided themselves on their self-righteousness, that they were able to keep the Law, even when it is interpreted in the strictest possible manner… Yet time and again I exposed their ‘hypocrisy’, even calling them ‘whitewashed tombs’ meaning that they looked very holy from the outside, but inside the situation was just the opposite.  Instead of this approach, it is far better to acknowledge oneself a sinner and allow the Father to transform them through the gift of his forgiveness, and then build up on it with the strength I provide them!

You : Lord, how true that is.  As I launch into this Advent effort, I would need to be clear regarding which of the two approaches I am going to adopt to avail myself of Your redemption. Further, I will need to check to see whether I am consistent in following this approach, or whether unknowingly I too slip into the same trap as the Pharisees succumbed to!  Now in this search, I will need the very special help which only the Spirit can offer me and so permit me to remain in deep silence and stillness for the remainder of my prayer time… Yet, I would need to be alert and attentive to whatever the Spirit conveys to me; help me be firm with all distractions and extraneous thoughts and feelings as these can lead me astray.

Jesus :  Having noted all that the Spirit suggests, visualize how you can put this into practice in the season of Advent… try and be as clear and specific as possible… Next, place all these generous plans in the hands of the Spirit asking him to be your guide and inspiration… As you move out of prayer, spend some time in Intercession for the needy, remembering especially those who sincerely seek to make the best use of this holy season of grace…  There are many good people who sincerely wish to make the best use of the Advent liturgies, but don’t know how and do not have too many people around them who can truly guide them … Conclude your hour of prayer with the usual vocal prayer or brief hymn.

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Jesus : Once more strive to enter into the prayer with a reasonable amount of effort to remain in silence and stillness. It will certainly enable you to pray better, at least with greater attention to all that I say. You are well acquainted with the technique, and so rather than say more about it, I leave you to practice it as energetically as you possibly can.  You might use the help of your breathing, consciously slowing it down to a deliberate pace, being careful to retain the breath for some time before exhaling.  You will notice the rush of thoughts in your mind slowing down considerably thus allowing you to listen more deeply … don’t forget to add a brief review of last week’s prayer and learn something from it.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : One thing that stands out in the witnessing of John the Baptist is the clarity with which he understood and accepted his mission in the plan of redemption.  His approach shows that he was completely selfless, because, seeing the response of the people, anyone else would have been tempted to pose as if s/he were the messiah him/herself. Yet John very rightly refused to be drawn into that trap – he merely did his job and then stepped aside, letting Me do the work for which I had been sent.  That is why I later spoke up for John saying, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!” (Mt 11:11-15).

Now, that is the way I would be happy for you too to witness to Me in your concrete circumstances today.  You too face the challenge of not projecting yourself as if you are mightier even than I; rather, you will need to constantly keep watch lest you be tempted to overstep the limits of your mandate.  All you are asked to do is to introduce people to Me and then allow Me to take over in their lives.  Out of gratitude and perhaps even with a trace of insecurity, they will cling to you as if you were their ‘saviour’ – for after all they did receive guidance and support through you.  It is you who offered them something really promising!  That is where you have to be sensitive enough to quickly step aside and allow Me to handle the situation from then on.  Once you have done this much, then your role is mainly to be supportive and that too largely through prayer and by remaining in the background.

You : Lord, how would I be able to tell whether I am detached as John was?  Since the trap is so deceptive and even learned people like the Pharisees fell in it, I would be happy to have some concrete guidance from You, so that I don’t spoil the efforts that the Spirit is able to achieve in my life!

Jesus : That is truly a good suggestion.  Maybe we could express it in the form of a few questions:  ‘Do you feel disappointed when your ‘client’ regresses or doesn’t respond the way you would have liked him/her to?  Do you scold the person for failures or for what seems like a lack of cooperation with your suggestions? Are you unduly elated when the person does respond positively and seems to be growing? Do you then ‘pursue’ the person seeking to offer him/her more and more so that s/he can progress even faster?  Are you able to handle several persons concurrently, without feeling overburdened or stressed, or pretending to be a martyr?  Do you so identify with each that his/her problems tend to become your very own and weigh you down?  In all this period of your witnessing, how close do you yourself remain to Me, and how faithful are you in your own commitments to Me?  How eagerly do you yourself seek to grow in your relationship with Me?  Further, what ‘penances’ do you do for the success of your witnessing?  John led a very penitential way of life and that is part of the reason for his steadfast fidelity.  Accepting sufferings and humiliations for the ‘sake of the Name’ is part of the strategy for remaining faithful to Me!

Answer these important questions slowly, one by one and only when you have finished satisfactorily, you could move into deep silence and stillness and allow the Spirit to work on your inner self, so that he can remove whatever traces of Self are still lurking there. The important point is to remain as still as possible, without making any suggestions to the Spirit…
When you discover that your answer to any of the questions posed above is not satisfactory, pause and seek guidance from the Spirit regarding that issue – the point is to ensure that you eliminate that weakness as radically as possible, so that it does not hinder the effectiveness of your witnessing to Me… remain in this silence for as long as you possibly can and when you reach the end of your prayer, move into the Intercessions as you usually do and conclude with a short vocal prayer.

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Jesus : Once again enter into this hour of prayer with a concerted effort to still your racing mind and heart.  There are undoubtedly so many things to attend to, but these will have to wait till the end of this prayer session.  So, with firm determination yet a gentle approach put them aside and prepare your mind and heart to listen to My word.  When you find that you are sufficiently quiet within, reflect for a while of your experience of the last week – and pick out a point or two on which you can improve as you seek to live out your prayer this week.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : As we approach the celebration of the feast of Christmas, it is important to reflect on the few conditions that are a must for the redemption I was sent to bring to effectively reach every single person in the world.  You see the pattern in today’s Gospel story. The steps seem to be the following: 

(a)  The Father approaches human beings (symbolized and personalized here in the person of Mary of Nazareth) with a request to partner him in a crucially important project. It is simply the one in which he desires to share his very all with human beings if they would care to trust him.  In the Scripture, this project of God is called ‘Covenant’.  Now initially this request is scary in that “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known” (Jn 1:18).  So, this magnanimous project will work only if these simple, ordinary people who have been approached can put their faith in a loving God.  The problem here is that God’s offer is so marvelous that it is almost unbelievable. 

(b)  The Father reassures the candidate, ‘Do not be afraid…’ but of course this doesn’t help much unless the person has some experience of how truthful and faithful God is to his promises! One can go through the entire Scriptures only to find one example after another in which we see that although often the situation a person is in looks pretty grim and foreboding, and it might start off by demanding a lot in terms of pain and suffering, yet in the end it works out marvelously to our benefit.  God does abide by his promises, every single time!

(c)  In his goodness, the Father doesn’t stop the person from enquiring for further details like ‘How can this happen…?’  But the further difficulty is that here too the answer lies in the realm of faith!  This time God reminds the person that the Holy Spirit has all the details and he has accepted to work things out systematically once the person gives his/her consent.  So, there it is– s/he can gain a whole lifetime and more of happiness and love, provided s/he is ready to gamble his/her ‘all’ on the faithfulness of God. The important point here is that our response has to be an ‘all-or-nothing’ kind of gamble!  No half-hearted answer would do for God (certainly not the kind that Zechariah gave, and so had to pay the price by becoming dumb until God was proved to be right! No saying yes by putting one’s hand to the plough and then looking back! No conditions like wanting to wish ‘good-bye’ to our family or friends!)

This is where we would like to have some support, a companion maybe who has some experience in these matters, or even some examples in the Scriptures!  Yet, when all is said and done, one has to remain alone, utterly alone, in these crucial moments!  Still, there is the Spirit who keeps working silently on your inner being, encouraging you to look ahead and not back!

(d)  While most people would tend to be cautious (sometimes, overly cautious) and move very slowly, Mary shows us the way. In one fell sweep she answers boldly and generously, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).  No sooner the angel left her than she set out in all haste to go to the hill country of Judea and share this Good News with her cousin Elizabeth.  Having received her confirmation through the lips of Elizabeth, she remained with them for three months and within that short span of time, she transformed the entire life of that little family.  The child John that was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth became a real champion,   ‘Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he’ (Mt 11:11).

The secret then is to launch out in faith trusting that the Father will never deceive us - and then pretty soon will come the confirmation of the rightness of our decision! Once Mary returned from the house of Zechariah we don’t hear too much more about her until it is time for the Child to be born!

(e)  In the feast of Christmas we celebrate the final ushering in of the Kingdom in which the least is greater even than John the Baptist, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. But here is where the challenge lies:  Would you, each individual, now trust God enough to place your entire lives in his hands.  If so, follow the example of Mary, John Baptist and so many others.  If these aren’t sufficient, go through the Gospels to see how I showed the way. Even in my extreme suffering and death, I did not let go of My trust in the Father.  He did not prevent Me from facing a cruel death, but immediately afterwards, there followed the Resurrection – and with it came even more marvelous manifestations of the Father’s fidelity and love. “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these… Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (Jn 1:50-51).
  
How would you react to God’s invitation to you today?  Remain in silence and stillness and marvel at the unbelievable offer He makes to you – and respond in the silence of your heart!  Ponder long and deep till you feel the very power of God arise within your heart, enabling you to make the leap with great generosity and love.  After all, even faith is God’s gift to those who are ready to lose their life so that they may gain them – ‘Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it’ (Mt 10:39).  

Slip into deep silence and let the Spirit lead you into the fullness of life and love… follow his suggestions to the full and as you come to the end of your hour of prayer, turn towards others who are in need… here too listen to the Spirit. As with Mary who was told about Elizabeth, you too might be alerted to the needs of particular people within your own circle – reach out to them generously in prayer and conclude with the customary vocal prayer of hymn.

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Jesus : We enter into this hour of prayer again with some effort to quieten the mind and heart… should there be any persistent disturbance, pick out the subject that upsets you currently and talk to Me about it… may be there is something that you need to attend to first and get rid of completely before entering wholeheartedly into the prayer.  Listen to what this distraction says to you and it could happen that you find something fruitful that you have to focus on first … However, before you move to the prayer itself, do spend a few minutes reflecting on how you lived what you prayed over the last week … is there something to be learnt from this experience?

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus : This year, the feast of Christmas falls on a Sunday and so you have the entire week to pray over this great unfathomable mystery of God’s love.  Remember first of all, that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:16-19). This truth has been with you for centuries and almost everyone knows about it.  The important point is to ‘ponder it in your heart’ the way Mary did, and with the help of the light and power of the Spirit you will find it easy to enter into the mystery of God’s love.  You will not be able to rationalize it or make complete sense out of it, but you certainly will be able to savour it and marvel at how much the Father loves each individual human being.

Unfortunately this truth does not shine out in almost every other sphere because somehow the majority of people seem to prefer to go their own way – and the world is plunged in thick darkness… But precisely because of this, you can be like a beacon of light leading others who might want to follow it.  Place yourself in the hands of the Spirit and allow him to guide you according to God’s plan.

Actually, God’s unconditional love is the only remedy people have for all the ills in the world. Yet, so few people believe in this love and further would allow themselves to be instruments in God’s hands to make his love visible and tangible for others. In this kind of a situation, the Father would be most happy to have as many instruments as will dare to volunteer and he will ensure that he trains them up well for the job… besides, he will also provide you with the most effective situations and opportunities wherein you can practice this truth.  Once the Father is aware of your readiness, you will find your hands full with so many people he entrusts into your care, that you will have no time to fret or worry about anything, much less worry about your own needs and especially about your own little problems and difficulties.

Remain now in silence and stillness and let the Spirit work on you from within… don’t say or even think anything on your part, but simply listen to his voice and then respond…  You could keep the picture of the Nativity scene before your mind’s eye, if that helps you to concentrate on My message.  After you have done this for quite some time, move into the Intercessions and prayer for others in need. See if you can do this today together with Mary whose heart and soul spontaneously reached out to all who are in need!  Try and feel the difference when you do it together with the heart of Mary, and when you do it by yourself alone! That will also teach you something about how to intercede for others in a fruitful manner.

And finally, end your prayer with the usual vocal prayer or hymn.

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