Jesus Christ, The Light of the World
Meditation
God keeps on creating you, filling you with gifts and with desires. We experienced our own creation by God through His breath - ruah. His Spirit and love burns at the core of our very life. As we center ourselves, be mindful of God’s gaze upon you, where here now e offer our whole self to God at this moment.
Prayer for Today
To experience His love for us in His gift of Himself, and to respond in kind.
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CONTEMPLATION
God’s Lavish Care - The Giver of all Gifts
"For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible. (Colossians 1:15-16)
{For it was} in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1)
For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance. (Ephesians 2:2)
All things were created through Christ, the image of the invisible God, the Light of the world. Reflect upon being created as God’s handwork, created in Christ, imagine what is your experience of you are created through this Light.
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God's Own Self - Our Lord Speaks
Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”(Luke 4: 18-19)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Our Response
“The LORD is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1)
Imagine being there, having Jesus speaking directly to you those word, in answering the call to follow, how does it feel to have the Gift of the light of life shining for and in you?
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A Disciple Teaches
The Father’s Plan – Our Adoption
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as He chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him. In love God destined us for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of His will, for the praise of the glory of His grace that He granted us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1)
Our Inheritance Through the Spirit
In Christ we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of His glory, we who first hoped in Christ. (Ephesians 1)
The Father has blessed us, chosen us in Christ,and destined us to be adopted to exist for the praise of His glory. How does the words below of David speak for your heart?
Our Praise of Divine Goodness
Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul; and do not forget all His gifts Who pardons and heals all your ills Who redeems your life and crowns you with mercy and compassion Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed (PS 103)
Spiritual Exercise: “Taking Notice”
Notice what happens to your desires to love as you become more aware of God lavish care for you. By “taking notice” we offer a daily reflection prayer of gratitude for God’s infinite gifts of grace.
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Invitation From God: Give Thanks for the Gifts of the Day
The Examen is the daily prayer of thanksgiving, insight, reflection, intentionality, and hope. It invites us to ask ourselves:
For Ignatius the first and most important step in any spiritual journey is Gratitude. Therefore, we look first to remember and to name the blessings.
Let the day wash over you.
Look at the day, at the work you did, at the people you interacted with. What did you receive from them? What did you give them?
Pay attention to small things and other seemingly small pleasures. God is in the details.
Notice any joys and delights;focus on the day’s gifts. … Be specific.
Savor what God shows you.
Reflection
God, the giver of all gifts, offers us the grace and ongoing care for all our concerns. Ask God to help you answer these questions and for the help tomorrow.
What did I learned about God, and myself today?
What am I thankful for? What were the blessings?
What do I look forward to in my day tomorrow? How can God help me be that person? Ask.
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