Author: Flame of Love

Love Your Enemies (Mt 5:43-48) Prayer:   Come, Holy Spirit. Make me perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. Imagination: Picture Jesus asking the disciples to imitate the Father. Context: Jesus continues his demands concerning goodness towards enemies. He contrasts his disciple with the pagans and demands a greater holiness. At …

Relationships (Mt 5:38-42) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Teach me how to love as a disciple should. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching kindness to his disciples. Context: The Jewish law to take only “An eye for an eye” was actually merciful in Jesus’ time. It limited the amount of revenge. Jesus goes …

The Good News of God’s Reign (Mt 9:36-10:8) Prayer: O Jesus, your goodness is everywhere. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples, healing the crowds. Context: The gospels are filled with Jesus’ compassion and power. Now, he extends that compassion to physical healings and to being a shepherd to the poor. …

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Lk 2:41-51) Prayer:              Come, Holy Ghost. Help me to search for the True Heart of the Temple. Imagination:     Picture Mary and Joseph hurrying to look for Jesus. Context: When Jesus was twelve years old, He, Mary and Joseph travelled with others to the …

Solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Mt 11:25-30) Prayer:  O Jesus, help me to know the mysteries of the Kingdom. Imagination: Picture Jesus praising God for His disciples. Context: Jesus has just reproached those towns that did not repent. Now, he looks at his disciples and sees that they have been …

Anger (Mt 5:20-26) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Let your gentleness overcome my anger. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples to reconcile. Context: Jesus teaches a “greater goodness” which is demanded by the holiness of this new Kingdom. In this gospel, he compares the Old Testament teaching on anger and his …

The Law and the Prophets (Mt 5:17-20) Prayer:   Come, Holy Spirit. Make me great in Jesus’ Kingdom. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples about following the Law and the Prophets. Context:  “Law and prophets” means the whole Old Testament. Jesus wants his Church to retain these books and teach them …

Salt and Light (Mt 5:13-16) Prayer:   Come, Holy Spirit. Set me as a light on the lampstand. Imagination: Picture Jesus instructing his disciples. Context: A disciple is someone who has made a decision to live totally for the Kingdom. In the gospels, Jesus explains what he expects of his disciples. …

The First Four Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12) Prayer:   Come, Holy Spirit. Form my heart according to Jesus’ teaching. Imagination:  Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: Jesus calls various groups “blessed.” However, anyone can choose to belong to these groups. A person can be poor in spirit, meek, mourning over the world’s …

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ His Body and Blood (Jn 6:51-58) Prayer:  O Jesus, make me hunger for You, the bread of Life. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching to the crowds. Context: These are among the most important verses in the New Testament because they provide a clear …

The Widow’s Mite (Mk 12:38-44) Prayer: O Jesus, to you I give all I have. Imagination: Picture Jesus in the temple with his disciples. Context: This gospel joins two different scenes, which describe two contrasting groups. The scribes want everyone to see their goodness while secretly they steal widows’ money. …

The Son of David (Mk 12:35-37) Prayer:  O Jesus, You alone are my Lord. Imagination:   Imagine Jesus teaching in the temple. Context: While Jesus is teaching in the temple, he is constantly challenged. After silencing all his critics, he goes on the offensive. He raises the question of the true …

The Sincere Scribe (Mk 12:28-34) Prayer: O Jesus, I want to love you with all my heart and soul. Imagination: Picture Jesus speaking with this good-willed scribe. Context: This scribe is not hostile. His question is sincere. He searches for the most important commandment. Jesus quotes the great prayer which …

Living Like Angels (Mk 12:18-27) Prayer: O Lord, I want to live with you forever in heaven. Imagination: Picture Jesus in confrontation with the Sadducees. Context: The Sadducees (unlike the Pharisees) did not believe in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead. They present to Jesus …

Render to God What is God’s (Mk 12:13-17) Prayer: O Lord, let me give you everything. Imagination: Picture Jesus confronted by the Pharisees. Context: Israel had two political groups. One sought total allegiance to Rome. Others sought independence, even by war if necessary. The Pharisees, by this question, hope to …

The Wicked Tenants (Mk 12:1-12) Prayer:   O Jesus, I will give you all the harvest. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: Jesus bases this parable upon actual circumstances. In Galilee there were many foreign owners who leased the land to tenants. God is the owner and these tenants are …

Sent into the World (Jn 3:16-18) Prayer:   O Jesus, you were lifted up on the cross to save me. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching Nicodemus. Context: This gospel contains the famous John 3:16 verse about God so loving the world. It explains that God’s motive was to save, not to condemn. …

What About John’s Baptism? (Mk 11:27-33) Prayer: O Jesus, you have all authority in heaven and earth. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching in the temple, confronted by the authorities. Context: The day before this event, Jesus had cleansed the temple. As he returns to Jerusalem, the temple authorities want to know …

The Fig Tree (Mk 11:11-26) Prayer:   O Jesus, let me offer you the good fruit of my life. Imagination: Picture Jesus and the disciples looking at a withered fig tree. Context: On the day after Palm Sunday, Jesus returns to Jerusalem. On the way, he seeks figs from a tree.  Finding …