Author: Flame of Love

Rejection at Nazareth (Lk 4:24-30) Prayer: O Lord, never let me reject you.  Imagination: Picture Jesus confronted by the angry citizens of Nazareth. Context: The mood of the crowd changes suddenly from acceptance to rejection. Jesus pinpoints the cause. They want to see miracles. Jesus recounts two stories in which …

The Samaritan Woman (Jn 4:5-15) Prayer:   O Jesus, give me the living waters of the Kingdom. Imagination: Picture Jesus speaking to the woman by the well. Context: John’s gospel has three central stories. The Woman at the Well represents a beginner.  The healed blind man represents a disciple in the middle …

The Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) Prayer:   O Heavenly Father, let me never leave your house. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: This is a “Parable of the Father’s Love” and is drawn from real life. Many young unmarried sons (under twenty) asked for their inheritance to leave Palestine and …

Taking Away Their Vineyard (Mt 21:33-43) Prayer: O Lord, you have given me everything. Make me a faithful tenant. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples and his opponents. Context: Jesus spoke this parable in Jerusalem when the chief priests and elders questioned his authority.  The parable fitted their situation. The tenants …

The Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31) Prayer: O Lord, awaken me by this warning. Do not let me be like the foolish brothers. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: Judaism believed that riches proved God’s favor and that poverty proved sinfulness. Jesus reveals the true picture, which shocks …

Ambitious James and John (Mt 20:17-28) Prayer:   Come Holy Spirit. Reveal the glory you have prepared. Imagination: Picture James and John seeking favors from Jesus. Context: Jesus has just told the apostles that he would come in glory. With great ambition, James and John want that glory. Before granting any …

The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Mt 23:1-12) Prayer:   O Jesus, give me the heart of a servant. Imagination: Picture Jesus instructing His disciples in humility. Context: Jesus does not criticize the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees (although he alludes to moral rigorism) but he condemns their practices of seeking …

Compassionate as the Father (Lk 6:36-38) Prayer:   Father, fill me with your compassion. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples. Context: After teaching about loving enemies, Jesus concludes with “Be compassionate as the Heavenly Father.” He then stresses the need not to judge others. This will determine what will be measured …

The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9) Prayer:   Jesus, take me up the mountain of prayer. Imagination: Picture Jesus in glory with his three apostles. Context: Peter has just proclaimed by faith that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Now, he and two others experience this truth as they …

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 continually demands that his disciples show goodness towards enemies. They must act as children of a Heavenly Father. At the …

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 …

Confidence in Prayer (Mt 7:7-12) Prayer: O Jesus, teach me to ask and to seek and to knock.  Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching His disciples to have confidence in prayer. Context: God wants to bless you. First, he wants you to seek his blessings (so when you receive them you will …

A Greater Than Jonah or Solomon (Lk 11:29-32) Prayer: O Lord, I seek no sign or wonder. I seek only you. Imagination: Picture Jesus speaking to the crowds. Context: Although Jesus’ enemies asked for a sign, Jesus addresses his teaching to the crowds. He cites two Old Testament examples of …

How to Pray (Mt 6:7-13) Prayer:   O Jesus, teach me to pray as you prayed.  Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching His disciples the Our Father. Context: The Lord’s prayer has seven petitions. The first three – “Hallowed be your name,” “Your Kingdom come,” “Your will be done” are really the same …

The Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) Prayer: O Jesus, You are the King who is to come. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: Some people never heard Jesus’ gospel. In this parable, Jesus confronts the question of how they will be judged. Although they do not know Jesus (Lord, when …

The Three Temptations (Mt 4:1:11) Prayer:   O Jesus, let me triumph as you did. Imagination: Picture Jesus overcoming Satan’s temptations. Context:   Mark just says that Jesus was tempted by the devil. Matthew gives three definite temptations, sensuality (the bread), misuse of miraculous powers (asking angels to protect), and using political …

Eating with Levi’s Friends (Lk 5:27-32) Prayer:   O Jesus, call me into your Kingdom because I am a sinner. Imagination:   Picture Jesus at table with Levi and his friends. Context: When these scribes and Pharisees complain about Jesus’ table companions, Jesus announces that he is a physician whose ministry is …

Trusting the Father (MT 9:14-17) Prayer: Come, Holy Ghost. Help me to seek first the Kingdom of heaven. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching His disciples about the Father’s care for them. Context:  Jesus has been explaining the beatitudes and all that is demanded of a disciple. He ends his talk on a …

Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus (Lk 9:22-25) Prayer: O Jesus, in time of trial, do not let me turn my back on you.  Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples. Context: Having told the disciples that he will suffer, die and rise, Jesus gathers the crowd and explains that they also …