Stop Murmuring (Jn 6:44-51) Prayer: O Jesus, teach me to learn from the Father. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: Jesus continues to speak about the Israelites in the desert. Just as they murmured against Moses, Jesus’ audience is murmuring against him. Yet, Jesus is the bread of life, …
True Bread from Heaven (Jn 6:35-40) Prayer: O Jesus, hold me tight. Never let me go. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: In the debate with Jesus, the crowd talks about the great sign of manna. In the desert, God promised Moses that he would send “bread from heaven” …
Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist The Heavenly Father’s Bread (Mk 16:15-20) Prayer: O Jesus, give me to eat from the heavenly table. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples teaching the crowds. Context: After Jesus multiplies the food and the people seek him out, he gives a lengthy teaching on heavenly …
Food That Does Not Perish (Jn 6:22-29) Prayer: O Jesus, let me seek the Bread of life everlasting. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: After Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, he prays alone on the mountain. Meanwhile, his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum and Jesus …
Two Disciples Leaving Jerusalem (Lk 24:13-35) Prayer: O Jesus, restore my hope. Imagination: Picture Jesus with these two disciples. Context: This is the longest story of any Easter vision and presents a model for Christian initiation. In this first part we see the disciples’ sadness and dejection. They are walking …
Jesus Walks on the Sea (Jn 6:16-21) Prayer: O Jesus, help me when the storms of life become too strong. Imagination: Picture Jesus approaching the disciples’ boat. Context: Multiplying food is a powerful miracle but walking on the sea is even greater. Jesus is much more than a miracle-worker. He is …
Feeding the Five Thousand (Jn 6:1-15) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Multiply your gifts within me. Imagination: Picture Jesus feeding the crowds. Context: This multiplication of food is very important and is told in all four gospels. The Early Church loved this miracle because it prefigures Jesus’ gift of Eucharist. Why …
No Rationing of the Spirit (Jn 3:31-36) Prayer: O Jesus pour out the fullness of your Spirit. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples. Context: John the Baptist was a great preacher but he knew only earthly truths. Jesus knows heaven and can speak about what he has seen in heaven. …
Sent into the World (Jn 3:16-21) 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. However, …
Hello! I’m Fr. Ryan Nguyen. It has been almost a year since my priestly ordination and I am still seeing the subtle and yet tangible graces of Holy Orders. God is good in the past year! I heard so many confessions and even caught quite a number of “big fish” …
The Questioning Nicodemus (Jn 3:7-15) Prayer: O Jesus, let me come to you for wisdom. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching Nicodemus. Context: Nicodemus is a trained Jewish scholar. His questions to Jesus contrast the Jewish faith with the mysteries of Christ. His questions allow Jesus to explain these truths. If Nicodemus cannot understand …
Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-13) Prayer: O Jesus, help me to grow in faith. Imagination: Picture Nicodemus speaking with Jesus. Context: Nicodemus appears in three different stories in John’s gospel. In this meditation, we will use all three because they show his growth into discipleship. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.) Scene One (Jn …
Jesus Bestows the Spirit (Jn 20:19-23) Prayer: O Jesus, breathe upon me and anoint me with your Spirit. Imagination: Picture Jesus appearing to his disciples in the Upper Room. Context: This vision occurs on Easter Sunday evening and reveals many truths. By coming through a closed door, Jesus clearly shows …
Rebuking the Disciples (Mk 16:9-15) Prayer: O Jesus, heal my lack of faith. Imagination: Picture Jesus gathered with his disciples at table. Context: Mark summarizes the Easter visions. Jesus rose and appeared to Mary Magdalen. She told the disciples. He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They, …
Vision at the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1-14) Prayer: O Jesus, make me aware of your presence. Imagination: Picture Jesus standing on the shore at the Sea of Galilee. Context: Jesus had appeared to the apostles in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday and then to the doubting Thomas. This is the third …
Jesus in the Upper Room (Lk 35:48) Prayer: O Jesus, flood my soul with faith. Imagination: Picture Jesus in the Upper Room with his disciples. Context: The disciples have heard the news about Jesus’ rising, but when Jesus actually comes, they experience fear and even disbelief. Slowly, he proves to them …
Two Disciples Leaving Jerusalem to Emmaus (Lk 24:13) Prayer: O Jesus, restore my hope. Imagination: Picture Jesus with these two disciples. Context: This is the longest story of any Easter vision and presents a model for Christian initiation. In this first part we see the disciples’ sadness and dejection. They …
Magdalen Sees Jesus (Jn 20:11-18) Prayer: Jesus, fill me with Magdalen’s love and devotion to you. Imagination: Picture Magdalen at the tomb with Jesus. Context: This is a very rich text, containing many teachings for both devotion and doctrine. Magdalen stays at the empty tomb, thinking the body has been …
The Good News (Mt 28:8-15) Prayer: O Jesus, I will carry the good news to the whole world. Imagination: Picture the two women meeting Jesus.. Context: This gospel has 2 quite different scenes. The women meet Jesus and he tells them to bring the good news to his disciples. In …
