of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(John 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 3:1-10): Nicodemus, a Pharisee …
Continue reading “APRIL 4, 2016 – SECOND WEEK OF EASTER – MONDAY – NICODEMUS”
(Matthew 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 the second scene, a cover-up takes place. Bribes …
Continue reading “MARCH 28, 2016 – EASTER WEEK – MONDAY – THE GOOD NEWS”
(John 12:1-11) Prayer: O Jesus, let me be generous in serving you. Imagination: (Picture Jesus at table with Martha, Mary and Lazarus.) Context: Lazarus has just been raised from the dead. This scene continues the death to life theme, but now it focuses on Jesus, not Lazarus. Martha and Mary play their familiar roles. Martha …
Continue reading “MARCH 21, 2016 – MONDAY – HOLY WEEK – MARY’S ANNOINTING”
(John 8:12-20) Prayer: O Jesus, flood me with divine light. Imagination: (Picture Jesus in the temple.) Context: After saving the woman caught in adultery from being stoned to death, Jesus calls himself “The light of the world”. He is challenged to produce witnesses. He claims that the Father is his witness, but the crowd knows …
Continue reading “MARCH 14, 2016 – WEEK FIVE OF LENT – MONDAY – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”
(John 4:43-54) Prayer: O Jesus, you can do all things. Help me to believe. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with the royal official pleading for his son.) Context: This is the second time in John’s gospel that Jesus reveals his power. This second miracle also takes place at Cana, and has some similar aspects. First, Jesus’ initial …
Continue reading “MARCH 7, 2016 – WEEK FOUR OF LENT – MONDAY – BELIEVING THE WORD OF JESUS”
(Luke 4:21-30) 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 prophets worked miracles for non-Jewish people. …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 29, 2016 – WEEK THREE OF LENT – MONDAY – REJECTION AT NAZARETH”
(Luke 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 out to the disciples. Gospel text: (Read slowly, possibly …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 22, 2016 – WEEK TWO OF LENT – MONDAY – COMPASSIONATE AS THE FATHER”
(Matthew 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 did we see you?), they still can gain …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 15, 2016 – WEEK ONE OF LENT – MONDAY – THE LAST JUDGMENT”
(Mark 6:53-56) Prayer – Jesus, let me seek you, find you and be blessed by your power. Imagination – (Picture the crowds pressing upon Jesus). Context: These crowds in Galilee are enthusiastic. In fact, by their lively faith they somewhat force Jesus to heal. He seems more comfortable in the solitude of prayer or in …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 8, 2016 – WEEK FIVE – MONDAY – TOUCHING HIS CLOAK”
(Mark 5:1-10) Prayer – Lord Jesus, set me free in the power of your name. Imagination: (Picture the possessed man coming to Jesus and his disciples.) Context: Although this story seems strange, biblical scholars agree that it happened. (Although it probably is two stories joined together). Jesus began his ministry to Israel with an exorcism. …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 1, 2016 – WEEK FOUR – MONDAY – PART ONE – POWER OVER SATAN”
(Mark 5:11-20) Prayer – O Jesus, one word from you and I will be restored. Imagination – (Picture Jesus with the freed man. He is now clothed and at peace.) Context: The gospels contain those stories which were easily remembered by the early Church. The unique feature of pigs running over a cliff makes this …
Continue reading “FEBRUARY 1, 2016 – WEEK FOUR – MONDAY – PART TWO – SENDING JESUS AWAY”
(Mark 3:22-30) Prayer – O Jesus, by your power, free me from the Evil One. Imagination: (Picture Jesus in his controversy with the scribes.) Context: Mark presents another group of critics, the scribes. However, Jesus does not answer them. Jesus speaks to the crowds to get a fair hearing. He destroys the scribe’s argument by …
Continue reading “JANUARY 25, 2016 – WEEK THREE – MONDAY – CASTING OUT SATAN”
(Mark 2:18-22) Prayer: O Holy Spirit, make me a new creation. Imagination: (Imagine Jesus with the disciples and the Pharisees.) Context: Jesus uses two images of cloth and wineskins to show that his Kingdom demands a totally new way of acting and thinking. Nobody sews new cloth on old garments or pours new wine into …
Continue reading “JANUARY 18, 2016 – WEEK TWO – MONDAY – SOME SURPRISE PRONOUNCEMENTS”
(Mark 1:14-20) Prayer – Lord Jesus, invite me today to be your disciple. Imagination: (Picture Jesus calling his first disciples along the Sea of Galilee.) Context This gospel text begins “After John was arrested” and it records Jesus’ first homily of his public ministry. He repeats John’s teaching that the reign of God has come …
Continue reading “JANUARY 11, 2016 – WEEK ONE – MONDAY – JESUS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE”
(Matthew 11:2-6) Prayer: O Jesus, let me always believe in You. Imagination: (Picture John’s disciples questioning Jesus.) Context: John, in prison, heard about the works Christ performed and sent two disciples to Jesus to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or do we look for another?” Jesus said, “Go back and …
Continue reading “JANUARY 4, 2016 – MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY – MESSENGERS FROM JOHN”
(Matthew 21:23-27) Prayer: O Jesus, you have all authority in heaven and earth. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching in the temple, confronted by the temple authorities.) Context: The day before, Jesus had cleansed the temple. As he comes back, the temple authorities want to know by what authority he took that action. Jesus avoids answering this …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 14, 2015 – WEEK THREE OF ADVENT – MONDAY – WHAT ABOUT JOHN’S BAPTISM?”
(Luke 5:17-26) Prayer – Come, Holy Spirit. Give me friends with great faith. Imagination- (Picture Jesus healing the paralyzed man.) Context: These stories in Mark’s gospel are controversy stories. Each dispute allows Jesus to make some pronouncement. In this story, Jesus says that he is the Son of Man with divine authority. Gospel Text: (Read …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 7, 2015 – WEEK TWO OF ADVENT – MONDAY – FORGIVING SINS”
(Matthew 8:5-11) Prayer: O Jesus, fill me with faith in your power. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with the Centurion.) Context: Advent is a time of faith and the church selects the Gentile centurion as the first model. He believed that Jesus could heal at a distance (unheard of in Judaism). Even Jesus proclaims his extraordinary faith. …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 30, 2015 – WEEK ONE OF ADVENT – MONDAY – A CENTURION WITH GREAT FAITH”
(Mark 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 people, linked by the word widow. The scribes want everyone to see their goodness while secretly they steal widow’s money. The widow, on the contrary, gives …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 23, 2015 – WEEK THIRTY FOUR – MONDAY – THE WIDOW’S MITE”
(Luke 18:35-43) Prayer: O Jesus, let me cry out to you in great hope. Imagination: (Picture Jesus and the crowd with a beggar by the roadside.) Context: This journey to Jerusalem began with Jesus healing a blind man and culminates with another healing of blindness. This contrasts with the disciples’ growing blindness about Jesus’ death …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 16, 2015 – WEEK THIRTY THREE – MONDAY – THE BLIND BEGGAR”