1. Introductory prayer
Lord Jesus, you need and send me to be your messenger, together with others of your disciples. Teach me the wisdom that I need to be your messenger. Help me to clear and refine my motives.
2. Reading – Listening: The Gospel according to Luke 10, 1-12. 17-20
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come.
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.
5 Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!’
6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.
7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you;
9 heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,
11 `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
12 I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
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3. Thoughts on the Gospel; Luke 10, 1-12
- Jesus sends his disciples out as lambs in the midst of wolves. He instructs them to be like lambs. To not imitate the wolves, but should be until the end the lambs. Only in this way will be in them and through them realized what was in and through the Son of God.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus, means bringing the message to the world, which Jesus’ teachings in their blindness often rejects and despises.
- However, Jesus gives some guidance for spiritual preaching of his arrival.
- Whoever proclaims Jesus should be marked by peace and his peace should be spread among those to whom he is sent.
- Those who recognize the authenticity of this peace, is the son of peace, and he is the one that will be able to listen to the gospel.
- An angry man does not accept anything or anyone except his anger. Do not let be infected by his spiritual condition.
- Peace should be returned to you. And even if people do not listen to you, tell them the good news about the Kingdom of God. You have completed your mission and your reward is with God.
- Do not let yourself be seduced by the spiritual pride, which the work for the Lord can bring. Miracles are unimportant things that only serve persuading the fragile. You stay in the peace of Christ disciples.
- When the disciples return glad from the preaching, Jesus invites them to rejoice because they can enjoy the joy of Kingdom of God. Their names are written in heaven, are with God. This is more than a man can want. If he is in God, then he has everything he needs.
- The strength of our announcement depends on the contagiousness of joy we experience in God.
- The real reason for the joy is in the participation of God’s love and mercy to the people. Jesus is constantly striving to enable each of us the opportunity for God’s peace and joy.
4. Meditation – thinking
About everything I have read and what has touched me, I am thinking now. I let my thoughts also touch my heart. Think: ·
- What means for me to be Christ’s disciple?
- Am I in my mission alone or do I go out to preach the gospel with anyone else?
- Does my work to spread the gospel marks peace or am I driven more by my egoistic tendencies, or I do it from fear or anger?
- What helps me to keep peace that I need to proclaim Christ’s arrival?
5. Personal Prayer
In the next moments of silence, I talk about of this with Jesus. I tell him what I think, what I feel, what I want. I ask him for the grace that I need for … (make your conversation with God)
6. Contemplation – Quiet moment with God
Now I let silence to be in me. I am simply present in God, as He is quietly present in me.
Perhaps from this silence I hear God’s speech, which invites me perhaps in thanksgiving and worship, or to open myself and accept him in my path life and work, maybe He gives me the courage to continue searching for…
See all the other Bible readings and meditations
7. Action
When I walk into a personal relationship with God, he changes me, makes me more loving and encourages me to the concrete action, which is….. (write down your insights for concrete action)
8. Prayer at the end
Lord Jesus, thank you that you need and send me to be your messenger, together with others of your disciples. Thank you for teaching me the wisdom that I need to be your messenger and help me to clear my motives.
9. Review of my prayer meditation or reflection
This is my view on what was happening in me at the time, I spent praying. In my reflection, I can help myself with the following questions:
- How was I feeling when I started praying?
- What happened during the prayer?
- What feelings and thoughts could I detect in myself?
- How did I feel at the revelations, which I had during my prayer?
- What did I learn about myself, about God, about his attitude towards me and others and me to him and others?
- How did I finish my prayer?
- What did I receive for my everyday life?
- In the end, I can write the lessons, findings and insights. I can write also, where I had problems, they may have great value in learning about my relationship and myself with God. They can also help to find a more appropriate way of prayer for me.
- Then I thank the Holy Trinity. If I pray with my family or in the community, friends, I can share with them what I felt in this prayer. By prayer for one another, you can support yourself throughout the week.
See all the other Lectio Divina prayers and meditations
Lectio divina meditations are published and adapted with permission from the Jesuits home – ignacijevdom.si
