Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:36-38

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

 

We are now in the last four days of Pope Benedict’s Papacy.  Here is a man who dedicated his life to the church and to helping others. He will probably go down in history as one of teyh great church theologians.   He served as a teacher, a spiritual guide and one of the most humble servants of God.  In today’s Gospel reading, we are asked to be merciful “even as your Father is merciful.” We are told that we should not judge or condemn.  The world is busy judging and condemning this man who reluctantly took the seat of Peter to lead the church through a very trying time in her history.  We must continue to pray for him and his well being.

 

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd, Benedict, a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ, build your Church into a sacrament of unity, love and peace for all the world.

Amen.

V/ Let us pray for Benedict, the Pope.
R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.
V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant.
R/ And upon your son, whom you have anointed.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be …

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, you are so kind and merciful.

Help me to set aside my judgment and condemnation.

Help me to forgive my fellow man.

Help me to see past his sins as I too am a sinner.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon