Lenten Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 2 Chapter 8: On Familiar Friendship of Jesus

“Those who find Jesus find the pearl of great price – indeed, the highest good; but those who lose Him lose all.”

When we put God first in our life, we find that great joy which puts us at peace, even when we have to face adversity.  If we do not have Jesus in our life, our life is “dry and hard.”  There is no hope and the joy that find is short lived and fleeting.  It is useless for you to desire anything besides Jesus, because that desire places the world above Christ and becomes the focus of our love.  “To be without Jesus is the torment of hell, but to be with Him is the joy of paradise.”  With Jesus is in your camp, you cannot be defeated.  He is the only one who can give you the strength to defeat Satan and withstand the suffering we face in this world.  Thomas a Kempis says, “It is a great art to know how to talk with Jesus, and to know how to keep Him with you is great wisdom.”  Some people just feel at ease when they pray and find no difficulty talking with God.  This comes through practice and patient and understanding.  Start simple with your conversation.  According to St. Theresa of Avila, communication with God should always start after we read or meditate on His great works.  She suggests using the Gospels as your source of aspiration.  In this method, it is God who initiates the conversation.  It is also in reading the Gospels that you will find that pearl of great price.  This centers us on Christ and makes us one with Him.  Our love will then begin to flow toward him who is love and the source of all love.  The love we find for God through this type of prayer becomes the source of love we will show for our friends and foes alike.  When we love our neighbors like God loves us, we have truly found our friendship in Christ.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God,

            It is you who I love most; help me center you in my life

            Help me find your love in my heart so I ca experience that great and wondrous joy.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon