Jesus is the center of our spiritual life.
v “I call you friend.” No empty words from Jesus to each of us. Like any friend Jesus wants our relationship with him to be personal and deepening.
v Remain in me as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. [Jn 15, 4-5]
v I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for my sheep. [Jn 10, 14]
v Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the foundation of our spiritual life as a Catholic Christian. My connection with Him, initiated in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and nurtured in the Eucharist is meant to deepen and grow in faith, hope and love and gratitude.
v To fall in love with Jesus Christ is a graced relationship. It is enkindled in prayer (conversation) and strengthened through service – especially to the poor and marginalized. To love Jesus Christ is to keep His commandments! “My commandment is to love one another.” More on Prayer v It would be instructive to read all of chapter 11 of Luke’s Gospel. It begins with the apostles asking Jesus: Lord, teach us to pray.
v We may think of prayer as conversation from the heart. It also is an expression of faith and trust. Like any friend, Jesus loves to hear from us.
v Speaking and sharing from our heart would seem to indicate we would always have something to say, to protest, to ask, to thank, to wonder about, to apologize for to the Lord.
v Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. [Lk 11, 9] Is this your experience?
How to Begin Prayer
St. Ignatius of Loyola recommends that the period of prayer begin by: 1) having a specific time/place for my prayer; 2) calling to mind that I am in God’s presence and that the Lord wants to listen and converse with me; and 3) praying for a generous spirit during my prayer period. His prayer for generosity is:
Lord, teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward except to know it is your will I am doing. |
All Catholics are Christians. But not all Christians are Catholics.
All people (including atheists, agnostics, etc) serve God.
But not all people know and love the God they serve. |
In Chapter 15 of John’s GospelJesus uses the vine and branches image to show our intimacy and union with him.
Vine and branches have same life. [Remain in me as I remain in you.]
Branch is dependent of the vine. [Apart from me you can do nothing.]
Fruitfulness of branch depends on healthy connection. [Whoever remain in me and I in him will bear much fruit.]
The fruitful branch needs to be pruned. [The Father prunes so that it bears more fruit.]
As the branch remains on the vine then “ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.”
For the branch to bear much fruit: [“By this is the Father glorified.”]
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
The initiative is always from God. [“The work that God has begun in you God will bring to completion.”] |
Pause for awhile to pray and converse with the Lord:
I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. [Jn. 8, 12]
When you reflect on the person of Jesus Christ what area of his life do you find the easiest to connect with? Why?
1. His birth and the Mothering of Mary? 2. His youth, steeped in learning? 3. His ministry, involved with people? 4. His suffering and death experience? 5. His Resurrection giving hope to those He met?
Do you find yourself asking Mary to teach you about her Son? How do you think she would “describe” him to you? Would she still say: “Do whatever He tells you?”
Anointed in the Spirit at His Baptism and the Father’s voice: “This is my Son and I love him.” Is this God’s message to you: “You are my child and I love you?”
At the Transfiguration the voice of God: “This is my Son; listen to Him.” What do you think the Lord wants to say to you? Is it difficult to “hear” Him in your present life?
“Peter, do you love me more than these?” Has the Lord put this question to you?
Click hereif you want to read some interesting notes about intimacy with God, taken from Inner Compass by Margaret Silf. These notes cover six pages. They deserve to be digested through slow reading and reflection.
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