Theme:

Jesus only became the person He is after a long process of internal growth. His realization of His destiny was able to ripen as a result of His relationship with those around him. Jesus chooses what He stands for. It is no different for me.

What I might wish to ask:

That I can see how my own process of internal growth has brought me to where I am today. That my destiny in life may become clearer by deepening my understanding of Jesus and the choices He made. That I have the courage to face uncertainty in life.

he meditation I want to offer you today is based on the Gospel of Candlemas, the feast of the Lord's presentation in the temple. (Read Lk. 2, 22-38) First, we can imagine the scene, as we can see on the icon. We see Joseph and Mary on the left, and old Simeon holding the child Jesus in his hands. Behind Simeon is Anna, the prophetess. Looking at such an image can help us focus on the Bible passage we are going to pray with. And we can also use our imagination in the process. This can make the scene come alive, as if we were there ourselves. Maybe we feel drawn to a certain person or persons in the scene…We formulate our desire, inner knowledge of the Lord, who became man for me, to love and follow Him more…

Theme:

God steps into our history of humanity

by becoming human himself:

He becomes one of us, one with us.

With all His heart and soul, He commits Himself

to all the countless people,

to whom, out of love, He gave life.

I can talk to Him person to person so as friends do.

What I might wish to ask for:

That I may be able to fathom out and understand

what God becoming human means for the world,

for the people I know and also for myself.

Welcome in our Chapel just a few days after Christmas.

I prepare myself and become aware of my breathing.

I try to quieten my mind and become still.

In this inner stillness I may draw myself close to God.

He is waiting for me. He is happy that I am here and He looks at me with love.

Theme:

Jesus is also calling me to actively give form to His Kingdom here on Earth.

What I might wish to ask for:

That I may find what I am searching for: the person who gives meaning to my life. That I may respond to His invitation. That I have the courage to go along with whatever plans He has for me.

Picture: Madonna and Child by Barbara Hepworth. St Ives, England

Theme:

God takes me and accepts me just as I am.

Realizing this gives me a new beginning in my life,

a path which can be taken.

What I might wish to ask God for:

That I may accept that I am accepted as I am.

That I can thank God for everything which has been given to me.

That, in this time of Christmas, I may receive the child, Jesus, into my heart.

Theme:

God, who is looking at me lovingly, accepts me just as I am.

He lets me live!

What I might wish to ask:

That I can overcome my resistance to surrendering myself to His love. That I may experience that He has won me over.

That I have the courage to look at my faults with open eyes and an open heart.

That I allow myself to be touched by God’s presence in my life.

That I can carry on turning back to God over and over again.

God’s Love for me goes beyond my own faults.

What I may wish to ask:

That I can repent and recognize, that my faults have consequences;
that I can find my place in a world which is unfinished and imperfect.
That I accept that God accepts me, loves me as I am.

Welcome to this Friday evening meditation.

 I try to become still and quiet within myself. I adopt a relaxed but attentive position and I become aware of my breathing.

 I place myself in the presence of our loving God who is gazing at me with mercy and unconditional love.

Theme:

I see my life as it really is. In his own way, God is at work in my life. Everything that there is in my life, light and dark, can be entrusted to Him.

What I might wish to ask for

That my trust in God may grow

That I can entrust myself to Him.

That I may become intimate with God.

Welcome to this Friday evening meditation in our beautiful Stanislas Chapel. God is happy to see me here: to see all of us here. He invites me to be close to Him here. I spend a few silent moments in order to realize this fully and draw myself closer to Him.

The theme this week is “God’s presence in my life”.

Theme:

I look at my own life-story in order to discover God’s presence in my life; my life with its good times and its bad times, with light and with darkness.

What I may wish to ask/ what I desire:

That I have the courage to look at the reality of my own life with everything that encompasses. That I can accept my life with all that has happened in it until now. That I may recognize God’s presence in my life as it has been until now.

Whatever happens, wherever I find myself, whatever I am feeling, He remains close to me.

Theme:

Everything has been set in motion by God’s creative power of love.

We are part of this movement which is still in progress.

What I might wish to ask for:

That I am able to discover God’s presence in creation.

That I can look at creation as something which is still taking place.

That I may have a role to play in this ongoing process of creation.

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Maybe there is a deep longing in me.

Who or what am I seeking?

Who or what would I like to find?

This week is for recognizing and

exploring this deep desire.