Jesus only became the person He was, and 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.

I might want 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.

Theme:

A very human event: a birth while on a journey.

Almost unnoticed a child is here

who comes closer to us

than we are able to come close to ourselves.

This child intervenes in the story of my life.

What I might want to ask:

That I can lovingly accept this Christ child

and hold Him in my arms.

That the new life He brings will also enter me.

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.

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.

Theme: Calling

Who do I let myself be inspired by? Who fascinates me, provides some orientation in my life? Jesus is called Lord and Christ, the Messiah, the true king.

What I may wish to ask:

That I may find what I am looking for. The person who can give my life meaning, the God of Love, that I can respond to His invitation: to His call.

Discernment of spirits is a process of clarification in which a person from a personal familiarity with Christ examines the inner and outer movements and drives and tests whether they lead more towards God or rather away from Him in order to be able to decide which way to go before God.

To my great surprise I see that God is looking at me lovingly.

He accepts me just as I am.

He lets me live.

Theme of the week

In each one of us there is some evil hidden within.

We hurt love.

We wound God and each other.

I place myself before God when I look at this evil.

I become aware of how God is looking at me: with friendliness, mercy and with love.

What I desire

That I dare to open up

so that I can see where I have failed to love.

That I may see

when I turn my back on God and my neighbour.

That I don’t end up becoming locked up in myself.

Niemand is vrij van schuld, zolang er ongelijkheid is, en menselijk ongeluk, relaties die gebroken zijn waar ik zelf mede oorzaak van ben. Zonder de ervaring van een liefde die groter is dan de mijne, zou het leven ondraaglijk zijn.

short

Wat ik vraag:

dat ik tot inkeer kom en erken,

dat mijn in gebreke blijven

sociale gevolgen heeft;

dat ik mijn plaats mag vinden

in een wereld die onaf is

en ik niet aan God en mensen

voorbij leef.

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.

The challenge we face more and more is to develop a pedagogy, a mystagogy to enter the mystery of life in such a way that it is convincing. In that context, Ignatius suggests, when meditating, to imagine the nativity-cave, Joseph and Mary, the maid (not in Scripture) and the newborn child Jesus. "I make myself a servant, insignificant and unworthy, and I look at them, behold them and serve them where it is needed, as if I were there-" (SE 114). We make note of the difficulty we have with submission.

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:

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

Taizé - prayer for peace

Theme:

Everything was set in motion by God’s creative power of love. You and me 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 place in this whole creation event.

God is looking at me with a loving gaze.

He longs for me and it was His love for me which came first.

I might wish to ask that I may discover that God is seeking me. That I may become aware that God is longing for me. That I can let God’s loving gaze gently settle on me.

God is looking at me now. He is looking at me with love and friendliness. I try to really let His love for me sink in: to feel it and accept it. Whether I deserve it or not God is looking at me with deep love.