D.R.R.
May 2nd 2004, 02:41 PM
May 2, 2004 Daily Prayer with Regnum Christi
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For all young people who have strayed from the path of God´s will.
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The Voice of the Shepherd Calls You to Trust in Him
May 2, 2004
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:27-30
"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father´s hand. The Father and I are one."
Introductory Prayer:Lord help me to hear your voice in this prayer. May I know you as you know me. Grant me the courage to follow you with joy and complete resignation to your will for my life. I trust in your grace to be able to follow you wherever you lead me, for you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Petition:Oh Lord, grant that I may always be attentive to your voice with complete confidence in your love and mercy for my life.
1. My Sheep Hear My Voice. The shepherd was a very familiar figure to the people of Jesus’ time. Much of a shepherd’s time is spent in solitude, perhaps we could say even in contemplation. About him are rolling hills and meadows, or perhaps a running stream, all laid out in perfect harmony. Artists throughout the centuries have yet to fully capture on canvas the depths of beauty of such a simple scene. The shepherds had a simple but nevertheless an important task: to keep the flock safe from predators and lead it to fresh pastures. Imagine the scene: we can hear his voice, guiding his flock, surely and steadily. Do I have that same peacefulness in my life? Do I regard moments of silence as necessary means for developing my spiritual life, for maintaining a dialogue with my Creator and Redeemer? To be a part of Christ’s flock is to listen to Our Lord. Do I hear him when he speaks to me through the Scriptures, through the teachings of the Church, through the sacraments and through our consciences that are properly conformed to the mind and heart of Christ? What other voices are there in my life that drown out the voice of my Shepherd and Master? Do I realize that the voice I listen to will be the one that I will follow?
2. I Give Them Eternal Life and They Shall Never Perish. If we listen to his voice and follow him, Christ leads us to verdant pastures. In fact, he promises us the pastures of eternal life. Psalm 22 foreshadows this truth: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Only in Christ do I find true fulfillment of my life’s desires. Have I placed my confidence in him? Or do I trust in other things, people, places or ambitions as my security in life?
3. No One Can Take Them Out of My Hand. Here our Lord claims for himself what was thought to be reserved for God alone. As revealed in Old Testament passages referencing God’s protection: “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Or again: “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. … Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect (Wisdom 3:1-9). In essence, Christ is claiming to wield the sovereign power of Yahweh. He professes to shield the righteous from the threats of their enemies. He alone is the Savior who protects us from enemies that wish us harm and evil. Do I extend my hand trustingly to the hand of Christ that is so caringly extended towards me? Christ wishes us to overcome our fears and false securities; to abandon ourselves to his providential love.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, today you reveal to me your loving protection over my life. You reveal to me your plan of leading me to the verdant pastures of eternal life. May I have complete confidence in you, the source of my being and the redeemer of my soul. May nothing come between us that would lessen my confidence and utmost trust in you. Wherever I am and in whatever I do, you never leave me alone. Grant that I, too, may always remain with you. At every hour of the day and night, in joy or sorrow, at work and rest, may I always know how to find you within me!
Resolution: Today each time I am faced with things that don’t seem to go my way I will consciously make a loving act of trust in Christ’s providential love. I will repeat at these times in the quiet of my heart, “Jesus I trust in you!”
By Father Ned Brown, LC
Adoration for Vocations invites you to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into the harvest. here.
Want to help us maintain this free service? Make a tax-deductible donation online by clicking here.This link will take you to the online donation page of the Legion of Christ, but accessing it by this specific link will create a report letting us know your donation is for the daily meditation service from RegnumChristi.org.Thank you and God bless you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can send your testimony to testimonies@regnumchristi.org
If you would like any further information please contact infoeng@regnumchristi.org
If you did not subscribe to this service or you would like to cancel your subscription please click here or send an email to meditation-request@regnumchristi.org with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
© Regnum Christi http://www.regnumchristi.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For all young people who have strayed from the path of God´s will.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Voice of the Shepherd Calls You to Trust in Him
May 2, 2004
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:27-30
"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father´s hand. The Father and I are one."
Introductory Prayer:Lord help me to hear your voice in this prayer. May I know you as you know me. Grant me the courage to follow you with joy and complete resignation to your will for my life. I trust in your grace to be able to follow you wherever you lead me, for you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Petition:Oh Lord, grant that I may always be attentive to your voice with complete confidence in your love and mercy for my life.
1. My Sheep Hear My Voice. The shepherd was a very familiar figure to the people of Jesus’ time. Much of a shepherd’s time is spent in solitude, perhaps we could say even in contemplation. About him are rolling hills and meadows, or perhaps a running stream, all laid out in perfect harmony. Artists throughout the centuries have yet to fully capture on canvas the depths of beauty of such a simple scene. The shepherds had a simple but nevertheless an important task: to keep the flock safe from predators and lead it to fresh pastures. Imagine the scene: we can hear his voice, guiding his flock, surely and steadily. Do I have that same peacefulness in my life? Do I regard moments of silence as necessary means for developing my spiritual life, for maintaining a dialogue with my Creator and Redeemer? To be a part of Christ’s flock is to listen to Our Lord. Do I hear him when he speaks to me through the Scriptures, through the teachings of the Church, through the sacraments and through our consciences that are properly conformed to the mind and heart of Christ? What other voices are there in my life that drown out the voice of my Shepherd and Master? Do I realize that the voice I listen to will be the one that I will follow?
2. I Give Them Eternal Life and They Shall Never Perish. If we listen to his voice and follow him, Christ leads us to verdant pastures. In fact, he promises us the pastures of eternal life. Psalm 22 foreshadows this truth: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Only in Christ do I find true fulfillment of my life’s desires. Have I placed my confidence in him? Or do I trust in other things, people, places or ambitions as my security in life?
3. No One Can Take Them Out of My Hand. Here our Lord claims for himself what was thought to be reserved for God alone. As revealed in Old Testament passages referencing God’s protection: “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Or again: “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. … Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect (Wisdom 3:1-9). In essence, Christ is claiming to wield the sovereign power of Yahweh. He professes to shield the righteous from the threats of their enemies. He alone is the Savior who protects us from enemies that wish us harm and evil. Do I extend my hand trustingly to the hand of Christ that is so caringly extended towards me? Christ wishes us to overcome our fears and false securities; to abandon ourselves to his providential love.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, today you reveal to me your loving protection over my life. You reveal to me your plan of leading me to the verdant pastures of eternal life. May I have complete confidence in you, the source of my being and the redeemer of my soul. May nothing come between us that would lessen my confidence and utmost trust in you. Wherever I am and in whatever I do, you never leave me alone. Grant that I, too, may always remain with you. At every hour of the day and night, in joy or sorrow, at work and rest, may I always know how to find you within me!
Resolution: Today each time I am faced with things that don’t seem to go my way I will consciously make a loving act of trust in Christ’s providential love. I will repeat at these times in the quiet of my heart, “Jesus I trust in you!”
By Father Ned Brown, LC
Adoration for Vocations invites you to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into the harvest. here.
Want to help us maintain this free service? Make a tax-deductible donation online by clicking here.This link will take you to the online donation page of the Legion of Christ, but accessing it by this specific link will create a report letting us know your donation is for the daily meditation service from RegnumChristi.org.Thank you and God bless you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can send your testimony to testimonies@regnumchristi.org
If you would like any further information please contact infoeng@regnumchristi.org
If you did not subscribe to this service or you would like to cancel your subscription please click here or send an email to meditation-request@regnumchristi.org with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
© Regnum Christi http://www.regnumchristi.org/