Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Do not judge

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We all tend to judge others, to criticise them, find fault and be judgmental. The encounter of Our Lord with the woman caught in adultery has much to teach us about how to be less quick to judge. In this meditation we will consider:

  • Our Lord’s encounter with the woman caught in adultery
  • Reasons why we tend to be judgmental
  • What we can do to be less ready to judge and more ready to forgive
  • Words of St Josemaria Escriva from his book The Way

The Prodigal Son

Prodigal Son 2

 

One of the most beloved parables is that of the Prodigal Son, who leaves his father’s home for a life of sin, then repents and returns to a warm embrace and a big celebration. Jesus gives us the parable to tell us that if we are sorry for our sins, God our merciful Father will always forgive us, no matter what we have done. In this meditation we consider:

  • The story of the Prodigal Son
  • Why Christ gave us the sacrament of Penance
  • Why telling our sins to a priest corresponds to our human nature
  • Ten benefits of going to confession
  • How regular confession helps us grow in holiness
  • What Pope Francis says about the importance of confession
  • How we should help others make use of this sacrament

Meditation “Preparing for Christmas”

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our saviour.

Every nativity scene you look at always has Mary, our holy mother with her son and St Joseph, her spouse.

Now that we are in Advent, we want to prepare well for Christmas. A good way to do this is by the hand of Our Lady. After all, she too prepared for the birth of Christ. In this meditation we consider nine lessons Our Lady gives us about how to prepare for this great feast:

 

 

 

  • Avoiding sin and going to confession
  • Docility to the will of God
  • Charity with others
  • Spreading joy
  • Presence of God
  • Not complaining about hardship
  • Penance
  • Contemplation and meditation
  • Bringing Christ to others

Meditation: Giving thanks for everything

We are accustomed to ask God for many favours but how often do we remember to thank him for the gifts he has given us? Are we perhaps like the nine lepers who were healed but did not return to thank Jesus? In this meditation we consider:

  • How much Jesus appreciates that the Samaritan leper returned to give thanks
  • Jesus himself gives thanks to the Father
  • St Paul exhorts the early Christians to give thanks always
  • Everything we have is a gift from God
  • We should give thanks for such general gifts as creation, the Incarnation, Redemption, the Church, the Sacraments
  • We should thank God for our life, our family, our health, our talents, our food, clothing and shelter, the good things we have done
  • We should thank God for the unknown blessings and even the crosses God shares with us

God in the family

 

We all want to have a happy, united family but it is not always easy to make our desires a reality. In this meditation we consider the importance of the family for society and some practical ways of strengthening family life, following words of advice from Pope Francis. We will consider:

  • the importance of the family for society
  • how husband and wife can strengthen their relationship
  • the importance of welcoming Christ into the home
  • generosity in bringing children into the world
  • how children are a gift from God
  • the importance of teaching children to honour and respect their parents and each other