Tag Archives: Meditation

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

Meditation – Love for the Rosary

In 1883, Pope Leo XIII declared October the month of the Rosary. The Holy Rosary is a traditional prayer, going back at least a thousand years. It is a prayer we should say often and well. In this meditation we consider:

  • How the Rosary came to be
  • The recommendation of the Rosary by popes and saints
  • Why the Rosary is such a powerful prayer
  • Why the Rosary is such a rich prayer
  • The importance of the family Rosary
  • How we can say it better

Meditation “Sacrament of Mercy”

One of the great treasures of the Church, one which at the same time is sadly little used, is the sacrament of Penance, given to the Church by Christ on the very evening of his Resurrection. In this meditation we consider:

  • The mercy of God as seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son
  • Christ’s institution of the sacrament on Easter Sunday
  • Why the sacrament of Penance responds to deep seated human needs
  • The many benefits we receive in the sacrament
  • Why we should go to confession regularly
  • How we should take others to this sacrament

Meditation “As I have loved you”

Christ gave us a new commandment to love one another as he has loved us. It is not always easy to do this but it is very important to try, so that we spread the love of Christ in the world. In this meditation we consider various ways we can do this:

  • Spirit of service
  • Sacrifice
  • Compassion
  • Affection
  • Love for our “enemies”
  • Forgiveness

Meditation “The treasure of time”

We have only one life to live and we must not waste it. It is important to make good use of the time God has given us so that we achieve what he is asking of us and we store up a great treasure in heaven. In this meditation we consider:

  • Jesus’ own example of being always on the move
  • The importance of using our time well
  • Thoughts of St Josemaria in his homily “Time is a Treasure”
  • Some dangers to avoid
  • Tips for making better use of our time

Meditation “Growing in fortitude”

God is calling all of us to “go out and bear fruit”, to bring the truth and love of Christ into the world. In a word, to change the world for the better. But it is not easy. It is hard enough to change ourselves. For this reason we need the virtue of fortitude, which strengthens the will. In this meditation we consider:

  • Our mission to go out and bear fruit
  • The need for fortitude, for will power to achieve our goals
  • The obstacles we will encounter: the world, the flesh and the devil
  • How we can grow in this virtue

Meditation on the feast of Corpus Christi

As we celebrate again the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Eucharistic feast of the Body and  Blood of Christ, we do our prayer in this meditation on the origin of the feast in the thirteenth century and its meaning for us today, helping us to grow in love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. We will consider:

  • the history of the feast, going back to St Juliana of Liege and the Eucharistic miracle of Bolsena-Orvieto
  • the scriptural passages in which Jesus promises the gift of his Body and Blood and institutes the Eucharist
  • the constant tradition of belief in the Real Presence
  • the ways in which we can live out and grow in our love for the Eucharist

Meditation “Mary, our hope”

In the “Hail, Holy Queen” we call Mary “our hope”. She is truly our hope, all powerful in interceding before God for our intentions. In this meditation we consider how:

  • Mary shows her powerful intercessory role at the wedding feast of Cana
  • She is an example of hope in her own life
  • She has changed the course of history many times, including at Guadalupe, Lepanto, Vienna, and in twentieth century Europe
  • We can pray to her with confidence for all our needs, both material and spiritual
  • Not for nothing do we call her Help of Christians

Meditation “Love for the cross”

The cross, in the sense of the trials and sufferings that life brings, is part and parcel of everyone’s life. But what many don’t realise is that these crosses can have great spiritual and human value if we accept them in the right spirit and learn to love them. In this meditation we consider how:

Meditation on the lessons of Holy Week

Holy Week should be holy not only in its name and in the events we commemorate, but in the way we live it. In this meditation we consider the numerous lessons we can learn from this week and how we can put them into practice. We will consider:

  • Palm Sunday – praising God by our life
  • Holy Thursday – frequenting the sacrament of Penance
  • Washing of the feet – spirit of service
  • Institution of the Eucharist – love for the Eucharist and prayer for priests
  • Prayer in the garden – spirit of prayer
  • Passion and death – spirit of penance
  • Jesus gives us his mother – love for Mary
  • Resurrection – joy and hope