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7/28/2024 0 Comments Guidelines Sheet - Series on the Means of Perseverance: Prayer (July 29 - Aug 2, 2024) 
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus'They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Take pity on me!” Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, take pity on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up, he is calling you.” He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. “Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.” “Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.” At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.' Mark 10:46-52 (This document is from POPE FRANCIS’ GENERAL AUDIENCE - Library of the Apostolic Palace: Wednesday, 6 May 2020) Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! Today we begin a new series of catecheses on the theme of prayer. Prayer is the breath of faith; it is its most proper expression. Like a cry that issues from the heart of those who believe and entrust themselves to God. Let us think about the story of Bartimaeus, a character in the Gospel (cf. Mk 10:46-52), and I confess that for me he is the most likeable of all. He was blind and sat begging for alms by the roadside on the periphery of his city, Jericho. He is not an anonymous character. He has a face and a name: Bartimaeus, that is, “son of Timaeus.” One day he heard that Jesus would be passing through there. In fact, Jericho was a crossroads of people, continually criss-crossed by pilgrims and tradesmen. Thus, Bartimaeus positioned himself: he would have done anything possible to meet Jesus. So many people did the same. Let us recall Zacchaeus who climbed up the tree. Many wanted to see Jesus; he did too. In this way the man enters the Gospels as a voice that loudly cries out. He cannot see. He does not know whether Jesus is near or far away but he hears him. He understands this from the crowd which, at a certain point, grows and comes closer…. But he is completely alone and no one is concerned about him. And what does Bartimaeus do? He cries out. And he cries out and continues to cry out. He uses the only weapon he possesses: his voice. He begins to shout: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 47). And he continues to cry out in this manner. His repeated cries are a nuisance. They do not seem polite and many people scold him, telling him to be quiet: “But be polite; do not do this.” However, Bartimaeus does not keep silent but rather cries out even more loudly: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 47): That beautiful stubbornness of those who seek a grace and knock and knock on the door of God’s heart. He cries out; he knocks. That expression: “Son of David,” is very important. It means “the Messiah” — he professes the Messiah. It is a profession of faith that emerges from the mouth of that man who was despised by all. And Jesus listens to his cry. Bartimaeus’ prayer touches his heart, God’s heart, and the doors of salvation open up for him. Jesus calls for him. He jumps to his feet and those who had first told him to be quiet, now lead him to the Master. Jesus speaks to him. He asks him to express his desire — this is important — and then the cry becomes a request: “that I may see again, Lord!” (cf. v. 51). Jesus says to him: “Go your way; your faith has made you well” (v. 52). He recognises in that poor, defenceless and despised man, all the power of his faith, which attracts the mercy and the power of God. Faith is having two hands raised up, a voice that cries out to implore the gift of salvation. The Catechism states that “humility is the foundation of prayer” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2559). Prayer is born of the earth, of the humus from which “humble”, “humility” derive. It comes from our precarious state, from our continuous thirst for God (cf. ibid., 2560-2561). Faith, as we have seen with Bartimaeus, is a cry. Lack of faith is the suppression of that cry. That attitude that the people had, in making him keep quiet: they were not people of faith, whereas he was. To suppress that cry is a type of omertà (code of silence). Faith is a protest against a pitiful condition the cause of which we do not understand. Lack of faith is to limit ourselves to endure a situation to which we have become accustomed. Faith is the hope of being saved. Lack of faith is becoming accustomed to the evil that oppresses us and continuing in that way. Dear brothers and sisters, we begin this series of catecheses with Bartimaeus’ cry because perhaps everything is already written in someone like him. Bartimaeus is a persevering man. He was surrounded by people who explained that imploring was useless, that it was clamouring without receiving a reply, that it was noise that was only bothersome, and thus please stop crying out. But he did not remain in silence. And in the end he obtained what he wanted. Greater than any discussion to the contrary, there is a voice in mankind’s heart that invokes. We all have this voice within. A voice that comes forth spontaneously without anyone commanding it, a voice that asks itself about the meaning of our journey on earth, especially when we find ourselves in darkness: “Jesus, have mercy on me! Jesus have mercy on me.” This is a beautiful prayer. But are these words perhaps not chiselled in all of creation? Everything invokes and implores so that the mystery of mercy may be definitively fulfilled. Not only Christians pray; they share their cry of prayer with all men and women. But the horizon can be further widened: Paul states that all of creation “has been groaning in travail together until now” (Rom 8:22). Artists are often the interpreters of this silent cry of creation that is found in every creature and emerges above all in the heart of men and women, because they are “beggars before God” (ccc, 2559). It is a beautiful definition of mankind: “beggars before God.” Thank you. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (ccc, 2558-2559), we find definitions of prayer: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” St. Therese of Lisieux, Manuscrits autobiographiques, C 25r. "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." St. John Damascene, Defide orth. 3, 24: PG 94,1089C But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? (Psalm 130:1) He who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:9-14); humility is the foundation of prayer, only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26)," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. “Man is a beggar before God." St. Augustine, Sermo 56, 6, 9: PL 38, 381. Questions:
PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024 “Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission" Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times. Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church. Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen.
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7/21/2024 0 Comments Guidelines Sheet - Series on the Means of Perseverance: Prayer (July 22-27, 2024)
We are part of the Verbum Dei community which has a specific spirituality to carry out our mission. In our community we all have four means of perseverance for us to practice in our daily life: prayer, fraternal love, cross and mission. These are concrete channels to help us to run towards the goal. We face many challenges in becoming mature and committed disciples of Christ. But only when we persevere, we can reveal to our world today that Jesus continues His salvation. Last week we read in the introduction a meaningful sentence that we can kept in mind: IF YOU PERSEVERE LONG ENOUGH AND WORK HARD ENOUGH, YOU´LL EVENTUALLY SUCCEED. Prayer is the concrete means to be practiced daily to persevere as faithful disciples of Jesus. For that reason, we´ll meditate about prayer during the following weeks to value and savor more this significant means of perseverance. We start this week with some reflections done by some disciples of Cebu. We are also encouraged to answer this question: What is prayer for me? What is my definition of prayer? Why is prayer important in my personal experience? MONDAY WHAT IS PRAYER FOR ME? REFLECTION DONE BY RHEA PENSERGA Matthew 6:6-7 “But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.” Luke 1:38 "I am the Lord's servant, said Mary; may it happen to me as you have said." Prayer is opening our heart and mind to God ready to encounter Him. It is not purely of asking and imploring, but allowing God to speak to us by listening His words in the Scripture. It is also an expression of humility and trust and a total surrender in His Divine Mercy and Providence. It´s a heart-to-heart talk with the Lord, recognizing that we can do nothing without Him.
TUESDAY WHAT IS PRAYER FOR ME? REFLECTION DONE BY BING BAGUIO John 7:37-38 On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, ´Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side.” Prayer, "where the center is listening to the word of God", is a concrete action to approach to the real source of the life-giving waters. It is a moment where I can have that personal encounter with my God, a great proof that my God is alive, active and has a face. He is always ready to give his overflowing love and mercy to me. John 15:5 "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.” Prayer is also a moment for having a great opportunity to be connected in Jesus "the real vine". Who am I? Only a branch, and if I am disconnected to the real vine, I am nothing. What kind of following to Jesus, as a VD disciple, if I am not connected to Him! He is the source of everything that I need in order to persevere in all what I live and do according to His will and purpose.
WEDNESDAY WHAT IS PRAYER FOR ME? REFLECTION DONE BY ADONNIS JAÑALA Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God - what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” Prayer for me is the lifting up of one’s heart and mind to the level where we can enter in communion with God. He is the creator of all our being, and He wants us to partake in his divine identity as children of God. In that way we can live what is coming from above and not from this world. John 15:1-5 "I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.” Prayer is our response to God’s invitation to be always close and connected to us, to know him more, to do his will here and now, and to love him to live our life to the fullest.
THURSDAY WHAT IS PRAYER FOR ME? REFLECTION DONE BY JOY JAÑALA Prayer is an encounter between God (creator) and man (creature). It is an exchange of thoughts, experiences… between God and man. It is a way to know God better, to know more the Person who loves me best and know who I am to Him. It is a way to open oneself to the God who created us. It is a connection where man can be who he or she is in front of God who loves him or her. It involves: Praising God of who He is, thanking and worshipping Him for all He does because He is God. Psalm 100:4 “Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving; go into its courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise him.” Repentance - we confess our sins before Him allowing us to be who we are. Daniel 9:9 “You are merciful and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you.” Asking - for our needs and for the graces to understand His will for us. 1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock. Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Yielding - submitting to the Will of the Father. Luke 22:42 “Father, he said, if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done."
FRIDAY WHAT IS PRAYER FOR ME? REFLECTION DONE BY RONAN CAPURAS Prayer is a transforming encounter with God in your inner room Jeremiah 18:1-6 “The LORD said to me, ´Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message´. So, I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else. Then the LORD said to me, ´Haven't I the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands.” Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Every moment of prayer is an invitation from the Lord to 'go down to the potter’s house'. Where is this potter’s house? It is in the heart of the Father, where we see Him continuously molding us, taking our lives and shaping us into someone who pleases Him. This enables us to love others as He does. Allow God to lead you today to His heart, to your inner room, where He rewards us with His presence. Let every moment of praying with His Words be an encounter with Him, our best friend and companion.
PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024 “Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission" Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times. Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church. Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen. 
We have been meditating about the sources of spirituality of the Verbum Dei Missionary Family. Our spiritual life as Christians and disciples of Christ will be healthy when we constantly nourished ourselves from the Trinity who dwells in us, from the Eucharistic love of Jesus, from the universal and committed love for the whole Body of Christ and from our Mother Mary’s care and teaching. We face many challenges to persevere in becoming mature and committed disciples of Christ. But only when we persevere, we can reveal to our world today that Jesus continues His salvation. All of us have started our journey, we have tasted the love of God in a personal way, we have discovered how beneficial is to pray and to follow Jesus. But if we stop journeying or walking towards the goal, we´ll lose sight or perspective of our discipleship. When we opt to continue following Him faithfully, then we can be a joyful disciple. Jn 15:11 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” What is the meaning of perseverance? Perseverance is not giving up, it is the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it´s hard. Close synonyms are persistence, tenacity, determination, and resolution. Persevering is used to describe people who persevere - continue to do or try to achieve something despite difficulty or discouragement. If you persevere long enough and work hard enough, you´ll eventually succeed. We are part of the Verbum Dei community which has a specific spirituality to carry out our mission. In our community we all have four means of perseverance for us to practice in our daily life: prayer, fraternal love, cross and mission. These are concrete channels to help us to run towards the goal. 1 Cor 9:24-27 “Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.” MONDAY WHY PERSEVERE? ALL MAY KNOW GOD IN A PERSONAL WAY The disciple acknowledges that he/she is thirsty for more experience of the saving love of God. To persevere in searching for him as our defender, protector, shelter, and refuge. To trust that our salvation comes from him alone leads us to incessantly go to him to be saved. Ps 62:1-2.5-12 “I wait patiently for God to save me; I depend on him alone. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter. Trust in God always, my people. Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge. Human beings are all like a puff of breath; great and small alike are worthless. Put them on the scales, and they weigh nothing; they are lighter than a mere breath. Do not put your trust in violence; do not hope to gain anything by robbery; even if your riches increase, do not depend on them. More than once, I have heard God say that power belongs to him and that his love is constant. You yourself, O Lord, reward everyone according to their deeds.” Is God really the person I need more in my life? Do I appreciate His presence in me and in others? Do I come back to Him when I find myself lost or confused? Meanwhile we are in this world, it´s necessary to be aware of the temptations and hardships we face every now and then. We´re easily carried by worldly values we are attach to. We experience many times dryness in our spiritual life. What to do? How to quench the hunger and thirst within us? God is always there but are we returning to Him asking for help? Only when we acknowledge this deep thirst for God within us, we´ll go back to Him with the great desire to be satisfied by him. Jn 4: 10-13 “Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, ´If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water'. 'Sir, the woman said, ´you do not have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water? It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You do not claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?´ Jesus answered, ´Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.” Are the words of Jesus penetrating deeply in me? What life-giving water do I receive from him today? TUESDAY HOW TO PERSEVERE? BEING FAITHFUL TO A DAILY COMMUNICATION WITH THE TRINITY Through prayer we connect ourselves with the Trinity. The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit want to communicate His life and love to every person in this world. When we are in a close relationship with them, we know in a personal way their friendship which is very significant. If the fruit of our prayer is to rediscover every day His love which makes us happy, we´ll persevere in our discipleship. Jn 6:35 “I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.” Rom 8: 31.38-39 “If God is for us, who can be against us? For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do I believe that nothing can separate me from His love? Am I eager to be loved by Him day after day? Is my relationship with Him the most important activity during the day? WEDNESDAY HOW TO PERSEVERE? THROUGH GROWING IN FRATERNAL LOVE Rom 12:9-21 “Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another. Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers. Ask God to bless those who persecute you - yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise. If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord." Instead, as the scripture says: ´If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame. ´ Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.” The manifestation of the Eucharistic love of Jesus rooted in us is written in the letter of Paul to the Romans. How do I know that I´m becoming a good disciple of Jesus? If I´m ready to love. In our daily life we have many opportunities to love those with whom we spend our time in our families, in our offices, even going for one place to another or going shopping… How do I listen to them? do I offer my time to them? Are they significant people to me? Am I aware that many people can learn how to love through me? THURSDAY HOW TO PERSEVERE? THROUGH EMBRACING THE DAILY CROSS Lk 9:23-25 And he said to them all, "If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! Luke 14:27-33 “Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples. If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job. If you do not, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you. ´You began to build but cannot finish the job!' they will say. If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king. If he is not, he will send messengers to meet the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still a long way off. In the same way, concluded Jesus, none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.” What is the message of Jesus in these two passages? He wants to emphasize that His disciples are those who love Him more than themselves. When you love somebody, you make a lot of sacrifices for the loved person. And we don´t mind to do all these sacrifices for the good or the best of the other person. To love Jesus implies to sacrifice something for Him, this is the meaning of the cross. Do I offer my time to pray thinking that He needs my time and my effort in prayer? Do I follow my desires and inclinations or his? How do I listen to His Word: for my own benefits or the health in the Mystical Body of Christ? Without embracing the cross, meaning to say, without willing to please Jesus through listening to Him in prayer or through loving others, we can´t persevere in our discipleship. Probably we can persevere following him externally but our heart and mind are very far from Him. Mt 15:8 "These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me.” What are the sacrifices to make to pray day by day? Do I identify the sacrifices to love those around me? FRIDAY FOR WHAT TO PERSEVERE? BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW GOD IN A PERSONAL WAY Job 42:1-5 Then Job answered the Lord. “I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” Reason to persevere: people need to see with their own eyes who is God, to know God by having a personal experience of His love. How are we going to transmit who is He if we don´t persevere in knowing Him every day more? We know a person after many years of living together and facing many situations in life. With our God it´s the same because we know Him more when we live with Him in different situations which sometimes are unexpected. Allow God to enter into your life, into your internal and external situations and to tell you how to live them with Him. Amos 8:11 "The time is coming when I will send famine on the land. People will be hungry, but not for bread; they will be thirsty, but not for water. They will hunger and thirst for a message from the Lord. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. Do I perceive the thirst and hunger for God of my brothers and sisters? Who is hungry of the Word of God among the people I know? What could be the message of God for them? Rom 10: 8-11 What it says is this: "God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart" -that is, the message of faith that we preach. If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. The scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed." In what situations do I transmit God´s message? To whom do I transmit? Are they experienced a new life upon receiving His message? PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024 “Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission"
IMVDMFa 75 “Thus, in the VDMFa, the baptismal consecration takes a plurality of forms according to the state of life or the experience of the mission of each one:
As we have said last week, all the members of the VDMFa center their prayer, testimony of life and mission on the Person of Christ whom we know and follow through the Word of God. The Word of God is the main source of reference for all and everyone in the VDMFa. But, at the same time we have some documents that help us to live out and to assimilate our spirituality and charism in a most concrete way. What are these documents? Let´s enumerate them:
The Constitutions were written by Jaime Bonet to be presented to Rome for the Pontifical approval from Holy See. Besides the Constitutions, Jaime Bonet two important documents: Breve Ideario (written on first years of foundation) and Estatutos (Statutes) del Verbum Dei (1985). As we commented last week, we have the IDENTITY AND MISSION OF THE VDMFa (2019), common for all the members in the VDMFa. We´ll pray this week on three numbers taken from this document in continuation with last week. FIRST REFLECTION OUR NEW WAY OF LIFE COMES FROM INTEGRATING AND INCARNATING JESUS´ FREEDOM TO LOVE OTHERS. IMVDMFa, 63.3 “An integrated, incarnated, and liberating spirituality imitating Jesus of Nazareth: like Jesus we will live a style of life in solidarity, fraternal, prophetic, welcoming, characterized by the hope and joy of the Gospel; inserted in the world like yeast in the dough, at the same time free of the categories of the world not in accord with the Gospel. Our life, founded on the Gospel, will be necessarily transformed into love towards the others as a way of life”. Integrated spirituality means that the prayer, options to live a committed Christian life and preaching are oriented towards the goal: to be Christ. Rom 12:1-2 “Do not conform yourselves to the standard of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect” Lk 6:42-45 “A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit. Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Incarnated spirituality helps us not to fall to a kind of “spiritualism” that doesn’t touch our own reality and the reality of others. Mt 7:21 “Not everyone who calls me ´Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.” Liberating spirituality means that we are becoming freer from selfishness and pride, from the opinion of others and from many other antichristian values. Jn 8:31-32 “So Jesus said to those who believed in him, ´If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. 2 Cor 3:17 “Now, the Lord in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom”. Lk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.” In the light of this refection, how do I interconnect prayer-life-transmission of faith? In what circumstances do I find myself freer than before? Is Jesus liberating me through his Word? How do I enjoy my Christian freedom? SECOND REFLECTION SPIRITUALITY OF COMMUNION WHEREVER WE ARE TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD IMVDMFa, 63.4 “Spirituality of communion: the communion of life and love of the Trinity, makes flow from us the urgency that our communities, apostolates, families, places of work, convert into schools of communion: to being and forming a family, where all live a true communion in the mission. This is the proper expression of the call of God and of the mission to which he invites us, to announce the Kingdom of God and to form communities”. IMVDMFa 84 “Each member, in whichever area we move, is called to live the spirituality of communion as a witness and architect of the project that God desires for the whole humanity; social areas where our fraternal love becomes salt of the earth, light of the world and ferment of social transformation”. Mt 5:13 “You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it. You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead, it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Mt 13:33 “Jesus told them still another parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A woman takes some yeast and mixes it with a bushel of flour until the whole batch of dough rises." IMVDMFa 83 “To build communion implies the daily exercise and learning of charity, which is a gift and at the same time a task, a call and decision”. What does it mean for me to create communion? How am I working out to create communion in my environment? THIRD REFLECTION WHERE DOES FIDELITY, ENTHUSIASM AND JOY OF ANY DISCIPLE COME FROM? IMVDMFa 62 “The existential experience of knowing oneself to be loved, reconciled or in the process of reconciliation, make us live as children of God. This personal encounter and familiar relationship of affectionate intimacy with God ensures that our ministry of the Word be always accompanied by a clear testimony of life according to the Gospel. The union with God in Christ is the greatest source of love, energy, fidelity, enthusiasm, and joy in each member of the VDMFa. From this union surges forth a true following of Jesus, our transformation in the Holy Spirit, the mission, as well as the realization of an authentic missionary communion.” Jn 15: 9-12 “I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.” Do I value the joy that Jesus offers to his disciples? Am I really happy when I am faithful to the Word of Jesus and his commandments? We will end these reflections for this week with the Letter to Diognetus: The Christians in the world "Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then, they, rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred. To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments. Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body's hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself." From a letter to Diognetus (Nn. 5-6; Funk, 397-401) PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024 “Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission" Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times. Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church. Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen. |
About the Guidelines SheetThe Guidelines sheet is a prayer guide with the Word of God to help us journey together and be one in our weekly prayer as one community. This contains daily passages from scriptures together with reflections focused on a common theme and intention for the week. Archives
May 2025
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