Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18,9-14
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity–greedy, dishonest, adulterous–or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Prayer comes from the heart
1)To pray: this is the manifestation of our encounter and relationship with God. It is the ability to express yourself with freedom before God. We can tell Him all that we have and feel because He will listen and understand us. Let Him lead you, knowing that the conversation with God has to be humble and authentic. This is an open conversation to tell God what is happening in your life and what you are living.
2) Structure: There times when we confuse prayer with a specific structure and we weaken the purpose. We tend to say words with the structure for the mere compliance so that :”I feel I am being responsible before God”, but really I am not fully engaged. It is a 1/2 truth a1/2 lie. Many reduced the time of prayer in following the structure only; not really thinking about the purpose for praying. Following only the structure makes the time of prayer empty and purposeless. Prayer cannot fall into empty structures…we must seek the depth that God has.
3)Lectio: I would like to take advantage and invite you to pray like the first Christians did. They used the “lectio divina” process, where they took the time to talk with God from silence and meditation, thinking about the word of God. This process takes a daily passage from the Bible, like we do every day in these audios… After reading, you answer the following questions: 1)
What is this passage saying? Think about what catches your attention ;what words and actions are taking place. 2) What is this passage saying to you? This is where you try to understand what God’s message is for you. 3) What is your answer? This is a daily lesson that stays with me and I propose something for my daily life. These aspects can be improved during prayer to deepen our connection with God.
God-bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember, heaven is our goal !
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