Guidelines for Prayer - June 17-23 2013

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    INTRODUCTIONFraternal Love is the essenceof what true Christian life is.Living and Loving for othersmade as the reflection of thelove of God our Father here onearth.

    This love also brings us to theprofound recognition andunderstanding that we are allGod's children. Gaudium etSpes a document of theChurch reaffirming its standthat every human being ismember of one family withthe same Father, God whohas Fatherly concern foreveryone, has willed that all

    men should constitute onefamily and treat one anotherin a spirit of brotherhood(GS24).

    The Love that God poured inus, led us to the new andfresh experience of lovingothers. Our oneness with thelife of Jesus made us see thatthere is more than loving

    ourselves and that is to gobeyond our own self andembrace our neighbor, sothey too can share the joythat we have received fromthis union. We only understand and live ourvocation when, to the joy ofour own life in Christ is unitedto the complete of the samelife in our brothers.

    VDStatutes 151.

    So our joy maybe complete isto make ourselves theneighbor of every personwithout exception andactively extending ourselvesto be one with them sharingto them the joy, hope andlove when they come acrossour path in whateverconditions they may be, weought to give what we havereceived for free from Christand recalling the voice ofJesus saying As long as youdid it for one these the leastof my brethren you did it forme. Mt.25:40.

    MONDAY

    Fraternal Love is Lovewithout Measure

    38 "You have heard that it wassaid, `An eye for an eye and atooth for a tooth.' 39 But I sayto you, Do not resist one whois evil. But if any one strikesyou on the right cheek, turn tohim the other also; 40 and ifany one would sue you andtake your coat, let him have

    your cloak as well; 41 and ifany one forces you to go onemile, go with him two miles. 42

    Give to him who begs fromyou, and do not refuse himwho would borrow from you.Matthew 5:38-42

    In our life we are used tomeasure things likecommodities, that is why

    even in our own life and inour relationship with others

    we measure on how much weare willing to give and wemeasure on how much profitwe can gain from it.How about you? How is yourgiving? What is Jesus askingfrom you when you share?

    TUESDAYLove of Jesus: The TrueModel of Loving Others

    43 "You have heard that it wassaid, `You shall love yourneighbor and hate yourenemy.' 44 But I say to you,Love your enemies and prayfor those who persecute you,45 so that you may be sons ofyour Father who is in heaven;

    for he makes his sun rise onthe evil and on the good, andsends rain on the just and onthe unjust. 46 For if you lovethose who love you, whatreward have you? Do not eventhe tax collectors do thesame? 47 And if you saluteonly your brethren, what moreare you doing than others? Donot even the Gentiles do the

    same? 48 You, therefore, mustbe perfect, as your heavenlyFather is perfect.Matthew 5:43-48

    The Love of God is always theopposite on how the worlddefines love. Difficult? Yes,but living the Love of Godwhat truly defines our being,

    our identity, our dignity. Inyour life now, how do you live

    the Love that Jesus ispresenting you towards yourfamily, work, friends,neighbors and yes, even yourenemies and persecutors?

    WEDNESDAYFraternal Love is Giving

    with Joy and Humility1 "Beware of practicing yourpiety before men in order tobe seen by them; for then youwill have no reward from yourFather who is in heaven. 2

    "Thus, when you give alms,sound no trumpet before you,as the hypocrites do in thesynagogues and in thestreets, that they may be

    praised by men. Truly, I say toyou, they have received theirreward. 3 But when you givealms, do not let your left handknow what your right hand isdoing, 4 so that your alms maybe in secret; and your Fatherwho sees in secret will rewardyou. 5 "And when you pray,you must not be like thehypocrites; for they love to

    stand and pray in thesynagogues and at the streetcorners, that they may beseen by men. Truly, I say toyou, they have received theirreward. 6 But when you pray,go into your room and shutthe door and pray to yourFather who is in secret; andyour Father who sees in secretwill reward you. 16 "And whenyou fast, do not look dismal,

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    like the hypocrites, for theydisfigure their faces that theirfasting may be seen by men.Truly, I say to you, they havereceived their reward. 17 Butwhen you fast, anoint yourhead and wash your face, 18

    that your fasting may not beseen by men but by yourFather who is in secret; andyour Father who sees in secretwill reward you.Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

    Jesus loves a joyful and ahumble giver. The love ofChrist does not show-offand take pride of one'sgoodness. Jesus is leading us

    to a more complete joy andthat is having a joyful and ahmuble heart when we give.How about you? Do you enjoythis kind of giving evenwithout recognition orheadlines?

    THURSDAYA Profound Life of PrayerLeads Us to a Sincere and

    Authentic Giving7 "And in praying do not heapup empty phrases as theGentiles do; for they thinkthat they will be heard fortheir many words. 8 Do not belike them, for your Fatherknows what you need beforeyou ask him. 9 Pray then likethis: Our Father who art inheaven, Hallowed be thyname. 10 Thy kingdom come.

    Thy will be done, On earth asit is in heaven. 11 Give us thisday our daily bread; 12 Andforgive us our debts, As wealso have forgiven ourdebtors; 13 And lead us notinto temptation, But deliver usfrom evil. 14 For if you forgivemen their trespasses, yourheavenly Father also willforgive you; 15 but if you donot forgive men theirtrespasses, neither will yourFather forgive yourtrespasses. Matthew 6:7-15

    Jesus is teaching us to pray,making it more personal andhumble dialogue with our

    Father. Only through thesekind of dialogue everyday, wecan enjoy much the giving ofourselves to others so thatothers may also see thebeauty and joy of giving. Howis your prayer? Does it leadyou to give and share the joyand love of God to yourneighbors?

    FRIDAYOur Giving will bring us

    Treasures in Heaven19 "Do not lay up foryourselves treasures on earth,where moth and rust consumeand where thieves break inand steal, 20 but lay up foryourselves treasures inheaven, where neither mothnor rustconsumes and where

    thieves do not break in andsteal. 21 For where your

    treasure is, there will yourheart be also. 22 "The eye isthe lamp of the body. So, ifyour eye is sound, your wholebody will be full of light; 23 butif your eye is not sound, yourwhole body will be full ofdarkness. If then the light inyou is darkness, how great isthe darkness! Matthew6:19-23

    What treasures you desiremost? What treasures are youkeeping in your heart? Arethe desires in your heartwould lead you to what isessential in having fullness oflife?

    SATURDAYSeek First the Kingdom of

    God24 "No one can serve twomasters; for either he willhate the one and love theother, or he will be devoted tothe one and despise the other.You cannot serve God andmammon. 25 "Therefore I tell

    you, do not be anxious aboutyour life, what you shall eat orwhat you shall drink, norabout your body, what youshall put on. Is not life morethan food, and the body morethan clothing? 26 Look at thebirds of the air: they neithersow nor reap nor gather intobarns, and yet your heavenlyFather feeds them. Are you

    not of morevalue than they?27 And which of you by being

    anxious can add one cubit tohis span of life? 28 And whyare you anxious aboutclothing? Consider the lilies ofthe field, how they grow; theyneither toil nor spin; 29 yet Itell you, even Solomon in allhis glory was not arrayed likeone of these. 30 But if God soclothes the grass of the field,which today is alive andtomorrow is thrown into theoven, will he not much moreclothe you, O men of littlefaith? 31 Therefore do not beanxious, saying, `What shallwe eat?' or `What shall wedrink?' or `What shall we

    wear?'

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    For the Gentiles seekall these things; and yourheavenly Father knows thatyou need them all. 33 But seekfirst his kingdom and hisrighteousness, and all thesethings shall be yours as well.34 "Therefore do not beanxious about tomorrow, fortomorrow will be anxious foritself. Let the day's own

    trouble be sufficient for theday.Matthew 6:24-34

    Be free from the anxiety ofthe uncertainty of life. No oneor nothing here knows whatlies ahead. What is certain isthat Jesus knows our heartsand our desires. He wants usto see that in life we must put

    God first and everything willfall in its place. He holds the

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    correct roadmap of our life.Let Him direct you. He hasthe compass of life: FollowHim.In your situation now, wheredoes your life leading you?Who holds the compass ofyour life?

    SUNDAY1st Reading: Zac. 12:10-11; 13:1Psalm: Ps. 63:2-6, 8-92nd Reading: Gal. 3:26-29Gospel: Lk. 9:18-24

    GUIDELINES FORPRAYER

    Fratern

    al Love

    June 17-23, 2013

    Objective of the week:

    The Love of God brings us in anew experience of Love for

    Others.