Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Melissa Gernon
Opening Prayer
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise the Lord in the heights. Praise the Lord, all his angels, praise the Lord, all his hosts. The Lord exalts the strength of his people and is the praise of all the faithful, the praise of the children of Israel, of the people to whom God is God. Amen.
Scripture
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Reflection
To be a follower of Jesus is hard work. As Christians, we know that the primary message of the Gospel is love. Be Love, Show Love, Teach Love. That isn't easy to do if we do not first love and show compassion to our brothers and sisters. That is even more difficult when there are so many things dividing us. But the Love of Jesus and the belief in what Jesus teaches are all we need to unite us.
A high school friend of mine is a Pastor in Geneva, NY. He mentioned in one of his posts that the true gift of the magi was not Gold, frankincense, and Myrrh. He said the true gift was that they chose to go home a different way rather than return to Herod. Even though Epiphany is over, this can be our gift now. How will you go home a different way? How is God calling you to love differently?
Closing Prayer
God, we pray that you help us to go a different way and love as you have asked us, rather than be divided against our brothers and sisters. We ask for the grace to bring us to new life so that we may always bring glory to you. Amen.