The Word of God: a light for our steps

“How can I come to know Jesus? The best way to encounter him is through the Gospel. A small book to read slowly, little by little, perhaps while you are on the tram, the subway, or in the doctor’s waiting room. To truly get to know someone, you have to talk to them, and you can tell Jesus about what happens at home, at school, and on the street, about what makes us happy or sad. This is called praying” (Pope Francis).

The Bible and the Gospel draw us closer to the Lord because there we listen to his Word and nourish our hearts at the very source of Life. We can make a habit of reading a passage from the Gospel or, if possible, attending Mass daily: every day, in fact, Jesus speaks to our hearts through the readings. However, we may not always be able to fully grasp the meaning of the Gospel message; we often feel the need for a clear explanation or commentary that enables us to understand the readings.
The “In Your Word” Missal can be an excellent companion on your journey: it offers commentary and meditation on the readings; helps us learn about the life and example of the saint of the day; and guides us in the daily liturgy and the prayers of the Church.

For further reading:
• In Your Word – Missal May-June 2021
• The Holy Bible
• Gospel and Acts of the Apostles

The Liturgy of the Hours: the official prayer of the Church

Another beautiful daily prayer to discover or rediscover is the Liturgy of the Hours: it is the most important prayer after Holy Mass and its purpose is to sanctify the entire course of the day.
If once it was a prayer reserved for priests and religious, today laypeople are also warmly invited to take part in it, because it is the official prayer of the Church and is liturgical action in the proper sense; this means that it is sacramental participation in the personal prayer of Jesus Christ: he continues, unceasingly, as the supreme and perfect priest, to pray to and praise the Father in the prayer of the Church.
This means that even when it is recited in the privacy of one’s own room, one is never alone, but is carrying out an action in the Church and with the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours leads to a sense of family, to communal prayer.
It is certainly a complex form of prayer, and at first one may feel disoriented when faced with it: for example, how does one find one’s way around the Psalter? How does one know which week it is?
To answer all these questions, Shalom Publishing offers the bimonthly periodical “With Living Water,” which presents the daily Liturgy of the Hours, arranged day by day. This means that you only need to go to the date of the current day, and everything you need to pray is indicated step by step, without having to constantly go back and forth to look for the hymns, the short readings, the antiphon for the “Benedictus” and the “Magnificat,” and the prayer.

For further reading:
• With Living Water May-June 2021

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16
Beginning of the novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace

June 25 marks the 40th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Medjugorje. Let us prepare for this observance in faith and prayer by reciting the novena that begins today. Let us take advantage of these nine days of preparation to raise our supplications to the Queen of Peace and ask her to intercede for all of us with her Son, Jesus Christ, the Risen One.

For further reading:
• Medjugorje. The Pilgrim’s Guide