August Adoration: Contemplate Love

"To contemplate is to experience God; it is a living relationship with the Lord..., a manifestation of the heart that loves.

In prayer we see our faith, above all, as relationship and communication with the Lord. Prayer springs from the depths of our freedom as children of God, as a response to the love that he shows us in Jesus Christ.

It is dialogue rather than practice, looking into the heart of God rather than reciting prayers, being with Jesus rather than speaking with Jesus.... It is a dialogue of love and friendship..., it is entering into the feelings of the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary, that is to say, a search for harmony with their radical availability to the saving project of the Father"_ (G. Rosa, ss.cc.). –

- O God, come to my aid.

- Lord, make haste to help me.

- Glory to the Father...

- As it was in the beginning...

I come to you, Lord, with a desire to follow you,

with faith in your love, which embraces me as a friend;

may your Spirit, Lord, embrace my whole being.

Make me docile to your voice. Transform my life.

In your hands, Lord, I acknowledge that I am weak;

but you love me so, and for this I praise you.

Lord, in my weakness, you give me strength.

You seek the poor and simple,

you give us your peace and forgiveness.

Silence for Adoration

Commentary on Psalm 62

How I contemplated you in the sanctuary, seeing your strength and your glory! To contemplate you in your temple was the psalmist's nostalgia. There he remembered your wondrous deeds in the history of his people. And since you, Lord Jesus, said that you were the temple, I contemplate your glory, your love offered, your bread served, your love unto death; God near, made service, God human friend, God's presence and man's humility. Therefore, we want to glorify you, to praise you, to thank you for your coming to this earth, for your putting on human flesh, for your joyful announcement that God loves us. I want to contemplate you, to look at you intently to see love in your eyes: eyes that love God and eyes that love everyone.

Silence for meditation

Reading

"The Son of God is the radiance of his glory and the image of his person" (Heb 1:3). With this figure of the Son alone, God looked upon all things and clothed them with his beauty, communicating to them his supernatural being. For the Son of God Himself said: "When I am lifted up, I will draw everyone to myself". And so in this lifting up, the Father not only beautified the creatures in part, but we can say that He left them entirely clothed with beauty and dignity". (St. John of the Cross)

Silence for reflection.

Petitions.

- For all Night Adorers in the Home, that they may be enriched with contemplative and joyful prayer.

- That, contemplating God's love, we may be moved to love...

- That in our prayer we may keep in mind those who, because of our injustice, have lost the beauty that God gave them...

- Add your own intentions…

Our Father.

Closing Prayer.

Make us sensitive, Lord, to the greatness of your love, so that we may be moved to love you and your creatures more. Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.