Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. May my love for you and those around me be similar to the love you have shown to me. Lord, I thank you for this time with you and this new day you have given me. Help me to use this time well. Help me to appreciate the gift of life and all you have given me. I offer this time up for a special intention, and for those who are far from you. Help me to believe in your love. 

Petition: Lord, I want to be convinced of your personal love for me. 

1. Persevering in the Mission: . Jesus encounters opposition on his journey to Jerusalem. Pharisees come to warn him of Herod. Jesus is undeterred. He knows that the Father’s will is for him to go to Jerusalem and surrender his life on the cross. He doesn’t hide or seek to escape from his Father’s will. He knows that the cross lies ahead of him, but he also knows that death and the cross are not the end. Beyond death is the resurrectionResurrection: “On the third day I finish my work.” Christ’s example should give us confidence to move forward in the face of our own difficulties and struggles. We should turn to him because he knows how to persevere in the mission. And since he wants to be involved in our life, he will accompany us on our journey. He is always with us ready to give us the help of his grace and the strength of his hand. 

2. A Heart Open to Others: . Jesus cried for Jerusalem. His heart was not closed to others. He was not absorbed in himself or his own problems. He freely offered his life for others. Others rejected him, but he never rejected them. He was not bitter towards those who would make him suffer. He loved, and he never ceases to love. As a hen gathers her young under her wings, so does God long to draw all men and women to himself. We need to let God draw us to himself. 

3. Pray for Those Who Persecute You: .Jesus sets an example for us to follow. Our hearts should not be closed. We need to be open to the needs of those around us, even those who may attack the Church and persecute us. Jesus loved his enemies. He prayed for those who persecuted him. He blessed those who cursed him. He sought only their good, and he sacrificed himself for them. He shows us the way to live an authentically Christian life. To be faithful to him, we need to reach out in love even to those people who don’t think and act like us.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to always follow your inspirations always. Often there is good that I want to do, but I hesitate and draw back. Help me to give of myself. Help me to keep giving even when I’m tired and worn out. This is the path to my true happiness. Let me not draw back before obstacles and opposition. Give me the strength to press forward, seeking only to do your will. Teach me that you are always with me and that I am never alone. 

Resolution: I will be open to what a family member or colleague at work might need, and I will seek to offer my help.