Marist Association Daily Prayer

Let us always remember that

we are in the holy presence of God

May God continue to live in our hearts

In the name of the Father,

Son and Holy Spirit

Amen

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  • Intention of the Day
  • Today's Gospel
  • Breaking Open the Word
  • Marist Source
  • Reflection
  • Meditation
  • Call to Action
  • Closing Prayer

Intention of the Day

That God’s life within transform us.
The Brothers' Community at Daceyville.

That God’s life within transform us.
The Brothers' Community at Daceyville.

Today's Gospel. Our Lady of Fatima

Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

John 10: 7.
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John 10: 1-10.

1 'In all truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit.

2 He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock;

3 the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.

4 When he has brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.

5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.'

6 Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

8 All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no notice of them.

9 I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture.

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.

Breaking Open The Word

Our basic identity is as sheep of one flock, equal in dignity, united amid diversity, and following Christ as our only true leader.

Taken from: Give Us This Day
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Taken from: Give Us This Day

One Shepherd, One Baptism.

Scripture scholars have observed that Jesus goes to great lengths in the Gospels to state that there is only one shepherd: him. As obvious as it might appear, this fact is often overlooked when we move from the pastoral ministry of Jesus to the growth of the Christian community and Church. We have even adopted the language of shepherd to describe pastors, bishops, popes, and other Church leaders. And yet, while the metaphor is understandable, it may lead us to neglect an important if subtle point Jesus makes: namely, our basic identity is as sheep of one flock, equal in dignity, united amid diversity, and following Christ as our only true leader.

It can be tempting to think of our religious leaders—ordained or lay—as shepherds whom we must follow. And it can be tempting for leaders to think of themselves as shepherds who must be followed. But Jesus is clear that anyone who fancies him or herself a shepherd is a “thief and a robber.” The remedy for such distorted thinking about leadership in the Church is to recall our one baptism, that primary vocation we all share regardless of our position in society or Church. Pope Francis reiterates this point in his apostolic exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad: On the Call to Holiness. Real Christian ministers understand they are but one sheep alongside other sheep. They don’t follow their own ambitions or desires. They help others—and let others help them—to keep their eyes steadfast on the one true shepherd who calls us all by name.

Fr. Daniel P. Horan. Taken from Give Us This Day.

Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscan friar, the author of several books including Reading, Praying, Living Pope Francis’s Rejoice and Be Glad (2019), and a faculty member at the Catholic Theological Union (Chicago).

That God’s life within transform us.
The Brothers' Community at Daceyville.

Marist Source

Mary’s was a journey of faith just like ours. Though schooled in the traditions of her people, she was nevertheless astounded by the extraordinary intervention of God in her life.
May we emulate our Good Mother in her openness and commitment to Yahweh God seen through all the challenges and events of her life.

# ITF 118.

That God’s life within transform us.
The Brothers' Community at Daceyville.

To Ponder

‘I am the gate.’ Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows me, but do I always recognize him? Who or what keeps me from following the Lord?

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Where has the Spirit drawn you in today's prayer?

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Closing Prayer

All Loving God

Cultivate in us a spirituality that flows out of Marian simplicity, humility and modesty.

Release in us wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement for your work in which we share.

Help us set our gaze on those people and places most in need of Christlife,

Impel us to respond together,

And lead us to be in communion with one another, and with you.

Like Mary, we listen for your invitation,

Like Mary, we set out joyfully and in haste to the hill country of the lives of young people,

Like Mary, we build communities in ways that are Christ-centred.

All Loving God, come and live in our hearts.

 

 Amen