When the Magi arrive in Bethlehem and find the Child, they enter, see, prostrate themselves, adore and offer their gifts. Their search for God, leaving their homeland, their experience of the "dark night," their inquiry on the way to Bethlehem, are for us a model of the process of faith that we must follow to encounter Christ. The adorer is someone who, having met Christ, surrenders to the magnetism of his example in contemplation, adoration, and self-offering, and with a grateful heart, continues life’s journey in solidarity and commitment with Christ’s brothers and sisters sharing all the gifts of a blessed experience.
- O God, come to my aid.
- Lord; make haste to help me.
– Glory be to the Father ...
- As it was in the beginning.... Alleluia!
Hymn.
I search for you, Lord,
I want to be in your presence,
I want to be always, Lord, close to you.
And bring you my hands full and
give you all my love,
take it, Lord, and accept it.
That's all I have, that's my harvest.
Take it. Lord, transform it into a pure offering.
I want to be always, Lord, close to you and
give you my whole life.
I want to be in your presence and offer my heart to you.
Silence for adoration.
Psalm 72.
There is only one way to know if we truly desire something, and that is if something in our life challenges us to go in search of what we desire. Pray the psalm, looking for a new light that will allow you to better understand that itinerary to the encounter with a Messiah who will fulfill the deepest desires of the human heart.
O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment,
That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,
and the hills great abundance,
That he may defend the oppressed among the people,
save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
May they fear you with the sun,
and before the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain coming down upon the fields,
like showers watering the earth,
That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May the kings the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him. …
May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful deeds.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may he fill all the earth with his glory.
Amen.
Silence to meditate.
Prostrate, like the magi, express your wishes for the Messiah and for the world.
Reading: 2 Tim 1. 9-10
He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Silence for reflection.
- Do you consider yourself a graced being to have been called to faith?
- Is your life of faith a continuous walk towards Christ?
- Do you belong to any Christian group that helps you in your progress, maturity, interiorization and Christian commitment?
Petitions.
- You who called the magi as the first fruits of the peoples, so that they might worship you and collaborate in your cause on behalf of humanity, open our hearts to all of God’s children.
- You who rule the peoples with the justice that saves, help us to have hearts filled with justice and love.
- You who want to free the poor and take sides with those who have no one to defend them, fill our hearts with love for the poor and the defenseless.
- You who subsist through the ages and send your word to soak our hearts like rain, soften our hard hearts that they may be able to absorb your message of love and compassion.
Add your own petitions….
Our Father.
Prayer.
Lord, grant that those of us who already know you by faith may serve you in life and be able to contemplate one day face to face the infinite beauty of your glory.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
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