The Harmony of Love
Lord Jesus Christ, this was Your Great Dream: that we would be one as the Father and You are, and that our unity would be fulfilled in Your unity.
Dear friend, this ideal is applicable, whether it refers to your relationship with your spouse or to any other kind of fraternal living together.
There are two institutions that are true schools of transformation: marriage and religious communities. And they are because both institutions force their members to enter a deep interrelationship. That causes confrontation, clashes, and conflicts due to their different personality traits, and forces them to overcome their differences without invading the other and without letting themselves be overwhelmed. Adaptation is the toughest problem to overcome.
It all starts with mutual respect, because…
Lord, You repeat and relive Yourself in each member; and for this reason, we will strive to respect each other as we would do with You; and Your presence will challenge us when unity and peace are threatened in our home. We ask You, then, for the favor of remaining very alive in each of our hearts.
Dear friend, in every human being there is a need for connection, which is the essence and awareness of feeling human; that is: being oneself and being for others. Thus, a healthy and fraternal relationship is one based on openness and welcome; on respecting and honoring each other. To see in the ‘other’ a ‘you,’ and everything must be forged through sincere dialogue.
Lord God, we praise you and glorify you for the beauty of that gift called ‘dialogue.’ It is a favorite ‘child’ of God, for it is like a stream incessantly gushing within the Holy Trinity.
Dialogue unties knots,
dissipates suspicions,
opens doors,
resolves conflicts,
makes persons greater.
It is the bond of unity
and the “mother” of brotherhood.
Christ Jesus, unity of the gospel community; make us realize that our lack of understanding is almost always due to a lack of dialogue.
Make us understand that dialogue is neither an argument nor a debate of ideas, but a search for truth between two or more people. Make us understand that we need each other, and that we complement each other: we have something to give and a need to receive; I can see what others cannot, and they can see what I do not.
Lord Jesus, when tension builds up, give me the humility so that I will not want to impose my truth by attacking my brother’s truth; make me keep silent when necessary; make me wait for the other person to finish expressing his truth completely.
Give me wisdom to understand that no human being is able to completely possess the truth, and that no error or tactlessness is without some truth.
Give me common sense to recognize that I can also be mistaken on one or another aspect of truth; let me be enriched by the other person’s truth. Finally, give me the generosity to understand that the other person also seeks the truth honestly and to accept the opinion of others without prejudice and with kindness.
Lord Jesus, give us the gift of dialogue. Amen.
Prayer E-45 “The Gift of Dialogue”
Dear friend, sometimes God also places us in the most conflictive situations, where dialogue becomes difficult: when the persons you want to help don’t let themselves be helped, are aggressive, or conflictive… It is in these cases that an adult faith is needed, along with a great deal of patience, hope, and perseverance. Here, God asks for generosity and commitment to the most mature. That strength and maturity come from God Himself.
The book of Sirach 2:2-3 tells us this: “Be sincere of heart and steadfast, and do not be impetuous in time of adversity. Cling to him, do not leave him.” That is the key: to cling, to adhere to God!
When all our human projects, our earthly supports crumble; when out of our most beautiful dreams, only disillusionment if left; when our best efforts and our firmest desires do not reach the proposed objective; when sincerity and loving zeal obtain nothing, and failure is present, distressing and cruel, frustrating our most beautiful hopes, Lord, You remain, indestructible and strong, a friend who can do everything.
Your plans remain unchanged, nothing can stop your will from being fulfilled. Your dreams are more beautiful than ours, and You make them come true.
You turn failure into triumph; you are never defeated. You, who from emptiness create all beings and all life, take our powerlessness into your creative hands, with infinite love, and make it produce the fruit of your work, beyond all our desires.
In You, our hope is saved from disaster and fulfilled. Amen
Prayer E-14 “Lord of Victory”
Sing: “To love is to give everything and give oneself”