In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me.

I adore you with profound reverence.

I ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My immaculate Mother St. Joseph, my Father and Lord,

my guardian angel, and deceit for me.

Jesus, as we offer our minds and hearts to you in a special way because you're present in the

blessed sacrament, we ask you, as we always do, to explain to us your words or the words that are

intimately linked with your salvation with your work of sanctification in this

time of prayer, as we traditionally recall the role of your cousin, St. John the

Baptist in announcing your coming, we ask you, Lord, to help us take this paradigm of evangelization,

the example of this very last prophet that served as an instrument for your immediate appearance in the public forum,

Jesus, we ask you to help us replicate, albeit in a flawed

and a perfect way, that work of John the Baptist, preparing the way of the Lord.

Isn't that preparation of the way of the Lord intimately linked to our vocation

we've officially received in baptism to live the life of Jesus

and to allow that seedling form of divine life, of Christ's life,

infused in our hearts and souls at the moment of baptism,

completed in the sacrament of confirmation

that empowers us to proclaim the gospel primarily by witness but also by word, words inspired

by love and affection and kindness, but also fortitude, where our personal

well-being or comfort or even political correctness may be compromised because we proclaim the truth in love, in understanding, but nevertheless

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