Opening Prayer:
Then run, faithful souls, happy and tireless, keep up with your Beloved who marches with giant strides from one end of heaven to the other. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. He walks alike over the smallest blade of grass, the tallest cedars, grains of sand or rocky mountains. Wherever you go He has gone before. Only follow Him and you will find Him everywhere. (The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre De Caussade)
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 11
Scripture for the Day: Mark 8:1-26
Reading for Reflection:
It
was only a small wind
Rather
gentle, like a breeze.
It
blew a strand of hair across my forehead
And
I knew it was God.
I
was awakened by a tiny gleam of light
It
slipped through my curtain, onto my face.
It
drew me to my feet and on to the window
Drawing
back the curtains
Dawn
stepped softly into my room.
I
knew that it was God.
In
the middle of my loneliness
The
phone rang.
A
voice I knew so well, said
"Hello,
I love you."
Love
stirred in my soul
I
knew that it was God.
Rain
fell gently on thirsty ground.
Slowly,
carefully, steadily it came
To
an earth parched with waiting.
Through
those raindrops
I
walked, unafraid—without an umbrella.
I
knew that it was God.
It
was only a little bitterness I thought
But
it wouldn't leave my heart.
It
hung around my soul for ages
Until
a storm came, violent and terrifying.
It
shook me to the depths of my being
And
blew all the bitterness away.
I
knew that it was God
It
was only a Silver Maple
But
in the morning's sunlight
It
was filled with heaven.
I
stood in a trance
As
one touched by angel wings.
I
knew that it was God.
O
God, I cried,
Endearing
One, I love you!
You
cannot hide from me.
Between
the cracks of daily life
I
find you waiting
To
be adored.
You
slip into my life
Like
night and day
Like
stars and sunshine.
I
know that you are God.
(Harvest
of God by Macrina Wiederkehr)
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Song for the Week: Jesus Cast a Look on Me
Jesus cast a look on me, give me sweet simplicity. Make me poor and keep me low, seeking only Thee to know
All that feeds my busy pride, Cast it evermore aside. Bid my will to Thine submit, lay me humbly at Thy feet
Make me like a little child, of my strength and wisdom spoiled. Seeing only in Thy light, Walking only in Thy might
Leaning on Thy loving breast, where a weary soul can rest. Feeling well the peace of God, flowing from His precious blood.
Closing Prayer:
O Lord Jesus, I look at you, and my eyes are fixed on your eyes. Your eyes penetrate the eternal mystery of the divine and see the glory of God. They are also the eyes that saw Simon, Andrew, Nathanael, and Levi, the eyes that saw the woman with the hemorrhage, the widow of Nain, the blind, the lame, the lepers, and the hungry crowd, the eyes that saw the sad, rich ruler, the fearful disciples on the lake, and the sorrowful women at the tomb. Your eyes, O Lord, see in one glance the inexhaustible love of God and the seemingly endless agony of all people who have lost faith in that love and are like sheep without a shepherd.
As I look into your eyes, they frighten me because they pierce like flames of fire my innermost being, but they console me as well, because these flames are purifying and healing. Your eyes are so severe yet so loving, so unmasking yet so protecting, so penetrating yet so caressing, so profound yet so intimate, so distant yet so inviting.
I gradually realize that I want to be seen by you, to dwell under your caring gaze, and to grow strong and gentle in your sight. Lord, let me see what you see—the love of God and the suffering of people—so that my eyes may become more and more like yours, eyes that can heal wounded hearts. (Intimate Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire)
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