Opening Prayer: Help us to catch a glimpse of you today, O
God; one that will change everything about us.
One that will cause our faces to shine with the light of your
glory. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Scripture: Exodus 33:7-23
Journal: Where have you seen God’s glory lately? Did you truly take time to behold what he was
trying to show you? What did it do
within you? How do you nurture
that?
Reflection:
They say that the things we spend the most time
beholding are the things we ultimately end up becoming in the long run. Somehow those things that occupy our hearts
and minds tend to form us in ways we are not even fully aware of. Therefore, it seems pretty important that we
be very intentional about what we are beholding on a regular basis. To behold is much different from merely
looking at something. It involves really
seeing it; seeing far beneath the surface to the very core of a thing. I think that’s why Julian of Norwich once
said: “Truth sees God, and wisdom beholds God, and from these two comes the
third, and that is a marvelous delight in God, which is love.” Beholding is a spiritual practice, a
discipline, a means of grace. By
beholding God we are able to see him in a way that transforms us into his
image. Therefore, we must take special
care to make sure we are regularly beholding the One that we most deeply desire
to become like. That’s probably why,
years ago, Marian Scheele wrote: “When the soul is occupied with looking
away from present trials into the face of Christ, and making this a regular and
passionate occupation, this soul will become more tranquil and still, and
therefore more able to reflect the Being it adores. This reflected glory will enable us to love
our neighbor as ourselves. The only
effort required is the giving up of all effort.”
Prayers
Closing Prayer: O Eternal God!
You are a deep sea, into which the deeper I enter the more I find, and
the more I find the more I seek. ~Catherine of Sienna
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