Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to
be still before God.
Opening Prayer: Saving God, you set your heart on us and made
us your own. May we listen with the ear
of our hearts to the many ways your Word and your love will be present to us
and formed in us this day. We ask this
through Jesus, the Word made flesh.
Amen. (The Work of God)
Scripture Reading for the Day: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Reading for Reflection:
The practice of lectio
divina guides us to the inner work that brings about transformation. It requires a deep listening to the Word
planted in our souls. It summons us to a
tender abiding in the hidden mystery of God.
It asks of us a patient waiting for God’s personal revelation of truth
to us. It draws us into a loving romance
with the One who rules the world from the throne of our hearts. It encourages in us a joyful expectation of
the healing touch of the Beloved. A deep
listening! A tender abiding! A patient waiting! A loving romance! A joyful expectation! These are the warm invitations of this gentle
way of being with the Word of God. The
gift of this intimate way of praying does not come in one sitting. It is a daily discipline requiring faithful
practice.
Long ago when I was a novice in monastic
life, I would get up before the crack of dawn and trudge sleepily to our
monastery chapel to pray the Divine Office with my sisters. Together we would climb through the Psalms:
praising God, rejoicing, pleading, complaining, yearning, crying out, thanking.
In our daily classes we were assured that
if we were faithful to the Word we would be drawn more deeply into relationship
with God, making our morning treks to the chapel a delight. In our daily pondering of the Scriptures, we
were asked to listen with the ear of the heart. It was all very romantic at first, but the
crack of dawn began coming too soon. The
romance wore off. I am happy to say that
now, in my middle years, the romance is returning. I am beginning to see lectio divina as
a way to romance the Word.
When you romance the Word, you pursue the
Word as it pursues you. You ponder it,
pray it, sing it, study it, love it. You
treasure it as Mary treasured the mysteries unfolding in her life (Luke
2:19-20). Listen to it with the ear of
your heart. Cling to it as to a
beloved. Cherish it. Become a home for it. (The Song of the
Seed by Macrina Wiederkehr)
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Closing Prayer: Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. Amen. (Psalm 119:169-175)
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