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OLDER LECTIO DIVINA

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 13, 2022
    November 10, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 13, 2022

    It’s been said that heaven is just like here, the only difference being that God’s presence is more perceivable. That is what is missing here on earth, after all: God’s perceivable presence. It is his presence that gives us hope. Even if we don’t believe God exists, we need to believe because without him there is no hope. If we do perceive his presence, it is our duty to share that faith with others, to give them reasons to believe. Some of our reasons could be arrived at by reason itself. Other reasons will be of the heart. As Blaise Pascal said, “The heart has reasons that reason knows not.” Sometimes Jesus’ words don’t make sense. His prophecy today may leave us scratching our heads at times. But our heart knows he is right. Our heart knows that this world and this life are not the only thing God has in store for us. We are waiting. The more we listen to God and for God, the more he will sustain our hope and the easier the waiting will become.

    Lord,
    Thank you for the salvation you offer if I just give my life to you. Please help me to have the faith needed to devote myself anew to you everyday. Seeking you is hard in today’s world, but with your guidance you will show me that you are right beside me the whole way. Bless my quest after you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

     

    Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

     

    Glory to the Father The Son and The Holy Spirit

     

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 6, 2022
    November 3, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 6, 2022

    The teachings of Christ are real stingers. He does not shy away from talking about the very thing that most of us fear the most. But he only talks about death to lead us to true life–which exists beyond death. How can we listen for the truth of this teaching when we read the rest of the Bible, when we experience life, and when we interact with others? We can look for a sign of hope in every dire situation. The Bible, with all of its stories of turmoil, trial, loss, and defeat, always gives us the hope of something better and life-giving beyond what the characters endure. We can take that truth into our own lives and notice that, no matter how dark things get, it is not the end. There is always something better waiting just beyond the hardest parts. That is the hope Christ gives us by saying he is the God of the living, not the dead, and by leading us to the eternal life that comes after death.  

     

    Lord,
    Thank you for the salvation you offer if I just give my life to you. Please help me to have the faith needed to devote myself anew to you everyday. Seeking you is hard in today’s world, but with your guidance you will show me that you are right beside me the whole way. Bless my quest after you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

     

    Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

     

    Glory to the Father The Son and The Holy Spirit

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  • Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
    October 27, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 30, 2022

    If we want to seek and find Jesus we have to listen for him. Where is he in today’s world? He is in the tabernacle, in his word (the Bible), in his creation, and he lives in baptized Chrstians as the Holy Spirit. Will we be like Zacchaeus when he comes our way, and climb a sycamore tree (metaphorically speaking) just to catch a better glimpse as he passes by? Will we receive him with joy when we get the chance? In all of these ways, we can strengthen our relationship with him, if we are just willing to invite him into our hearts–and our house. Have we blessed our homes? Do we set aside time daily to pray, to invite him in like Zacchaeus invited him? Is he a part of our lives? I can’t expect to find him or hear him if I am not embracing the opportunities to do so that he presents.

    Lord,
    Thank you for the salvation you offer if I just give my life to you. Please help me to have the faith needed to devote myself anew to you everyday. Seeking you is hard in today’s world, but with your guidance you will show me that you are right beside me the whole way. Bless my quest after you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

     

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 23, 2022
    October 20, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 23, 2022

    When I am struggling to hear God, I search for him in the truths of life itself. His words are not just in the Bible. If we are being truthful with ourselves, we begin to see how his wisdom is always the subtext to the lives we live. They just make sense. They’re like the code that keep a program together. His teachings in the Gospel are like the abstract of the lessons we would learn in life by being honest with ourselves, and listening to others whose words resonate with a wisdom akin to the words of Christ. I speak mainly of the last line in this passage: “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” It ‘s better to leave you with those words of Christ, because this is a truth familiar to us all–it’s familiar because it is reminiscent of the realizations we come to on our own after our own honest observations of life.

    Dear Lord,
    Thank you for showing me that I am like the Pharisee, and also like the tax collector. Thank you for revealing that I have good in me, but I must be cleansed from my sin to fulfill the purpose you made me to fulfill. Jesus, your wisdom humbles me. The Gospel always has something to teach me, even if I have read the passage hundreds of times. I praise you for your infinite truth and goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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  • Rosary, Gospel, lectio divina, Catholic prayer, justice, parables
    October 13, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divinia for Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 16, 2022

    It’s amazing what we can learn when we take the time to read Scripture more closely. This is why the Rosary is so powerful. It gives us the tools we need to focus on the story of salvation, to hone in on the mysteries, to listen as we persistently pray. In this month of the Rosary, let’s try to be more persistent in our prayer through the heavenly prayer that Our Lady gave us.

    Dear Lord,

    In doing this lectio divina, I’ve learned that I need to be more persistent in my prayers–not because you are an unjust and dishonest judge–but because you are just and honest. You want me to be honest with myself. Do I really want what I am asking for? Is what I’m asking for really what is best? You gently advise me to take the time to meditate on these questions. Only then will I find your will. I find your will when I draw close to you and learn more about who you are. Thank you for bringing me closer to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 9, 2022
    October 7, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 9, 2022

    Where are the other nine?

    Gratitude goes a long way. In fact, it goes so far that Jesus does not give salvation to the ungrateful lepers. Perhaps they showed their gratitude later on and were saved, but Jesus’ message is clear: Gratitude for God’s blessings are just as important as the blessings themselves. 

    PRAY

    Dear heavenly Father,

    Even my gratitude is a gift from you, but it is a gift I need to accept. I can easily take credit for whatever wisdom or inspiration, or any other blessing, you give me. But if I’m being honest, I know that such things do not come from me. Teach me to be thankful all of the time for everything I receive in good times and in bad times, so you can grant me the gift that matters most: eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 2, 2022
    September 29, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 2, 2022

    Before we can understand the role faith plays, we have to get our own role in this parable right. When the disciples said, “Increase our faith,” they were not the servants. They were making a request, and Jesus is now telling them how to have it granted. The only way to increase our faith is to conform ourselves to God’s will, so we become one with him and become heirs of his power. Jesus is describing the proper relation between the creator and his creation. The creator does not have to be grateful to his creation for simply doing what the creator commanded. In the same way, the one who has faith does not doubt the creator’s abilities. So all this time, in asking for faith, I have been doubting what God can do. Jesus is inviting me to flip the script to see that all of creation is at his command, and when a miracle happens–the person of faith expects nothing less from God, because that’s just nature doing what it is obliged to do, which is to obey its creator.

    The more I meditate on Scripture, the more layers of wisdom I see. The first layer is: Be grateful for the blessings God has already given us and don’t expect more. But underneath that is God’s invitation to be like him, to have creation under our command by doing his will. That is the only way we can be granted such a command, but God still offers it to those who are humble enough to know that all power has been given to us through him–and through him alone. 

     

    PRAY

    Lord,

    I now see how I do in fact have faith smaller than a mustard seed, but I hear you calling me and offering me more faith. It’s there for the taking. I just have to take the leap. I have seen enough proof, yet I still hesitate. The time is now. Enough with the tests. It’s time to take the graces you have already given me and put my faith to the test, and to stop putting you to the test. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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  • Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 25, 2022
    September 22, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 25, 2022

    “have pity on me”

    The moral of this parable is to not wait until it’s too late. When I lack faith, I doubt the consequences of my sin. It’s easier to live a life that way, I say. But there’s always a dead end. Sin does not possess the same infinite qualities that goodness possesses. This is something we can recognize in this life. We don’t have to wait for the afterlife to see sin as a dead end. When the rich man says, “have pity on me”, he missed his chance. Justice is like gravity. Sooner or later, the scales have to balance. We can’t cheat justice or the truth. Eventually, they catch up to us. If I slip and fall off a cliff, God is not going to suspend the laws of nature that govern his entire universe simply because I shout “have pity on me!” as I’m falling. By then it’s too late. But perhaps we think Father Abraham is being harsh when he says, “They have Moses and the prophets”

    PRAY

    Dear heavenly Father,

    Through prayer, I can discover your will while here on earth, and avoid the torments described in this Sunday’s Gospel. Thank you for the wisdom you teach me. Help me to recognize the truth as I live on earth before it’s too late. Spare my loved ones from the torments of hell, and teach me to be a witness to them to help lead them to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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  • The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.
    September 15, 2022

    Gospel Lectio Divina for Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 18, 2022

    The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones. ~ Luke 16:10

    Humility is a theme that runs through many of Jesus’ teachings. We may think we know what humility is, but as soon as we try to exemplify it we run the risk of being insincere in our attempts. Who doesn’t want to be considered trustworthy in great matters? Perhaps someone who has true humility. Someone who has true humility will know that he has to start out small and work his way up. In considering himself unworthy to take on larger responsibilities, in Jesus’ eyes, he is actually exactly the right candidate to be entrusted with more. Humility has many attributes, but one of its most important attributes is austerity or simplicity. Humility is okay with having just a little, and in valuing the treasures of heaven over the treasures of the earth. Trustworthiness is a treasure of heaven. Greed, on the other hand, gets in the way of one’s attempt to be trustworthy, because greed tends to chip away at our desire to earn someone’s trust, as we value some earthly treasure over that someone’s trust. 

    Jesus’ calling to be humble highlights the value of desiring a small part over desiring a large one. His advice complements the passage about the banquet gathering we heard a few weeks ago, when he said to take a lowly seat rather than seeking an esteemed seat. In both instances, Jesus is calling us to be humble enough to claim a lowly position in our lives, to not assume we are important. Then, when others see that we value more than our own esteem, more opportunities will present themselves.

    Lord Jesus,
    I call you my master because you love me. You are the only one who has truly given me all that I seek. Why I so often go away and look elsewhere, I do not know. I’ve tried serving other things, I’ve tried living a life of autonomy. None of it compares to the joy of just being in communion with you, under your command. Your command is gentle, clever, inspiring. It doesn’t even really feel like you’re commanding me when I do your will. It just feels right. In Jesus’ name I pray.

     

     

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