Step #1: Lectio / ReadClick the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again). Friendship is one of the most beautiful things we have in this world. Friendship brings us joy, security, and accountability; all of which are necessary for us to live and grow as humans. There are many people in our lives who we may consider friends, but there is another level of friendship that we share with a much small circle of people. These people truly help define who we are; for better or for worse. Take a minute and think about your closest friends. Why are they your friends? What are some of the ways they positively influence you and maybe even negatively influence you? What about your best best friends, the 2 or 3 you are absolutely closest to? Why are you so close? In today’s first reading, Jonathan literally risked his own life by standing up to his father for his friend, David. Jonathan was the son of the king with everything to lose, but his friendship with David was more important. Jesus says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). There is joy on both sides of this kind of friendship. To be loved by a friend so much is an honor and a gift that can’t even be put into words. I am so thankful for the people in my life that I know love me this much. I am literally brought to tears thinking of the gift of their love and friendship. The ability to care about and love someone enough to lay down your life for them is the way our hearts were designed to love our friends. The ability to love a friend like this is just as life giving as receiving that love. Be a true friend today. Love your friends with your whole heart, risking everything, and let them love you in return. St. Thomas Aquinas has some really good thoughts on friendship and I encourage you to read some of his work, especially the parts about friendship. He talks about the purpose of friendship is to bring the other to heaven and how much joy we can get from these authentic relationships. But I want to leave you with one last quote as we reflect on our true friendships and the gift those people are today: “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” - St. Thomas Aquinas Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today. Who are your closest friends? Why are you so close? What are some of the ways they positively or negatively influence you? How do you influence your friends? How do you treat your friends? How do they treat you? Do you love each other with a Christ-like love? Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends'? Do you see your friends as a gift from God? Are you a gift to them? How can you grow to love them better and more purely through Christ and accept their love in return? Step #4: Contemplatio / ContemplateIn this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord. "Thank You." "Help me to love better." "You are my best friend." Step #5: Actio / ActIn light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today? Be a true friend today. Love your friends with your whole heart, risking everything, and let them love you in return. Smartphone Lock ScreenThe following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.  Today's prayer was prepared by Sean Norris, Youth Minister at Our Lady of the Wayside Parish in Arlington Heights, IL.
Step #1: Lectio / ReadClick the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again). This weekend I was completely touched by this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9z-dMQjRBE) of actor Jim Caviezel surprising students with a Spirit-filled speech at the FOCUS leadership conference in Chicago. The actor who portrayed Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” and stars as Luke in an upcoming film called “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaK-lbhhx_M) started his speech to a room that could have heard a pin drop: “The name Saul means great one. The name Paul means little one. By making this film, I learned that by changing one little, one tiny letter, we can become great in the eyes of God. It requires us to be little, if we wish to be great. This is the way of the saints. This is the way of the holy. And this is the way Saul became St. Paul.” In today’s 1st reading, we encounter another Saul in the Old Testament. He has doubts and lack of courage as he tells David not to go up again the Philistine and fight him, as David is still “a youth.” But David has faith in the Lord, and has experienced the Lord’s mercy and love before, so he trusts and is courageous in the face of danger. "The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine,” David told Saul. David did conquer the seasoned Philistine, Goliath – and he did it without a sword. His faith in God – his rock in battle – saved him. I wonder what Saul’s response would have been in the beginning of this reading if he were not Saul, the King from the Old Testament but Paul, the apostle and saint from the New Testament with great faith in the Lord. Would he have doubted David’s ability to slay the Philistine? Perhaps. But he also would have had a great confidence that the Lord was with David - David who was choosing to be little and let the Lord be great. As Jim Caviezel so beautifully tells us at the end of his speech: “Saul means great one. What does Paul mean? Little one. So if we wish to be great in the eyes of God …” We need to be little. Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today. In what ways is God calling you to become "little" in your life currently that He can be great in and through you? How can you be like St. Paul and David, trusting in the Lord and letting Him lead you, instead of like Saul in this moment where he fears and does not trust? David conquered Goliath through his great faith that God was with him always. In what ways might God be asking you today to take courage and faith in His presence in your life and His promise of faithfulness to you? Step #4: Contemplatio / ContemplateIn this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord. "You are strong in my weakness." "I am ready to be little." "I trust in You." Step #5: Actio / ActIn light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today? Find a concrete way in your daily life today to choose to be little instead of great. Maybe you can help someone in the hallway who dropped something, but not so that people notice what you did. Maybe after school today you can help a young sibling with their homework. Whatever it is, choose to be 'little' today by serving and loving others and letting God work through you, not so that you get any glory for what you've done. Smartphone Lock ScreenThe following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.  Today's prayer was prepared by Andrea Scott, a writer and editor based in Washington, D.C.
Step #1: Lectio / ReadClick the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again). "Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) We, as humans, have such a limited scope on life. This is true not only of people today but also of people thousands of years ago. Everyone expected the long-awaited Messiah to come as a kingly warrior adorned with robes and jewels, not as a small child born in a stable. In today’s first reading, the Lord chose David, the youngest and least likely of his brothers to be chosen as king. God continues to surprise us by choosing the seemingly unlikely because he sees deeper into our hearts and our future than any human can. The Lord sees your heart in a way no other human can. He knows what you need and desire even better than you do. God has chosen you and sees something in you that maybe no one else can. God sees deeper than your Instagram filters and Snapchat stories. He delights in knowing your heart and invites you to share it with Him. God invites you to be real and honest with Him. When it comes to God, you don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances. He wants the good, the bad, and the ugly of your life. It’s incredibly easy to find hundreds of things to worry about in a day - what to say, what to wear, what to post on social media, etc. My prayer for you today is that you can set aside all those worries about your appearance, even if it’s only for a little while, and allow God the opportunity to see not just your outward appearance but to look into your heart. Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today. When was the last time you were real and vulnerable with God in prayer? Do you often find yourself preoccupied with your appearance or the way others perceive you? Do these worries distract you in prayer? If someone truly saw your heart as the Lord does, what would they see? Step #4: Contemplatio / ContemplateIn this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord. "Here's my heart, Lord." "I am chosen." "You see me, and you know me." Step #5: Actio / ActIn light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today? Take some time in prayer today to be honest and vulnerable with the Lord. Allow Him to truly see your heart. Smartphone Lock ScreenThe following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.  Today's prayer was prepared by Maggie Overbeck, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley, IL.
Step #1: Lectio / ReadClick the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again). It is not a question of IF we fast but WHEN we fast. In the bible, fasting is put in a good light; there are many examples of people fasting and many comments about how to fast. Even in this gospel reading, Jesus did not exempt his disciples from ever fasting, but rather said the time for them to fast is when he is no longer with them. Like our biblical examples of Moses and Elijah, we fast to prepare and purify ourselves before entering the presence of God. We fast an hour before receiving the Eucharist and we fast during Lent leading up to Easter. Fasting is a form of self-denial and it helps us to detach from our earthly ways. This does not mean that what we are fasting from is always bad, but fasting helps us remember the One who gave us those wonderful gifts that we are fasting from. Our earthly things aren’t needed in heaven, so fasting is also preparing our hearts for eternal life in Christ. So often it is easy for us to think of fasting as a nuisance or just an obligation given to us by the Church. Have you ever so conveniently saved your favorite fish or pasta recipe for one of the Friday’s in Lent? When we “fast” without a true and honest sacrifice, what form of self-denial and earthly detachment are we accomplishing? It is not bad to enjoy foods we eat on days we are fasting, but it is important to ensure that we are not simply compensating for whatever we have given up. What we do when we compensate like this works against the purpose of fasting. Fasting is a beautiful and profound form of prayer. When our heart’s intention is to deny ourselves of something good, we are creating more space in our heart for God to dwell. The disciples did not fast when Jesus was with them because it was a joyous time- God was dwelling in their midst! Although it is not Lent, consider even a small form of fasting to prepare your heart for God in this ordinary time. Challenge yourself to see fasting as something desirable; embrace fasting for the true purpose it serves. Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today. Why is it hard to give up something you love? Why are there times to fast and times to rejoice? What can be learned in the times of fasting? How does fasting bring us closer to Christ? Step #4: Contemplatio / ContemplateIn this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord. "Prepare my heart." "Help me embrace the fast." "I fast for you." Step #5: Actio / ActIn light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today? There’s a time to fast and a time to feast. Like the disciples in the Gospel, it is good to recognize this difference. Fasting is a beautiful and underused form of prayer, which is not just for Lent. Learn to love fasting instead of just seeing it as a nuisance, and put it into practice. What is one thing you can fast from today? You can fast from sweets, or coffee, or Snapchat, or Instagram, or gossip, or perhaps something else. Use this fast as a sacrifice to bring you closer to the Lord. Smartphone Lock ScreenThe following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.  Today's prayer was prepared by Katie LoBosco, a student at the University of Dayton studying Music Therapy.
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