STEP #1: LECTIO / READ2 Peter 1: 2-7 Beloved: May grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. STEP #2: MEDITATIO / MEDITATEBeloved: May grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. It all begins with the One who loves. You are a beloved child of God… that is your only identity. But who is this that longs for us? He is the God-Man, Jesus. The One in unity with the Father, comes directly to your aching heart to save you from sin, lies, emptiness, bitterness, and from hopelessness… and He desires to bring you to true life, to deep joy, radical love, consistent friendship. He is the lover of your soul. He is the Savior of the world, your Savior. Your Jesus. He is a person… who is God. He is not a figment of your imagination or a comforting thought – He has a living, beating heart for you. He is gentle yet strong. His heart aches for closeness with you. Today is the day the Lord has made for you to know Him. He wants to be known by you. He wants to spend time with you. He wants to fill you with His life and His peace far beyond the expectations of your heart. He wants to be your everything. He gives you every promise and every goodness as St. Peter tells us, but that doesn’t let you off the hook. You’re still invited to say yes to His gift of Faith. Surrender to the reality that God’s goodness could be true. Let Him prove you right. He longs for it. Take chances in love. The reward is great. With His love outstretched, and your grabbing on tight, you can rest your heart in His. He looks at you and sees the depth of your potential goodness. Your faith should lead you to virtue. Choosing to act for Him will form your own heart into one of love for Him. God is so far beyond our understanding, and yet, it is through getting to know Him, and more about Him that this grace and peace may be ours in abundance. Living a holy life can feel stale. Being on this journey in faith for so long, there are times I can think back to where I felt like I must be doing something wrong with my faith life… I had felt agitated, lonely, and even hopeless. Peter doesn’t say that sometimes grace and peace are ours…He says that grace and peace may be ours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Gaining knowledge of Jesus is possible on good days and bad days. It may be more challenging in some moments, but let your faith lead you to good action and let that good action stir up the desire to know why you act rightly…the Divine Why…The Lord Jesus Christ. STEP #3: ORATIO / PRAYBeloved: May grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How is Jesus inviting you to know Him? What is a way that you can come to know Jesus better?What are the parallels of a relationship with Jesus and others? What could abundant peace and grace look like in your life? STEP #4: CONTEMPLATIO / CONTEMPLATE"For You, Jesus." "Help me see Your abundance." "He wants more for me than I think I deserve." FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAY...Think about Jesus as a friend. How do you picture Him? Think of something to do for Him as your friend to make Him smile. SMARTPHONE LOCK SCREEN  Today's prayer was prepared by Bobby Blood, seminarian for the Diocese of Rockford.
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