CARPE VERBUM
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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). How many times can St. Paul use the word stupid in one short excerpt? But this reading today, and his bluntness totally carries throughout the ages and perhaps is even more relevant today for us. St. Paul has already spent time with the Galatians. They have already heard him proclaim the gospel. They were accepting it. They had witnessed great miracles and wondrous works. But now they are starting to question their faith and question St. Paul. So he calls them out and he tells them that they are being stupid. He reminds them that there are plenty of witnesses to Jesus’s death and resurrection. He reminds them of the miracles they have witnessed and how their faith has changed their lives. He tells them turning away from God would just be stupid. He asks them are you choosing God? Or are you choosing flesh, your own humanity, your own weakness? How often do we do the same thing? We act like the Galatians all the time. We know about Jesus. We know He came, He suffered, He died and He rose for us. But how many days is it easier to choose humanity, our friends, or desires over Him? In the morning, do you pray first? Or do you hit snooze? At school do you complain about a grade on a test instead of studying for it? At practice when you make a great save, or run really fast do you thank God for your abilities or do you take the credit and brag to someone who didn’t do so well? Do you fall asleep checking Instagram? Or do say your evening prayers? Do you pay attention or are you bored at Mass? I find myself doing this all the time. I can list so many different ways God has taken care of me and worked miracles in my own life. Yet, I question Him. I doubt if He is really taking care of me, if He loves me. I wonder what my place is and what my role is. I don’t see the proof right in front of me. That He made me. That He knows I am created perfect. And that He wants me to be happy. I need to increase my trust in Him, instead of increasing, what St. Paul would call my stupidity. For some, life's greatest challenge is believing in the Lord's promise...for others the challenge lies in remembering it, daily. - Mark Hart 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. For some, life's greatest challenge is believing in the Lord's promise...for others the challenge lies in remembering it, daily. - Mark Hart Do I believe in God's promise? Do I remember God's promise every day? When do I not believe in God's promise? What gets in my way of trusting Him? What would St. Paul tell me I am being stupid about? 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. "Jesus, I trust in you." "Lord, I believe in you." "Lead me Lord." 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 Lord bear fruit in you today? Today, pay attention to the small ways God is working and the big ones. Write them down so that you remember them. 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 Lisa Kendzior, Junior High Youth Minister at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Crystal Lake, IL.
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