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). I don't know about you, but I feel pressure (almost everyday) to have it all together. I feel the pressure from those around me, my work, to have things figured out and to have all of the answers. Why? We live in a competitive world. To survive, we are told that we need to know everything, and that if we don't have the answers, then we aren't going to "win", we aren't going to be successful, and we surely won't be happy. It is easy to buy into these lies in the moment, when the pressure is rising and you don't have time to settle yourself and find peace of mind. But when you step back to think about it, these lies are just that, lies - very big, yet very real lies. Once again, Jesus comes to our rescue in today's Gospel with a message completely contradictory to what we experience in our day to day lives. That message is to be like a child. Think of a child you know in their life. They are completely dependent on their parents. They are fearless. They know no boundaries. All they want is to be loved by their parents and to love them in return. Today God is asking us to be "childlike" in our faith. He is asking us to be completely dependent on him, saying that He will reveal things to the "childlike" which He will not reveal to the "wise and learned". What will it take for you to trust God like a small child trusts his or her Father? What will it take for you to love God with all your heart and to live your life fearlessly for him today? 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. What will it take for you to trust God like a small child trusts his or her Father? What will it take for you to love God with all your heart and to live your life fearlessly for him today? What lies are the lies in your life that keep you from depending on God? 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. "I am a child of God." "I praise you, Lord." "I depend on you, 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 the Lord bear fruit in you today? Claim your identity as a child of God and truly live that out today. Depend on the Lord in all things. 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 Connor Flanagan, a Youth Minister and Catholic Musician who lives in St. Paul, MN.
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