Belonging

5/24/2020

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Click 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.

John 17:1-11A

Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

Belonging. That is the word that Jesus speaks over us in today’s Gospel reading. “They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,” He says as He prays to the Father. As I read through this Scripture passage I am struck by the reality that this is likely not the first time Christ has included us in His prayers. All throughout the Gospel we see that Christ goes off to spend time in prayer and I realize now that it would only make sense that He would have prayed for us; don’t we all pray for those whom we love? And does He not loves us even more perfectly than that? What a gift it is to belong to such a faithful friend, who thinks of us always, and prays for us constantly.

How is it that it is still so easy for me to feel like I’m alone, like no one cares, like I’m forgotten, when I belong to God; to the Son and to the Father, and the Spirit lives within me? Yet still, so often, I feel isolated. It is so easy to forget on a daily basis, how seen I am, how known I am, how loved I am; especially when I’m so consistently distracting myself (with social media, tv, reading, or any number of things) that I don’t give the Lord a chance to remind me. My prayer today, friends, is that we would give ourselves room to breathe, to sit with the Lord, to let Him remind us that we belong. Put down your phone, turn off your ipad/laptop, and just breathe. With each inhale invite the Lord to reveal His love for you, to show you how much He thinks of you and cares for you and with each exhale, surrender your feelings of isolation and loneliness to Him.

We belong to the Lord, friends. And when you belong to God, you will never be truly alone.

Step #3: Oratio / Pray

These 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 is most on your heart to pray for today? How can you pray for them in a special way today?

How does it make you feel that Jesus was thinking of you and prayed for you specifically?

How can you give your loneliness over to the Lord today?

Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

In 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."

"Jesus, I belong to you."

"Come Holy Spirit."

Step #5: Actio / Act

In 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?

In this difficult time, we will use our Action step each day to join with people around the world in praying for an end to the pandemic of the Coronavirus, for the healing of all those affected, and for the comfort of all those who have lost a loved one. The prayer below is from Archbishop José H. Gomez, President of the USCCB in his reflection and prayer during coronavirus:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Smartphone Lock Screen

The 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 Lauren Wright, a Youth Minister in Rockford, IL.

If you have anything you'd like our team to pray for, please go to the page of our website called "Prayers" and let us know how we can pray for you today.

CARPE VERBUM