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). Do you ever hear your alarm go off in the morning and it seems like your eyelids weigh 50 lbs?! It can be so hard to wake from a deep sleep, especially when you’re in a comfy and warm bed! Eventually your eyelids cooperate, your feet hit the floor, and your day must begin. Ya know, it also can seem like our eyes of faith weigh 50 lbs or more at times. When we are so used to our routines, it can be hard to see with eyes focused on God around us. Maybe you see the morning dew settling on the trees while on your way to work or class and it sparks joy for you. Maybe you see pain and hurt around you by the way others are treated. Maybe you see how the Lord has been faithful to you recently. Or sadly, maybe you can’t see His blessings due to a hard heart or brokenness. On this great Feast of the Presentation in the Temple, a devout holy man named Simeon has been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not pass away before he has seen Christ in person. How amazing that his prayer was fulfilled with the tiny infant Jesus waltzing into the temple with his parents. Christ was before His eyes just as the Lord has promised and he could be at peace. For all the sets of eyes that were in the Temple that day, all were focused on Jesus. We open our eyes physically before our Salvation every time we glance at a Crucifix, the Tabernacle, or the Eucharist. Not just with eyes of routine, but with eyes that behold the Word made flesh! Just as those gathered in the temple were captivated by the gaze of Christ, let us behold with our eyes the ways God is loving us this day. This feast is not just about Jesus being dedicated to God in the Temple as in the Jewish custom, but it is about our desire to present our gaze to Christ in all circumstances. He sees your struggles. He sees your desire for holiness. He sets His gaze upon you with goodness and faithfulness. Christ is able to be seen by all peoples, so let us open our eyes, present ourselves and rededicate our hearts to Him. His glory is clearly shown in all things. 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 is it that you see in front of you today that you need to bring to the Lord? How are you being challenged today to be faithful to God in challenges, trials, joys, and sufferings? In what ways is the Lord being shown to you in your life? Take some time to pray about and reflect on his presence and why he is showing himself to you in that way. 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. "Help me to see you." "Show me your face." "Jesus, 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? Get to Daily Mass or Eucharistic Adoration today or, if you can't, spend some time in front of a Crucifix or the Tabernacle in your church simply looking at God and quietly asking him to show himself to you even more clearly than ever before. 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 Katy Praetzel, a worship leader in Pittsburgh, PA.
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. Comments are closed.
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