CARPE VERBUM
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Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
One day, I was trying to accomplish too many things. Instead of just taking two trips, I loaded everything into my arms determined to carry it all. That, of course, ended poorly. AKA one of the plates I was carrying shattered into a million pieces on my floor.
I remember that I didn’t clean it up right away. I just stared at the broken plate as if it were a symbol of my current situation. I was like that broken dish. Shattered in a million pieces just lying on the ground. In today’s psalm, I read those exact words, “I am like a dish that is broken.” It also reads, “I am forgotten like the unremembered dead.” There is a lot of heavy in this Psalm. I am forgotten. I am broken. I am a laughingstock and a dread to my friends. Woah. This is intense. I’m just picturing myself lying on the floor, broken like the dish. Amidst the uncertainty and changes in our world right now, its easy to feel like a broken dish. We are unsure of what the next days, weeks, or even months will look like for us. But we cannot stop at the broken dish part of today’s psalm! It continues! We may be broken, but we are surely not forgotten by God. We are in HIS hands. The psalm is full of so much hope. I am going to copy the following verse and read it aloud every day. “Take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord.” We are in the hands of a God who loves us so much. We can rest in those hands. The world around us may crumble and fall, yet even then, we are held in the safety of His hands. Regardless of how broken we are or what others may think of us, we are held. Fr. Sean Grismer once said, “There is a place in God’s perfection for your imperfection.” His hands are safe. His hands rescue us from our sin and from all that comes against us. We may not have it all together-and in this current pandemic situation - no one does. But our Heavenly Father does. At the end of His life, He too said the words, “Father into your hands, I commend my spirit.” Jesus threw himself into the hands of the Father-a good place to rest. When we try to carry it all, let us place it all in His hands. 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.
Have you just rested in God's hands these past few weeks or taken to worry and anxiety?
Have you ever felt like a broken plate, lying on the floor, in pieces ... without hope of being put together again? Can you bring your imperfection into God's perfection? Do you believe there's room for you there? 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 broken, in need of healing."
"I know you are the great healer." "Let me rest in your hands." 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?
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:
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 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 Megan Kramer, a parishioner at St. Mary's Parish in Huntley, 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. Comments are closed.
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