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). Take a moment and close your eyes. Picture yourself before a king with your two closest friends on either side of you. The king is commanding you to worship the golden statue before your eyes. You know that you have two choices: either turn away from God and worship this golden statue or face a fiery death. In the face of death, how would you respond? This question may seem like a morbid one, but I think it is one for us to dwell on in these final days of Lent leading up to Good Friday, when we remember Christ’s own death on the cross. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that regardless of whether or not they were saved from the fire, nothing was worth turning away from God. Our faith is worth staking our entire lives on. We can do so because we know that death is not the end. We know that Christ conquered death on the cross. In the fire, God was there with them. In the fires we face everyday, whether that fire is persecution or fear or hatred, the Lord is there alongside us in the midst of the flames. With God, the flames cannot touch us or harm us. The path to heaven is not without suffering and will sometimes involve passing through deserts as we experience in Lent. However, the path to heaven is the most rewarding path we could ever follow. Maybe you have the strength and conviction of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Maybe you aren’t quite there yet. No matter where you are on the path, keep your eyes fixed on the cross, and know that the Lord is there with you even in the midst of the fire. 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 fires are you facing this day? What are you willing to stake your life on? What fires or struggles in your life have you felt the Lord accompanying you through? 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. "Lord, you are with me in the fire." "Jesus, stay with me." "Lord, I choose the cross." 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? Endure the fire today knowing that Christ is there with you in the midst of it. 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 Maggie Overbeck, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley, IL.
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