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). One of my favorite things about work is that we’re right across the street from a Chick-Fil-A. Besides it being “God’s chicken”, Chick-Fil-A is a great corporation for one specific thing: Mobile Monday. There are few things that I can think of that have excited me more over the past summer than rolling up on a random Monday afternoon to find out I was getting a free sandwich on top of my mobile order (plenty of more exciting things happened, but c’mon…free sandwich!) The anticipation I had while sitting in my car on the drive back to the office was probably way more than it should have been, but I couldn’t help it, to get something completely free on top of what I had already wanted just made everything better. In a way, this is what the early disciples of Jesus must have felt after hearing his words, recorded in today’s Gospel. “Something greater than Solomon is here…something greater than Jonah”. To us, this may not sound like much, but for the Jews of that time, who knew their history and the prophets, this was a huge claim! The Jews looked back on the time of Solomon’s reign as a Golden Age, just like we may look back on our own histories and think of the “good ole days”. The Temple was built, the kingdom of Israel was at its biggest ever, and there was a wise king ruling. This is the time that people remembered during the hard days of exile, like when Jonah came to preach repentance to Nineveh. So, to hear that something greater than a prophecy of the good age to come, and something greater than the greatest moment of their nation’s history, would be a really big deal. Jesus made these bold claims for a reason: because they are the truth! Jesus is the new King who will rule perfectly and bring about the eternal Kingdom of God. He is the fulfillment of every promise and every prophecy, and then some. Jesus is, in an infinitely greater way, the free sandwich that comes on Mobile Mondays at Chick-Fil-A! It isn’t easy to understand the exact feelings of those first-century Jews, but we get to experience this truth in an even greater way. The intimacy we experience with Jesus through the Blessed Sacrament, through the healing and mercy of Reconciliation, is far greater than what they could have imagined. Truly, something greater is here, and it has the name and face of Jesus Christ. 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 something you are really looking forward to? Why is Jesus greater? Jesus is the greatest, what role does He play in your life? Jesus fulfills every prophecy, how have you seen Him impact your life? 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. "Jesus is the greatest." "Jesus fulfills every prophecy." "Lord I need 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? 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 Adam Smyth, the Life Teen Coordinator at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in the Woodlands, TX.
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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