Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
The two greatest commandments are pretty easy to understand, right?
The first: You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. So, why is it that we sometimes find it difficult to keep God the center of our lives? If you’re like me, you battle the demands of family, friends, work, sports and leisure versus your love and time with God in prayer. You may also struggle to see him throughout your day and give him thanks for all your blessings. When it comes to loving our neighbors as ourselves, that is sometimes even more difficult, especially when someone treats us wrong or hurts our feelings. We sometimes find we are not able to forgive and in some cases we want them to have some “payback” for their actions. As I journey on this spiritual path, I have found that it all lies in seeking the Kingdom first, seeking to love God above all things. It is a transformation of our hearts. When we ask God to help us love him like he loves us and to love others as he loves us, it cuts to the core of the matter. When the heart changes, everything else will follow. We need God’s grace to love him, seek him and keep him first in our lives. We need to ask him to help us every single day to love him more and to change our hearts of stone to a heart of flesh that seeks him above all things. Only with God’s grace will we feel our hearts begin to change. He has the power to change our behavior, our thoughts and our love for one another. Let’s ask and allow God to transform our hearts like Christ’s so we can shine bright in the darkness of this culture and live the two greatest commandments. 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.
Having just two commandments appears to make the spiritual life easy, but they aren't so easy. What do you find most difficult in loving God?
Where do you get 'hung up' on in loving your neighbor? Do you question "who is my neighbor" at all? 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 love you Lord with my whole heart."
"I love you Lord with my whole soul." "I love you Lord with my whole mind." 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?
Do something great for a 'neighbor' today. This could be the person who lives beside you, the locker next door, someone at the store, or a friend. Do something kind to show them that God loves them!
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 Kendra Von Esh, an International Catholic Speaker, TV News Anchor, Radio Host and Author with a passion to help others deepen their relationship with God and the Faith. 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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