Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).
It's Friday the 13th, the 2nd Friday of Advent, and the Feast of St. Lucy! I've always loved Friday the 13th's, even when they've made everyone else cringe and avoid ladders and black cats. I've always found them to be the luckiest days of my life. I turned 7 and 13 on Friday the 13th ... also 19 and 30 and soon 35 - since my birthday is Friday the 13th again in 2020.
Why do I find these to be my luckiest days? Well, I don't really believe in pure luck ... as Catholic Christians we believe that the Lord ordains our lives, He's in control - not some date on the calendar or whether we've broken a mirror, walked under a ladder, or seen a black cat. Those, along with a believe in random luck, are all just superstitions. We believe that the Lord is the light of our life, just like today's Psalm response. He's in control of what happens to us. This doesn't mean our lives are preordained or destined to be a certain way. Rather, it means that the Lord is guiding our way. He's our north star. He's sharing with us the ways we should go. A lot of things can be just about perspective. If we believe that today being Friday the 13th will make our day unlucky, then we'll notice all of the unlucky things in our day. We'll see only the things that go wrong and miss blessings. If we focus on the 'unlucky' day of Friday the 13th we'll miss the joys of today. If we focus on St. Lucy with her eyes on a platter (she was martyred, check out her story - it's fascinating), we'll miss the fact that she knew where her true light came from. 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.
Where will you focus today? On the unluckiness or the blessings that could be?
Do you see first the hardship and miss the blessings in life? Are you focused on the busyness of Christmas instead of the joy of Advent? 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.
"Show me your blessings Lord."
"Help me see your light." "Bring forth the joy of advent." 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 joyful today to prepare your heart, your house, and your family for Christmas. Find a fun holiday tradition or sing a few Advent songs to get your heart in the mood for the upcoming festivities.
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 Katie Herzing, a former youth minister turned parish evanglization consultant living in North Carolina. 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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