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) "How long, O Lord?" Psalm 13 fits well here. God, when are you going to give me that answer I so desperately need? Or give me what I've been waiting so long to receive? "How long, O Lord?" Because there is a time for everything. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. All things happen according to His will. This phrase should comfort us. Instead, it can become a daily struggle and to be really honest, this is one of the things I struggle with the most. Being in my last year of college, I have a lot of questions that need to be answered about my future, and it seems like none of them are coming. Every time I pray, I just hear God saying "wait." Instead of trusting in His promises, it makes my heart bitter and cold. This reading helps me to really understand that God makes everything appropriate to its time. It's a big wake-up call. If this reflection is ringing true to you today, remember that God's ways are above ours. It hurts. Believe me, I know. All of the suffering in waiting is God wanting us to draw closer to Him. No matter how frustrating or confusing, God is leading us day by day to the answers we need in the future. Daily, He holds us within His Sacred Heart, and nothing within Him is lacking. The hope, love, and mercy found within His heart is the true answer to anything we could ever need. “I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?” - C.S Lewis Let us rejoice in that, and put faith & trust in His promises. Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart. What do I long for? What are the deepest desires of my heart? How do I respond when I feel like the Lord does not hear my prayers? Do I grow bitter or do I trust in the Lord and his timing? How can I continue to grow closer to the Lord in times of waiting? 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, I trust in you." "Christ, hear us." "Thy will be done." 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 Lord bear fruit in you today? Live in the longing. Pray about and reflect on the deepest desires your heart. Trust in the Lord's promises, and know that He will fulfill your desires in ways better than you could ever imagine. 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 Sarah Lundgren, a student at the University of Dayton studying Religious Studies.
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