Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church

​​​Step #1: Lectio / Read

Click 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.

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17A

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​​Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

You could say I have a love-hate relationship with winter. As temperatures start to drop and snow starts to fall here in the Midwest, everything looks dead, and I can’t step outside without layers upon layers of clothing. Especially once all the Christmas lights come down in a few weeks, I struggle to see the beauty and goodness of creation when I look outside my window.

Yet winter holds so much promise. Winter is the season where the Lord lays the groundwork for everything good that is to come. We see this in a real way as creation blooms again each spring, but most amazing of all, we see it on one quiet night where our Lord entered our world in the form of a little baby.

Now we are still 11 days from the celebration of Christmas, but we wait with anticipation for the joy that is to come on Christmas morning. Today’s first reading speaks beautifully to that anticipation: 

“I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near.”

Our Lord is so close. And in a year where maybe we haven’t felt the Lord’s presence as much as we would like, these words remind us of the promise that God is with us - yesterday, today, and tomorrow. May these final days of Advent bring you a greater awareness of the Lord’s presence all around us, and may you continue to seek out the light even in the darkness.

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​​Step #3: Oratio / Pray

These 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 have I seen the Lord? Where have I beheld Him?

Where do I see God at work in my life during this season?

Where can I go to seek out the Lord's presence?

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​​Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

In 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 see him."

"I behold him."

"He is near."

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​​​​Step #5: Actio / Act

In 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?

Seek out the Lord's presence today, whether in the Eucharist, in creation, in another person, wherever you can encounter Him today.

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​​​Smartphone Lock Screen

The 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.

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Today's prayer was prepared by Maggie Super.