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). Honestly, I think I got tired just reading today’s Gospel. If I had just spent all night curing people and casting out demons, I would definitely be ready for some introvert-time or maybe a week-long vacation. And yet Jesus never grows weary in ministering to His people. These people were so eager to soak up every word coming out of Jesus’ mouth and to see every miracle He would perform. Just a few verses earlier though, Jesus got rejected by the people in Nazareth, His hometown. Now here are these people that are overjoyed to be in Jesus’ presence and want Him never to depart from them. If it were up to me, I honestly would probably want to stay with the nicer people who were actually welcoming and wanted to be around me. It’s easy to share the Gospel message in places where people are eager to listen and follow us and hang on our every word. It’s a lot harder to go to those other places where we know sharing the Gospel might mean facing persecution or rejection in return. Yet Jesus knows His purpose and knows that those people need to hear the Gospel too. We know that the rest of Jesus’ ministry was certainly not always smooth sailing, and ended with Him being hung on a cross. And yet Jesus never stopped proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God even though He knew how it all would end. Jesus shows us that the Cross and the proclamation of the Good News are inextricably linked. We cannot have one without the other, and we must see the beauty in both. May we, like Jesus, never grow weary in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all people and continually unite our hearts to the Cross. 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. Do you only share your faith when it is easy, or do you try and reach out to those who need it, even if it means facing persecution? How can you prepare yourself to be more bold? How can you continue to find the energy to "never grow weary"? Where do you find the balance in your life of freely giving everything and being continually filled by the Lord? How can you make this a better balance in 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. "Here I am Lord." "Come Holy Spirit." "Jesus, I trust in 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? Go out and share your faith. Share it outside of your comfortable "bubble". Share it with those who may make fun of you or turn away from you. Share the love of God with those who need it most! 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 Maggie Overbeck, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley, IL.
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