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). Authority. I feel like this is a word which we see often, especially when we think about Jesus, as in today’s Gospel reading. I was struck by this word and decided to look up it’s etymology. Our English word, authority, comes from the Latin, auctor, which means “originator”, and in regards to the Gospel today this is quite a revelation. Today, Jesus enters the synagogue and begins to teach. The Gospel writer tells us that Jesus taught as, “one having authority and not as the scribes”, which leads the people to be astonished. As a youth minister I teach the Gospel every week and I’m always trying to teach as one who has authority— after all, it is my job. But after looking at Jesus as being one who teaches with authority, or as the “originator”, I’m comfortable being one who teaches as the scribes. I can only imagine being taught about the scriptures from Jesus— the one who has authority, the one who is the originator. It’s no wonder that the people were astonished! They weren’t being taught just by one of the scribes, someone who has learned the scriptures and tried to interpret them by his own knowledge, but by the originator of those very scriptures! Our experience of Jesus isn’t simply as another teacher, which many other religious traditions believe. Our experience of Jesus, specifically in the scriptures, is an experience of the very originator of those words— the Word himself. The next time you dive into scripture, take time to realize that it isn’t simply a wise or great teacher who is sharing based on limited knowledge; it is the Word himself, the originator of all, Jesus Christ. 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. Who is Jesus to me? Is he just a good teacher or is he the Creator and originator of all? How am I letting Jesus work with authority in my life? How can I experience Jesus more when I read Scripture? 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. "You are everything I need." "Come, Holy Spirit." "I want to experience you more." 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? Take time to sit with Scripture today and let the authority of Jesus speak to you in new and powerful ways. 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 Adam Smyth, the Life Teen Coordinator at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in the Woodlands, TX.
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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