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) Saint Ignatius of Loyola is known for his work on the Discernment of the Spirits. His writing on discernment was a product of his own experience, in particular when he was wounded during a battle as a soldier and had to be confined into seclusion for his healing and recovery. This was when he started reading not just books of chivalry but on the lives of the saints. He admitted that, when he would read books about knights and their lives, it would stir his manly heart for fighting, but when he read on the lives of the saints, his heart was inspired and he received peace. We hear the Gospel today about the stormy boat while the Lord was sleeping until He was awaken by his apostles. With such a rocky boat, I have a feeling that the Lord Jesus was just waiting for the apostles to ask Him to do something. Our heart is the boat and, like St. Ignatius’ heart, at times we surround our heart with stories and scenes that stir us into restlessness. These scenes, images, and stories bring storms into our hearts and lives that make us feel afraid, agitated, alone, and abandoned by the Lord. But the Lord has not abandoned us! St. Augustine said that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. He is within, waiting for us to call on Him in the stormy dark night of our life. As soon as we do that, all that He has to do is to command our stormy heart to be quiet and be still. Let us rest in the words of the Lord. Let us heed His command to be quiet and still. Let not the restlessness bother us, because He is more powerful than any chaos that can come our way. Today, rest in the Lord. Be quiet. Be still…and know that He is God. 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 What are the storms in your life right? In what ways are you feeling agitated, and maybe have come to think that God has abandoned you? How can you quiet your heart and mind today in order to hear the peace that the Lord offers? What are things in your life which you can cut out - songs, shows, instagram accounts you follow, etc. - which bring you stress and make you feel restless? How can you replace those things with peace and joy in the Lord? 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 my peace." "I find rest in You." "Help me be quiet." 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 Find a time today where you can be totally silent and disconnect. Turn off all devices. Put down everything which may distract you. Simply choose total and complete silence and spend that time with the Lord - even if it's just five minutes, give Him total silence. 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 Fr. Ervin Caliente, priest of the Diocese of Rockford.
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