Total Devotion

5/5/2016

Step #1: Lectio / read

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
“Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.

Acts 18:1-8

Step #2: Meditatio / meditate

Devotion is the language of the heart. Whatever or whoever it is that our hearts desire, we usually put our total and undivided attention into; we apply our entire energy, we use all our resources, we put all our time and efforts, we give everything for the sake of achieving whatever it is that we desire.

Athletes will give everything to win the game. They will face the ridicule of their trainers, they willingly take all the challenges of training and practice, they will do necessary diets and physical discipline and immerse themselves totally to the cause of achieving their desire: namely, to be a champion athlete. It is the same for everyone who desires to achieve something in life, whether it be achieving a particular dream or in winning the heart of a person we love.

A lover will do everything for the sake of the beloved with total devotion.

I can only imagine Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien and the like rehearsing their lines, devoting their time and energy, asking their writers and advisors questions, researching new ways and creating for themselves habits in order to be effective in everything they do to entertain people, to truly be funny and bring laughter to the all the audience. In the competitive world that we are in, these men don’t just come to the television set unprepared. They are constantly updated with the latest news, they educate themselves with what interests people the most, what are the new fads, what occupies peoples’ lives nowadays, etc., and from this information they entertain us. They devote themselves totally to the cause of entertainment.

In a similar manner, Paul gave everything for the cause of the Gospel because he was in love with the person of Jesus Christ with passion. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles wrote: Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. To misunderstand this passage is to say that all he did was go from place to place talking to people. No! With passion, Paul devoted all his time and energy and his entire being preaching, by working hard as a tentmaker, by writing (and so we have his letters in the New Testament), and by traveling from city to city telling the story of his beloved Jesus and his new found way of living.

Paul devoted his life totally for a cause, the cause of the Good News. He poured out everything that he’d got for that single cause and in doing so, like a champion athlete, he won the race and gain the title, “saint”.

Step #3: Oratio / Pray

"Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus."

What is your passion in life?

Are you in love?

Do you give your total devotion, your everything to that single passion as to achieve your goal?

Does this passion help you become a saint?

Step #4: Contemplatio / contemplate

Lord, that I may devote myself totally to you through my desires.

Lord, give me the grace to have a single-minded devotion in loving you through the gifts you gave me.

Lord, make me a champion athlete for you.

For the Rest of Your Day...

Use 5 minutes of you time today to start a habit to achieve your passion in life. Then do it everyday.

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Today's prayer was prepared by Fr. Caliente.

CARPE VERBUM