CARPE VERBUM
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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). Have you ever met someone like LeBron James who thinks they are the greatest thing since PokemonGo? No, seriously, there are people who don't believe in God because they think they ARE God. But the reality is twofold: 1) they are not God and 2) everything passes...even PokemonGo. In today's Gospel, Jesus refers to the Old Testament stories of a queen coming from the south to hear the great wisdom of Solomon and the repenting city of Ninevah when Jonah (the guy eaten by a whale) preached God's pending destruction. And in both cases, what does He say? "There is something greater than Solomon/ Jonah here." This bold claim would have left the Jews floored. Here is a carpenter telling them that He is greater than the wisest man that has ever lived on the face of this planet and greater than one of the greatest prophets of their past. The heavier part is that Jesus tells them their condemnation will come because they don't recognize the gift that is in front of them. Jesus is trying to open their eyes, minds, and hearts to show them WHO He is. If He says that there is something greater than Solomon here then it would seem to contradict when God tells Solomon "Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you" (1 Kings 3:12). Unless the same God who promised that to Solomon was the same God standing in front of you preaching to you. And it would be absurd to say that there is something greater than Jonah, who as a great prophet preached repentance, unless it was the very One who gave Jonah the ability to preach. Therefore we could understand "greater than Jonah" to actually mean "I am the Word of God, if it were not for me, no words would come from your mouth." So Christ is the SOURCE of the wisdom of Solomon and the preaching of Jonah. And Christ is the source of everything good that happens in our lives. Our sin is from our stubbornness. In fact, sin is monotonous, it is boring. But those who live by the Spirit of God and see all good things as gifts from God...they receive wisdom. They are the ones preaching, not necessarily always with their word but with their actions and lives. Because to be Christian is first to recognize 1) I am not God. And 2) Everything I have is a gift and it is passing. But God is that source of my life and I can thank Him and love Him for it. 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. How do I define greatness? Who do I look up to as an example of greatness? What are things in my life that I place more importance in than my relationship with God? What do I need to change to put God first? 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. "I am not God." "God is the source of life." "Thank you for my life." 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 Lord bear fruit in you today? Today, practice putting God first. Pray before you go to class. Pray before you turn on the TV or your music. Find ways to make God your priority throughout the day. 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. Sean Grismer, priest of the Diocese of Rockford.
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