The Lord speaks to our hearts!

My life as a Religious Sister is a source of great joy! As Sisters we are very blessed because our daily schedule sets aside prime time for prayer – our quality time with the Lord. We don’t have to “squeeze it in” as so many must do today. Holy Mass is the mountaintop of our daily prayer, followed by prayer in common from the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, and our daily meditation which follows in the tradition of Lectio Divina.

Lectio Divina or praying with Sacred Scripture is an ancient form of prayer in the Church. (Click on one of these links for a look at this tradition: http://www.ymsp.org/resources/practices/lectio_divina.html (click on the printer friendly version or
http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html Lectio Divina enables us to meditate on God’s Word and allow it to speak to us personally.

I choose to meditate on the Gospel for each day. Today’s readings were from Mark 8. As I read the scripture passage and reflected prayerfully on it these words leaped out at me: “You are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.” These were the words that Jesus spoke to Peter as Peter tried to turn Jesus away from the Cross.

I knew that these words were for me today. Some mornings, after Mass, I hit the deck running and I am off into the day’s routine. I have been trying to think like God thinks and to refrain from inserting my own way of thinking into some of the things I have to do or into relationships. (You know how it is; some days you think you have all the answers!)

Yesterday the fruit of my meditation came from the words from John’s Gospel: “Remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9-17) The Lord has a way of letting me know that in spite of my shortcomings He loves me very much.

O Lord, help me to remain in your Presence, in your Love throughout this day. Help me to elevate my thoughts to see things from your point of view. I pray for the grace to lift my eyes so I am focused on You and on your perspective. Inspire my thoughts through the power of Your Holy Spirit so that I can offer others your wisdom, your love, and not just my own limited opinions and ideas. Amen