Lectio Divina with Fr. Lawrence
2 Timothy 2:11-13
Reading
This saying is faithful: If we have died with him we shall also live with him;
if we persevere we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful he remains unfaithful, for he cannot deny himself.
Meditation
The words of this canticle are phrased as conditional statements – a rhetorical device; that is not at all what is being said here. We have died with Christ through our baptism. Paul has persevered and sits in jail because of it. He had been warned to stop preaching the Gospel, and because he did not heed the warning, he sat chained to the walls of a jail cell. The only question that remains unanswered is the question about perseverance and faithfulness. This is where we look at our response to the graces we have received through baptism and through the other sacraments as well.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of persevering in my love of you; you are my rock, my refuge. Without you I am nothing.
Contemplation
Daily Thought from the Saints
"Do not be anxious: go straight on, forgetful of self, letting the spirit of God act instead of your own."
— St. Julie Billiart
Daily Scripture Verse
"For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who [also] gives his holy Spirit to you."
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
Daily Meditation
"As St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary. He told us to be not only ‘as harmless as doves’, but also ‘as wise as serpents’. He wants a child’s heart, but a grown-up’s head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim."
—C.S. Lewis
Daily Catholic Wisdom
May the Heart of Jesus Christ be our school! Let us make our abode there. Let us study its movements and attempt to conform ours to them. Yes, O Divine Jesus, I want to live there.
—St. Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.
A Prayer from Notre Dame University
Rev. Ralph Haag, C.S.C.
O God, whose love never fails, give us the insight and understanding of the scribe. May we hear your commands, and may they find a home in us and guide us to your truth. As we walk in your ways, we ask you to open the doors of the heavenly kingdom to us. Amen.