Communal Lectio Divina, Tuesday, August 1, 2023 8:00am

  Lectio Divina Process:

    1st reading:  Read:  Listen for the overall sense of the passage.  Choose one word or phrase that captures your attention as you listen, as if the Holy Spirit were flashing a light from your heart to the text , asking  you to notice it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, what opens your eyes or warms your heart as God is speaking to you?

    2nd reading: Reflect- What feelings, sensations or memories are you experiencing? Describe something God be telling you as you listen.

    3rd reading:  Respond-  Are you moved to say something to God in response to the meanings and observations you are hearing? Is there a request, a question, or realization that you would like God to hear from you? 

    After the 3rd Sharing, Share the Silence: Rest in God-  Hold a quiet space to listen to God speaking in your heart,  beyond words.

	"Bread and Fish"
	Mosaic in the Church of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha, Israel , 5th century--  Venerable Bede adds an interesting moral application for us. By blessing the loaves, Jesus teaches us to bless our daily bread. Like the poor barley loaves and little fish, we can offer our poor human qualities to Jesus, who can bless and transform the gift of ourselves for service to others. Moral strength comes from fellowship with Jesus who offers us healing power in the frequent reception of the Eucharist." (Majernik, 101)

Matthew 14:13-21

13 Jesus withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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  Lord's Prayer  (recited together).  

  
  

  Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

  
  
  Closing Prayer
• Glorious God, your generosity floods the world with goodness and you shower creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for food to satisfy both body and heart, that in the miracle of being fed we may be empowered to feed the hungry in Jesus' name. Amen.

Shared Lectio Divina, Tuesday, July 25, 2023

 Lectio Divina Process:

    1st reading:  Read:  Listen for the overall sense of the passage.  Choose one word or phrase that captures your attention as you listen, as if the Holy Spirit were flashing a light from your heart to the text , asking  you to notice it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, what opens your eyes or warms your heart as God is speaking to you?

    2nd reading: Reflect- What feelings, sensations or memories are you experiencing? Describe something God be telling you as you listen.

    3rd reading:  Respond-  Are you moved to say something to God in response to the meanings and observations you are hearing? Is there a request, a question, or realization that you would like God to hear from you? 

    After the 3rd Sharing, Share the Silence: Rest in God-  Hold a quiet space to listen to God speaking in your heart,  beyond words.

• Koenig, Peter. "Treasure in the Field," from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=58507 [retrieved July 22, 2023]. Original source: Peter Winfried (Canisius) Koenig, https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.

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• Matthew 13:31-33, 44-48 31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down,and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
• 
  
• Lord's Prayer  (recited together).  

  
  

  Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

  
  
  Closing Prayer
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Seed-planting, fish-netting, bread-baking, pearl-hunting God,
you shape us into living parables.
Pray with your Spirit in us
so that we may understand our experiences
as healing metaphors,
and become creative and abundant stewards
of the environment you entrusted to our love. Amen.
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Communal Sacred Reading, Tuesday, July 18, 8:00am

 Lectio Divina Process:

    1st reading:  Read:  Listen for the overall sense of the passage.  Choose one word or phrase that captures your attention as you listen, as if the Holy Spirit were flashing a light from your heart to the text , asking  you to notice it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, what opens your eyes or warms your heart as God is speaking to you?

    2nd reading: Reflect- What feelings, sensations or memories are you experiencing? Describe something God be telling you as you listen.

    3rd reading:  Respond-  Are you moved to say something to God in response to the meanings and observations you are hearing? Is there a request, a question, or realization that you would like God to hear from you? 

    After the 3rd Sharing, Share the Silence: Rest in God-  Hold a quiet space to listen to God speaking in your heart,  beyond words.

                        "Angel of the Plains,"Péterfy, László, Paks, Hungary

 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-39

13:24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 36 Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Lord's Prayer  (recited together).  

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Steadfast God,
teach us your way and your truth.
Root us in you alone,
help us to grow in grace and love,
that we may fulfill our role and our work
in the reign of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Group Lectio, July 11, 2023, 8:00am

  Lectio Divina Process:

    1st reading:  Read:  Listen for the overall sense of the passage.  Choose one word or phrase that captures your attention as you listen, as if the Holy Spirit were flashing a light from your heart to the text , asking  you to notice it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, what opens your eyes or warms your heart as God is speaking to you?

    2nd reading: Reflect- What feelings, sensations or memories are you experiencing? Describe something God be telling you as you listen.

    3rd reading:  Respond-  Are you moved to say something to God in response to the meanings and observations you are hearing? Is there a request, a question, or realization that you would like God to hear from you? 

    After the 3rd Sharing, Share the Silence: Rest in God-  Hold a quiet space to listen to God speaking in your heart,  beyond words.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"

Lord's Prayer  (recited together).  

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Prayer

• Ancient Gardener,
  your holy word is planted in our hearts
  as good seed in fertile soil.
  So nurture us
  that we may bear fruit abundantly. Amen.

Scriptural Lections for July 9, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9, Year A)

 

• Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 
• and Psalm 45:10-17 
• or Song of Solomon 2:8-13
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• Zechariah 9:9-12 
• and Psalm 145:8-14
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• Romans 7:15-25a
• Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Communal Lectio Divina, Tuesday, July 4, 2003, 8:00am

 Lectio Divina Process:

    1st reading:  Read:  Listen for the overall sense of the passage.  Choose one word or phrase that captures your attention as you listen, as if the Holy Spirit were flashing a light from your heart to the text , asking  you to notice it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, what opens your eyes or warms your heart as God is speaking to you?

    2nd reading: Reflect- What feelings, sensations or memories are you experiencing? Describe something God be telling you as you listen.

    3rd reading:  Respond-  Are you moved to say something to God in response to the meanings and observations you are hearing? Is there a request, a question, or realization that you would like God to hear from you? 

    After the 3rd Sharing, Share the Silence: Rest in God-  Hold a quiet space to listen to God speaking in your heart,  beyond words.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

 "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon';
the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Lord's Prayer  (recited together).  

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Prayer 

We give you thanks, O God of compassion, for the salvation you have revealed to the little ones through Christ Jesus, our wisdom and strength. Teach us to take up his gentle yoke and find rest from our burdens and cares. We rejoice, O Christ, for in your tender compassion you shoulder our burdens and ease our heavy hearts. Give us the strength to carry each other as you have carried us. Amen.