OLDER LECTIO DIVINA

The disciples had a very different idea of those who suffered from things like blindness and leprosy before Christ taught them to see these people the way God sees them. This is the blessing God provides when we listen to him: He provides a fresh perspective of the world, a life-giving, hopeful perspective. If we’re ever discouraged by the way people around us think, remember the way God thinks, the way Jesus taught, and listen to what he has to say. His countercultural way of seeing everything will encourage us, and help us to see how we–as Chistians–are different, and offer a very unique vision for this world and of the next. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

The Samaritan woman told the people in her village all that Jesus said, and then they listened to him to see if it were true, to see if he truly was the Messiah. They listened to him because the woman acted as a witness proclaiming Christ to be who he says he is. In our spiritual journey, it’s wise to not only live as Christ’s witnesses ourselves, but also to listen to other people who proclaim his divinity and salvation,  and to believe them.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

God the Father said, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him.” So, we listen. It’s always good when the instructions on how to pray come from God himself. One of the best ways to listen to him is to go to a Eucharistic Adoration chapel and just sit in his efficacious presence. After all, at the Transfiguration, by simply being in Jesus’ presence Peter, James and John were led to the Father. Jesus will always lead us to his Father, just as Mary always leads us to Jesus.  

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

This week, as we start Lent, the Church calls us to observe the way Jesus resisted the devil. What better way to begin this penitential season! Jesus’ time in the desert is a clinic for prevailing in our Lenten sacrifice. When we are tempted, listen to Scripture. Pick up the Bible for strength. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to listen to God’s word in some way every day this Lent. That is how Jesus resisted the devil, by learning Scripture and thereby knowing how to respond to temptation.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

There sure is a great deal to listen to in this Gospel. There are so many action items, we can fill our lives with trying to complete them. In fact, that is Jesus’ intent. Jesus leaves no room to live any other kind of life if we are going to live the gospel. Whenever we are confused about life or the truth, it’s good to listen to the teachings of Christ. The way of life he teaches is so distinct from the way our society says to live that there is no mistaking where our confusion comes from if we don’t live by his teachings. Secular society breeds confusion. That’s just the way it is. It is radically inclusive, ambiguous and complicated. The lines are all blurred, distinctions are unclear, words are poorly defined, and clarity is lacking. Jesus offers clarity if we listen to his teachings. At the heart of his gospel is love, which stands in stark contrast to the other voices around us. We have heard many other kinds of wisdom, but only the gospel of love offers the paradoxical solution to the biggest problems and conundrums in the world. Love is the only answer to the problem of evil. Love alone conquers greed, usury, hatred, anger, and injustice, and untruth. It conquers them by emptying itself, by letting go of everything we think matters in order to give God room to work his wonders. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Whenever I read Scripture, no matter how many times I’ve read the passage before, I always find new truths. It’s because I read it during different phases of life, different times of day, different moods, or different spiritual states. It’s always revealing if I take the time to listen to what God is saying to me in that moment. This time, in this passage, I saw that God was teaching me to seek righteousness. I was frustrated with my lack of direction in life. My many desires were sporadic and disconnected. Nothing connected them all together. Christ taught me today to remember righteousness, and to look at my own heart. By seeking righteousness and seeing where my own heart is, I saw that my desires were not oriented toward God, the kingdom of heaven, or righteousness. As a result, my whole direction in life was in disarray. Jesus instructs us to cut away all the chaff and get to the heart of what we really want. Even though we only get glimpses of heaven on this side of it, the more we focus our gaze on it and pursue it the clearer it will become. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Light reveals what was in darkness. There is a great darkness all around us in our culture and society today. I believe the Kingdom of God is all around us, and it is our job as Christians to turn on the light to reveal it to others. Sometimes that requires silencing all the other voices around us to hear God’s. First, in order to do that, we Christians must quiet our own hearts though, so we can hear what God is saying to us and what he wants us to say to others.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

There really isn’t much more to say because Jesus said it all so perfectly. My only intention in this last section of lectio divina is to provide a little bit of a boost as you continue your day, by giving you a reason to listen more carefully to God speaking and working in your life, or perhaps by showing you a place or a way to listen and look for him that you may not have thought of in the past. Christ says those who live by the Beatitudes are blessed. They are blessed because these virtues bring us closer to him, and to be close to him is to be blessed. Just as a plant receives nourishment by leaning into the sun, we receive nourishment by leaning into God; and we lean into God by living the Beatitudes.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

When Jesus called the disciples, they dropped everything and followed him. Am I that obedient when God calls me to do something? I say I don’t know if it’s really God’s will, but there’s an easy way to find out if something is his will: Pray more. The most important part of prayer is the listening part, when we quiet our hearts, minds, and souls to contemplate what God is saying to us. This contemplation almost always leads to God giving us some concrete action plan, just like when he called his disciples.

Lord,
Thank you for the salvation you offer if I just give my life to you. Please help me to have the faith needed to devote myself anew to you everyday. Seeking you is hard in today’s world, but with your guidance you will show me that you are right beside me the whole way. Bless my quest after you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.