Praying the Scriptures for a Change

Changing our lives to meet Jesus

Opening Prayer

1 Peter 1:15-16

Become holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, after the

likeness of the holy One who called you; remember, Scripture

says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Overview• Why Change?• Metanoia• Exercise for the Soul• Climbing a Sycamore

Tree• Road to Emmaus • Ancient Path• Lectio Divina

• Practical Example• Step 5 – Divine

Service (Operatio)• How Can I Make a

Change?

Why Change?• Universal hunger for happiness• Prevailing worldview regarding happiness

– Play song: Rockstar by Nickelback– Individualism – what’s in it for me?– Hedonism – if it feels good, do it– Minimalism – what is the least I can do?

• What is authentic happiness ?• “You cannot become more like Jesus Christ

and at the same time stay as you are.”1

Metanoia

• Metanoia – change of heart; interior penance• John 16:8-9

– “[The Holy Spirit will] convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”

• John 15:36 – “[the Holy Spirit] will bear witness to me”

• Acts 2:36-38 – “they were cut to the heart”– What shall we do?– Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins;

and you shall receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 26:20)

Exercise our Souls• “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after

preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – St. Paul, 1 Cor 9:27

• Faculties of the soul: – Intellect – its job is to know. Know what? Know

things as they really are (sanity)– Will – its job is to choose. Choose what?

Choose love (sanctity)

• Catechism: “[God] calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him ” (CCC 1721; cf.)

Climbing a Sycamore Tree

• Luke 19:1-6 – God does not require our deservedness to

receive his heavenly gifts– But…He does require us to WORK:

• “he sought to see Jesus” (Lk 19:3), “Faith which worketh by love” (Gal 5:6), “Justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24), “He will render to every man according to his works” (Rom 2:6)

– Although undeserving, we are created, gifted and called to participate in the work of God

• “we are God's fellow workers” (1 Cor 3:9)

Road to Emmaus

• Luke 24:13-32, 35– Jesus himself drew near and went with them– Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him– They constrained him– He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it

to them– Their eyes were opened and they recognized him– Our hearts burn within us while he talked to us…while he

opened to us the scriptures– He was known to them in the breaking of the bread

Ancient Path

• Jerimiah 6:16 – Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads, and

look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls

• Guigo II, Carthusian monk ,12th century– Ladder for Monks – Lectio Divina (“Divine

Reading”)– Lectio Divina dates back to St. Benedict (5th

cent.), having its roots in Sacred Scripture

Ancient Path

• Pope Benedict XVI:– "I would like in particular to recall and recommend the

ancient tradition of Lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart (cf. Dei Verbum, n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime. As a strong point of biblical ministry, Lectio divinashould therefore be increasingly encouraged.“ (Sept 2005 Address, 40th Anniv. of Dei Verbum)

Lectio Divina• Four rungs of the Monk’s Ladder to

holiness (traditional)1. Read (Lectio) – examine the details of the

passage; ask who, what, when, where2. Meditate (Meditatio) – reflect on the meaning

of the text; ask why 3. Pray (Oratio) – converse with the Lord about

the words in the passage4. Contemplate (Contemplatio) – wordless

prayer in which the mind and heart focus on God’s greatness and goodness

Lectio Divina• Vinyard Metaphor

– Read: Pick grapes carefully so they’re not damaged. Work your way through the lines of text slowly and carefully, paying attention so you can pull out the choice bits: the images and so on

– Meditate: Stomp on the grapes! Squeeze out every drop of meaning you can find. What stands out to you in the text

– Pray: Allow the collected juice to ferment. Like prayer where the heart ponders the things you’ve meditated on, feelings bubble up in prayerful response to God

– Contemplate: The wine has fermented and aged; it’s time to drink. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord

Practical Example

1 Peter 1:15-16

Become holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, after the

likeness of the holy One who called you; remember, Scripture

says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Step 5 – Divine Service (Operatio)

• Divine Service : Bottle it up and ship it out! Put into practice a resolution to bring the wine of God’s word to fruitfulness in your life and in the world

• Make a resolution to do something today to put into practice the inspiration received during Lectio Divina

How Can I Make a Change?• Make a plan and resolve to stick with it…

Piety (Holiness):• Liturgy of the Hours:

Invitatory, Office of

Reading, Morning

Prayer, Day Prayer,

Evening Prayer, Night

Prayer

• Daily Mass or daily mass

Scripture readings

• Daily Rosary or Chaplet

of Divine Mercy

• Noon: Angelus/Regina

Coeli

• Weekly abstinence from

meat on all Fridays

• Monthly Confession

• Annual retreat

Study (Formation):• Lectio Divina: Read,

Meditate, Pray,

Contemplate

• Catechism of the Catholic

Church

• Lives of the saints

• Books from early Church

father, saints, doctors of

the Church

• Writings from the Church

Councils and popes

• Writings from the

diocesan bishop

• Theology

texts/classes/presentations

Action (Evangelization):• Teach RCIA

• Sponsor candidates for

the sacraments (as

needed)

• Speak about Christ at

work

• Visibly live the life of

Christ always

• Internet apologetic

discussions

• Monday nights – faith

sharing/apologetic

discussions

How Can I Make a Change?

Time

(mm:ss)

Source Scripture

3:25 Daily Mass Eph 2:12-2; Psalm 85:9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14; Luke 12:35-38

1:54 Invitatory Psalm 95

13:15 Office of

Readings

Psalm 10; Psalm 12; Esther 4:1-17; Matthew 5:44-45;

Hebrews 11:33, 34, 39; Wisdom 3:5

11:10 Morning Prayer Psalm 24; Tobit 13:1-8; Psalm 33; Romans 13:11b,12-13a;

Luke 1:68 – 79 (Benedictus); Matthew 6:9-13 (Lord’s Prayer)

6:17 Day Prayer Psalm 119: 1-8; Psalm 13; Psalm 14; Proverbs 3:13-15

9:08 Evening Prayer Psalm 20; Psalm 21:2-8, 14; Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12; 1

John 3:1a, 2; Luke 1:46-55 (Magnificat); Matthew 6:9-13

(Lord’s Prayer)

5:37 Night Prayer Psalm 143:1-11; 1 Peter 5:8-9a; Luke 2:29-32 (Canticle of

Simeon)

50:46 Total

Divine Office: http://divineoffice.org/

Praystation Portable: http://psp.libsyn.com/

Daily Scripture: http://www.usccb.org/nab/

• Lk 19:1 “Pray always without becoming weary”

About the Author

Dr. Tim Gray is the President of the

Augustine Institute, a dynamic new MA

program in Sacred Scripture and

Evangelization & Catechesis in Denver. He is

also Professor of Sacred Scripture at St.

John Vianney Theological Seminary. He

holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic

University of America. Dr. Gray is a partner

with Jeff Cavins in The Great Adventure Bible

Timeline series, the fastest growing Catholic

Bible study program. A nationally renowned

speaker, Dr. Gray has filmed numerous

series for EWTN. Dr. Gray resides in

Littleton, Colorado with his wife Kris and their

son Joseph.

About the Author

Dr. Edward Sri is a founding leader with

Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of

Catholic University Students), and he

currently serves as the provost and professor

of theology and Scripture at the Augustine

Institute Master’s program in Denver,

Colorado. He also teaches as a visiting

professor at Benedictine College, where he

taught full-time for nine years. Edward holds

a doctorate from the Pontifical University of

St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He resides

with his wife Elizabeth and their five children

in Littleton, Colorado.

Questions?

Closing Prayer

Luke 1:29 “[Mary] considered in her mind what sort of [Angelic] greeting this might

be.”

Luke 2:19 “Mary kept all these things, and pondered [them] in her heart.”

Luke 2:51 “His mother kept all these things in her heart.”