Welcome into Lectio Divina.
I am reading from Matthew 3,
16 through 17.
I'm reading from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
I will lead you through the passage four times.
After each reading,
I will give you time to reflect on the reading with a different focus each time.
So before we begin,
Find a comfortable place to sit.
Prepare yourself to receive the Holy Spirit.
Sit upright in a comfortable chair with your feet on the floor and your hands resting comfortably on your lap,
Palms up.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath from your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth.
Focus on your breath and relax your body.
Invite God to be with you in your thoughts.
Imagine yourself sitting in the presence of God.
Remember,
This is a meditation.
It is a time for you to reflect on the text.
If you find your mind wandering,
Gently bring your thoughts back to the reading.
Continue taking deep breaths from your nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth.
As I read this passage through the first time,
Listen for patterns,
Images,
And ideas.
Listen as if you were listening to someone read a personal letter addressed just to you.
Listen for words or phrases that speak to you.
And when Jesus had been baptized,
Just as he came up from the water,
Suddenly the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
This is my Son,
The Beloved,
With whom I am well pleased.
As you continue to breathe deeply from your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth,
I will read through this passage again.
I invite you to recall anything that stood out to you during the first reading.
Is this something that you can connect to your life?
Use your imagination to paint a mental picture of the text.
Place yourself in the text and engage all your senses.
What do you experience as you sit in this passage?
And when Jesus had been baptized,
Just as he came up from the water,
Suddenly the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
This is my Son,
The Beloved,
With whom I am well pleased.
Continue breathing slowly through your nose and exhaling from your mouth.
As I read this passage the third time,
Reflect on all the thoughts,
Feelings,
Actions,
Fears,
Convictions,
And questions you have experienced up to this point.
Offer these to God in prayer.
Praise God for who God is.
And when Jesus had been baptized,
Just as he came up from the water,
Suddenly the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
This is my Son,
The Beloved,
With whom I am well pleased.
As you continue your slow,
Deep breathing,
I will read this passage through the fourth and final time.
Sit in silence in the presence of God.
Be still and know that God is God.
Simply sit and allow yourself to feel God's presence and tender love that wraps around you and embraces you.
And when Jesus had been baptized,
Just as he came up from the water,
Suddenly the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
This is my Son,
The Beloved,
With whom I am well pleased.
As you continue to breathe slowly,
I invite you to think about your experience with God during this exercise.
Ask yourself four questions.
What did you learn from or about God?
What did you learn about what God thinks of you?
What does God want from you?
What action steps,
If any,
Can you take out of conviction from this lesson?
May you feel the presence of God throughout your day today.
Amen.
