Lectio Divina of the Gospels for the Liturgical Year 2024–2025
Lectio Divina on the Gospels Copyright © 2023, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder. Excerpts from the New American Bible, revised edition, copyright © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition, copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Epigraph quote taken from Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations. Trans. Edmund Colledge, o.s.a., and James Walsh, s.j. (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, Inc., 1981 [Cisterician Studies no. 48]), 68-69. ISBN: 978-1-63967-123-6 Copyright © 2024, Magnificat Inc., New York. All rights reserved.
Lectio Divina of the Gospels for the Liturgical Year 2024–2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
4 Contents What Is Lectio Divina and How to Use This Book. 10 December 1, 2024 Lectio Divina for the First Week of Advent 15 December 8, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Second Week of Advent 19 December 9, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 23 December 15, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Third Week of Advent 27 December 22, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Fourth Week of Advent 31 December 25, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Christmas 35 December 29, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Holy Family 40 January 1, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 44 January 5, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Epiphany 48 January 12, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 53 January 19, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Second Week in Ordinary Time 57 January 26, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Third Week in Ordinary Time 61 February 2, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord 66
Contents 5 February 9, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time 71 February 16, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 75 February 23, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 80 March 2, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 85 March 5, 2025 Lectio Divina for Ash Wednesday 89 March 9, 2025 Lectio Divina for the First Week of Lent 93 March 16, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Second Week of Lent 98 March 23, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Third Week of Lent 102 March 30, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fourth Week of Lent 106 April 6, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fifth Week of Lent 111 April 13, 2025 Lectio Divina for Holy Week 115 April 17-20, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Paschal Triduum 120 April 20, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Octave of Easter 124 April 27, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Second Week of Easter 128 May 4, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Third Week of Easter 133
Contents 6 May 11, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fourth Week of Easter 138 May 18, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fifth Week of Easter 142 May 25, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Sixth Week of Easter 146 May 29, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Ascension 150 June 1, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Seventh Week of Easter 154 June 8, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Pentecost 158 June 15, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 162 June 22, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) 166 June 27, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart 170 June 29, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul 174 July 6, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time 178 July 13, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time 183 July 20, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time 188 July 27, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time 192
Contents 7 August 3, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time 197 August 10, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time 201 August 15, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Assumption 206 August 17, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 211 August 24, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time 215 August 31, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time 219 September 7, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time 224 September 14, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 228 September 21, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time 232 September 28, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time 236 October 5, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 240 October 12, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time 244 October 19, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time 248 October 26, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time 252 November 2, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Commemoration of All Souls 256
Contents 8 November 9, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 260 November 16, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time 264 November 23, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 268
Reading seeks for the sweetness of a blessed life, meditation perceives it, prayer asks for it, contemplation tastes it. Reading, as it were, puts food whole into the mouth, meditation chews it and breaks it up, prayer extracts its flavor, contemplation is the sweetness itself which gladdens and refreshes. Reading works on the outside, meditation on the pith, prayer asks for what we long for, contemplation gives us delight in the sweetness which we have found. —Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks, III (12th c.)
10 What Is Lectio Divina and How to Use This Book Reading – Meditation – Prayer – Contemplation Lectio divina or “divine reading” is a process of engaging with Christ, the Word of God. Through this sacred exercise, we enter into a closer relationship with the very Word himself, who communicates the love of the Father to us through the Holy Spirit. Lectio divina has four steps, in which we first hear what God has said (reading). We then take it in and reflect on it (meditation). From this our hearts are lifted up (prayer). Finally, after speaking to the Lord in prayer, we rest and listen for his message to us (contemplation). This is the process of lectio divina. It is a conversation with God, grounded in God’s own self-revelation to us. This helps us speak to God with a focus on what he has already told us about his relationship with humanity, his plans and desires for us, his promises, his admonitions, and his guidance on how we can live so as to find true life in abundance in Christ. Here is a brief description of each of the four steps: Reading (Lectio) Read the passage slowly and allow it to sink in. If there is a passage that is particularly striking, and that you want to keep with you, consider committing it to memory, or writing it down to keep with you, so that you can re-read it throughout the day, and let it enter deeper into your spirit. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
What Is Lectio Divina and How to Use This Book 11 and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Meditation (Meditatio) Read the passage again, and when something strikes you, a question arises in you, stop and meditate. Think about what God may be saying through it. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to fathom a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2) “I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths.” (Psalm 119:15) Prayer (Oratio) Speak to the Lord about what you have read and share what’s on your mind and heart—offer and share with the Lord your thanksgiving, petition, concerns, doubts, or simply affirm, back to the Lord, the very word that he has spoken. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Contemplation (Contemplatio) This is a quiet time, a time to rest in his presence and wait upon the Lord. It is a time where we allow the Lord to speak directly to our spirit from within us. It requires practice. But this allows us to be attentive to the Lord’s voice, and by regular practice, our ability to hear God’s voice
What Is Lectio Divina and How to Use This Book 12 will grow in daily life and daily situations, as we learn to focus our minds and hearts, our thoughts, our concerns, and our hopes toward him. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) “Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:11) Applying This Process of Lectio Divina to the Liturgical Year This Lectio Divina book will take the reader through the Sundays and major feasts and solemnities of the liturgical year. It can be used for individual devotion and can also easily be used to assist in small group reflections in parishes and small faith groups. It offers a structured process for engaging with the Word of God. As the reader or group becomes more comfortable engaging with Scripture, this process can be more closely tailored to suit the path of growth that best fits the reader(s). First, the lectio divina session is started by praying a prayer that is taken from a Mass collect from that liturgical week. Following that prayer, the main Scripture passage for reflection is read, taken from the Gospel reading for that day. This READING can be re-read, a few times, to let it sink in. Next, a set of three questions are offered to help in MEDITATION. These questions can also facilitate talking about the passage in a group setting. The individual then offers his or her personal PRAYER, responding to the Lord. In a group setting, people can speak out their prayers one at a time—this may help deepen the prayer response and further set the group’s focus on the Lord. Next, a structured set of passages and questions are offered that return the reader to the Gospel passage. This invites the reader to contemplate what the Lord is speaking and what it means for their life. It allows the individual or the prayer group to consider specific ways the Lord may be speaking into their life at that very moment. As
What Is Lectio Divina and How to Use This Book 13 each person begins to hear a response from the Lord—the Lord’s word spoken directly and personally to them—that person can begin to let that word flow through their life, by an interior change and a will to do what the Lord is asking of them. Through this step of CONTEMPLATION, we hear God’s voice speaking to us, and it propels us to conversion of heart and mind. After the closing prayer, time is given to choosing how to live out the fruit of your prayer. You know your heart and life best—if it’s clear what God is asking of you, in faith, choose some way you can put that request or teaching from the Lord into action that week. It could be a small act of faith that the Lord is asking, or perhaps, a more serious and important step that he is asking you to take. If there is nothing specific that comes to your mind, consider the question and suggestion offered in the Living the Word This Week section. This portion offers guidance on what concrete actions may be taken in our daily lives. The Lectio Divina of the Gospels for the Liturgical Year offers a specific pattern of prayerful reading of God’s Word. As you begin on this path, may the Lord’s blessing follow you, and fall upon you, throughout the movement of seasons in this new liturgical year, and may your life, in turn, be a blessing upon others.
Lectio Divina of the Gospels
15 December 1, 2024 Lectio Divina for the First Week of Advent We begin our prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Collect, Monday of the First Week of Advent) Reading (Lectio) Read the following Scripture two or three times. Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
December 1, 2024 16 Meditation (Meditatio) After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions: • What word or words in this passage caught your attention? • What in this passage you? • What in this passage challenged you? If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses. Prayer (Oratio) Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you. Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
December 1, 2024 17 On earth nations will be in dismay. What problems in the world cause me distress? How does my faith have an impact on my response to these problems? People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. How does fear keep me from living my faith in courage and love? How can I cultivate the theological virtue of hope? Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness. What distracts me from following God’s will? How can I learn to quiet or avoid these distractions?
December 1, 2024 18 After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Closing Prayer: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day. Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (From Psalm 25) Living the Word This Week How can I make my life a gift for others in charity? Each day this week, review the front page of the newspaper or your favorite news site and pray for the needs reported there.
23 December 9, 2024 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception We begin our prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Collect, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception) Reading (Lectio) Read the following Scripture two or three times. Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his
December 9, 2024 24 father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Meditation (Meditatio) After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions: • What word or words in this passage caught your attention? • What in this passage comforted you? • What in this passage challenged you? If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses. Prayer (Oratio) Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you.
December 9, 2024 25 Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me? The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. Where is God sending me? How do I share the Good News with the people I meet? Therefore the child to be born will be called holy. How do I show proper reverence for God’s holiness? How do I live my own call to holiness?
December 9, 2024 26 May it be done to me according to your word. How do I discern God’s will for me? How can I become more docile to the Lord’s will? After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Closing Prayer: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (From Psalm 98) Living the Word This Week How can I make my life a gift for others in charity? Pray (at least) a decade of the Rosary, asking God for the gift of discernment.
66 February 2, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord We begin our prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Collect, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) Reading (Lectio) Read the following Scripture two or three times. Luke 2:22-40 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed
February 2, 2025 67 to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted—and you yourself a sword will pierce—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
February 2, 2025 68 Meditation (Meditatio) After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions: • What word or words in this passage caught your attention? • What in this passage comforted you? • What in this passage challenged you? If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses. Prayer (Oratio) Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you. Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
February 2, 2025 69 This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. For what am I waiting? What consolation do I need? You yourself a sword will pierce—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. What parts of my heart do I hide from others? What pain and struggle do I need to bring to the Lord? She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. With whom have I shared the joy of the Gospel? How do I share this joy?
February 2, 2025 70 After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Closing Prayer: Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory. (From Psalm 24) Living the Word This Week How can I make my life a gift for others in charity? On this World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, pray for those who are discerning their vocation.
158 June 8, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of Pentecost We begin our prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, who by the mystery of today’s great feast sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation, pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the earth and, with the divine grace that was at work when the Gospel was first proclaimed, fill now once more the hearts of believers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Collect, Pentecost, Mass during the Day) Reading (Lectio) Read the following Scripture two or three times. John 14:15-16, 23b-26 Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
June 8, 2025 159 Meditation (Meditatio) After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions: • What word or words in this passage caught your attention? • What in this passage comforted you? • What in this passage challenged you? If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses. Prayer (Oratio) Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you. Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
June 8, 2025 160 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. How do I express my love for the Lord? When do I struggle with obedience to God’s commandments? We will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Where do I go to pray and feel the presence of God? How can I prepare my heart to welcome Jesus? The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Who are my teachers in faith? What parts of the Church’s teaching do I struggle to accept or to understand?
June 8, 2025 161 After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Closing Prayer: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! How manifold are your works, O Lord! the earth is full of your creatures; May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works! Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord. If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (From Psalm 104) Living the Word This Week How can I make my life a gift for others in charity? Offer an act of obedience or some small sacrifice for the pope’s intention this month.
166 June 22, 2025 Lectio Divina for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) We begin our prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Collect, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) Reading (Lectio) Read the following Scripture two or three times. Luke 9:11b-17 Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.” They did
June 22, 2025 167 so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. Meditation (Meditatio) After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions: • What word or words in this passage caught your attention? • What in this passage comforted you? • What in this passage challenged you? If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses. Prayer (Oratio) Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you. Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
June 22, 2025 168 [Jesus] healed those who needed to be cured. What kind of healing (physical, emotional, or spiritual) do I need? How can I reach out to those who are ill or homebound? Give them some food yourselves. How can I become more attentive to the needs of others? How can I offer a more generous response to God’s call? They all ate and were satisfied. How can I learn to be more grateful for the gifts that God has given me? How can I learn to rely on God’s providence?
June 22, 2025 169 After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following: Closing Prayer: The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” “Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.” The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” (From Psalm 110) Living the Word This Week How can I make my life a gift for others in charity? Look for ways to participate in parish or diocesan efforts to address food insecurity and to feed the hungry.
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