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Oratio: Not A Passive Love
The Lord’s loveis not passiveHe does not waitfor us to come to HimHe is constantly seekingintimacy and closenesswith His childrenknocking on the doorswe have closed in shameawaiting our consentto His presencethat we may not suffer aloneHis is not a passive lovethe love of the Lordis patient but persistent ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: The Work To Which You Are Called
“Do not lose heart, even if you should discover that you lack qualities necessary for the work to which you are called. He who called you will not desert you, but the moment you are in need he will stretch out his saving hand.” ~St. Angela Merici
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For A Moment
In the quiet hoursbefore the dawnwhile the worldis still sleepingI sitinviting your presenceopening my heart to youand sometimeseven if for a momentyou pull back the veilbetween usto let me knowthat though the roommay be emptyI am not alone ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: You Are Christ’s Hands
“Christ has no body now but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion must look out on the world.Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good.Yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” ~Teresa of Avila
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Oratio: Within Me
My courage comesfrom you Lordon my ownI am a cowardand I am selfishall of my goodnessI owe to your Spiritwithin methrough your loveand grace Lordhelp me to decreasethat you may increasewithin memay I tastethe sweet fruitof your divine mercyand share that fruitwith those about meuntil there is nothing leftbut Christwithin me ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: Successful Meditation
“We should not, however, judge the value of our meditation by ‘how we feel.’ A hard and apparently fruitless meditation may in fact be much more valuable than one that is easy, happy, enlightened and apparently a big success.” ~Thomas Merton
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Oratio: For My Mother
Born into this worldthrough water and fleshmy mother’s armsheld and comforted mewiping my tearsand giving me strengthuntil I could reachfor the Lordentering the watersof baptismdying to the fleshreborn of the spiritwith and in Christin whom I find comfortHe dries my tearsand gives me strengthforevernone of whichwould be possiblewere it not for my motherfrom whose…
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Lectio: From Mary
“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!” ~St. John Paul II
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Oratio: Borrowed Troubles
The songbirds singtheir beautiful songwhile my mind runs awaywith worrydeafened by the noiseof borrowed troublesI cannot hear them calling mesuddenlya melody catches my earthe veil of imagined sufferingis liftedin this momentI see the Lordand the glory of his creationwho am I to worrywhen he has chosen mein love ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: Conform to Christ
“Marriage is meant to be one of the ways in which you die to yourself out of love for Christ and love for others that conforms you to Christ.” ~Fr. Mike Schmitz