Latest Thoughts
Explore My Reflections
Following the contemplative rhythm of Lectio Divina
Moving from Attentive Reading (Lectio)
To Reflection (Meditatio)
To Prayerful Response (Oratio)
And finally into Silent Resting in God (Contemplatio)
Grappling With Divinity invites a slow unfolding of Scripture, Spiritual Wisdom, and Lived Experience.
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Oratio: New Prayer Posture
In this enlightening oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh invites us to lift our heads and engage with the world as a way of renewing our connection to God. He emphasizes the importance of experiencing the beauty around us—the sun, the breeze, and the quiet whispers of creation—as a form of prayer and prostration. This…
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Lectio: Discerning The Will Of God
This Lectio Divina on Romans 12:2 encourages believers to resist conformity to worldly standards and instead undergo transformation through the renewal of their minds. This renewal empowers them to discern God’s will, understanding and embracing what is good, acceptable, and perfect. This reflection invites readers to deepen their spiritual commitment by aligning their thoughts…
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Oratio: With Fig Leaves
In this moving oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh explores the tendency to flee from regret and shame, attempting to hide our brokenness. He reassures us that God sees us in our vulnerability, offering love and cherishing us as we are. This reflection invites believers to abandon their hiding and trust in the God of…
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Lectio: Imperative Forgiveness
In this insightful Lectio Divina, Andrew Greeley underscores the essential role of forgiveness in achieving inner peace. He advises forgiving others—including family, institutions, oneself, and even harboring grievances against God—to avoid living with anger and bitterness. This reflection calls readers to embrace forgiveness as a moral imperative, paving the way for personal healing and…
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Oratio: With Love And Mercy
In this contemplative oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh explores the transformative power of stillness in encountering God. He suggests that it is within quiet solitude that we confront the true reflection of our hearts in the presence of God’s boundless love and mercy. This reflection invites readers to embrace this stillness, allowing God’s grace…
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Lectio: Done Unto Us
In this profound Lectio Divina, Richard Rohr emphasizes the importance of allowing God’s work in our lives. He teaches that God’s actions are continuously unfolding within us, and our role is to embrace this divine movement with openness and surrender. This reflection encourages readers to trust in God’s active presence, fostering a deeper sense…
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Oratio: Toward Love
In this heartfelt oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh invites us to turn towards the ever-constant and unconditional love of God. This reflection highlights God’s love as one that never wavers, judges, or accuses, offering solace and guidance in times of darkness and loneliness. Encouraging believers to embrace this eternal and comforting love, it reminds…
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Lectio: Your Spiritual Pores
In this reflective Lectio Divina, Isaac Slater, OSCO, explores the transformative impact of silence on our spiritual lives. He illustrates how silence opens our “spiritual pores,” allowing for greater openness and availability to God’s presence. By letting our guard down, we experience a profound sense of freedom and liberation. This reflection encourages readers to…
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Oratio: Lacking Nothing
In this poignant oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh captures the restless pursuit of fulfillment in worldly endeavors and contrasts it with the peace available in God’s eternal presence. He encourages us to cease our endless striving, to be still, and to submit to the divine, discovering the completeness and contentment already present in our…
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Lectio: Empty Vessels
In this insightful Lectio Divina, Thomas à Kempis reflects on the importance of spiritual emptiness as a vessel for receiving God’s blessings. He emphasizes that when we empty ourselves of worldly attachments and desires, we create space for the Lord to fill us with His grace and abundance. This reflection encourages readers to embrace…
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True in Us All Along: Thomas Merton and the Faith That Makes All Things New (Lectio Divina)
What if the good news begins with the one thing we least want to hear: that we cannot do it alone? Thomas Merton asks what makes the Gospel news at all, and this reflection sits with a longing older than our seeking, and with the question of whose longing it really is.
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The Yoke We Were Not Meant To Carry: Brother Lawrence and the Grace That Meets Our Powerlessness (Lectio Divina)
What if the surrender you keep circling never comes by trying harder, but only by the trying finally giving out? Brother Lawrence asks for a total trust that sounds simple and costs everything, and this reflection sits with the exhaustion that finally lets God in.
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Owe Nothing But Love: Theodoret of Cyrus on Love as the Fulfilling of the Law (Lectio Divina)
What if the command to love was never a debt you could actually pay off? Theodoret of Cyrus reads Paul’s warning about owing nothing but love and finds something stranger than an obligation — a debt that grows the more it’s paid, rather than shrinking. This reflection sits with what it feels like to carry…
