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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Lectio: Servant To All
A reminder from Teresa of Avila to embrace humility and love: when we see Christ in others, we treat them with the respect and reverence they deserve.
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Oratio: Time And Time Again
A heartfelt prayer of grief and restlessness, confessing human weakness while trusting in God’s perfect faithfulness, righteous plan, and boundless love. A plea for comfort, trust, and renewed courage in the Lord’s embrace. ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: May Your Words Give Grace
A reminder from Paul to the Ephesians to guard our hearts and words: anger must not lead to sin, and speech should be used only to build others up, offering grace to those who listen.
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Oratio: For Those Who Sleep
A prayer for the sleeping and hardened of heart, reminding us of Christ’s gentle call to awaken, rise, and walk with Him without fear—even in the face of scorn or suffering. ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: Gathered In God
A mystical reflection from Julian of Norwich on the eternal gathering in God—where every sense is fulfilled in divine union, experiencing God with complete joy and intimacy.
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Oratio: My Dear Teacher
A reflection on pain as a teacher, inviting us to resist avoidance and instead lean in to listen, learn, and grow. Through surrender, pain becomes a blade of love—cutting yet healing, shaping us into disciples of wisdom and grace. ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
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Lectio: Seed Of The Church
A powerful reminder from Tertullian that the sacrifice of martyrs is not in vain—their blood becomes the seed from which the Church grows, witnessing to the enduring strength of faith in Christ.
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Oratio: Blink Of An Eye
A reflection on how life can change instantly—how moments once taken for granted vanish “in the blink of an eye.” Holding both the joy of what was and the grief of what will never be, this piece explores the fragile beauty of time, memory, and the tears that flow from love and loss. ~Robert…
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Lectio: No Fear In Love
A reflection from John the Apostle, reminding us that God’s perfect love drives out fear. True love is not rooted in punishment but in the reality that we love only because He first loved us.
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Ortatio: My Heart Breaks
A heartfelt prayer reflecting on the suffering, pain, and brokenness of the world, and the deep sorrow it brings to both humanity and God. Written in lament, it acknowledges that we are created from love, for love, and to love, and yet so often turn to violence and hatred. In shared grief, the poem…
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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…
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No Longer Carved in Stone: Augustine of Hippo and Love as God’s One Law (Lectio Divina)
What if the law you can’t seem to keep was never meant to be kept from outside at all? Augustine insists something was written into you long before you ever tried, and failed, to obey a command pressed on you from without.
