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The Opening and the Entering: Love Calling to Love (Lectio Divina)
Meister Eckhart teaches that God’s longing for us outpaces our longing for Him by a thousandfold — and that the opening He makes for us and the entering we make into Him are not two movements but one. This Lectio Divina takes that claim seriously: if our desire for God is already a response…
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God’s Soil: On Sabbath Rest and the Soul’s Emergence (Lectio Divina)
What does it mean to truly rest — not merely in sleep or idleness, but in the deep Sabbath stillness where the soul quietly emerges? Drawing on Mark Buchanan’s insight that all living things thrive only by an ample measure of stillness, this Lectio Divina traces the arc from body to mind to soul,…
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No Secular Moment: Karl Rahner and the Sacredness of Ordinary Experience (Lectio Divina)
Drawing on Karen Kilby’s introduction to Karl Rahner, this Lectio Divina explores why there is no such thing as a secular or ordinary experience — why every moment, every relationship, and even our brokenness has its origin in God’s loving self-communication, poured out as the very life we so often take for granted.
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Created in and as Love: Reborn in and as God’s Image (Oratio Divina)
This contemplative reflection explores the profound truth that we are not merely creations but are continually being created and renewed in the very image of God — the source of all love, wisdom, and life. It invites readers to recognize their identity as beloved children of God, shaped by His breath, His Word, and…
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Lectio Divina: Moving Stars
This reflective post explores Paul Dirac’s quote, “Pick a flower on Earth and you move the farthest star,” highlighting the profound interconnectedness of all creation. Blending faith, science, and spirituality, it invites readers to consider how small actions echo through God’s universe and shape both the seen and unseen.
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Oratio Divina: Presence And Awe
This reflective poem explores the fleeting nature of time through the image of a feather caught in a windstorm. It invites readers to release control, embrace patience, and encounter time not as something to be possessed, but as a sacred experience received through presence, awe, and childlike wonder. Rooted in spiritual mindfulness, the reflection…
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Oratio: Willed Into Being
In this oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh contemplates the beauty and mystery of creation, from the gentle sprouting of grass to the force of natural storms. He reflects on the divine will behind every aspect of the natural world and life’s cycles, revealing the awe-inspiring yet mysterious nature of God’s creative acts. This reflection…
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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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Oratio: A Leaf In A Rainstorm
In this evocative oratio divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh uses the imagery of a storm to illustrate our limited control over life’s events. The reflection presents the natural elements—pouring rain, howling wind, shaking branches—as reminders of our role as created beings, highlighting the humility required to accept our place in the grand design. This piece…
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Oratio: Facing God
This reflection by Robert Van Valkenburgh reminds us that the face of God is revealed everywhere—in nature’s beauty, in the joy of children, in the vastness of the sky, and in the diversity of humanity, from the rich to the poor, the healthy to the outcast. God’s presence is not only found in what…