Tag: divine love

Oratio Divina: A Reminder

Even as the leaves fall
returning to the soil
the trees bare
an emptiness
a sadness in the air
and we mourn our losses
remembering loved ones
no longer here
a single red rose
blooms on the path
a reminder
that even in seasons of death
life finds a way
love finds a way
~Robert Van Valkenburgh

Reflection:
Where do you see signs of life and love continuing to bloom in the midst of loss or sorrow?

Scripture:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
— John 11:25 (NIV)

November 7, 2025

autumn reflection, Christian meditation, contemplative prayer, divine love, grief and hope, Oratio Divina, poetry of faith, Resurrection, Robert Van Valkenburgh, spiritual reflection
Oratio: Divina Dream Through Me

Dream through me
oh divine creator
write your love poem
upon the world
through my life
make my hands
your tools
my voice
your pen
allow my works
to build a temple of love
where all who enter
may find peace and comfort
in your arms

~Robert Van Valkenburgh

How can I allow God to “dream through me” today, so that my words and actions become instruments of divine love and peace?

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”
— Psalm 90:17

November 6, 2025

Christian spirituality, co-creation with God, contemplative prayer, divine creativity, divine love, Oratio Divina, Peace, prayer, spiritual poetry, Surrender
Lectio Divina: Transformed In God

“The soul, when it shall have driven away from itself all that is contrary to the divine will, becomes transformed in God by love.”

~St. John of the Cross

What within me still resists surrender to God’s will, and how might love help to transform that resistance into openness?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
— Romans 12:2 (ESV)

November 6, 2025

Christian spirituality, contemplative prayer, divine love, Lectio Divina, mysticism, Spiritual Purification, St. John of the Cross, Transformation, union with God
Oratio: Hidden And Mysterious

Just as the potential
for a great oak tree
resides mysteriously
hidden deep within
a humble acorn
so too does the capacity
for the immense
and unfathomable
love of God
reside deep within you
a gift
a miracle
a mystery
that must be nourished
given water and light
and space to grow
against the resistance
of the world
and all of the forces
conspiring against it

~Robert Van Valkenburgh

How can we cultivate and nurture the divine potential within us to manifest God’s love more fully in our lives and the world around us?

November 2, 2025

divine love, faith, Nurturing, Oratio Divina, Potential, Robert Van Valkenburgh, spiritual growth
Lectio: As Our Heart Is

“For the heart being the genuine source of our actions, our works will be always such as our heart is.”

~Frances De Sales

How does reflecting on the state of our heart guide us in ensuring our actions genuinely express love and righteousness?

November 2, 2025

Actions, divine love, Francis de Sales, Heart, Integrity, Lectio Divina, prayer, Virtue
Oratio: With Fig Leaves

We run away
from our regrets
thinking we can hide
our shame
if only we get far enough
away
covering up our wounds
with fig leaves
grief and blame
not knowing that we are seen
loved and cherished
in our nakedness
in our brokenness
and that only
the God of mercy
gets to give us
our eternal name

~Robert Van Valkenburgh

How can accepting our brokenness and trusting in God’s mercy transform our sense of identity and inner peace?

October 26, 2025

divine love, God’s mercy, Oratio Divina, Regret, Robert Van Valkenburgh, spiritual healing, Vulnerability
Oratio: What Can They Do

If it is true
that you are loved
beyond measure
beyond understanding
beyond reason
and it is true
then what can anyone
do against you
what can anyone
say about you
that can make you believe
that you are any less
than the divine creation
of the divine creator
for a divine purpose

~Robert Van Valkenburgh

How does understanding the immensity of God’s love empower us to live out our divine purpose with confidence and resilience?

October 20, 2025

contemplative prayer, divine love, Divine Purpose, Identity in God, Inherent Worth, Oratio Divina, Robert Van Valkenburgh
Lectio: Sacred Fire Of Love

“Amid the tribulation and mourning of a hearty repentance, God often hides the sacred fire of His Love in our heart; and that love first turns to the water of tears, and that again to a glowing fire.”

~Frances de Sales

How might embracing the journey of repentance open our hearts to a deeper experience of God’s transformative love?

October 13, 2025

divine love, Lectio Divina, Repentance, Sacred Fire, spiritual transformation, St. Francis de Sales
Oratio: Awakening To Divine Love

It is not the fault
of those who do not
know God
that they act out of fear
anger and hatred
for they are like children
asleep and dreaming
they know not
what they do
they have not yet
felt the love
that awakens
nor experienced
the light that leads
to repentance
and salvation
pray for them

~Robert Van Valkenburgh

How can extending understanding and prayers for others transform our approach to sharing God’s love with them?

October 6, 2025

divine love, Oratio Divina, Prayer for Understanding, Robert Van Valkenburgh, spiritual awakening
Lectio: Love Begets

“Love begets a likeness between the lover and the beloved.”

~John of the Cross

October 4, 2025

Carmelite Saints, Christian spirituality, contemplative prayer, divine love, John of the Cross, Lectio Divina, love of God, Mystical Theology, spiritual growth, Transformation in Christ