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"This growth in the knowledge of Our Lord is not simply a matter of learning
texts and seeing the pattern of this or that episode of his life. We must get to know Him, as we know a person. . . What is vital for each one of us is that we develop our own closest possible personal knowledge of Him and personal relation with Him."
- Frank Sheed, Theology and Sanity
(What helps you develop a personal relationship with Christ? Spend some time drawing closer to Him this
day.)
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ACTS 20:28-38; PS 68:29-30,
33-36; JN 17:11B-19
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
"Confess the power of God!"
Over Israel is his
majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
USCCB Lectionary
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Jesus prayed that his disciples would be sanctified and consecrated in God's truth and holiness. The scriptural word for consecration comes from the same Hebrew word which meansholy or set apart for
God. This word also means to be equiped with the qualities of mind and heart and character for such a task or service.Just as Jesus was called by the Father to serve in holiness and truth, so we, too, are called and equipped for the task of serving God in the world as his ambassadors. God's truth frees us from ignorance and the deception of sin. It reveals to us God's goodness, love, and wisdom. And it gives us a thirst for God's holiness. The Holy Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, he transforms us by his purifying
fire and changes us into the likeness of Christ. Is your life consecrated toGod? "Lord Jesus, take my life and make it wholly pleasing to you. Sanctify me in your truth and guide me by your Holy Spirit that I may follow you faithfully wherever you lead." DailyScripture.net
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The Way of Perfection, by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Describes the nature of the Prayer of Recollection and sets down some of the means by which we can make it a habit.
These souls have already, as we may say, put out to sea; though they have not sailed quite out of sight of land, they do what they can to get away from it, in the time at their disposal, by recollecting their senses. If their recollection is genuine, the fact becomes very evident, for it produces certain effects which I do not know how to explain but which anyone will recognize who has experience of them. It is as
if the soul were rising from play, for it sees that worldly things are nothing but toys; so in due course it rises above them, like a person entering a strong castle, in order that it may have nothing more to fear from its enemies. It withdraws the senses from all outward things and spurns them so completely that, without its understanding how, its eyes close and it cannot see them and the soul's spiritual sight becomes clear. Those who walk along this path almost invariably close their eyes
when they say their prayers; this, for many reasons, is an admirable custom, since it means that they are making an effort not to look at things of the world. The effort has to be made only at the beginning; later it becomes unnecessary: eventually, in fact, it would cost a greater effort to open the eyes during prayer than to close them. The soul seems to gather up its strength and to master itself at the expense of the body, which it leaves weakened and alone: in this way it becomes stronger
for the fight against it.
- Chapter 28 (Keep in mind that she is writing to sisters in a cloistered contemplative order.) Paperback (Kindle edition available)
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