THE POWER OF ONE WORD V: My one word Lectio Divina technique.

If Lectio Divina is the Lay Cistercian practice I use to place myself in the presence of Christ, then invoke the Holy Spirit to flood me with God’s energy, as I can assimilate it (capacitas dei), then the technique I use is one I devised called “The one word Lectio Divina technique.” Quite simply, it is using my foundational Lectio Divina (lectio) from Philippians 2:5, “Have in you the mind of Christ Jesus,” and repeating it over and over until one word emerges. Several days ago, I tried this technique and I want to share with you both the technique, which you may or may not find useful, and the results. Here it is. It took me one hour plus to move through this as I savored being in the presence of Jesus, the Lord.

EMERGING WORD: Humility. I repeat this word over and over, taking my time to listen to what my mind conjures up. In this case, I thought of Sacrifice.

EMERGING WORD: Sacrifice. I think of my own sacrifice of self to the will of God for me this and each day.

EMERGING WORD: Abandonment. I think of how I must give up the most precious gift, free will, to align with what my humanity trends toward in the future,

EMERGING WORD: Kenosis. I think of the strength of God to give up being God to take on my nature, complete with the effects of original sin, yet be free from sin.

EMERGING WORD: Love. What love must God have for me to have loved me first so that I might follow the path of righteousness?

EMERGING WORD: Me. All of this is for me that I might deny myself those trappings of humanity holding me back from progressing to what my nature originally intended and becoming an adopted son (daughter of the Father).

EMERGING WORD: Gratitude. My gratitude to Christ is to desire to be in his Real Presence (in Eucharist, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament), but also in that tabernacle where Christ resides in my heart. Gratitude to God is only possible through, with, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

EMERGING WORD: Humility. This realization completes the cycle and I am more than humbled that I have been selected by God (Baptism) through Faith to walk my unique path on earth with Christ as my Guide using the energy of the Holy Spirit to fend off the parries of the Evil One.

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