Scriptural Reflection:
Finding God in All Things

 

  • What word or phrase speaks most strongly to me?

  • How does the passage relate to me and my life?

  • Is God revealing anything to me?

Day 1


Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Matthew 5:1-10
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: 
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn, 
    for they will be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek, 
    for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
    for they will be filled. 
Blessed are the merciful, 
    for they will be shown mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, 
    for they will see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers, 
    for they will be called sons of God. 
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Day 2


Ephesians 3:17b-19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Jeremiah 18:1-6
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 

"Behold, I have come to do your will, O God": these are the words that guide Jesus' entire life and mission. I offer my own will now to the Lord. I ask the grace to be more open, more like clay in the hands of the divine potter...I too now say with Jesus: "I have come to do your will..."


Day 3

Isaiah 43:2-3a
When you pass through the waters, 
I will be with you; 
and when you pass through the rivers, 
they will not sweep over you. 
When you walk through the fire, 
you will not be burned; 
the flames will not set you ablaze. 

For I am the LORD, your God.

Luke 7:36-50
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." 

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." 
    "Tell me, teacher," he said. 

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." 
    "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."



Day 4


Psalm 139:1-14
O LORD, you have searched me 
    and you know me. 
You know when I sit and when I rise; 
    you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
You discern my going out and my lying down; 
    you are familiar with all my ways. 
Before a word is on my tongue 
    you know it completely, O LORD. 
You hem me in behind and before;
    you have laid your hand upon me. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
    too lofty for me to attain. 
Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
    if I settle on the far side of the sea, 
even there your hand will guide me, 
    your right hand will hold me fast. 
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me 
    and the light become night around me," 
even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
    the night will shine like the day, 
    for darkness is as light to you. 
For you created my inmost being; 
    you knit me together in my mother's womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
    your works are wonderful, 
    I know that full well.

Photo at right by Gene Carmichael, S.J.

Galatians 5:22-23a
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.


Day 5


John 13:1, 12-17 
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them [his disciples] the full extent of his love.When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 
Everything on earth 
    has its own time 
    and its own season. 
There is a time 
    for birth and death, 
    planting and reaping, 
for killing and healing, 
    destroying and building, 
for crying and laughing, 
    weeping and dancing, 
for throwing stones 
    and gathering stones, 
    embracing and parting. 
There is a time 
    for finding and losing, 
    keeping and giving, 
for tearing and sewing, 
    listening and speaking. 
there is also a time 
    for love and hate, 
    for war and peace.

Photo at right: 
For Everything There is a Season
by Debra Mooney, Ph.D.

Day 6


Matthew 14:25-33 
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Psalm 10:1
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?



Day 7


Psalm 147:4
God decides the number of stars 
And gives them all their names.

1-Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind,
Love is not jealous, conceited, proud or boastful; it is not arrogant, selfish, irritable or rude.
Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth,
Love never gives up, and its faith, hope and patience never fail.
Love is eternal.


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