Hello friends and welcome to this Lectio Divina on the second part of Psalm 18.
I invite you as we begin to settle,
To let yourself arrive in this space.
To welcome the grace to be present and to be here.
Becoming aware of your breath and gently lowering or closing your eyes.
Let your attention come inward,
Travelling down into the body.
To that place of stillness,
That place where you are seen and known.
Where you are held in the love and compassion of your beloved.
Let go of the day so far and of what's to come.
Know that in these moments all you need to do is be here.
If you are feeling burdened,
Welcome the love of God to lift those burdens and to be present to you as you listen to these words.
I'm going to read the second part of Psalm 18 twice and on this first reading I invite you to simply let the words come without attaching to any in particular.
Yes,
You are the light of my life,
You shine through my darkness.
Yes,
With you I can do all things and my spirit soars like an eagle.
Your ways lead to wholeness,
Oh loving presence.
Your word in me is life,
How tenderly you live in my heart.
For who is our creator but the source of love?
And who is life except the divine presence?
You who gird me with strength and lead me in the way of truth.
You make my feet like hinds feet and set me secure on the heights.
You teach me the way of justice that I might speak out against oppression.
You give me a hunger for silence that I might know the power of prayer.
And you support me in solitude.
You give me freedom to choose the journey road.
I elect the narrow way.
For I pursued my fears and faced them and I did not run back until I was free.
I saw each one through so that they were not able to rise.
They were transformed by love.
For you enabled me with strength to look deep within,
Holding me when fears threatened to overwhelm me.
You brought forgiveness into the darkness and softened my heart to forgive my adversaries.
Though my fears rose up as old friends being betrayed,
Love brought them down.
What had been weakness and weeds now turned to strength and roses.
Yes,
My fears were redeemed by love.
You delivered me from prejudice and intolerance.
You opened my heart to all nations.
People whom I had not known befriended me.
As soon as they beheld the radiance of your love,
They came to my door.
Strangers came desiring to hear your word.
Yes,
Strangers came.
And those who had separated themselves from love,
They came seeking release from their fears.
The Most High lives.
Blessed be my rock and exalted be the heart of my heart.
The loving one who helped me face my fears and opened my heart to the poor.
You delivered me out of the darkness of ignorance.
Yes,
You did bring victory over my illusions.
You led me into harmony and wholeness.
For this I will extol you,
O my beloved among the nations,
And sing praises to your name.
Peace,
Gratitude,
Love and assurance are gifts bestowed by love.
May all peoples live in your truth and in the unity of peace forever.
Amen.
So on this second reading I invite you to notice and be aware of any words or phrases that stand out to you.
And in noticing them,
To become aware of what they're offering,
Of what they're stirring within,
Of what their gift is to you in this moment.
Of what peace or reassurance they offer.
Yes,
You are the light of my life.
You shine through my darkness.
Yes,
With you I can do all things,
And my spirit soars like an eagle.
Your ways lead to wholeness,
O loving presence.
Your word in me is life.
How tenderly you live in my heart.
For who is our Creator but the source of love?
And who is life except the divine presence?
You who gird me with strength and lead me in the way of truth.
You make my feet like hinds feet and set me secure on the heights.
You teach me the way of justice that I might speak out against oppression.
You give me a hunger for silence that I might know the power of prayer.
And you support me in solitude.
You give me freedom to choose the journey road I elect the narrow way.
For I pursued my fears and faced them,
And did not run back until I was free.
I saw each one through so that they were not able to rise.
They were transformed by love.
For you enabled me with strength to look deep within,
Holding me when fears threatened to overwhelm me.
You brought forgiveness into the darkness,
And softened my heart to forgive my adversaries.
Though my fears rose up as old friends being betrayed,
Love brought them down.
What had been weakness and weeds now turned to strength and roses.
Yes,
My fears were redeemed by love.
You delivered me from prejudice and intolerance.
You opened my heart to all nations.
People whom I had not known befriended me.
As soon as they beheld the radiance of your love,
They came to my door.
Strangers came desiring to hear your word.
Yes,
Strangers came.
And those who had separated themselves from love,
They came seeking release from their fears.
The Most High lives.
Blessed be my rock.
And exalted be the heart of my heart.
The Loving One,
Who helped me face my fears and opened my heart to the poor.
You delivered me out of the darkness of ignorance.
Yes,
You did bring victory over my illusions.
You led me into harmony and wholeness.
For this I will extol you,
O my beloved,
Among the nations,
And sing praises to your name.
Peace,
Gratitude,
Love and assurance are gifts bestowed by love.
May all peoples live in your truth,
In the unity of peace forever.
Amen.
.
