8.22.12 Lectio: Ez 36.23-28 Meditatio: "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you ; taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts." Ez 36.26 Oratio: "O God, Your heart is always on fire for love of us - and yet we do not often respond. I remember your Prophet Ezekiel expressed your longing for so very well when he declared You would replace our stony hearts with natural hearts. Grant that I may respond with a heart full of love for You and Your creation. I ask these and all things through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Contemplatio: Keep silence and remain in recollection for a few minutes. Operatio: Reflect "heart...stony...natural"; source of our being; stony-dead; natural-alive; in prayer thank God for giving us the ability to love and to reflect that ability by loving others selflessly for that is how we best love You. Tomorrow's reading: Rev 21.9b-14 8.23.12 Lectio: Rev 21.9b-14 Meditatio: "Come her. I will show you the bride of the Lamb.” Rev 21.9b Oratio: " O God, You revealed for us the bride of Your Son. I remember in a vision to John, the apostle, that the bride was the new and heavenly Jerusalem - Your faithful people. Grant that I may be gifted with eternal life in the heavenly Jerusalem by being faithful to Your church here on earth founded upon Your apostles. I ask these and all things through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Contemplatio: Keep silence and remain in recollection for a few minutes. Operatio: reflect on "bride”; espoused; the beloved of the groom; the heavenly Jerusalem; in prayer thank God being so kind and loving and merciful by providing a place or us where we can be with His Son and our loved ones for all eternity. Tomorrow's reading: Ez 43.1-7ab