Be Still: Daily Devotional

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is August 16. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from Psalm 112.           Praise the LORD.             Blessed are those who fear the LORD,            who find great delight in his commands.          T...

Today is August 15. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 14.     Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they wi...

Today is August 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 14.     Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose...

Today is August 13.   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.        Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 18.      While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to...

Today is August 12. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 5.   For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is August 9.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from Psalm 95.             Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;            let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.         Let us come before...

Today is August 8. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 8.    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famin...

Today is August 7. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 9.     Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” They still...

Today is August 6. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.        Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.      Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has...

Today is August 5. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 4.      So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They a...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is August 2. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 3.       But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets t...

Today is August 1. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 6.       Jesus answered... Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, whi...

Today is July 31. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 20.       In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, “Run and find...

Today is July 30. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from Psalm 37.             The wicked plot against the righteous            and gnash their teeth at them;         but the Lord laugh...

Today is July 29. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.    Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of Philippians, chapter 4.  I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is July 26. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 9.      Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also rea...

Today is July 25. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.        Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 3.       Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling coun...

Today is July 24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of Nehemiah, chapter 2.       In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had...

Today is July 23. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from Psalm 61.           From the ends of the earth I call to you,            I call as my heart grows faint;            lead me to t...

Today is July 22. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.    Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of Hebrews, chapter 13.     Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.