Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is Monday of Holy week. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Assist me mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that I may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.    Today’s reading is from the Gosp...

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 the 33rd day of Lent.   May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.      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 Mark, chapter 10:32-34.   They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, whil...

Today is the 32nd day of Lent.   Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.      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 1.      Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,  To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the...

Today is the 31st day of Lent.   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 Jeremiah 32:36-4.   “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king o...

Today is the 30th day of Lent.   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 Ephesians chapter 2.     As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you use...

Today is the 29th day of Lent.   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 Psalm 143.   Lord, hear my prayer,      listen to my cry for mercy;  in your faithfulness and righteousness      come to my relief.  Do not bring your servant into jud...

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 the 27th day of Lent.     May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.      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 Revelation, chapter 11.      The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:  “The kingdom of t...

Today is the 26th day of Lent.    Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.      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 Colossians, chapter 1:9-14.   For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to...

Today is the 25th day of Lent.    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 Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9.   As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of...

Today is the 24th day of Lent.   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 Isaiah, chapter 42:14-21.   “For a long time I have kept silent,      I have been quiet and held myself back.  Bu...

Today is the 23rd day of Lent.   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 Isaiah 59.    So justice is far from us,      and righteousness does not reach us.  We look for light, but all is darkness;      for brightness, but we walk in deep sh...

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 the 21st day of Lent.   May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”      Today’s reading is from 1st Samuel, chapter 15.   Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices     as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is bette...

Today is the 20th day of Lent.   Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.    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 23.     The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: h...

Today is the 19th day of Lent.   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 Jeremiah, chapter 2.     “Go west and look in the land of Cyprus;     go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone...

Today is the 18th day of Lent.   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 1 Corinthians chapter 10.   I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wildernes...

Today is the 17th day of Lent.      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 Psalm 81. “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.     O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god;     you must not b...

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 the 15th day of Lent.   May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.   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 him with thanksgiving and extol him...

This is the 14th day of Lent.   Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.  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 Colossians 1.   The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, vis...

This is the 13th day of Lent.   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 Gospel of John, chapter 8.   Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple cou...

Today is the 12th day of Lent.   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 Psalm 128.   How joyful are those who fear the Lord—     all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your la...

Today is the 11th day of Lent.   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 Numbers, chapter 21.   They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against...