Be Still: Daily Devotional

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...

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 9th 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 e...

Today is the 8th 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 2nd Timothy.   I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalli...

Today is the 8th 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 Exodus, Chapter 34.   The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the word...

Today is the 6th 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 Hebrews, Chapter 4.   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the So...

Today is the 5th 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 32.   Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit...

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 third 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 of Jonah, chapter 4.   But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I wa...

This is the second 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 Psalm 51.   Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity...

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first 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 selections from Joel chapter 2:1-3; 10-13 . Let all who live in the land tremble,     for the day of the Lord is coming. It i...

Today is February 13th.   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 Matthew, 3:1-5 .   In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he...

Today is February 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 Exodus, chapter 19. The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust...