Let us begin our day with a song:
Holy, Holy, Holy—Anthem Lights
Saint Peter said: “God loves us beyond comprehension, and we cannot diminish God’s love for us.” It is impossible to know the depth of God’s love. We see in Jesus the greatest gift of love, his gift of his very self. Our desire to deepen a life of prayer, our love relationship with our Creator, offers us a glimpse of this love beyond words. May I surrender to this love today.
We invite you to rest in these words from St John 15:1, 4, 9-12. You may wish to pray this as Lectio Divina. The first time you read it, just listen to the words. After a few minutes, read it again and ponder what the passage means for you today. After a few minutes, read it a third time and dialogue with God about the passage. Speak to God. List for God’s response. Finally, after a few more minutes, read the passage again and just rest in the words, images, and feelings from the experience.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. Remain in me, as I remain in you. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”
How does it feel to be connected to God like a vine to the vine grower?
How might you remain in Jesus’ love today?
How are you being invited to love?
The poet Denise Levertov offer us a reflection on surrendering to God’s love.
The Avowal
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.
– Denise Levertov
Let us pray:
Merciful God, help me float in your deep embrace. Surround me in your grace so that as I give myself to you, you bring me to life in a new way. May I live from this place of all-encompassing love.
Let us close with this instrumental music by Andrea Vanzo as God’s profound love reaches beyond words. Spring—Andrea Vanzo