Happy 16th Birthday Catherine Therese!!

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Although you'll never read this my sweet Catherine, I love you. 16 years ago you changed our life forever. All of your siblings have done this in their own way but you have done so in a very special way. You have made me more empathetic, compassionate, and much more prayerful. Your smile lights up the world around you and we are all blessed by it.  It's not easy living with a saint. You remind me of my weakness and limited time on this earth. You challenge me to go deeper within myself and find what the Lord is trying to teach me...usually patience. You are made in His image and likeness but He uses you so that I can see my own beauty, goodness, and shortcomings.  You struggle mightily against me with every bath, diaper change, and wardrobe change. I struggle mightily with Him against all the changes He wills in my life. You depend on me and your mom for even the simplest of things. You teach me to depend on Him for everything and not rely on my on strength. You teach me that I
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4 Simple Steps to Better Scripture Meditations - Part 3 of 6

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(This is one of a series of 6 posts, if you missed any, you can start here)

Step #2 – Read the Scriptures

The second step in the meditation process is to read the scriptures. Now, there is a reason I specifically say read the scriptures and not a devotional, or holy book, or lives of the saints. Scripture is the living word of God. It’s not an old book. It’s living and relevant to our lives today and that is an important thing to keep in mind when meditating. We are asking God to speak to us through the scriptures that are centuries old. The amazing thing is is that He will. What’s even more amazing is that He very often speaks most forcefully through passages that we may have heard or read hundreds of times at Mass or as we’ve grown up. Scripture is the key to meditating and speaking with God. He will reveal himself to us if we ask, and if we are patient.


The simplest path and very often one that is very fruitful is to meditate on the daily liturgical readings. There are literally hundreds of ways to get these readings. I’ll list a few:

The Magnificat – is a monthly publication that includes the daily readings, morning and evening prayer, wonderful meditations and brilliant art work.


USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) – is the official website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They have easily accessible links to the daily readings, prayers, and the entire Bible (NABRE).


Laudate – is a FREE app for your mobile device that includes a wealth of resources including prayers, daily scriptures, liturgy of the hours, and much more. Available for: Kindle, Apple, Google Play, etc.


Daily Roman Missal – has the readings for everyday of the year as well as feast days and more. It is a beautifully bound edition that includes devotional prayers and more. We keep this on our prayer table in our house. (Available on Amazon or at your local Catholic bookstore)


EWTN – is the official website of the Eternal Word Television Network. Daily Mass readings can be found here along with a video of the reading of the scriptures and Homily from the day’s Mass.


Depending on your preference you can either meditate on the Gospel for the day or all of the readings. I like to meditate on all of the readings because the Church has arranged these readings to fall on these days for a reason. Also, the first reading and the Gospel always tie together in some way and I enjoy hunting for that connection in my meditation.


Devotionals are also good as long as the focus is on scripture and not just an author’s interpretation. Remember, this is God speaking to you and you speaking to God. You and God are in this room together having a beautiful intimate conversation.


You may also consider using an audio version of the bible. There is something unique about hearing the Bible read to you. On Sunday, I always read the readings a couple of times before Mass begins and then simply close my eyes and listen to the words being read. In this way I can eliminate many distractions and focus only on the words God is speaking to me.


The rosary is also a great tool for this step of meditation. Each mystery of the rosary focuses on a certain aspect of the life of Christ and is firmly rooted in Scriptures. In my rosary book I tie many Old and New Testament scriptures together for each meditation.


One of the most helpful practices I’ve found for this second step is to reread the passage over and over. However, I don’t try to read it the same way each time. Put a different emphasis on different words to get a different effect. Here’s an example of what I mean. Take the sentence “I never said you stole the money.” Now, reread it again with the emphasis on “I”. Okay, read it again with the emphasis on “never.” Yeah, read it again with the emphasis on “said”. You get the idea. However we put emphasis on each word gives the sentence different meanings. If you don’t believe me I can introduce you to plenty of people who have been offended by harmless emails.

Reading the scriptures is a fundamental step in our 4 Steps.  We cannot reach the next step, Enter the Story, without this one.  So, get comfortable reading the readings each day.  They truly are God's love letters to you and me.


Practical Steps

1. Review the practical steps for Step 1 – Clear Your Mind

2. Read Scripture, it’s God’s love letters to you.

3. Reread the Scriptures placing different emphasis on different words.

4. Move on to the next step - Join the Story


Just can't wait for each post to come out? Get the 4 Simple Steps to Better Scripture Meditations book on Kindle now or order the paperback guide, workbook, and journal today.

Click here to read more from James M. Hahn - Blog - Books 
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