Presence

God is with me, but more,
God is within me, giving me existence.
Let me dwell for a moment on God’s life-giving presence
in my body, my mind, my heart
and in the whole of my life.

Freedom

I need to close out the noise, to rise above the noise:
the noise that interrupts, that separates,
the noise that isolates.
I need to listen to God again, in stillness and quiet.

Consciousness

Lord, You gave me the night to rest in sleep.
In my waking hours may I not forget Your goodness to me.
Guide me to share Your blessings with others.

The Word of God

²³And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴A windstorm suddenly arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep. ²⁵And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” ²⁶And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. ²⁷They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

Inspiration

A terrifying scene, the like of which we hope we will never find ourselves in. Take your courage in both hands and get into the boat to try to get an understanding of how it feels. You might feel panic, despair – Will this never end? Do I have to endure this on my own? If you are fortunate, you will see, as with the apostles, that the Lord has not taken his eye off the ball but is nearby, ready to stretch out his hand.

Conversation

I settle myself once again after hearing the Word of God. What would I like to take with me into my day? What do I want to remember from today’s reading or prayer time?

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen