Lectio Divina for the Twenty-seventh Week
in Ordinary Time
We begin our prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty ever-living God,
who in the abundance of your kindness
surpass the merits and the desires of those who
entreat you,
pour out your mercy upon us
to pardon what conscience dreads
and to give what prayer does not dare to ask.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
(Collect, Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Reading (Lectio)
Read the following Scripture two or three times.
Mark 10:2-16
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it
lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They
were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What
did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses
permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and
dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the
hardness of your hearts he wrote you this
commandment. But from the beginning of creation,
God made them male and female. For this reason a
man shall leave his father and mother and be joined
to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So
they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore
what God has joined together, no human being must
separate.” In the house the disciples again
questioned Jesus about this. He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her; and if she divorces
her husband and marries another, she commits
adultery.”
And people were bringing children to him that he
might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said
to them, “Let the children come to me; do not
prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not
accept the kingdom of God like a child will not
enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Meditation (Meditatio)
After the reading, take some time to reflect in
silence on one or more of the following questions:
• What word or words in this passage caught
your attention?
• What in this passage comforted you?
• What in this passage challenged you?
If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group,
after the reflection time, invite the participants to
share their responses.
Prayer (Oratio)
Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to
the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that
the Word inspires in you.
Contemplation (Contemplatio)
Read the Scripture again, followed by this
reflection:
What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord
asking of me?
Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you
this commandment. When have I hardened my heart
to God’s love? How can I soften my heart and be
more docile to God’s commandments?
Therefore what God has joined together, no human
being must separate. When have I been an
instrument of division? When have I been an
instrument of unity?
Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a
child will not enter it. What does it mean to accept
the kingdom of God like a child? How can I be
more childlike in my response to God’s love?
After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion,
all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following:
Closing Prayer:
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
(From Psalm 128)
Living the Word This Week
How can I make my life a gift for others in charity?
Prayerfully consider ways to support your parish’s
ministry to married couples and to those preparing
for marriage.
Excerpts from the New American Bible, revised edition ©
2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,
Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright
owner. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the
Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical
edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with
permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be
reproduced by any means without permission in writing from
the copyright owner.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal ©
2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy
Corporation. All rights reserved.