Personal Relationship with Jesus

A common comment during my parish's Arise program was that people didn't know or (more accurately) never gave, developing a relationship with God, a thought.  Faith sharing was new to them.

I was astonished!  Where have they been?  Doesn't everybody pray?  Doesn't everybody read scripture?  Doesn't everybody meditate?  Doesn't everybody love to talk about God and share what He's doing in their life?

I guess not.  I was surprised today, as I was during the Arise Together in Christ program, that people don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.  I'm talking about a church goer.

You know what I think it is.  As Thomas Aquinas said, "we are made for God."  We are drawn to Him.  That's why people God to church.  They think that's enough.  And I suppose it is, for some.  But, boy oh boy, are they missing out.

Once Jesus is at your side, you see everything differently.  You carry on an inner on-going conversation with Him.  You see His hand in everything.

How does one develop a personal relationship with Jesus?  All you have to do is be silent and talk to Him.  That's called praying.  Don't forget to be silent.  Listening is part of a conversation and praying is conversing with God.  Use known prayers, if it's easier.  But listen, too.  The more you do this, the more you get familiar with God's voice.

That's all.

Later on, you'll have the urge to learn more about God.  That's easy, too.  There's a book about Him;it's called a Bible.  Read and talk to God (pray) about it.  Again, don't forget to listen.  You might want to join a Bible study, a prayer group, a faith sharing group.  Who knows where you're headed.  Enjoy it.

Bible Sharing = Lectio Divina

When you read, don't you automatically just stop and think about what you just read?  That's how you read.


Isn't it?


This morning I was reading about Brother Simeon Leiva, at Spencer, MA.  Catholic News Service reports,      Lectio divina," an ancient scriptural meditative practice, is an ideal way for contemporary Catholics to unplug from worldly distractions and establish holy intimacy, permanent friendship and fruitful companionship with Jesus Christ, according to Trappist Brother Simeon Leiva.


And when you read something deep, you spend longer thinking about it.  So isn't Lectio Divina something we already do?


And in Bible Sharing, like my parish does in it's Arise Groups, isn't that just Group Lectio Divina?


What's the big whoop about?