Lectio Divina

(Sacred Reading)
January 19, 2024
For the Feast of the Santo Niño
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 Benedicite!
Let us remember that we are always
in the Most Holy Presence of God.

To those coming from other faith traditions

you may now make your sign of faith
as we make ours.

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
 Opening Prayer
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
before Reading the Sacred Scriptures

O Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart

that I may hear your Word, and understand and
do your will, for I am a pilgrim upon the Earth.
Hide not your commandments from me, but open
my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of your
Law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things
of your wisdom.
 Opening Prayer
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
before Reading the Sacred Scriptures

On you do I set my hope, O my God, that you

shall enlighten my mind and understanding with
the light of your knowledge; not only to cherish
those things which are written, but to do them;
For you are the enlightenment of those who lie in
darkness, and from you comes every good deed
and every gift. Amen.
 Lectio
“Take a Bite”
of the Word
 Gospel: Mark 10:13-16
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.
Meditatio
“Chew”
on the Word
Meditate on 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?
Contemplatio
“Digest”
the Word
 Reflection:
“Related”
by Fr. Arnel Aquino, SJ
 Reflection
When you see a child—especially one who
“looks” alone, or “seems” alone—the first question
in your head is: “Sinong magulang ng batang ito?”
Why? Because if we think “sea” & immediately
think “water”, if we think “desert” and
immediately think “dry”, if we think “breathe” and
immediately think “air”—when we think and see a
child, we immediately think relationship,
relatedness. Deep in all human hearts, a child must
never be alone. A child immediately calls forth
relationship, relatedness, connection.
 Reflection
This is the first reason why I think the feast of the
Santo Niño is important in our faith, sisters and
brothers. The Santo Niño is the “infant-God,” the
“child-God” who reminds us of a permanent and
unshakable character of God which we often forget
or take for granted: that, immediately and once and
for all, God is related to us, immediately and once
and for all, connected to us, in a relationship with
us, as his free choice, out of his free love.
 Reflection
Our default is often an image of God “above” us,
isolated in all his power, like a benevolent
overlord, a patient prefect of discipline, a quiet
moral policeman—all of which are “official” terms
but hardly relational terms. That’s why we need
the feast of the Santo Niño, and quite desperately
so. It’s the infant-God’s way of reminding us who
he is in his very essence: a God who is freely,
immediately, and once and for all, related to us,
connected to us, in a relationship with us.
 Reflection
If we take that seriously, it should make many of
us turn a corner in our faith and religiosity. And
just like it’s unnerving to see a four-year-old child
walking alone, it should unnerve us if we’ve
always believed that God, to be God, should be
asunder from us.

Because, you and I know that he never is. No, not

even when we sin. God never disconnects even if
we do.
 Reflection
The second reason I realized why the feast of the
Santo Niño is important to us, dear sisters and
brothers is Not only is an “infant-God”,
immediately and once and for all related to us—
that relationship must make us feel vulnerable
enough so that we do our part in it: to assume
responsibility over it, to care for even the most
fundamental connection, to push beyond our
comfort zones or even change direction if
needed…and in my case, vulnerable enough to feel
deeply terrible if we don’t, to remain disturbed,
then empty.
 Reflection
But see, even if God is lost to us thanks to our
negligence, we are never lost to God.
I guess that’s what will always be the infant-like in
our God: in all his power and glory, God begs us to
always have him within our caring distance, where
we can see him, where we can be close enough to
run to him…so that we may never be lost.
Oratio
“Savor”
the Word
 Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for the blessing of reading
your word together.
We ask that these words of life, truth and hope
would continue to impact us in the week
ahead.
May your love and grace follow each of us as
we return to our daily lives, refreshed and
blessed by you.
We recognize that your ways are not our ways,
your choices are not ours.
 Closing Prayer
Almighty God, your only Son, begotten from
all ages, humbled himself as a child in Nazareth
and became subject to Mary and Joseph. Grant
that we may learn from his example to embrace
your will in all things and, holding fast to the
dignity of all, serve our lowly brothers and sisters
with open hands and gentle heart. We ask this
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. Amen!
St. Benedict and St. Scholastica
Pray for us.
 Mary with her loving son,
+Bless us each and everyone
That in all things
God may be
glorified!
 Lectio Divina
(Sacred Reading)
January 19, 2024
For the Feast of the Santo Niño