Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”
Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.This is clear proof from the mouth of Jesus Himself that not all souls go to heaven. Eternal security is a nice thought, but it is ultimately, a lie from the devil, and it doesn’t even pass the simplest of logic tests. Saying that a person who lives their entire life in direct contradiction to Gods law, is going to heaven, simply because at one time in their life, they said the Jesus prayer, is a ridiculous and dangerous presumption.
God does indeed want all of us with Him in heaven, but He will not force our wills to do so. God, in His full glory in heaven, is a burning fire of love, but this fire does not burn flesh and bone, it burns away sin. You cannot be in the presence of God, if you have any attachment to sin in your heart. It would be far, far too painful! So we must put away sin from our lives so that when we go to heaven we can be with Him completely and without pain.
Any amount of attachment to sin would drive us away from Him because we would not be able to handle the pain of the burning. In fact I think that this is what hell is, a place where people cling to their sin, even after they die, and suffer and burn for it. So we must live our lives in accord with His law, and we must always strive to walk through that narrow gate so that when we stand face to face before Him, we will not feel the pain of burning sin, but instead the warmth of the fire of His overwhelming love. That is what I want more than anything in my life, and I wish it for you as well. Amen.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Please lord help me today to cast away sin from my life, and to turn to you with love you with fullness and joy.