Collect 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thank you for joining me as we Lectio the Liturgy with the Collect for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love. 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.

The phrase “foundation of your love” really struck me this week. In Latin, the word for foundation is solidness. If you remember the parable about foundations, it’s like having a house build on rock and not sand. The house that survived the storm was build on a rock.

There is one difference about today’s prayer, though. We didn’t build anything. Actually, we didn’t even do anything. We were placed there, HE set us firm on the foundation of His love.

It’s an easy thing to say that God loves us. It’s often a harder thing to understand and/or accept it.

We have probably all heard people who have said or acted like, “it doesn’t matter what I do or what I say because God loves me anyway.” It’s true, He does, but something is missing in that declaration: their desire to love God back.

I have had the opportunity to pray with people who have said they have messed up their lives so much, there is no way God could love them anymore. He still does love them. He still madly loves them, it’s just hard for them to understand and accept that God wants to give so much when they feel they don’t deserve it. For some of those people, their heart is right and they eventually recognize that the can trust in God’s forgiveness. For others, the lies of the enemy have them convinced that there is no way God could still love them.

This prayer is a reminder to sit back, close your eyes, lay your hands, with open palms on your lap, and receive. Giving us gifts is what He loves to do. His longs to give us freedom, forgiveness, peace, joy, truth, light, guidance and the foundation of his love.

How do we pay him back? We revere and love his holy name. God’s name is unlike any other name. God’s name is his very being. When we call out his name, when we call to Him, he becomes present. His name is who he is, it is his very essence. When you don’t know what to say, or you don’t know how to pray, just call his name, he’ll be there.

Lectio the Liturgy: I encourage you to take the time, just 5-10 minutes to imagine yourself standing on a foundation. Maybe that foundation looks like a rock, maybe it’s on a mountain, maybe it’s the middle of your living room. Notice how secure it feels, that you will be held tight and not fall. Now imagine that the place where you are standing is the love of God. Let his love envelope you, whisper his name and feel him draw near.

Thank you for praying with me,
Julie