The Collect for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here’s what I found out this week: how can such a simple prayer pack such a punch?

Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Mind and heart are the foundation of who we are. If someone would have a disease that would cause them to lose a limn, or a tragedy would cause the same, their body is changed, but their mind and heart (heart: hidden springs of the personal life (Vine’s Dict.)) are the same. The mind and the heart are what make us human

Scripture tells plenty about honoring God with our mind. Matthew 22:37 tells us that we should love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Notice that honoring God with our mind is under our control. To honor God with our mind is to focus on Him, on his word, and everything that’s listed in Philippians 4:8: whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise.

How do we love everyone in truth of heart? I spent a lot of time with this one, wondering what truth of heart is. The truth of heart isn’t what we feel, feelings can lie. Love isn’t a feeling, either. Love is a decision. Loving others from the truth of our heart begins when we love from realization that we are made in the image and likeness of God. We are called to love others as God loves.

This week’s Collect points us to wholeness of our whole person. This wholeness is defined by our relationship with God. Today we are reminded to love God because of who he is and to love ourselves and others because we are made in his image.

Lectio the Liturgy: Read and study 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul tells us to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. How many times a day do you stop and redirect the thoughts in your mind? What needs to be taken captive, kicked out and replaced? Instead focus on Philippians 4:8, and change your thoughts to whatever is good, and whatever is God. Then the love of God will flow from you to others.