Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: August 21,2026

LECTIO - Read Scripture Text:   Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a scholar of the law, asked him a question seeking to test him and saying, “Master, which commandment is the greatest in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

MEDITATIO - Meditate on text, allow the LORD to touch us with His Word:

How much effort am I giving to building my essential relationships?

BREAKING OPEN THE TEXT:

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus responding to those who doubt by teaching us the two greatest commandments – love of the Lord and love for one another as well as ourselves. Jesus affirms that our lives are all about relationship!

ORATIO – Lifting our minds and hearts to the LORD in prayer:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, You are love itself and You teach us about love daily. You call us to take up our heritage – to be your sons and daughters – to be your disciples – and the measure with which we do it is the measure of love. Stir within us, within our minds, hearts and souls, so that we might more fully live as your created us and called us to live – as vessels and instruments of your love. Guide us. Amen.

CONTEMPLATIO – Sitting with the LORD in silence for a minute or more