For all who study and teach Scripture, our encounter with the Living Word will bear fruit in the lives of countless others.

by: Bro. Mark

I have been contemplating that God actually helps others through me when I study and read Scripture in a prayerful manner. How wonderful this is. That the grace and energies that flow through us during Lectio Divina can bring that same grace and energy to help others in ways we may never know. This brings me a great deal of hope as I try to find alternative ways in my disability to minister to others. My Reading Scripture can help others. Who would of ever thought that this would or could be the case. For those of us with physical disabilities that prevent us from having an active ministry, this can be a wonderful alternative. Of course, Lectio Divina should be a part of our monastic spirituality, but now we know not only ourselves can be effected and benefit by it. Others, through the grace it produces will also be benefited. What a wonderful gift this is for us who are physically limited. It is a tremendous blessing. It seems to me, God can use any means for us to grow closer to Him and this growth spreads to our neighbors. We may never see this growth happening in the lives of our neighbors, but when we get to Heaven we will learn how much we assisted God. So, remain strong in your infirmities and your disabilities. God is with us, using us any way He can. The more we try to grow closer to God the more He can work through us. It’s all in our intentions and desires. We can be stuck in bed all day long with great limitations but still become great Saints. Our heart and desire can create such great graces and positive energies. This grace can bring others healing and strength. I can’t emphasize enough that all of us with disabilities have a purpose in life. We, too, participate in Gods creation. Our sufferings have meaning. More graces and positive energies spring to life through these sufferings. Suffering becomes the gateway to life because Christ Jesus has made it so when He hung on the Cross for all of us. There are many who try to put those of us with disabilities away in institutions and “special homes”. They try to say we have no purpose or meaning in life, but this is far from the case. The suffering that stems from our disabilities produce positive results because God has blessed it. So, please remain hopeful and know your sufferings have meaning. Your life has meaning. Don’t ever listen to those who try to put you down, or try to convince you that your life has no meaning. It surely does have meaning. Through the suffering and crucifixion of Christ Jesus, suffering now has meaning and produces graces greater than we can ever imagine. My prayer for each of us is, that we remain strong with our heads held high and carry on with growing closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
God bless you this day. Please keep the Hermits of St. Giles in your prayers that we too will grow more and more closer to our loving Savior.
Your brother,
Mark