With the conclusion of the school year and all the changes that brings about, I am reminded of how much calendars play an important role in our day-to-day lives. Some of us may use calendars to plan our work weeks, others to mark special anniversaries. Liturgical calendars invite us to see our lives as part of a timeless rhythm. As we mark the passing feast days and observances, we experience again the ever-fresh and diverse roles God plays in our lives. We are reminded that our lives, too, are part of the Christian story.

When we practice visio divina, we enter into a rhythm as well. That is why we shy away from calling the parts of the process “steps”, as if they were items to be checked off of a list. As prayer, visio divina is an encounter with God’s Word and the Spirit. It involves a back and forth movement, like any true dialogue.

This rhythm is one that can truly nourish us. And if we return to the practice regularly, our whole lives begin to show its fruits. In the business world, one often hears of the distinction between being “proactive” versus being merely “reactive”. If a company is going to be on top of things and make positive steps forward, it has to do more than simply maintain the status quo and deal with problems as they arrive. Employees have to get into a habit of seeing the bigger picture and doing more than the required minimum.

I find that this is true in my faith life as well. I can choose to go through life with my faith on the back burner, kept at a lukewarm temperature for times of particular need. Or, I can choose to be proactive in my relationship with God and, like the prudent employee, get into a habit—a rhythm—of being nurtured by God’s Word.

Taylor

Taylor Morgan is Project Coordinator for Formation and Outreach, including the Seeing the Word project at Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary. He holds a Master of Arts in Theology with a concentration in Scripture from Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary and has a background in communications, digital media, and spanish. Taylor was a collaborator on the Seeing the Word Program Manual available through Liturgical Press, and develops multimedia, training, and marketing resources for Seeing the Word. He is a co-director for the Praying with Imagination retreat.