Lectio Divina for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 03, 2025
We begin our prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
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.
(Collect, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Reading (Lectio)
Read the following Scripture two or thee times.
Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Meditation (Meditatio)
After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions:
- Did this scripture passage remind you of a personal experience, story, or another scripture passage?
- What word or words in this passage caught your attention?
- What in this passage comforted you?
- What in this passage challenged you?
If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses.
Prayer (Oratio)
Read the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you.
Contemplation (Contemplatio)
Read the Scripture again, followed by this reflection:
What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator? How often do I judge others? How can I begin to view my brothers and sister with love rather than judgment?
Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry! What do my possessions and budget say about my priorities? How do I show gratitude for God’s abundant care for me?
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God. What are my treasures? What matters to God?
After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, all recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following:
Closing Prayer:
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
(From Psalm 90)
Living the Word This Week
How can I make my life a gift for others in charity?
Donate unused possessions or money to an agency that assists the unhoused, refugees, or the formerly incarcerated.
To learn more about the readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, watch the video below.
Excerpts from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.