Seven Scriptures for Meditation Read with the Saints
Here are 7 Scriptures for Meditation (in the RSV) together with the writings of saints who wrote about them:
Yea, thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. Yea, by thee I can crush a troop; and by my God I can leap over a wall.
- Psalm 18:28-29 (KJV)
"For even in that wretched restlessness of the spirits who fell away, and, when unclothed of the garments of Thy light, discovered their own darkness, dost Thou sufficiently disclose how noble Thou hast made the rational creature; to which nought which is inferior to Thee will suffice to yield a happy rest, and so not even herself. For Thou, O our God, shalt enlighten our darkness; from Thee are derived our garments of light, and then shall our darkness be as the noonday. Give Thyself unto me, O my God, restore Thyself unto me; behold, I love Thee, and if it be too little, let me love Thee more strongly."
- St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Chapter VIII.
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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Matthew 5:8
"The contemplative life is directed primarily toward the contemplation of God. Gregory says that it disdains all other concerns and is on fire with yearning to see the face of its Creator. But the only way to achieve this is purity, which is caused by moral virtue, because it says in Matthew 5:8, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.' And in Hebrews 12:14 it says, 'Pursue peace with everyone and also holiness, without which no one will see God.' So apparently the moral virtues do belong to the contemplative life."
- St. Thomas Aquinas, "Active and Contemplative Life," from Albert & Thomas: Selected Writings
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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
- Prov. 3:5-6
"Solomon says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding: in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Understand what He says—that we must not trust in our wisdom, but in the Lord alone, by Whom the steps of a man are directed. Lastly, we are bidden to show Him our ways, and make them known, for they are not made straight by our own labour, but by His assistance and mercy."
- St. Jerome, Against the Pelagians, Book III.
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And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. And when Eli'jah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?" He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
- I Kings 19:11-14
"O, then, very delicate, exceedingly delicate touch of the Word, so much more delicate for me insofar as, after overthrowing the mountains and smashing the rocks to pieces on Mount Horeb with the shadow of might and power that went before you, you gave the prophet the sweetest and strongest experience of yourself in the gentle breeze [I Kgs. 19:11-12]! O gentle breeze, since you are a delicate and mild breeze, tell us: How do you, the Word, the Son of God, touch mildly and gently, since you are so awesome and mighty?"
- St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, Stanza 2, from The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross
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Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
- James 1:17-18
"Therefore we ought to believe that God is good, eternal, perfect, almighty, and true, such as we find Him in the Law and the Prophets, and the rest of the holy Scriptures," for otherwise there is no God. For He Who is God cannot but be good, seeing that fulness of goodness is of the nature of God: nor can God, Who made time, be in time; nor, again, can God be imperfect, for a lesser being is plainly imperfect, seeing that it lacks somewhat whereby it could be made equal to a greater. This, then, is the teaching of our faith—that God is not evil, that with God nothing is impossible, that God exists not in time, that God is beneath no being. If I am in error, let my adversaries prove it."
- St. Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith, Book I, Chapter II.
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Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
- Matt 11:29-30
"Humility is a grace in the soul and with a name known only to those who have had experience of it. It is indescribable wealth, a name and a gift from God. 'Learn from Me,' He said; that is, not from an angel, not from a man, not from a book, but from Me," that is, from My dwelling within you, from My illumination and action within you, for 'I am gentle and meek of heart' (Matt. 11:29) in thought and in spirit, and your souls will find rest from conflicts and reflief from evil thoughts."
John Climacus, , Step 25 "On Humility," from The Ladder of Divine Ascent
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For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9
"Hear what he himself says to men: 'Just as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts' (Is 55:9). We are said to love; so is God, and many more things of that sort. But God loves as Love itself; he knows as Truth itself. He sits as Equity, rules as Majesty, governs as Prince, keeps safe as Salvation, works as Strength, reveals as Light, is with us as Holiness. All these things the angels do, and so do we; but in a far lowlier way, and not because of the good we are but because of the good we share."
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, "On Consideration," from Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works
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