Be Still: Daily Devotional
A time to BE STILL with God. A daily scripture reading and meditative devotional from Mondays to Fridays and a time of reflection on Saturdays through the practice of a weekly Examen.
Examen- August 30th, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
August 29th, 2025
Today is August 29.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 1.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Josep...
August 28th, 2025
Today is August 28.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Amos, chapter 9.
“In that day
“I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
I will repair its broken walls
and restore its ruins—
and will rebuild it as it used to be,
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear my name,
declares the LORD, who will do these t...
August 27th, 2025
Today is August 27.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 15.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This...
August 26th, 2025
Today is August 26.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Nehemiah, chapter 9.
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They st...
August 25th, 2025
Today is August 25th
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 133.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
3 For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
This is a simple couple of verses, but a challenging thing to take from paper into real life...
Examen- August 23rd, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
August 22nd, 2025
Today is August 22.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Philippians, chapter 3.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to...
August 21st, 2025
Today is August 21.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 17.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe...
August 20th, 2025
Today is August 20.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Genesis, chapter 45.
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egypt...
August 19th, 2025
Today is August 19.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 101.
I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
...
August 18th, 2025
Today is August 18
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Joel, chapter 2.
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I wil...
Examen- August 16th, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
August 15th, 2025
Today is August 15.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 14.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you...
August 14th, 2025
Today is August 14.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 14.
Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not ea...
August 13th, 2025
Today is August 13.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 18.
While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out to the king and...
August 12th, 2025
Today is August 12.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 5.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of dar...
August 11th, 2025
Today is August 11.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 30.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captu...
Examen- August 9th, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
August 8th, 2025
Today is August 8.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 8.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I...
August 7th, 2025
Today is August 7.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the gospel of John, chapter 9.
Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is t...
August 6th, 2025
Today is August 6th.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of help...
August 5th, 2025
Today is August 5.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 4.
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to t...
August 4th, 2025
Today is August 4th
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Hosea, chapter 2.
15 There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt...
Examen- August 2nd, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
August 1st, 2025
Today is August 1.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 6.
Jesus answered... Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”...
July 31st, 2025
Today is July 31.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 20.
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonatha...
July 30th, 2025
Today is July 30.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 37.
The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to sla...
July 29th, 2025
Today is July 29.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Philippians, chapter 4.
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty...
July 28th, 2025
Today is July 28
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 71.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to...
Examen- July 26th, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
July 25th, 2025
Today is July 25.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 3.
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one...
July 24th, 2025
Today is July 24.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Nehemiah, chapter 2.
In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill...
July 23rd, 2025
Today is July 23.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 61.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever ...
July 22nd, 2025
Today is July 22.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Hebrews, chapter 13.
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Well, this might feel like a...
July 21st, 2025
Today is July 21
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book 2 Corinthians, chapter 4.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not...
Examen- July 19th, 2025
This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
July 18th, 2025
Today is July 18.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Ezra, chapter 6.
In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. Do not interfere with the...
July 17th, 2025
Today is July 17.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the book of Titus, chapter 3.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous thin...
July 16th, 2025
Today is July 16.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 142.
I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.
When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
...
