# Attention Day 5 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. > ### Opening Prayer: *Lord, I ask for the grace to let go of my own concerns and be open to what you are asking of me, to let myself be guided and formed by my loving Creator. (Sacred Space: the Prayer Book 2010 by Jesuit Communication Centre)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 130 #### My Soul Waits for the Lord #### A Song of Ascents. *130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!* *For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.* #### Scripture for the Day: Matthew 25:1-13 #### The Parable of the Ten Virgins *25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom.[b] 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.* #### Reading for Reflection: *In these days of intense distraction, I find it difficult to give my attention to any one thing. Multitasking, doing several things at once, without paying attention to any one thing, seems to be the norm. However, when I am unable or unwilling to stop and give my attention to a single task, all the tasks suffer. A phone conversation with a friend is diminished when I am also checking my email. A work task is done halfway when I attempt several chores at the same time. And my connection with God suffers if I’m meditating as I rush out the door on my way to work. What I value deserves my full attention.* ​ *God’s love nourishes our attentiveness. When we are surrounded by distractions, fear, or grief, God’s love pierces our fogs and brings us closer to peace. (The Uncluttered Heart by Beth A. Richardson)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: O Come, O Come, Emanuel *O come, O come, Emmanuel,* *And ransom captive Israel,* *That mourns in lonely exile here,* *Until the Son of God appear.* *Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel* *Shall come to thee, O Israel.* *O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free* *Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;* *From depths of hell thy people save,* *And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.* *Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel* *Shall come to thee, O Israel.* *O come, thou Dayspring come and cheer* *Our spirits by thy justice here.* *Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,* *And death’s dark shadows put to flight.* *Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel* *Shall come to thee, O Israel.* *O come, thou Key of David, come* *And open wide our heav’nly home;* *Make safe the way that leads on high,* *And close the path to misery.* *Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel* *Shall come to thee, O Israel* ### Closing Prayer *My God, since You are with me, and since it is Your will that I should apply my mind to these outward things, I pray that You will give me the grace to remain with You and keep company with You. But so that my work may be better, Lord, work with me; receive my work and possess all my affections. (The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence)*