# Holiness Day 6 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. ### Opening Prayer: *Gracious and loving God, you know the deep inner patterns of my life that keep me from being totally yours. You know the misformed structures of my being that hold me in bondage to something less than your high purpose for my life. You also know my reluctance to let you have your way with me in these areas. Hear the deeper cry of my heart for wholeness and by your grace enable me to open to your transforming presence in this time. Lord, have mercy. (Invitation to a Journey by Robert Mulholland Jr.)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 99 #### The Lord Our God Is Holy *99 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!2 The Lord is great in Zion;he is exalted over all the peoples.3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!Holy is he!4 The King in his might loves justice.[a]You have established equity;you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!Holy is he!* *6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them.7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.8 O Lord our God, you answered them;you were a forgiving God to them,but an avenger of their wrongdoings.9 Exalt the Lord our God,and worship at his holy mountain;for the Lord our God is holy!* #### Scripture for the Day: Hebrews 10:1-14, 12:14 *10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.* *5 Consequently, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;* *6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.* *11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.* *12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.* #### Reading for Reflection: *If we are called by God to holiness of life, and if holiness is beyond our natural power to achieve (which it certainly is) then it follows that God himself must give us the light, the strength, and the courage to fulfill the task he requires of us. He will certainly give us the grace we need. If we do not become saints it is because we do not avail ourselves of his gift. (Life and Holiness by Thomas Merton)* *The way of holiness is a way of confidence and love. The true Christian lives “in the Spirit” and drinks from the hidden fountains of divine grace, without being obsessed with any special need for complicated and marginal practices. He is concerned above all with essentials—with frequent moments of simple prayer and faith; attention to the presence of God; loving submission to the divine will in all things, especially in his duties of state; and above all the love of his neighbor and brother in Christ. (Life and Holiness by Thomas Merton)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Holy, Holy, Holy *Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!* *Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;* *Holy holy, holy, merciful and mighty!* *God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!* *Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,* *Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;* *Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,* *Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.* *Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,* *Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,* *Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,* *Perfect in power, in love, and purity.* *Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!* *All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.* *Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!* *God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!* ### Closing Prayer: *Thank you Lord, that you see me as holy because of the gift of your Son. Help me to celebrate the holiness you have given me by being wholly yours this day. Amen. (JLB)* ----------------------