# Intimacy Day 6 > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God. ### Opening Prayer: *O God, who existed before all things, draw near to my heart today as I draw near to yours. Grant that as we are together during this time—as well as this day—I will know of your presence to the very core of my being. Let me experience the intimacy with you that I was created for. In the name of Jesus, the Word made flesh. Amen. (JLB)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 131 #### I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul #### A Song of Ascents. Of David. *131 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high;I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.* *3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.* #### Scripture for the Day: Hosea 2:14-23 #### The Lord's Mercy on Israel *14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.15 And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor[a] a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,* *as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.* *16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish[b] the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.* *21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth,22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel,[c]23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy,[d] and I will say to Not My People,[e] ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”* #### The Lord's Mercy on Israel *14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness,and speak tenderly to her. 15 And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor[a] a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.* *16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish[b] the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.* *21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, 22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel,[c] 23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy,[d] and I will say to Not My People,[e] ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”* #### Reading for Reflection: *O living flame of love That tenderly wounds my soul In its deepest center! Since Now you are not oppressive, Now Consummate! If it be your will: Tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!* *O sweet cautery, O delightful wound! O gentle hand! O delicate touch That tastes of eternal life And pays every debt! In killing you changed death into life. O lamps of fire! In whose splendors The deep caverns of feeling, Once obscure and blind, Now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely, Both warmth and light to their beloved.* *How gently and lovingly You wake in my heart, Where in secret you dwell alone; And in your sweet breathing, Filled with good and glory, How tenderly you swell my heart with love. ~John of the Cross* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Draw Me Close to You *Draw me close to You never let me go* *I lay it all down again* *To hear You say that I'm Your friend* *You are my desire no one else will do* *'Cause nothing else could take Your place* *To feel the warmth of Your embrace* *Help me find the way bring me back to You* *You're all I want* *You're all I've ever needed* *You're all I want* *Help me know You are near* ### Closing Prayer *Lord you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection.~St. Mechthildis*