A few weeks ago on an airplane, a good friend introduced me to The Word Among Us.  In case you are not familiar with it either, The Word Among Us is a monthly publication with daily and weekend mass readings, meditations for each day, and articles on faith-related topics.  All of the articles in the June issue surrounded the theme of the power of the Word of God.  One article in particular stuck with me.  The author pointed out that in Mass, we hear the Word of God before we encounter Him in an intimate way by receiving Eucharist. 

I don't know about you, but I need God every day!  I am just a human, and I count on God to take care of me.  God doesn't mind if I pray constantly, throughout the day.  Victoria Moran says regarding prayer, "When you get used to using it, there will always be two of you when it's time to face something difficult -- and one of you will be perfect."

Father Dan said on Sunday that prayer isn't only about speaking to God; it's also about listening.  Scripture is a great way to connect with God on a daily basis.  May I encourage you to try it for a week or two?  It will change your life!  I don't say that lightly; I know it changed mine.  When my friend lent me The Word Among Us on that plane, I had been out of my daily scripture habit for a few weeks, and I was surprised to find that I was thirsty for scripture!  That's the only word for it; my soul wanted it like my mouth wants cold water on a hot day.  Six days later, on the flight back to Omaha, he offered it to me again, and I felt my heart draw me toward scripture as to a beloved friend.  Indeed, scripture is a way to connect daily with our most beloved friend, Jesus.

Some ideas for implementing this daily habit:

1. Don't try all these suggestions at once!

2. Start slowly.  Start with a few minutes a day, or even just a verse or two.  Just get in the habit of doing it every day.

3. Order The Word Among Us, and read the daily readings and meditations that go with them.

4. Go to www.usccb.org and click on Today's Reading.  (I think you can even listen to a podcast of today's readings from their website, if you prefer audio.)

5.  Look in the bulletin for the week's daily readings, and look them up in your bible.  It can be very rewarding to physically find the right page in the bible, especially if you're not used to doing it.

6.  Read one Psalm a day.

7.  Read the book of Proverbs that corresponds to today's date.  (Today is July 20^th, so I might read Proverbs chapter 20.)

8.  Read slowly.  See each word in the sentence.

9.  Along with your scripture reading, spend a few minutes in a faith-related book.  I like books by Jeff Cavins and Scott Hahn, but there are hundreds of possibilities. 

10.  Find one verse or idea from your reading to hold onto during the day.  You could write it in a journal or on a sticky note.

11.  As the weeks go by, watch the Lord work in your life.  Watch how He changes you through what you read.  Thank Him.

Do you have any ideas, tips, or suggestions for building a daily habit of scripture?  Share in the comments!