The more you praise God, the more you become
God-conscious and absorbed in His greatness, wisdom, faithfulness, and love. Praise reminds you of all that God is able to do and of great things He has already done. Faith comes through God’s Word and through praise. Faith grows as you praise the Lord.
- Wesley L. Duewel (Spend some time today giving praise
to God.)
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1 Cor 1:1-9; PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Mk 6:17-29 Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on
account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John,
knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military
officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will
grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me
at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a
tomb.
Reflection on the Scriptures
We live in a nasty world today as well. The pressure to "fit in" with the predominant culture around us is very strong. It is not easy or simple to live, let alone witness to, gospel values today. We are bitterly
divided on cultural issues, to such a degree that it is difficult to sort out which are my deepest values, based upon our faith. It can be difficult to hold onto a consistent ethic of life, which holds sacred the dignity of every human life, in the face of deep bigotry, racism, and even nationalism. Some life is too often seen as less valuable. It is difficult to imagine that our God is happy with how this world has turned out - the tremendous injustices everywhere, and the degradation of our
planet in ways that are threatening human life all over the world. It may sound overly simple, but the way of Jesus has always been our way. Developing an intimate relationship with Jesus draws us closer to him, especially to his way. The closer I grow in affection with Jesus, the better I I get at knowing the answer to the question, "What would
Jesus do?" The close I grow in affection with him, the easier it is to instinctively know that the way I've been relating with the people closest to me isn't working out to be the way of Jesus. Stripping away the impatience, harshness, punishing and constant bickering, is the first step in living a life more in harmony with Jesus' way. I can only change of my heart begins to change. If I grow in gratitude for being a forgiven sinner myself, I can become softer, more compassionate and more loving
at home. It is this "dying to self" that allows me to love those closest to me. It is the first step in allowing me to be better at loving the "neighbor" around me, with mercy and compassion, and self-sacrificing love. Then, the inner fire of anger at so many people, fear of so much, and conflict with those who have different ideas than mine, begins to change. Then, "What would Jesus do?" become a challenging question to ask in very concrete situations. by Andy Alexander, S.J.
Psychic Energy and Contemplation by James
Arraj From St. John of the Cross and Dr. C. J. Jung, Part III, Chapter 9. Inner Growth Books, 1986. Acquired Contemplation in the 20th Century Roland Dalbiez' study begins with an analysis of the Carmelite mystical theologian Joseph of the Holy Spirit, who died in 1736, and was recognized as one of the
most profound scholastic thinkers in the field of mysticism. Dalbiez turns this scholastic language to good account by carefully examining the meaning of acquired contemplation in Joseph's Cursus Theologiae Mystico-Scholasticae. He finds that there is a contradiction: Joseph states that in some places this contemplation is acquired, and in other places that it is not, and Fr. Joseph asserts it is a contemplation, and then turns around and asserts it is not. Then Dalbiez turns to the
broader question of whether the whole idea of acquired contemplation can be maintained. There are four possibilities, each of which can be represented by a historical figure: "The first is that of the radical quietist, the prototype of which is Molinos. The second is that of the mitigated or semi-quietist, which is represented by Fénelon. The third is that of the Catholic theologians for which the degree of
prayer called acquired contemplation is only improperly acquired, and this position is found fully elaborated in Scaramelli. The fourth, no less orthodox, is that of the authors in the eyes of which acquired contemplation is only a contemplation improperly speaking, this is the conception of St. Alfonsus Liguori."(19) The first and second possibilities lead to theological unorthodoxy, while the third and
fourth remain orthodox by emptying acquired contemplation of its proper meaning. The notion of acquired contemplation from a historical point of view leads to difficulties, not only because it cannot be found in St. John, but because the advocates of this doctrine in the 17th century seem to slide into difficulties maintaining it. As Dalbiez puts it: "It is the notion of acquired contemplation which has created the psychological climate without which the blossoming of quietism would have been
impossible. "(20
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