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You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and say that you have received his Christmas gift.
- John R. Rice
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2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16; PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 AND 29
LK 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
USCCB Lectionary
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Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain, 2018 (3rd ed.)
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Luke 1:67-79 (Zechariab's Canticle)
Just as he did in Mary's Magnificat, Luke writes of salvation history in Zechariah's Canticle. This prayer, used daily in the Liturgy of the Hours, is an inspiring statement about God's love for us, a prayer rich in meaning concerning both John the Baptist and us.
• Read through this passage slowly, spending time with the verses that move you. Write your impressions in your journal.
• Christmas Day is tomorrow. Will charity prevail? How will you celebrate the Incarnation?
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
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God and
I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.)
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Chapter 9: Spiritual Transformation -- God, Self and Ego
1. Egoic Authenticity is Foundational to Spirituality
Historically, teaching about God has been the province of religion, but there are many these days who have become disillusioned with religion. We often hear people speaking of being “spiritual,” but not “religious,” meaning that they do not formally affiliate with a religious tradition, but still believe in God and have
some manner of spiritual practice in their lives. The reasons for this are many, but I think it ultimately comes down to a yearning for living experience of God, which they were unable to find in their church, synagogue, mosque, or temple.
Space does not permit a thorough discussion of this split between religion and spirituality, but it is my opinion that the two belong together. Religion without spirituality deteriorates into dogmatism, moralism and legalism -- the very issues that Jesus denounced in the Judaism of his day. Such religious ideology is often the justification for all manner of violence against various types of “infidel,”
for their own good, of course.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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