Message of 2-9-09
Published: Thu, 02/05/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness.
It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity
to a worthy purpose.
- Helen Keller
(What might that purpose(es) be for you?)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Gn1:1-19; Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c; Mk 6:53-56
R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all--
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Then God said ... and so it happened."
God creates; we ... manufacture. Jesus heals; we ... medicate. And
while the results of manufacturing and medication can sometimes be
called good, too often we are left with a product hardly
recognizable as human, much less divine. We manufacture the means
of our own destruction. We medicate ourselves into senselessness.
God's ways are wonderfully simple. Our ways are complicated. God's
ways connect us to the divine within ourselves and each other. Our
ways isolate and alienate. As creatures made in the image of God,
our deepest longing is to be true to that image. As disciples of
Jesus, our deepest longing is to imitate and follow him.
"Creator God, inspire us to live as your own children and as
brothers and sisters to each other. Amen."
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LECTIO DIVINA PROCESS
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/vocations/prayer.html
First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with.
It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or
anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:
* Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,
read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a
minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention
to the words or phrases that speak to you.
* Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in
this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?
* Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in
response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers
of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you
sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or
imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.
* Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to
simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let
yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel
comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the
Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God.
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THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S "THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY"
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
531. think without fear
536. We have to be responsive to the slightest interior movements
of grace.
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