Message of 3-20-09
Published: Tue, 03/10/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
God created us with an overwhelming desire to soar. Our desire to
develop and use every ounce of potential He's placed in us is not
egotistical. He designed us to be tremendously productive and "to
mount up with wings like eagles," realistically dreaming of what He
can do with our potential.
- Carol Kent, "Speak Up"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Hos 14:2-10; Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17; Mk
12:28-34
R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in
God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God.
They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being
united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and
the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his
promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a
new freedom to love as he loves. Do you allow anything to keep you
from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous
heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because
God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which
conquers all?
"We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more.
Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much
as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the
thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with
Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our
lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious
either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all
gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born
of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most
loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our
hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by
this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son." (Prayer of
Anselm, 12th century)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE (Benedictine Approach)
1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.
2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking
directly to you in it.
3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it
slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.
4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments
awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage
and repeat steps 3 and 4.
5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in
loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence
Yes, we often stop this torrent (of God's loving presence), by the
little value we set upon it. But let us stop it no more: let us
enter into ourselves and break down the bank which hinders it. Let
us make way for grace; let us redeem the lost time, for perhaps we
have but little left; death follows us close, let us be well
prepared for it; for we die but once, and a miscarriage there is
irretrievable.
- Fourth letter - speaking of himself in the 3rd person.
______________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed