Message of 4-1-09
Published: Thu, 03/26/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Only when a person tries to live the divine life can the divine
Christ manifest Himself to him. Therefore, the true way for you to
find Christ is not to go groping in a thousand books. It is not for
you to try evidences about a thousand things that people have
believed of Him, but it is for you to undertake so great a life, so
devoted a life, so pure a life, so serviceable a life, that you
cannot do it except by Christ, and then see whether Christ helps
you. See then whether there comes to you the certainty that you are
a child of God, and the manifestation of the child of God becomes
the most credible, the most certain thing to you in all of history.
- Phillips Brooks
("Draw close to God and God will draw close to you." James 4: 8)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; Jn 8:31-42
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"If you remain in my word ... you shall know the truth, and the truth
will set you free."
Lent calls us not only to repent of our sins, but also to identify
and resist a lifestyle in which we may find it easy to ignore God's
challenge to stand fast against some of the loudest voices in our
culture. For example, consumerism deceives us, enslaving us
unconsciously to greed and wastefulness, but God's view of reality
presents a kingdom of peace and love, leading us instead to seek
out the exercise of responsible stewardship over the earth and a
just sharing of its resources with all people.
"Lord, may I live by the truth that we are all your children and
that your earth is our common home."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
Outward as well as inward morality helps to form the idea of true
Christian freedom. We are right to lay stress on inwardness, but in
this world there is no inwardness without an outward expression. If
we regard the soul as the formative principle of the body, and God
as the formative principle of the soul, we have a profounder
principle of ethics than is found in Pantheism. The fundamental
thought of this system is the real distinction between God and the
world, together with their real inseparability, for only really
distinct elements can interpenetrate each other.
- #7: Outward and Inward morality
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REVIEW OF DAY
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and formation in Christian spirituality.
Groups now open include the following:
A. Psychological Types and Spirituality
B. The Way of Christian Spirituality
C. Freedom from Codependency
D. Christian Spirituality Resources
E. Wonderfully Made (Christian Metaphysics)
F. Growing in Christ
G. Spiral Dynamics®
H. Discerning God's Will
I. Dark Night of the Soul
J. Silence, Solitude and Sabbath
K. Alpha Group -- includes all the above and all to come.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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