Message of 4-17-09
Published: Mon, 04/13/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
He has destroyed death by undergoing death.
He has despoiled hell by descending into hell.
Hell was filled with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below;
filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing;
filled with bitterness, for it was mocked;
filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown;
filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains .
Hell received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and
confronted heaven.
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
Christ is risen! And you, o death, are annihilated!
- John Chrysostom
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Free copy of "Jesus is Risen," a pamphlet by Philip St. Romain.
- see http://homepage.mac.com/philothea/download/resurrection.pdf
Print it out; pass it around; send copies via email. . .
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a; Jn 21:1-14
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.ht
ml
Our Easter readings today come across with such vibrancy, and
remind us of our connectedness across the ages as we look in on
their trials of Faith and compare them to our own in our world
today. Peter and John from the reading in Acts are all charged up
with a strong sense of mission and purpose. You can almost feel
Peter's energy across all these years reaching up to motivate us
today. As the Spirit gave them courage; we too are encouraged to
stand up for our Faith today. These men are brought in and
detained until the next day for questioning, basically for curing a
man in Jesus' Name who had been crippled. Peter is so enthused
that he has their attention that he boldly proclaims from which his
power came, from Jesus Christ crucified, died, buried and risen
from the dead. Like then, we face challenges to our Faith today,
and like them, we have access to that same Spirit to aid us in our
stand. Some of our challenges are universal across all counties
and all people. For me in our country today, the problem that
causes me to carry the heaviest load is what seems to be a return
to support for abortion on demand. When things get so big, you
know you can't fix them, you resolutely resort to prayer, and then
you pray some more.
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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.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence
There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful,
than that of a continual conversation with GOD: those only can
comprehend it who practise and experience it; yet I do not advise
you to do it from that motive; it is not pleasure which we ought to
seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love,
and because GOD would have us.
- Fifth Letter
Prayer for a sister who is about to make a vow and profession.
* A
fresh insisting upon the necessity and virtue of practising the
Presence of God.
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