Message of 5-11-09
Published: Sun, 05/10/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
You can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people
pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never
understand prayer. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming: You
learn by doing.
.. Luis Palau
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 14:5-18; Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16; Jn 14:21-26
R. (1ab) Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love
him and reveal myself to him."
Jesus is emphatic about it: Love is the preeminent virtue. His
commandments are all about love. And, as he explains it, love
engenders love and reveals Jesus to those who love him. God comes
to us not with loud fanfare and majestic glory, but in simple,
quiet, tender ways. Do we notice? Do we prepare a space in our
hearts for this One we love? Do we set aside time each day for the
sole purpose of being with our God? Let us speak Jesus' name in
love often, so that his Spirit may come to us, dwell with us, teach
us and remind us of all he has promised.
"For God's love in our hearts, we pray."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
But although, even as God is common to all, the sun shines upon all
trees, yet many a tree remains without fruits, and many a tree
brings forth wild fruits of little use to men. And for this reason
such trees are pruned, and shoots of fruitful trees are grafted
into them, so that they may bear good fruits, savoury and useful to
man.
- Chapter 1, Of the Active Life
_________________________________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed