Message of 7-15-09
Published: Sun, 07/12/09
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Work is a blessing. God has so arranged the world that work is
necessary, and He gives us hands and strength to do it. The
enjoyment of leisure would be nothing if we had only leisure. It is
the joy of work well done that enables us to enjoy rest, just as it
is the experiences of hunger and thirst that make food and drink
such pleasures.
- Elisabeth Ellitot, "Discipline: The Glad Surrender"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Ex 3:1-6, 9-12; Ps 103:1b-2, 3-4, 6-7; Mt 11:25-27
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will."
We have the grace to be among those who receive the Father's
revelation -- not because we're mighty or learned, but because we're
simple and childlike in our willingness to understand and accept.
We're not all called to be theologians or biblical scholars. We
are, however, asked to retain that childlike curiosity and
eagerness to absorb all the amazing glory the Lord has to show us.
If we humbly with childlike readiness and wide-eyed enthusiasm look
to Jesus as God's own Son and the clear and direct source of our
knowledge of the Father, we'll be wiser than any scribe or Pharisee.
"Let us approach the Lord with childlike wonder and openness, we
pray.
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GOD, SELF AND EGO: Meanings and Discernments
by Philip St. Romain© (doctoral project manuscript)
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/godselfego.html
Thomism recognizes two aspects to reality: existence and
essence. Existence refers to the fact that something is; essence
refers to what something is. When applied to the realm of human
interiority, these two aspects of reality correspond to the
experiences "that I am" and "who I am," respectively. Most
definitions
of Self seem to pertain to the the realm of existence, and the most
common use of the term Ego is in relation to essence. Self is "that
I
am," and Ego is "what" or "who I am." The relationship between Self
and
Ego can be deduced from these affirmations: Self is the more basic
entity--human consciousness--and Ego is an individual manifestation
of Self. In this view, then, Ego and Self are not metaphysically
opposed, and a harmonious union between the two is the natural order
of things. Ego is the intentional aspect of Self, and Self is the
subjective aspect of Ego.
- Part 3 of 15
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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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