Message of 9-2-09
Published: Tue, 08/25/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
It is only by fidelity in little things that the grace of true
love to God can be sustained, and distinguished from a passing
fervor of spirit... No one can well believe that our piety is
sincere, when our behavior is lax and irregular in its little
details. What probability is there that we should not hesitate to
make the greatest sacrifices, when we shrink from the smallest?
- François Fénelon (1651-1715)
(To do all things well . . . mindful of God . . . )
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Col 1:1-8; Ps 52:10, 11; Lk 4:38-44
R. (10) I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
I, like a green olive tree
in the house of God,
Trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever.
I will thank you always for what you have done,
and proclaim the goodness of your name
before your faithful ones.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"In the whole world [the Gospel] is bearing fruit and growing."
In Capernaum Jesus is accepted with enthusiasm by strangers who
don't want him to leave. This welcome is in contrast to the
lukewarm, even hostile, reaction of his hometown. Paul writes that
the church at Colossae and throughout the "whole world" is growing,
but in Jesus' town? Not so much. What is the modern counterpart?
The eager convert compared to the apathetic "cradle Catholic"? The
enthusiastic church of South America, Africa and Asia compared to
the listless church of Europe and North America?
"Jesus, we pray for those who receive your Gospel enthusiastically,
and we ask for the grace of an open heart, to be moved once again
by your word."
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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
- On the different possible combinations of God, Self and Ego:
* Ego-God union. A wide variety of possibilities exist, here. In
general, God is considered as an-Other Being with Whom the Ego
relates through the medium of ideas, concepts, feelings, desires,
images and symbols. God can and often does communicate with the
Ego in this manner, as the Judeo-Christian tradition of revelation
emphasizes. Because the life of the Ego is under the sway of the
false self, however, its relationship with God can be distorted
in many ways.
- Part 11 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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