Message of 9-30-09
Published: Wed, 09/23/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
In the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does
not daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is
impossible; he that gains not, loses; he that ascends not,
descends. If one does not ascend the ladder, one must descend; if
one does not conquer, one will be conquered.
... St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)
(Which way do you think you've been going, lately?)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Neh 2:1-8; Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6; Lk 9:57-62
R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
- Feast of St. Jerome -
"I will follow you."
St. Jerome, under the direction of Pope Damasus I, revised the
Latin New Testament and the Latin Psalter, and later in life
translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin. All this before
computers! Jerome was an irascible sort who made bitter enemies of
those he condemned and alienated fellow Christians with his
sarcastic manner. He is honored for his enormous contribution and
forgiven for his personal failures. May we each be so blessed?
"St. Jerome, pray for us."
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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
And what of God? Is God "I"?
No, God is not "I". Rather, God is the "Am" in which "I" affirm
the fact of my existence: "I Am." This "Am", or pure Being, is
utterly distinct from "I", for "I" cannot, of its own accord, know
anything more about It than the fact that "It Is." And yet Being is
also the source of "I"; apart from It, "I" has no existence, no
"Am."
Something of Existence must therefore be present within "I", for It
is the means by which "I" has its own being. "I" cannot extract
Existence from itself, however, so "I" can never know what it is
apart from Existence. Through the "I" in every person, then,
something of the glory and numinosity of Existence Itself shines
forth. Those who are awake to their own "I" know this truth, but
those who have lost themselves in the disordered mental activity
stirred up by the false self are asleep to the wonder of Existence.
- Part 15 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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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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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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