Message of 11-2-09
Published: Sat, 10/31/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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- All Soul's Day
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
[God desires] not that He may say to us, "Look how mighty I am, and
go down upon your knees and worship,"--for power alone was never yet
worthy of prayer; but that He may say thus: "Look, my children, you
will never be strong but with my strength. I have no other to give
you. And that you can get only by trusting in me. I can not give it
you any other way. There is no other way."
... George MacDonald (1824-1905), "Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Wis 3:1-9; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Rom 5:5-11; Jn 6:37-40
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The souls of the just are in the hands of God"
In our parish we have a comforting custom. On the first Sunday of
November and on All Souls Day itself, we sing the Litany of Saints
as the gathering song. (We prefer the arrangement by John Becker.)
After all ministers are in place -- having walked slowly, slowly --
the accompanist continues as the lector or other minister reads the
names of parishioners who have died during the past year. We also
issue a holy card with those names. In addition to being a
ritualized and very lovely reminder of those who have gone before
it us, it's also comforting to know that when we die, our names
will be spoken aloud in church. We all want to be remembered.
"For our loved ones who have died, for those who mourn their
passing and for all who are preparing for death, we pray."
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THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
The righteousness of the Judge, for it is to Christ that this
Judgment and this Verdict belong; for He is the Son of Man and the
Wisdom of the Father, and to this Wisdom all judgment is given,
since all hearts, in heaven, and on earth, and in hell, are clear
and open to It. And therefore these three points are the occasions
of the general coming in the Day of Doom, and of the particular
coming to each man in the hour of his death.
- Chapter 8, Of the Third Coming of Christ
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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.
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