Message of 11-18-09
Published: Sat, 11/14/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
ANNUAL APPEAL
So why do we need to do an annual appeal anyway? Don't we earn
enough money from sales of books and other resources from
shalomplace.com?
Well, we try. At Heartland Center for Spirituality, it's our goal
to have all our ministries be self-supporting, so we do have
numerous web resources that come with a price tag attached. There
is a trickle of income from these, but nowhere near enough to cover
our expenses. Long ago we also decided to use the Internet
"shareware" principle for our Internet ministry: we offer numerous
resources without requiring a paid registration or subscription,
and ask that those who benefit from these services help to support
our ministry. That way, we do not exclude those whose financial
resources are limited, and we end up reaching more people, which is
one of our hopes.
As with shareware software then, we make our appeal: if you benefit
from Daily Spiritual Seed and our Internet ministry, please
consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our efforts.
Shalom,
Phil St. Romain
Editor, Daily Spiritual Seed
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To support Daily Spiritual Seed and our online ministries, see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html which includes secure
credit card options and information for check payments.
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"My God, you know that the only thing I ever wanted is to love you.
I have no ambition for any other
glory except that. In my childhood, your love was there waiting for
me; as i grew up, it grew with me;
and now it is like a great chasm whose depths are past sounding.
Love breeds love; and mine,
Jesus, for you, keeps on thrusting out towards you, as if to fill
up that chasm which your love has
made-but it is no good; mine is something less than a drop of dew
lost in the ocean. Love you as
you love me? The only way to do that is to come to you for the loan
of your own love; I couldn't
content myself with less...may these souls you have entrusted to me
experience your love as I
have."
(St. Therese Lisieux)
Breath prayer:
Lend me your love (breath in)...that I may love deeply (breath
out).
Reflection question for journaling:
Who has been difficult to love this week? What have they done that
disturbs you? Image the circular
flow of love from God-to you-to this person and back to God. What
is it that may still block the flow
of that love?
(by Sr. Joel Christoph OP)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
2 Mc 7:1, 20-31; Ps 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15; Lk 19:11-28
R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. "
The heartless execution of seven brothers before their mother
(today's first reading) illustrates pure wickedness. But the
description "wicked" seems a bit harsh for the poor fellow in
Jesus' parable, doesn't it? Surely we could ascribe various
unflattering labels to him: stupid, lazy, irresponsible. But
wicked? Perhaps we need to consider how both evil and goodness
grow and evolve. Evil often begins with what seem mild offenses,
little omissions, wrongs so small that we readily excuse ourselves
for committing them. But each one adds grease to an increasingly
slippery slope. Conversely, when we take what we have been given,
little though it might be, and use it conscientiously and well,
remarkable good can result.
"For gratitude and diligence in serving the Lord, we pray."
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WHAT IS CHRISTIAN LOVE?
by Philip St. Romain©
Adapted from "Freedom from Codependency: A Christian Response"
http://shalomplace.com/view/codep.html
- What Is Love? -
The word love is used in many contexts. We speak of loving ice
cream, being in love with another person, needing to feel loved,
and so forth. Many languages use different words to describe
different types of love. In English, however, we use the same
word, love, to describe different experiences. This undoubtedly
contributes to some confusion. For example, it is common to find
people projecting the love their parents had for them onto God --as
though God were some kind of Super-Parent.
What we believe about God is important, for these beliefs color our
views of self, others, relationships, the world, and the meaning of
life. In reflecting on the meaning of Christian love, we must say
from the outset that Scripture equates the nature of God with love.
As Scripture puts it, "God is love," and love is as mysterious and
beyond definition as God. The statements about love discussed in
the previous sections are distortions precisely because they try to
limit love to certain actions, and this cannot be done.
(Part 7 of 12 part series)
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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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