Message of 12-28-09
Published: Thu, 12/24/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
They were all looking for a king
To slay their foes, and lift them high;
Thou cam'st, a little baby thing
That made a woman cry.
- George MacDonald (1824-1905)
(Be open to the God of surprises.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Jn 1:5--2:2; Ps. 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8; Mt 2:13-18
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Had not the LORD been with us--
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"If we say, 'We are without sin,' we deceive ourselves."
Herod couldn't risk a challenge to the status quo, even from a tiny
baby. Through the ages, the actors and scenery change, but the
script is basically the same. The very young, the unborn, the old,
the sick and the helpless are all made subject to marginalization,
neglect and death, all because they somehow threaten us. We will
not trust God and risk alternative solutions to put the lives of
the defenseless ahead of our comfort. So we cause or at least
silently condone war, famine, abortion, exile, forced marches and
genocide. Wake up! As Thomas Merton observed, "There are no
innocent bystanders."
"Lord, help me to remember that I am my brother's and sister's
keeper."
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THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
Now understand and mark this: Christ says, at the beginning of this
precept, Behold; and this is done through charity and a pure
conscience, as you have heard before. Then He has shown us what we
shall see, that is, the threefold coming.
Now He commands us what we shall do next, and says: Go ye out. If
you possess the first point, that is, if you are able to see,
through grace and through charity; and if, further, you have gazed
well upon your pattern Christ and His going out; then, there arises
within you, out of charity, and out of the loving observation of
your Bridegroom, a righteousness, [40] namely, that thereafter you
long to follow Him in the virtues. Then Christ is saying within
you: Go ye out. This going out must be done in three ways: we must
go out towards God, towards ourselves, and towards our neighbours,
and this we must do by means of charity and righteousness. For
charity ever strives towards the height, towards the kingdom of
God, which is God Himself; for He is the source from which
unmediated charity flows forth, and wherein it abides in the Unity.
And righteousness, which is born of charity, wills the perfection
of all the moral and all the other virtues which are honourable and
proper to the kingdom of God, that is the soul.
- Chapter XI: Of a Spiritual Going Out with all Virtues
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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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