Message of 12-18-09
Published: Sat, 12/12/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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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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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
A satisfying prayer life elevates and purifies every act of body
and mind and integrates the entire personality into a single
spiritual unit...
In the long pull we pray only as well as we live.
- A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), "The Root of the Righteous"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jer 23:5-8; Ps. 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
We usually get more blessings out of the Advent season if we
anticipate the coming of the Christ with peace and justice than if
we anticipate the gathering of friends and family with food and
gifts. We also feel that presence more when we center our
anticipation in the midst of poverty and pain. While parties,
presents and laughter are also gifts from God, we should not lose
sight that only a privileged few enjoy them in this world. It
bears repeating that the true gifts of Christmas are peace,
justice, and love for everyone. It is my prayer that during this
Advent season, the anticipation that God rescues, renews, restores,
and redeems us through the birth of Jesus is my heartfelt focus. I
also pray that this time of anticipation will lead me to more
concrete ways to share God's peace and justice on earth.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Enjoying One Moment at a Time"
from: "Reflecting on the Serenity Prayer," by Philip St.
Romain, D. Min.
see http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6735
We can experience our spiritual nature in one important way through
our experience of time. Animals live completely in the present
moment. They don't worry about the future or harbor grudges. As
they go about responding to the circumstances of the moment, they
develop a set of conditioned responses that they bring into the
next moment, and the next, and so on. We, too, bring our
conditioning into each moment, but we also possess the ability to
consciously recall a past incident and to dream of future
possibilities. Although we live in space and time, there is a
dimension of our awareness capable of standing outside of space and
time, from which vantage point we can regard past and future as
though they were taking place in this moment.
This spiritual dimension of awareness is a great gift to us.
Because we can reflect on the past and actually relive many
experiences, we are able to learn from the past and, like our Lady,
treasure its memories in our hearts (see Luke 2:5 1). We can also
envision ourselves moving into a future. Those who work to
stimulate personal growth appreciate this power more and more. If
we cannot see ourselves doing something, there is little chance
that we will ever be able to do it. The discipline of creative
visualization is one way to reverse this tendency; by envisioning
positive outcomes, we actually move our energies in the direction
of fulfilling what we have seen. So it is perfectly natural for us
to remember the past and to envision the future; the spiritual
nature of human consciousness makes this possible for us, and there
is nothing wrong with doing so.
(Part One of 10-part series)
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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE (Benedictine Approach)
1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.
2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking
directly to you in it.
3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it
slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.
4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments
awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage
and repeat steps 3 and 4.
5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in
loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.
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