Message of 1-11-10
Published: Sun, 01/10/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"Our true home is in the present moment. The miracle is not to
walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the
present moment. Peace is all around us--in the world and in
nature--and within us--in our bodies and our spirits. Once we
learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed."
- Thich Nhat Hanh, "Living Buddha, Living Christ"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Sm 1:1-8; Ps. 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19; Mk 1:14-20
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel."
These words might make us think that Lent has arrived early,
although the call to repentance and faith is a constant in the
Christian life. The post-holiday blahs and midwinter doldrums are
here. This is a good time to wake up and invigorate our spiritual
lives by taking a quick inventory of our relationship with the
Lord. We can ask ourselves: Have the holidays so upset my schedule
that I've neglected prayer and meditation? Has holiday spending so
exceeded my means that I've decided to economize by cutting back on
donations to those in need? Let us restore sanity and balance to
our lives by remembering that Christ's call to holiness,
generosity and love is always in season.
"Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."
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THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
Now consider this: as we have laid down humility as a foundation,
so therefore we shall speak of humility first.
Humility, that is lowliness or self-abasement, is an inward bowing
down or prostrating of the heart and of the conscience before God's
transcendent worth. Righteousness demands and orders this, and
through charity a loving heart cannot leave it undone. When a lowly
and loving man considers that God has served him so humbly, so
lovingly, and so faithfully; and sees God so high, and so mighty,
and so noble, and man so poor, and so little, and so low: then
there springs up within the humble heart a great awe and a great
veneration for God. For to pay homage to God by every outward and
inward act, this is the first and dearest work of humility, the
most savoury among those of charity, and most meet among those of
righteousness.
Chapter 12: How Humility is the Foundation of All Other 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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