Message of 2-24-10
Published: Thu, 02/18/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
If you live every day with a respect for others, God's happy love
will become your best friend. May God always give you His best
grace. Keep living in God's holy, tender love. Gentle Jesus!
Jesus love!
- Catherine of Siena, "Letters"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jon 3:1-10; Ps. 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; Lk 11:29-32
R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The sign of Jonah."
This Gospel passage contains a lot of obscure imagery. We know the
story of Jonah and hear it again today, but what does the "sign of
Jonah" mean -- the only sign given to this "evil generation"? Some
scholars say this sign is the preaching of repentance by a prophet
who comes from afar. In one sense, all prophets come from afar
because if they are true, the truth they preach is from God. God's
ways are far from the ways of those who do evil. We are all called
to be prophets, revealing God's ways by the way we live. And
sometimes we are met with the truth of other prophets. It is then
that we must pray to be like the humble Ninevites and receive the
truth with open minds and hearts.
"Lord Jesus, make me humble and make me true."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
9. Take a piece of charcoal, and however much you may wash it its
blackness will not disappear, but let the fire enter into it and
its dark colour vanishes. So also when the sinner receives the Holy
Spirit (who is from the Father and Myself, for the Father and I are
one), which is the baptism of fire, all the blackness of sin is
driven away, and he is made a light to the world (Matt. iii.11,
v.14). As the fire in the charcoal, so I abide in My children and
they in Me, and through them I make Myself manifest to the world.
- Section 1
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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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