Message of 2-17-10
Published: Sat, 02/13/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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- Ash Wednesday: first day of Lent -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent, and God is
shining through it all the time. [If we center our attention on Him
and draw our attention away from our surface selves] ...we see it
sometimes and we see it maybe frequently: that God manifests
Himself everywhere, in everything -- in people and in things and in
nature and in events... He is everywhere, He is in everything, and we
cannot be without Him... The only thing is that we don't see it."
- Thomas Merton -
(This Lent: to come to come to "see it" more deeply.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jl 2:12-18; Ps. 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17; 2 Cor
5:20--6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
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.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
From "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace
of God in vain."
It's Ash Wednesday -- another chance for reconciliation. No matter
how we've faltered or failed in the last year, we receive the
precious gift of another try. Lent is not a time of darkness. Our
Lord is the God of second chances. The annual opportunity to step
out of the shadows of sin and into the light of hope is upon us. We
can try harder and do better this time and, if necessary, the next
time and the next. Every chance we take to seek and receive the
grace of God is another opportunity to show our gratitude for the
gift of salvation. Entering Lent with any other attitude is
certainly futile.
"Merciful Savior, although your total surrender diminishes any
sacrifice we can offer, accept our Lenten practice as a humble sign
of our desire to be reconciled to you, we pray."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
8. Just as the sponge lies in the water, and the water fills the
sponge, but the water is not the sponge and the sponge is not the
water, but they ever remain different things, so children abide in
Me and I in them. This is not pantheism, but it is the kingdom of
God, which is set up in the hearts of those who abide in this
world; and just as the water in the sponge, I am in every place and
in everything, but they are not I (Luke xvii.21).
- Chapter 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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