Message of 3-26-10
Published: Thu, 03/18/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be
since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.
- Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jer 20:10-13; Ps. 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7; Jn 10:31-42
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The message we receive from our Scripture selections today reminds
us of the rejection that people oftentimes experience for speaking
the truth about their faith. Jeremiah experienced it. He felt the
rejection of his friends and the entrapment by his enemies. All
were on the lookout for any misstep Jeremiah might make. Then the
derogatory slogan: "Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us
denounce him!" Their ultimate objective was to eliminate him from
the face of the earth.
Jeremiah never wavered in proclaiming the message he received from
God. Instead, he turned to the Lord, "a mighty champion." Since
he was helpless he prayed to be allowed to witness the vengeance
God would take on his enemies.
In a similar manner, the scribes and Pharisees reject Jesus and
accuse him of blasphemy for making himself God. Since they
refused to believe his words or accept his works, they hoped to
destroy him publicly accusing him of being a fraud. So they tried
to arrest him, but being the Son of God, he was able to escape from
them.
In our own time people like Archbishop Oscar Romero were not only
rejected but gunned down by soldiers as he offered Mass. Why?
Because he taught Christ's message that the poor and
disenfranchised were God's children as well as the wealthy and
powerful in San Salvador. Following Jesus and Jeremiah he knew
well his life would eventually be sacrificed for his publicly
demanding justice for the poor.
Rejection will frequently be the result for people who proclaim
God's word by their speech and actions. Seldom will it be as
dramatic or irreversible as that experienced by Jeremiah, Jesus or
Romero. If you ever experienced rejection by friends or enemies
for having proclaimed or publicly defended your Faith, praise the
Lord! You might well be rejected but the Kingdom of Heaven is yours
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SPIRITUAL READING
- Fenelon's "Maxims of the Saints"
In the early periods of religious experience, motives, which have a
regard to our personal happiness, are more prominent and effective
than at later periods; nor are they to be condemned. It is proper,
in addressing even religious men, to appeal to the fear of death,
to the impending judgments of God, to the terrors of hell and the
joys of heaven. Such appeals are recognized in the Holy
Scriptures, and are in accordance with the views and feelings of
good men in all ages of the world. The motives involved in them
are powerful aids to beginners in religion; assisting, as they do,
very much in repressing the passions, and in strengthening the
practical virtues.
- Third Article
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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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