Weekend Edition: Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Fri, 06/08/07
- readings, teachings, references and reviews -
Contents:
- At-home summer retreat
- Weekend Readings
- Theology Note of the Week
- Shalom Place Premium Groups
- Book Review of the Week
- Personal Spiritual Guidance
- Shalom Place Discussion Board Highlights
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Web Site of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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- Are you looking for an at-home summer retreat?
Silence, Solitude and Sabbath will be a four-week online series presented by Kathy Bence, M.Div., D. Min., beginning June 13, 2007. Retreat conferences will be sent to your email address and a private discussion forum will be created for participants to share experiences and interact with Kathy and one another.
- see http://shalomplace.
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20; Tobit 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8; Mk 12:38-44
Sunday: Gn 14:18-20; Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Lk 9:11b-17
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- June 11th. St. Barnabas
The name Barnabas means 'Son of Consolation'. According to the New Testament, Barnabas was a Jew from Cyprus and a Levite (in later Jewish times, the guardian of a local shrine). He converted to Christ and was close to, but not one of, the twelve apostles. He was also instrumental in introducing Paul to the apostles after Paul's own conversion and time of reflection in the desert. Thereafter Barnabas' name is closely linked to Paul; the two of them were sent to Antioch, the Syrian city where believers were first called "Christians", and then on the first recognised missionary journey (to Cyprus and South/Central Turkey, to use modern names). Barnabas was present at the Council of Jerusalem which debated the question: should non-Jewish converts to Christ be obliged to adopt Jewish ways? Barnabas supported the (winning) negative view. Later on, Paul and Barnabas seem to have quarrelled; Silas (Sylvanus) became Paul's companion and Barnabas returned to his native Cyprus to spread the word more extensively. Reading between the lines of Paul's letters, he seems to have gone further afield, too. He is believed to have been martyred in Cyprus, at Salamis in AD61. Barnabas, to judge by all the evidence, was a true pillar of the growing infant Church.
- http://www.hullp.demon.co.uk/SacredHeart/saint/StBarnabas.htm
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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and study and spiritual growth.
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. Communities in Transition (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 for only $65.00.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints, by James Martin, S.J. Hidden Spring. 2005.
- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158768036X/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
With Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen as his guides, Father Martin gives the readers insights into his own spiritual journey to the holy. He finds himself and his personal struggles in the actions of Merton and Nouwen, whether that be searching for his vocation in life or finding ways and reasons for prayer."For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self," wrote Thomas Merton. Nouwen was a supremely talented man, a compassionate priest, a gifted writers, and certainly a spiritual master. But he was also a restless person, always seeking to find his place in the world. A friend once said of Nouwen, "I loved Henri, but he was probably the neediest human being I've ever met." In many ways, Nouwen's story is that of a good man who struggled all his life to find his true self.
Martin finds four qualities which make the two (Merton and Nouwen) alike:
a.) both were honest about their daily lives;
b.) both were flawed and somtimes sinful men who were not afraid to admit it;
c.) both were always seeking -- Merton for his true home, Nouwen for direction in life;
d.) both struggled for the demands of chastity and for true love.
b.) both were flawed and somtimes sinful men who were not afraid to admit it;
c.) both were always seeking -- Merton for his true home, Nouwen for direction in life;
d.) both struggled for the demands of chastity and for true love.
Martin says this book is about becoming a sain; finding one's true self is an invitation to sanctity, a call for transformation of one's self and one's gifts to the One who loved them into being. "Be the saints we are meant to be."
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman, O.P. for this review.)
Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your starting point for online shopping at Amazon.com. You can buy books, cds, videotapes, software, appliances and many other products at discount prices. As Amazon.com affiliate, we are paid a small fee for purchases originating from our web site. Every little bit helps!
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
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- PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE -
Need a companion for the spiritual journey? We have several wonderful people ready to help, using email and telephone conferences to bridge the miles.
- Now providing -
Consultations: this option is best for short-term guidance pertaining to a specific issue.
Spiritual Direction: ongoing relationship with a spiritual director to become more attuned to God's presence in all of life.
Spiritual Direction: ongoing relationship with a spiritual director to become more attuned to God's presence in all of life.
See http://shalomplace.com/direction/
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SHALOM PLACE DISCUSSION BOARDS
- Discussions this past week featured the following topics:
Global warming - Religion and Politics forum
God and creation - Christian Morality and Theology forum.
All the best tunes - Shalom Place Lounge forum.
- see http://shalomplace.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php to read these topics -
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
Kyrie Places of Pilgrimmage and Renewal.
http://www.kyrie.com/places/index.htm
Contemplative Rudder: "In the midst of Consecrated Silence' atmospherics ... a Rudder!
http://www.contemplativerudder.com/
Carry the Light CD: Piano Meditations for the Hopeful Heart
http://www.sharonkcooper.com/pages/1/index.htm
Stillpoint: programs in spiritual direction, contemplative prayer.
http://www.stillpointnashville.org/
Solitude and Streets: an emerging faith community.
http://www.solitudeandstreets.org
Family Life Training and Counseling Center: an online Bible college/seminary
http://www.familylifetrainingcenter.com/
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study resources.
http://www.theark1.com
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: teaching and support on contemplative practice
http://www.prayeroftheheart.com
Contemplative Outreach of St. Louis
http://www.centeringprayerstl.com/
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the mature Christian.
http://innerexplorations.com
SeeScapes. Picturing the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
http://www.seescapes.com
Heartland Center for Spirituality (sponsoring Internet workshops year-round).
http://www.heartlandspirituality.org/index.html
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in British Columbia
http://members.axion.net/~massf/
Holy Trinity: Old Catholic Orthodox Church. Corpus Christi, TX
http://www.holytrinityoldcatholic.org/
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street neighborhood, San Francisco
http://www.temenos.org/
(Reach thousands of people who have a similar interest in Christian spirituality. Simply publish a link to Daily Spiritual Seed-- http://shalomplace.com/seed --on a prominent place on your web site and we will reciprocate with a weekly link to your site in the newsletter. Contact the Editor when you're ready to begin.)
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WEB SITE OF THE WEEK
National Catholic Reporter Conversation Cafe'
http://ncrcafe.org/
NCR Café is an Internet discussion center for the Catholic community that allows NCR readers and others to submit topics and comments about critical issues facing the global family and the church.
- from the web site
For those who don't know, the NCR is a rather progressive Catholic weekly newspaper that's been around for several decades. You can expect the discussions to be likewise -- on the progressive/liberal side of the issues. There are counter-balancing voices and some good exchanges taking place there. Check it out when you need to have your mind stimulated -- in a healthy way, of course.
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
A wise parent?
When a man with nine children was asked how he handled illness among his children, he said, "When the first born coughed or sneezed, I called the ambulance. When the last one swallowed a quarter, I told him that it was coming out of his allowance!"
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A very wise priest!
Answering the phone, the priest was surprised to hear the caller introduce herself as an IRS auditor.
"But we do not pay taxes," the priest said. "It isn't you, Father, it's one of your parishioner, Sean McCullough. He indicates on his tax return that he gave a donation of $15,000 to the church last year. Is this, in fact, the truth?"
The priest smiled broadly. "The check hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sure I'll have it when I remind dear Sean."
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