Message of 6-7-11
Published: Mon, 06/06/11
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Rational conviction, even when it can be had, is very different
from commitment... Commitment to Christ is a matter for the entire
person, not for his mind alone; and intellectual conviction (if,
indeed, it can be had at all without the whole person being
involved) is not the whole business. But the whole business,
precisely because it concerns the whole person, can never be
achieved in defiance of the intellect. Reason, though not the
whole, is part of personal response.
- C. F. D. Moule (1908-2007), "The Phenomenon of the New
Testament, v. I"
(Ongoing conversion of the mind: how important is this to you?)
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 20:17-27; Ps. 68:10-11, 20-21; Jn 17:1-11a
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
Your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
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REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
When we possess eternal life we experience here and now something
of God's majesty, his peace, joy and love and the holiness which
characterizes the life of God. Jesus also speaks of the knowledge
of God. Jesus tells his disciples that they can know the only true
God. Knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something
about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of
Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other
religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it
possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. To
see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect
love of God - a God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and
women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them
upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God - a God who loves us
completely, unconditionally and perfectly. Do you seek unity of
heart, mind and will with God and unity of love and peace with your
neighbor?
"If only I possessed the grace, good Jesus, to be utterly at one
with you! Amidst all the variety of worldly things around me, Lord,
the only thing I crave is unity with you. You are all my soul
needs. Unite, dear friend of my heart, this unique little soul of
mine to your perfect goodness. You are all mine; when shall I be
yours? Lord Jesus, my beloved, be the magnet of my heart; clasp,
press, unite me for ever to your sacred heart. You have made me
for yourself; make me one with you. Absorb this tiny drop of life
into the ocean of goodness whence it came." (Prayer of Francis de
Sales, 1567-1622)
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SPIRITUAL READING
"The Way of Perfection"
- by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
(Continues speaking of confessors. Explains why it is important
that they should be learned men.)
You already know that the first stone of this foundation must be a
good conscience and that you must make every effort to free
yourselves from even venial sins and follow the greatest possible
perfection. You might suppose that any confessor would know this,
but you would be wrong: it happened that I had to go about matters
of consciences to a man who had taken a complete course in
theology; and he did me a great deal of mischief by telling me that
certain things were of no importance. I know that he had no
intention of deceiving me, or any reason for doing so: it was
simply that he knew no better. And in addition to this instance I
have met with two or three similar ones.
Everything depends on our having true light to keep the law of God
perfectly. This is a firm basis for prayer; but without this strong
foundation the whole building will go awry. In making their
confessions, then, the nuns must be free to discuss spiritual
matters with such persons as I have described. I will even go
farther and say that they should sometimes do as I have said even
if their confessor has all these good qualities, for he may quite
easily make mistakes and it is a pity that he should be the cause
of their going astray. They must try, however, never to act in any
way against obedience, for they will find ways of getting all the
help they need: it is of great importance to them that they should,
and so they must make every possible effort to do so.
- Chapter 5
(It is good to remember in all of this that the nuns to whom she is
writing were a contemplative order.)
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