Message of 6-24-11
Published: Mon, 06/20/11
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
The evil of riches, then, for institutions, for nations, for
individuals, is that those who possess or seek to possess almost
invariably overvalue possessions and so cease to live creatively.
They stop loving God with all the heart and all the soul and all
the strength and all the mind. They stop loving their neighbors,
too. When you find a person of means who is not either a
self-centered bore or a low creature, you may know that God has
worked a miracle.
- Bernard Iddings Bell (1886-1958), "God is Not Dead"
(Thank God that you are such a miracle.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Is 49:1-6; Ps. 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15; Acts 13:22-26;
Lk 1:57-66, 80
R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MEDITATION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(Feast of John the Baptist) As described in today's Gospel, even
the circumstances of his birth and circumcision showed that John
was no ordinary person. Had he desired it, he most likely could
have garnered a large following for himself. He could even have
competed with Jesus for followers. Instead, he promoted the coming
of Jesus, preparing the way for Jesus' triumphal entry into public
ministry. And then, when the time was right, he simply got out of
the way and let Jesus speak for Himself.
How many of us struggle to make a difference in the world, when
what most people really mean by "making a difference" is calling
the shots? John the Baptist was a great saint, but more than doing
great deeds, he earned his reputation by experiencing the presence
of the Messiah, and inviting others to share that excitement. He
pointed the way to Jesus.
- by Brian Kokensparger
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SPIRITUAL READING
- Christ's Four Modes of Presence to Us
by Philip St. Romain
- 1. Personal/Historical (part 1 of 3)
For most Christians, it is the personal, historical Jesus who is at
the core of their faith. When they think of the Christ, they have
in mind the man, Jesus, who walked this earth about 2,000 years
ago, teaching, healing, suffering, dying and rising. They might
have pictures of him in their home, or a crucifix, or some other
reminder of this life and all it communicated to us about God.
The personal, historical Jesus is someone with whom we can be in
relationship. Because he was human, we feel we can talk with him,
and he understands our situation; we can focus on him and
experience a love bond developing between us. Through faith, we
know that he still lives--that this man who once existed in space
and time with a body like ours is somehow still available to us in
his risen state. His manner of life now is radically different
from ours, but we believe that all of his memories of what human
life was like have been preserved. Jesus did not stop being human
when he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. For this
reason, we have someone who is able to understand our human
situation, for he experienced it in every way that we do, although
he did not sin (Hb. 4: 15, paraphrased).
- from "Jesus Alive in Our Lives"
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/jesus-alive-in-our-lives/11780728
(paperback)
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/41961 (ebook formats)
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Alive-Our-Lives-ebook/dp/B00427YKNU/
(Kindle)
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
- - - -
Please help support Heartland Center's Internet ministries:
- For more info on tax-deductible donations, see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html.
Thanks for your consideration!
______________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed