Message of 8-17-11

Published: Wed, 08/17/11


A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth

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Message of the Day

If your life consistently bears no fruit, God will intervene to discipline you. If your life bears some fruit, God will intervene to prune you. If your life bears a lot of fruit, God will invite you to abide more deeply with Him.
  - Bruce Wilkinson

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Lectionary Readings of the Day
   http://new.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

Jgs 9:6-15;    Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7;    Mt 20:1-16

R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.

For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.

Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.

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Reflection on the Gospel
  - from Praying the Daily Gospels
    http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614

- Matthew 20:1-16 (The first and the last)

At first glance, there seems to be an injustice which Jesus glosses over in today's reading. Although each group gets what it has agreed upon, it seems the partiality shown the last workers is a slight against the long-suffering group. This is a parable about the kingdom d)f God, however, which emphasizes that being with God will be reward enough for anyone, no matter how much the person may "deserve" adlmittance.

  • Do you think it fair that the good thief on the cross was promised salvation by Jesus when so many of us have to work our whole lives through in faithfulness?

  • "A person is not a Christian if his first concern is pay," William Barclay wrote. What should be the first concern of a Christian when considering employment?

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    Spiritual Reading

    At the Master's Feet
      - by Sadhu Sundar Singh

    Christ speaks:

    9. There are some who are kept back from serving by the thought of their lack of ability, and do not remember that My strength gives power in weakness (2 Cor. xii.9). They are like invalids who, though they have recovered from their disease and are taking nourishing food, yet remain weak because they do no work and take no proper exercise. What such believers need is that they should put their trust in Me and set out to save sinners from destruction.

      - Part 4, Section 1

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    METHODS OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION

    Listed below are several traditional methods of prayer and reflection.  As St. Frances de Sales noted, we learn to pray by praying, but it is also good to try different methods to see which seem to help facilitate connection with God.  Indeed, the more we learn different methods, the better we can sense how the Spirit is moving us to pray for any given prayer time.

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    Lectio Divina Process
    - http://heartlandspirituality.org/vocations/prayer.html

    First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with.
    It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or
    anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:

        * Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,
    read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a
    minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention
    to the words or phrases that speak to you.

        * Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in
    this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?

        * Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in
    response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers
    of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you
    sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or
    imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.

        * Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to
    simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let
    yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel
    comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the
    Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God
    (see Centering Prayer method, below)

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    Centering Prayer
    (Works best after a period of Lectio Divina, as described above; two 20 minute periods a day are recommended.)
     
    This term, centering prayer, is of recent origin, but the method is described in many places, most notably "The Cloud of Unknowing."
     
    1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. (This can be any word.)
     
    2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.
     
    3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
     
    4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

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    Hesychast Prayer ("quiet" prayer)
     (This form of contemplative practice was widely used by the fathers and mothers of the desert in the early days of Christianity and is still very popular in Eastern Christian churches. At least two 20 minute prayer periods are recommended.)
     
    1. Sit quietly, with back straight and hands resting in the lap, palms up.
    2. Lovingly introduce into your mind the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." (Note: this may be shortened as the prayer proceeds).
    3. Let this prayer move in synchrony with your breath, praying the first part with your inhalation, the second with exhalation.
    4. When distracting thoughts attempt to break in, persist with the Jesus Prayer. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, however.
     
    Practice of this prayer may lead to feelings of warmth in the heart and perception of inner light. Enjoy. . .

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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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    Review of the Day
    - from, Handbook for Spiritual Directees
        http://shalomplace.com/view/handbook.html

    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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