Message of 10-19-11

Published: Wed, 10/19/11


A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth

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Message of the Day

If you trust yourself to walk in the light of your own conscience, uninstructed or little instructed by the Word of God, you will end up doing things that you are deeply and sincerely convinced are right. But they may be terribly hurtful and destructive within the Church.
   - R. C. Stedman

(And so we are to at least hold before God the decisions we make, asking God to confirm them for us in peace, if they are in line with God's will.)

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

Rom 6:12-18;    Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8;    Lk 12:39-48

R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Had not the LORD been with us,
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us?
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive;
When their fury was inflamed against us.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.

We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers? snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

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

- Luke 12:  39-48 (Honesty and fidelity)

The world is a much better place because of the Judeo-Christian doctrine of an eventual call to judgment. But fear of punishment is, at best, only a minimal reason to remain faithful to God. Fidelity to Christ's values is strongest in people who recognize in these principles a way to live life to the fullest. Those who never achieve this understanding will not be judged as harshly as will those who do know the truth but choose selfishness anyway.

    
  •   What are some of the reasons why you faithfully follow Jesus?

        
  •   "When you know the right thing to do but do not do it, you sin," James wrote. Spend some time reflecting on how lately you have fallen short of the goodness to which Jesus calls you. Ask God for forgiveness. 


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    Spiritual Reading

    At the Master's Feet
      - by Sadhu Sundar Singh

    Christ speaks:

    9. Many there are who have wasted the precious time given to them for My service, but even now there is an opportunity for them to rouse themselves and make the best use of the time that remains to them. They are like a hunter who, while wandering in the jungle, picked up some pretty stones on the bank of a stream. Unaware of their value he used them one by one in his sling to shoot at the birds seated on the trees near the river, and so one by one they fell into the water and were lost. With one still in his hand he returned to the city, and as he passed along the bazaar a jeweller caught sight of it, and told the silly fellow that it was a valuable diamond for which he could get thousands of rupees. When he heard this he began to bewail himself and say, "Woe is me! I didn't know their value, and have been using many of these diamonds to shoot at birds by the riverside, and they have fallen into the river and are lost, otherwise I should have been a millionaire. Still I have saved this one, and that is something gained." Every day is like a precious diamond, and though many priceless days have been wasted in the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, and are for ever sunk in the depths of the past, you should awake to the value of what remains, and bringing it into the best possible use gather for yourself spiritual riches. Use it in My service, who have given to you life and all its priceless blessings, and by using them to save others from sin and death you will obtain an everlasting and heavenly reward.

      - Part 4, Section 2

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    Amazon Gift Cards: Good for any occasion.

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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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