Message of 11-4-11

Published: Fri, 11/04/11


A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth

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Message of the Day

If ye keep watch over your hearts, and listen for the Voice of God and learn of Him, in one short hour ye can learn more from Him than ye could learn from people in a thousand years.
  - Johannes Tauler (ca. 1300-1361), The Inner Way

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

Rom 15:14-21;    Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4;    Lk 16:1-8

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

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Reflection on the Scripture
   http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

Jesus tells Christians a lot of stories about money management in the Kingdom of God.  At this time of stewardship drives, we are called to demonstrate financial wisdom and honesty.  We are called to recognize that our money comes from God and all that we have is really not our own, but God's gifts to us to further a spiritual agenda, not our personal worldly goals.  We are to do God's work by using money justly, not be controlled by money.  To be an honest steward is to give back to God all that God entrusts to us.

This whole system of stewardship to God is very different from the shrewdness of this world.  There are those who place all of their confidence in the system of this world.  They trust it because they can make it work for them.  Christians need to put their trust in God and gain wisdom and confidence from doing God's will through generosity.  And we need to trust that this does work for us through God's grace.  I am the first to say that it is difficult.  But unfortunately, when we give into fear and hold back from helping others because the economy threatens us, we are being dishonest to God.  That is where I am right now.  I am struggling with increasing my giving to others because I fear that I can't afford it.  But I know how much God has given to me and I know I could give more.  If I am really honest with myself and with God, I have no other option but to trust in the Lord and entrust everything I have to God's mercy.  So I am praying that I will gain the kind of wisdom that will give me the confidence to be more generous.   

   - by Barbara Dilly

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Spiritual Reading

On Cleaving to God
     by St. Albert the Great

Now the more the mind is concerned about thinking and dealing with what is merely lower and human, the more it is separated from the experience in the intimacy of devotion of what is higher and heavenly, while the more fervently the memory, desire and intellect is withdrawn from what is below to what is above, the more perfect will be our prayer, and the purer our contemplation, since the two directions of our interest cannot both be perfect at the same time, being as different as light and darkness. He who cleaves to God is indeed translated into the light, while he who clings to the world is in the dark. So the supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone.   

- Chapter 3. How our activity should favor what is above over what is below.

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