Message of 1-20-12

Published: Fri, 01/20/12


A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth


Message of the Day

God is always present, and always working towards the life of the soul, and its deliverance from captivity under flesh and blood. But this inward work of God, though never ceasing or altering, is yet always, and only hindered by the activity of our own nature and faculties, by bad men through their obedience to earthly passions, and by good men through their striving to be good in their own way, by their natural strength and a multiplicity of holy labours and contrivances. Both these sorts of people obstruct the work of God upon their souls. For we can cooperate with God no other way than by submitting to the work of God, and seeking, and leaving ourselves to it.
... William Law (1686-1761), letter II, to Rev. Mr. S., Works of Rev. William Law, v. IX
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Lectionary Readings of the Day
   http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

1 Sm 24:3-21;    Ps 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11;    Mk 3:13-19

R. (2a) Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge,
till harm pass by.

I call to God the Most High,
to God, my benefactor.
May he send from heaven and save me;
may he make those a reproach who trample upon me;
may God send his mercy and his faithfulness.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.

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

In order to serve God well, do I need to stand out, to go down in history, or to somehow merit a place in human memory?  Do I even need others in my daily life to recognize me as a leader or a saint?

Or do I just need to do my simple, quiet, humble best for the Lord and let Him deal with my reward, whether it be fame or simple recognition --- or maybe even nothing apparent or clear?  If my love and grateful service is what the Lord wants from me, He will give me the greatest of rewards and the only one that I should desire to seek, Himself in His total and glorious presence forever.

For the time being it is enough for me to know that He calls me to be his disciple, and I just have to follow Him as best I can, to do my best in total trust and fidelity to Him.  

   - by Charles Kestermeier, S.J.

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Spiritual Reading

On Cleaving to God
     by St. Albert the Great

For this to come about (purity of heart) you must repeatedly retreat into your heart and remain there, keeping yourself free from everything, so far as is
possible. You must always keep the eye of your mind clear and still.

You must guard your understanding from daydreams and thoughts of earthly things. You must completely free the inclination of your will
from worldly cares and cling with all your being to the supreme true good with fervent love. You must keep your memory always lifted up and firmly anchored in that same true supreme good and only uncreated reality. In just this way your whole mind gathered up with all its powers and faculties in God, may become one spirit with him, in whom the supreme perfection of life is known to consist.  

- Chapter 5. On purity of heart, which is to be sought above all things.

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