Message of 7-18-12

Published: Wed, 07/18/12


A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth


Message of the Day


The moral virtues belong to the contemplative life as a predisposition. For the act of contemplation, in which the contemplative life essentially consists, is hindered both by the impetuosity of the passions and by outward disturbances. Now the moral virtues curb the impetuosity of the passions and quell the
disturbance of outward occupations. Hence moral virtues belong to the contemplative life as a predisposition."
- St. Thomas Aquinas -

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

Is 10:5-7, 13b-16;    Ps 94:5-10, 14-15;   Mt 11:25-27

R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.

Your people, O LORD, they trample down,
your inheritance they afflict.
Widow and stranger they slay,
the fatherless they murder.

And they say, "The LORD sees not;
the God of Jacob perceives not."
Understand, you senseless ones among the people;
and, you fools, when will you be wise?

Shall he who shaped the ear not hear?
or he who formed the eye not see?
Shall he who instructs nations not chastise,
he who teaches men knowledge?

For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

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

- Matthew 11:  25-27 (Good News for the simple)

Accepting the Good News of Jesus Christ is less a matter of intellectual sophistication and more a matter of faith.  In today's reading, Jesus warns us of the danger of intellectual snobbery.

  • How do you respond to people who say, "How can you believe all that religious stuff? There's no proof for any of it!"

  • Pray for the grace to accept Jesus in simplicity of heart.


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    Spiritual Reading

    At the Master's Feet
      - by Sadhu Sundar Singh

    A PRAYER
    Dear Master, Thy varied blessings and gifts have filled my heart to overflowing with gratitude and praise. But the praise of heart and tongue do not suffice me until I prove by my deeds that my life is devoted to Thy service. Thanks and praise be to Thee that Thou hast brought me, unworthy though I am, out of death into life and made me to rejoice in Thy fellowship and love. I know not as I ought either myself or my sore need, but Thou, O Father, knowest full well Thy creatures and their necessities. Nor can I love myself as Thou lovest me. To love myself truly is to love with heart and soul that boundless love which gave me being, and that love Thou art. Thou hast therefore given me but one heart, that it might be fixed on one only, on Thee, who didst create it.

    - Part 6, Section 2

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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 Gift Cards: Good for any occasion.
    -     http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu

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