Message of 8-1-12
Published: Wed, 08/01/12
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
Message of the Day
We were born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more.
- Joseph Cafasso -
(Repeat this affirmation slowly, prayerfully, substituting the word "I" for "We." When you feel "full" from its richness, express your response to God.)
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Lectionary Readings of the Day
http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18; Mt 13:44-46
R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
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Reflection on the Gospel
- from Praying the Daily Gospels
http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614
- Matthew 13: 44-46 The pearl of great price~
The two mini-parables in today's reading emphasize the kind of response to Jesus to which we are called. Like the people in the parables, we are invited to set his kingdom as our highest priority, organizing our lives according to God's will.
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Spiritual Reading
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN LOVE?
by Philip St. Romain©
Adapted from Freedom from Codependency: A Christian Response
http://shalomplace.com/view/codep.html
Sometimes, we learn more about something by contrasting it with another reality. In this mini-series, I will be contrasting Christian love (agape) with the kind of giving characterized in codependent relationships. We're probably all a little codependent--looking to others for a sense of approval and worth--and it's likely that our understanding of God and love has been affected by this conditioning. I hope you will find it so.
Let us begin, then, by noting that Christianity has much to say about love. In fact, the essence of our religion is love. As 1 John 4:16 puts it, "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." Jesus teaches that love of God, neighbor, and self fulfills the law and the prophets. (See Matthew 7:12.) In an ideal world, the Church would be a community in which recovering codependents could learn about healthy love.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. One of the saddest things I have seen through the years is the disappointment many recovering codependents find in the Church. Some have gone so far as to tell me that the Church actually teaches codependency. In "Co-Dependence: Misunderstood-Mistreated, Anne Wilson Schaef writes," 'The dishonesty in the church is perhaps the most devastating institutionalization of dishonesty in our society, because it takes place within the realm of the spirit -- the very essence of our being. The church teaches so many forms of dishonesty that I find it difficult to know where to start.' She then goes on to give examples of narrow-minded teachings concerning God and relationships.
While I agree with Schaef and others that many distortions about love are propounded from Christian pulpits and classrooms, I maintain that the true Christian teachings about love lead to healthy relationships. This series will explore the differences between sick love, or codependency, and healthy Christian love.
- Part 1 of 12 part series
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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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