Message of 8-3-12
Published: Fri, 08/03/12
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
Message of the Day
Reason is essential to the work of affirming and negating all that is and is not God, but the vehicle within us by which we finally meet God is the human will, our naked intent."
- Belden Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes -
(Let go of everything and ask the Spirit to orient your will unto God in a naked intent of loving God and meeting God in this love. Let yourself "be" unto God in love, that God may be God for you this day.)
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Lectionary Readings of the Day
http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14; Mt 13:54-58
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
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Reflection on the Scriptures
- http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
We have a remarkable story in today's gospel. We see a classic example of how familiarity can breed a hostile environment for Jesus' work among us. In this home town place of worship, Jesus isn't able to work any mighty deeds because they thought they knew him, and didn't have faith in who he could be for them. He's the carpenter's son. They knew his family. They thought they knew everything there is to know about him.
Isn't it also true that we can become hardened? Don't we too often get ourselves into a place where our sophisticated "knowlege" of so much can block our ability to be open to mystery, i.e., what we don't know, don't understand, can't yet imagine? I've asked before, and I didn't get the answer I wanted. I know this priest. We know what he's going to say. I know the prayers by heart. The liturgy is the same each week. And, when we aren't open, Jesus's hands are tied, his power is limited. . .
We know Jesus has power to save us and heal us. We just need to take the steps, beyond the ordinary and familiar, to let his power and his love work in us.
- by Andy Alexander, S.J.
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Spiritual Reading
On Cleaving to God
by St. Albert the Great
- summary -
It is a matter of justice in fact that all your thoughts and thinking should be raised to God alone, and the highest point of your mind should only be directed to him as if nothing existed but him, and holding to him may enjoy the perfect beginning of the life to come.
- Chapter 10. That one should not be concerned about feeling tangible devotion so much as about cleaving to God with one's will.
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