Message of 10-11-12
Published: Thu, 10/11/12
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
Message of the Day
God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.
- John Vianney -
(Whenever you worry, turn your concern over to God's care and proceed with your day as though all is well.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lectionary Readings of the Day
http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Gal 3:1-5; Lk 1:69-75; Lk 11:5-13
R. (68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reflection on the Gospel
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
If a neighbor can be imposed upon and coerced into giving bread in the middle of the night, how much more hospitable is God, who, no matter what the circumstances, is generous and ready to give us what we need. Augustine of Hippo reminds us that "God, who does not sleep and who awakens us from sleep that we may ask, gives much more graciously." In conclusion Jesus makes a startling claim: How much more will the heavenly Father give! The Lord is ever ready to give us not only what we need, but more than we can expect. He gives freely of his Holy Spirit that we may share in his life and joy. Do you approach your heavenly Father with confidence in his mercy and kindness?
"Heavenly Father, you are merciful, gracious and kind. May I never doubt your love nor hesitate to seek you with confidence in order to obtain the gifts, graces, and daily provision I need to live as your disciple and child."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Spiritual Reading
From Meditation to Contemplation
by James Arraj (all rights reserved; reprinted with permission)
from "St. John of the Cross and Dr. C. G. Jung," available from http://www.innerexplorations.com
- Entering the Dark Night - pt. 3
Even sadder than the misunderstanding of the beginner is the virtual absence of adequate direction. This grave lack of direction is what prompted St. John to return again and again to a detailed description of this predicament and the practical remedy for it. It also forced from him some of the most vehement denouncements to be found in all his writings. He likens the erring directors to blacksmiths who know only how to pound on the delicate workings of the soul, and to crude artisans who clumsily dab away at beautiful paintings, smearing them with strange colors, instead of leading them gently into the necessary detachment and simplicity. The soul's lack of understanding and poor direction are compounded in St. John's mind by the work of the devil. The evil one takes his stand with great cunning on the road which leads from sense to spirit. He tries with all his wiles to prevent the soul from passing over into this higher state of prayer where he can meddle with much less effectiveness. He torments them, especially those called to greater perfection, with severe temptations in the form of scrupulosity, urges to blaspheme and sins against chastity.
- Part 5 of 10
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Amazon Gift Cards: Good for any occasion.
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
- - - -
Please help support Heartland Center's Internet ministries:
- For more info on tax-deductible donations, see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html
Thanks for your consideration!
_________________________________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed