Message of 10-31-12
Published: Wed, 10/31/12
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
Message of the Day
If we are to rise above this depression, dejection and despondency of soul, and turn it to use in God's service, we must face it, accept it, and realize the worth of holy self-abasement. In this way you will transmute the lead of your heaviness into gold, a gold far purer than any of your gayest, most light-hearted sallies. Well, then, be patient with yourself. See to it that your higher self puts up with your lower.
- Francis de Sales -
(Holding one's misery before God and allowing God to touch and transform it brings true healing, and patience with oneself during this process is a great gift. Pray that your "higher self" may grow.)
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Lectionary Readings of the Day
http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Eph 6:1-9; Ps 145:10-14; Lk 13:22-30
R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
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Reflection on the Gospel
- from Praying the Daily Gospels
http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614
- Luke 13: 22-30 (The narrow gate)
If we have not already heard this message enough, we need to listen again: Salvation does not come because we know about Jesus. In today's reading we hear Jesus promising to reject people who claim familiarity with him but who do nothing to help their needy neighbors. The narrow road he invites us to walk is the difficult path of love.
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Spiritual Reading
"Enjoying One Moment At A Time," from Reflecting on the Serenity Prayer, by Philip St. Romain
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/076480121X/?tag=christianspiritu (Paperback)
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Y7A6H4/?tag=christianspiritu (Kindle)
1. We can experience our spiritual nature in one important way through our experience of time. Animals live completely in the present moment. They don't worry about the future or harbor grudges. As they go about responding to the circumstances of the moment, they develop a set of conditioned responses that they bring into the next moment, and the next, and so on. We, too, bring our conditioning into each moment, but we also possess the ability to consciously recall a past incident and to dream of future possibilities. Although we live in space and time, there is a dimension of our awareness capable of standing outside of space and time, from which vantage point we can regard past and future as though they were taking place in this moment.
This spiritual dimension of awareness is a great gift to us. Because we can reflect on the past and actually relive many experiences, we are able to learn from the past and, like our Lady, treasure its memories in our hearts (see Luke 2:5). We can also envision ourselves moving into a future. Those who work to stimulate personal growth appreciate this power more and more. If we cannot see ourselves doing something, there is little chance that we will ever be able to do it. The discipline of creative visualization is one way to reverse this tendency; by envisioning positive outcomes, we actually move our energies in the direction of fulfilling what we have seen. So it is perfectly natural for us to remember the past and to envision the future; the spiritual nature of human consciousness makes this possible for us, and there is nothing wrong with doing so.
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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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- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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