Message of 12-22-08
Published: Sat, 12/20/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"It was said of Abba Macarius the Great that he became, according
to the writings, a god on earth, because in the way God protected
the world, so Abba Macarius would hide the faults he saw as though
he had not seen them, and the faults he heard about as though he
had not heard of them."
- "Sayings of the Desert Fathers," on Macarius the Egyptian -
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd; Lk 1:46-56
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory."
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes."
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts."
"He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage."
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name."
Hannah and Mary, two humble women, thanking and praising God for
the great gift of a child. For months we have been bombarded with
variations on the theme "Christmas is for children." It is, but not
within the commercial boundaries of Santa, toys and candy. Let us
be truly, humbly grateful not only for the Child who comes, but for
all the children in our lives and in our world, each of them
somehow showing God's likeness and giving us a precious and unique
view of God's face that we might not otherwise see in this life.
"O King of Nations, keystone of the church, come and save
humankind, whom you fashioned from the dust."
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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.
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THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S "THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY"
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
464. The personal God is three persons, for such is His way of
possessing personality.
468. The central truth: Christ the incarnate Word, and the
incorporation of humans into Christ.
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