Message of 1-12-09
Published: Thu, 01/08/09
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Resolved, never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it
were the last hour of my life.
... Jonathan Edwards
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9; Mk 1:14-20
R. (see 7c) Let all his angels worship him.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Let all his angels worship him.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"They left their nets and followed him."
We've heard the term "jailhouse conversion." Those from whom all
has been taken away find God. Sometimes it's a ploy from people
seeking leniency. Many times it's a true conversion. And why not?
Those who have been forcibly disentangled from the nets of their
complicated, broken lives and called to account for the damage they
have inflicted on others -- these folks are empty and ready to be
filled. Only then is there room for God. What are the nets that
entangle us today? Is our "business as usual" bringing us closer to
God, readying us to follow at a moment's notice?
"Lord Jesus, disentangle us from all that is not of you so that we
are free to answer your call."
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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
479. The Church is the continuation of Christ, for it is His
mystical body.
488. This visible man was God who was giving Himself, and that
those to whom the Father gave the grace that "drew" them could in
some way discern immediately the glory of God shining in the face
of a man, the glory which the Father sheds over His only-begotten
Son.
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