Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Wed, 06/23/10
- readings, teachings, references and reviews -
Contents:
- Ad - Amazon.com gift cards
- Spiritual Growth Resource of the Month
- Weekend Readings
- Theology Note of the Week
- Saint of the Week
- Book of the Week
- Shalom Place Discussion Board
- Personal Spiritual Guidance
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Website of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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Amazon.com gift cards
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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SPIRITUAL GROWTH RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
"Jesus on the Cross: WHY?"
- by Philip St. Romain
- Free shipping on orders of two or more books!
What exactly do we mean when we say that Jesus died for our sins?
What are the implications of his death for our lives today? In this
book, author Philip St. Romain elaborates an understanding of the
crucifixion that makes sense today, and shows how this
understanding and appreciation can make a difference in people's
lives. St. Romain's reflections focus on several themes, including
the crucifixion as a fulfillment of the Jewish traditions of a
suffering servant; as a new covenant between God and the human
race; as an expiatory sacrifice; as a means of breaking the power
of sin. His discussions are carried on in pastoral terms derived
from scripture and his experience of living and working in the
world. Most chapters include a section on catechetical
considerations of a renewed understanding of the crucifixion, as
well as questions for personal reflection and discussion.
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Ps 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21;
Mt 8:5-17
Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11;
Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62
R. (cf. 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot."
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
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THEOLOGY NOTE OF THE WEEK
- Gnosticism
A theological error prevalent around the time of Christ. Generally
speaking, Gnosticism taught that salvation is achieved through
special knowledge (gnosis). This knowledge usually dealt with the
individual's relationship to the transcendent Being. It denies the
incarnation of God as the Son. In so doing, it denies the true
efficacy of the atonement since, if Jesus is not God, He could not
atone for all of mankind and we would still be lost in our sins.
- http://www.carm.org/g
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- St. Irenaeus (130-220)
The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its
controversies in the second century. He was a student, well
trained, no doubt, with great patience in investigating,
tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but prompted more by
a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.
As bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics,
who took their name from the Greek word for "knowledge." Claiming
access to secret knowledge imparted by Jesus to only a few
disciples, their teaching was attracting and confusing many
Christians. After thoroughly investigating the various Gnostic
sects and their "secret," Irenaeus showed to what logical
conclusions their tenets led. These he contrasted with the teaching
of the apostles and the text of Holy Scripture, giving us, in five
books, a system of theology of great importance to subsequent
times. Moreover, his work, widely used and translated into Latin
and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics.
The circumstances and details about his death, like those of his
birth and early life in Asia Minor, are not at all clear.
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1417
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Thea's Song: The Life of Thea Bowman," by Charlene Smith and John
Feister. Orbis Books. 2009.
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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570758689/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
This biography gives the life story of a significant figure in
modern day Catholicism. It is the story of a woman who will make
one stand in awe of the God who was her Maker and her Lover. It
seems that God put a new song in her heart and in her mouth, a
song which she was intent on singing even in the final stages of
the cancer which came to claim her body but could not weaken her
brave soul. She became a model for what God can do when one lets
God's joy permeate one's whole being, one's daily living in good
times and in bad. Sister Thea Bowman became the African American
teen ager who went off to Wisconsin to join an all white community
of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and to find St.
Francis who became her model of simplicity and holiness.
Bertha Bowman was born in 1937 to an African American Protestant
couple in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Her father was a country doctor
who ministered to the poor of the vicinity; her mother was a
teacher.
When the Franciscans came to her town to open a school, Bertha's
life took a new turn as she watched these valiant women open their
hearts and their home to the poor children of her town. When she
was eight she asked to be baptized as a Catholic; later her parents
also joined the Church. At fifteen, Bertha joined the Wisconsin
community and became known as Sister Thea.
Her life in an all white religious community was not without
problems. The food, the daily schedule, the lack of southern songs
which had so filled her early life, the silence, the sight of all
those white Sisters, her early bout with tuberculosis, all tested
her and she was not found wanting. Assigned to teach children, she
became the favorite teacher to dozens of students. Thea gave her
all in whatever way she was tested. She was so proud of her
heritage and wanted the whole world to know how much the African
American culture contributed to make her country a good place to
be. Sometimes this did not set well with her religious Sisters, but
she never let it daunt her.
When her elderly parents needed her help, Thea received permission
to move to her home town to do ministry in the diocese but also to
assist her parents in whatever way she could. There were constant
calls for Thea to sing and to give lectures all over the States
and in foreign countries. She spoke to bishops and kings, to rich
and poor, to the educated and the illiterate. The cancer which was
eventually to take her life did not dim her energy and enthusiasm
for speaking about her culture of which she was so proud.
Only Thea's death in 1990 could still that voice which ever
believed, "We shall overcome."
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review.)
Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your starting point for
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- PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE -
Need a companion for the spiritual journey? We have several
wonderful people ready to help, using email and telephone
conferences to bridge the miles.
- Now providing -
Consultations: this option is best for short-term guidance
pertaining to a specific issue.
Spiritual Direction: ongoing relationship with a spiritual director
to become more attuned to God's presence in all of life.
See http://shalomplace.com/direction/
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SHALOM PLACE DISCUSSION BOARDS
A variety of topics are under discussion.
Also, you can use the Find tab to search the forum, or scroll
through forum topics to find one that interests you.
- http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
SeeScapes. Picturing the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
http://www.seescapes.com
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street
neighborhood, San Francisco
http://www.temenos.org/
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: teaching and
support on contemplative practice
http://www.prayeroftheheart.com
Heartland Center for Spirituality (retreat center in central
Kansas).
http://heartlandspirituality.org/index.html
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in
British Columbia
http://members.axion.net/~massf/
Serenity of the Mind: supportint those who served and who suffer
from PTSD.
http://serenityofthemind.com/default.html
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study
resources.
http://www.theark1.com
Kyrie Places of Pilgrimmage and Renewal.
http://www.kyrie.com/places/index.htm
Contemplative Rudder: "In the midst of Consecrated Silence'
atmospherics ... a Rudder!
http://www.contemplativerudder.com/
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the
mature Christian.
http://innerexplorations.com
The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
http://fromholyground.org/index.htm
(Reach other people who have a similar interest in Christian
spirituality. Simply publish a link to Daily Spiritual Seed--
http://shalomplace.com/seed --on a prominent place on your web site
and we will reciprocate with a weekly link to your site in the
newsletter. Contact the Editor when you're ready to begin.)
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WEB SITE OF THE WEEK
"Against Heresies," by St. Irenaeus
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/irenaeus/
In keeping with our theology note of the week and saint of the
week, I thought this work might seem timely. Thanks to the
Internet, you can read Irenaeus' study of early Christian gnostic
communities and what he had to say about them. This work helped to
further clarify what was distinctive to the apostolic Christian
tradition taught by Paul and the four gospels. The work is still
timely, as there is still confusion in places concerning what the
early Christians really believed about Jesus, his teaching, and the
meaning of his life.
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- Adam's ribs
At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything,
including human beings.
Little Johnny, a child in the kindergarten class, seemed especially
intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's
ribs.
Later in the week his mother noticed him lying as though he were
ill, and said. "Johnny what is the matter?" Little Johnny
responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a
wife."
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