Message of 7-23-10
Published: Mon, 07/19/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
To have faith is to rely upon Christ, the Person, with the whole
heart. It is not the understanding of the mind, not the theological
opinion, not creed, not organization, not ritual. It is the
koinonia of the whole personality with God and Christ. This
experience of communion with Christ is itself the continual
attitude of dependence on the Saviour which we call faith.
- Kokichi Kurosaki (1886-1970), "One Body in Christ"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jer 3:14-17; Jeremiah 31:10, 11-13; Mt 13:18-23
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
It's not enough to hear the word of God, we must live it. We can't
let the faith and fervor we feel at church wither up and die
outside the church walls. We need to hear the word of God, really
listen, think about it, understand it, and live it. We need to be
the rich soil in which God's word can take root and thrive. It's
easy to let evil or apathy take over. It's hard to have conviction
and live God's word, but the harvest will be amazing.
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SPIRITUAL READING
- Fenelon's "Maxims of the Saints"
It is perhaps difficult to perceive, how minds whose life, as it
were, is the principle of faith, can be in this situation. Take
the case of the Saviour. It is certainly difficult to conceive how
the Saviour, whose faith never failed, could yet believe Himself
forsaken; and yet it was so.
We know that it is impossible for God to forsake those who put
their trust in Him. He can just as soon forsake His own word; and,
what is more, He can just as soon forsake His own nature. Holy
souls, nevertheless, may sometimes, in a way and under
circumstances which we may not fully understand, believe themselves
to be forsaken, beyond all possibility of hope; and yet such is
their faith in God and their love to Him, that the will of God,
even under such circumstances, is dearer to them than anything and
everything else.
- Article Ten
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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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