Message of 7-20-10
Published: Mon, 07/19/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
God wants us to be like Him in undiminished, unending love
towards ourselves and our neighbors. God wants us to hate sin as
He Himself hates it and to love the soul as He Himself loves it.
God brought these words to my mind, and they have been an
endless strength to me: "I protect you absolutely."
- Julian of Norwich, "Revelations"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Mi 7:14-15, 18-20; Ps 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8; Mt 12:46-50
R. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love.
You have favored, O LORD, your land;
you have brought back the captives of Jacob.
You have forgiven the guilt of your people;
you have covered all their sins.
You have withdrawn all your wrath;
you have revoked your burning anger.
Restore us, O God our savior,
and abandon your displeasure against us.
Will you be ever angry with us,
prolonging your anger to all generations?
Will you not instead give us life;
and shall not your people rejoice in you?
Show us, O LORD, your kindness,
and grant us your salvation.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
An early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only
relatives are the saints" - namely those who have been redeemed by
the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those
who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his
disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on
earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and
shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood.
Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all of our
relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and
to his kingdom of righteousness and peace. Do you want to grow in
love and friendship? Allow God's Holy Spirit to transform your
heart, mind, and will to enable you to love freely and generously
as he loves.
"Heavenly Father, you bless us with many relationships and you
invite us into the community of your sons and daughters who have
been redeemed by your son, Jesus Christ. Help me to love my
neighbor with charity, kindness, compassion, and mercy, just as you
have loved me. In all of my relationships, and in all that I do and
say, may I always seek to bring you honor and glory."
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PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE (Ignatian Method)
A. Preparation: acts of faith and reverence in the presence of God;
asking grace of a good meditation; petition for specific graces
sought in meditation.
B. Reading the Scriptures slowly, prayerfully.
C. Exercise of the memory, imagination, and intellect:
consideration of the material.. What practical applications are
suggested?
D. Expression of feelings and sentiments awakened in meditation.
Conversation with God.
E. Exercise of will and imagination in making resolutions. Prayer
for grace to fulfill resolutions.
F. Vocal prayer (Our Father, Hail Mary, other prayers).
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NOTES ON THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN PRAYER
2700. Through his Word, God speaks to humanity. By words, mental or
vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the
heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer:
"Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of
words, but on the fervor of our souls." (St. John Chrysostom,
"Ecloga de oratione" 2: pg 63, 585).
("The Catechism of the Catholic Church," IV, 3, 1)
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