Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Fri, 08/06/10
- 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 Alive in Our Lives," 2nd Edition. Lulu Press, 2010. 158
pages.
- by Philip St. Romain
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/jesus-alive-in-our-lives/11780728
- Preview online
This work bundles together three related works previously published
for different purposes.
Part One - "The Meaning of the Resurrection," examines the
evidence for the Resurrection and then treats its implications for
the life of the believer.
Part Two - "Encountering the Risen Christ," reflects on meeting
the risen Christ in his four modes of presence to us:
personal/historical, communal, sacramental and cosmic.
Part Three - "The Gift of the Spirit," notes the decisive role
of the Holy Spirit in the lives of early Christian believers, and
in our own as well. The theme running through these three parts is
that Jesus of Nazareth is risen, and that we can come to know him
and give evidence of his life and love in our own as well.
(Use coupon code BEACHREAD305 for 15% discount until August 15th.
Free shipping on orders over $19.00)
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Hb 1:12--2:4; Ps 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Mt 17:14-20
Sunday: Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Heb 11:1-2,
8-19; Lk 12:32-48
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
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THEOLOGY NOTE OF THE WEEK
- Actual Grace
In Roman Catholicism, actual grace are God's interventions, whether
at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of
sanctification. It is the movement of God that gives grace to help
a person in a specific situation.
- http://www.carm.org/g
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) - August 11
One of the more sugary movies made about Francis of Assisi pictures
Clare as a golden-haired beauty floating through sun-drenched
fields, a sort of one-woman counterpart to the new Franciscan Order.
The beginning of her religious life was indeed movie material.
Having refused to marry at 15, she was moved by the dynamic
preaching of Francis. He became her lifelong friend and spiritual
guide.
At 18, she escaped one night from her father's home, was met on the
road by friars carrying torches, and in the poor little chapel
called the Portiuncula received a rough woolen habit, exchanged her
jeweled belt for a common rope with knots in it, and sacrificed the
long tresses to Francis' scissors. He placed her in a Benedictine
convent which her father and uncles immediately stormed in rage.
She clung to the altar of the church, threw aside her veil to show
her cropped hair and remained adamant.
End of movie material. Sixteen days later her sister Agnes joined
her. Others came. They lived a simple life of great poverty,
austerity and complete seclusion from the world, according to a
Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order (Poor Clares).
Francis obliged her under obedience at age 21 to accept the office
of abbess, one she exercised until her death.
The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat and
observed almost complete silence. (Later Clare, like Francis,
persuaded her sisters to moderate this rigor: "Our bodies are not
made of brass.") The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel
poverty. They possessed no property, even in common, subsisting on
daily contributions. When even the pope tried to persuade her to
mitigate this practice, she showed her characteristic firmness: "I
need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved
from the obligation of following Jesus Christ."
Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of her life in the
convent of San Damiano in Assisi. She served the sick, waited on
table, washed the feet of the begging nuns. She came from prayer,
it was said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her.
She suffered serious illness for the last 27 years of her life. Her
influence was such that popes, cardinals and bishops often came to
consult her--she never left the walls of San Damiano.
Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. She was
always obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life
which he was making real.
A well-known story concerns her prayer and trust. She had the
Blessed Sacrament placed on the walls of the convent when it faced
attack by invading Saracens. "Does it please you, O God, to deliver
into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have
nourished with your love? I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these
whom I am now unable to protect." To her sisters she said, "Don't
be afraid. Trust in Jesus." The Saracens fled.
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1104
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Meditation Without Myth: What I Wish They'd Taught Me in Church
About Prayer, Meditation, and the Quest for Peace," by Daniel
Helminiak. Crossroad Publ., 2005.
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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0824523083/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
This is a good and timely book, offering sound teaching on
spiritual practice in a non-theistic, humanistic context. Readers
who haven't read and studied Dr. Helminiak's previous works,
especially "The Human Core of Spirituality," might wonder how he
can be discussing spirituality apart from religion -- a point he
addresses in several places in this work. Indeed, it seems that
what we have, here, is a further elaboration on on the "Human Core"
book, developing some of its implications for spiritual practice.
Basically, what is emphasized are a few practices that enable one
to increasingly awaken to what in earlier works Helminiak called
the non-reflecting aspect of human consciousness (as opposed to
reflecting, discursive consciousness). Hence, we are encouraged to
be aware, to become conscious of our consciousness, to move beyond
thought, feeling, ideas, etc., to become more cosmically
consciousness. Readers familiar with Eastern literature will
recognize similarities between what is described here and Eastern
accounts of enlightenment states, a correlation already suggested
in the earlier "Human Core" book. What's most significant about
that, in my view, is that he provides a non-theistic accounting for
enlightenment in terms of human spirit rather than considering it
an experience of the divine, or, as he would say, a theistic or
theotic mystical experience. This is quite exciting, as it means
that such awakenings are within the reach of all human beings who
undertake the right kind of practices, including ethical living,
here, which the book also emphasizes.
So how is this all different from Buddhism?
In the end, it's not too terribly different, except that it's
Buddhism stripped of all sorts of excessive religious baggage.
That's not a bad thing, but if you're already into Zen or Buddhist
practice, you won't find anything new, here, except, perhaps,
another way to understand what's going on in terms of spirit,
psyche and organism.
Those who are committed to a more theistic pathway will probably
find this book challenging and even provocative in places, as its
emphasis on non-religious, humanistic spirituality will probably
seem offensive, or certainly pointless. As one who has been
committed to Christian contemplative practice for years, however, I
would encourage taking the time to really consider what's being
said, here. There is nothing in this book that detracts from
Christian spiritual practice, as theistic and theotic spirituality
simultaneously includes and transcends the approach recommended
here. Furthermore, the emphasis on authenticity and clarity can
only help improve any relationship, including one's relationship
with God. Finally, it's enormously helpful to have clarified what
aspects of the spiritual life fall within our own human powers and,
hence, are our responsibility to develop to the best of our
ability. An old Thomistic aphorism is that grace works in and
through nature, so there's no discounting the role of supernatural
grace in this approach. Such grace leads to a further
transformation than what is recounted in this book, however, as
Helminiak himself noted in his earlier works, especially "Spiritual
Development."
- Amazon.com book review by Philip St. Romain
Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your starting point for
online shopping at Amazon.com. You can buy books, cds, videotapes,
software, appliances and many other products at discount prices.
As Amazon.com affiliate, we are paid a small fee for purchases
originating from our web site. Every little bit helps!
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
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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.
Jesus of the Divine Mercy and the child - Transformative
Experiences forum.
- see http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums for this and hundreds of
other discussions.
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
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
Institute for Women's Spiritual Dynamics: holistic, flexible,
sensible Christian spirituality for women.
http://www.womensspiritualdynamics.com/
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
(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
Dave Ramsey's web site
- http://www.daveramsey.com/
Maybe you've heard Dave on the radio or seen him on TV? His
primary ministry seems to be about teaching financial management
using Gospel principles. Check out the Tools links for examples of
his teachings. "The Seven Baby Steps" will give you an idea of his
approach. The Online Community tab provides support and
encouragement as well.
A large number of congregations from all Christian denominations
are making use of his "Financial Peace University" and find it very
helpful. Dave is addressing a need that is critical to many, many
individuals and families.
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- Bantering Buddies
A Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Priest met at the town's annual 4th
of July picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter.
"This baked ham is really delicious," the priest teased the rabbi.
"You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but
I can't
understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden! You don't
know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried
Mrs. Hall's
prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to
break down and try it?"
The rabbi looked at the priest with a big grin, and said, "At your
wedding."
(Thanks, Carol!)
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