Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Thu, 09/30/10
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- 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
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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SPIRITUAL GROWTH RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
"Cricital Issues in Christian Contemplative Practice" paperback
book or
PDF download.
- by James Arraj and Philip St. Romain
The stories, discussions and short essays you will encounter in this
book can at first glance appear bewildering. What does talk about
everything from the psychological unconscious to strange energy
movements in the body that the Hindus called kundalini have to do
with
the Christian life of prayer and contemplation? But the wide-ranging
debates found here are the result of the Christian mystical
tradition
trying to wake up and throw off the torpor of a sleep that has
lasted
more than 300 years. And the most amazing thing about these
discussions
is that they are taking place in a new context which is not a
theoretical theological analysis of the spiritual life, but among
people who are concerned with how one would go about living the
contemplative life day by day, and who are actually trying to do
it. In
short, we face the first sustained practical interest in
contemplation
since the end of the 17th century, but already this enthusiasm has
raised critical questions that need to be addressed lest these new
beginnings go astray.
Part I introduces us to three modern attempts to renew the Christian
life of prayer.
Part II allows us to meet people today who have had Christian
experiences of prayer and contemplation.
Part III explores how the renewal of the Christian contemplative
life
is interacting with Eastern forms of meditation.
The material here came originally from www.shalomplace.com and
www.innerexplorations.com
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/criticq.html for purchase
information
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17; Ps 119:66,
71,
75, 91, 125, 130; Mt 18:1-5, 10
Sunday: Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4; Ps 95:1-2,
6-7,
8-9; 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk
17:5-10
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
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THEOLOGY NOTE OF THE WEEK
- Heresy
A doctrinal view that deviates from the truth, a false teaching. We
are
warned against it in Acts 20:29-32 and Phil. 3:2. Heresies include
teachings that Jesus is not God and that the Holy Spirit is not a
person (Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, The Way
International),
that men may become gods (Mormonism), that there is more than one
God
(Mormonism), that Jesus lost His divinity in hell and finished the
atonement there, and that good works are necessary for salvation
(all
cults say this), to name a few.
- http://www.carm.org/h
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-38): October 5
St. Mary Faustina's name is forever linked to the annual feast of
the
Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter), the divine
mercy chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day by many
people at 3 p.m.
Born in what is now west-central Poland (part of Germany before
World
War I), Helena was the third of 10 children. She worked as a
housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of the
Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener
and porter in three of their houses.
In addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving
the
needs of the sisters and the local people, she also had a deep
interior
life. This included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus,
messages
that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ and of her
confessors.
At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict
judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of
being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness
for
sins acknowledged and confessed. "I do not want to punish aching
mankind," he once told St. Maria Faustina, "but I desire to heal it,
pressing it to my merciful heart" (Diary 1588). The two rays
emanating
from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured
out
after Jesus' death (Gospel of John 19:34)
Because Sister Maria Faustina knew that the revelations she had
already
received did not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary:
"Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted
to a
soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with
God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute
neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection
consist in the close union of my will with the will of God" (Diary
1107).
Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on
October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and
canonized
her seven years later.
-
http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1931
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Rise Up, O Judge: A Study of Justice in the Biblical World," by
Enrique Nardoni, translated by Sean Charles Martin.
Hendrickson,
2004.
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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565635302/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
Nardoni offers his readers a comprehensive study of social and
liberating justice beginning with the very early history of ancient
Mesopotomia and Egypt. Ancient codes, texts of faith,
proclamations of mercy, and social reforms show that justice was
not a
new concept but began before the time of the Exodus. He
then offers a deep study of justice in the world of both Old and New
Testaments.
The author emphasizes the Bible's teaching in social, political, and
economic arenas. Throughout his book, Nardoni exhibits sound
judgment,
attention to intricate detail, and offers a massive
bibliopraphy.
All his writings connects justice to contemporary living and offers
the
readers a sound reason for being people who seek and work for
justice
today.
Nardoni's final chapter is a treasure, especially for the beginner
in
the study of social justice issues. This final chapter entitled,
"Overall Conclusions" offers short explanations of justice as
exemplified in several books in the Bible. He writes of the
washing of the apostles' feet and says, "The Christian community....is
committed to care for any person in need, following the lesson of
the
good Samaritan. It works, exhorts, and prays that Zaccheus may have
many followers so that the impoverished Lazarus may sit at the rich
man's table."
This comprehensive book is an outstanding source for teaching and
discussing the issue of social justice in universities, seminaries,
religious communities, and biblical study groups.
- thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review
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.
The God dimension of experience - Christian Spirituality Issues
forum.
Sharing suffering with God - Christian Spirituality Issues
forum.
Christianity and Postmodernism - Christian Morality and Theology
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)
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://emmanuellahouse.shawwebspace.ca/
Serenity of the Mind: supporting 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
Institute for Women's Spiritual Dynamics: holistic, flexible,
sensible
Christian spirituality for women.
http://www.womensspiritualdynamics.com/
(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
Spirituality and Ecology
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http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/ejp/background/articles/ecological.shtml
"Spirituality goes beyond moral action and transmutes it. Ecological
spirituality begins in the acknowledgment, grateful and joyful, that
all creatures owe their existence to God. Humans are not somehow
separate from the rest of creation. We share it intimately with
other
creatures. We acknowledge God as Creator of us all.
This ecological spirituality grows from a change in the way we think
about God's creative work. For centuries, Christians viewed God's
action in the world in terms of sin and redemption. First we sinned
and
then God redeemed us. The pattern was holy and helpful. A new
awareness
of the whole of creation expands this view, and we now tend to
think of
God's action in the world this way: God creates and, when we reject
grace, saves us from our sin. By understanding creation as part of
God's plan for our salvation, we more readily understand that God
remains first, Creator and Lord at every moment of history."
- from the web page
I found this short reflection to be helpful in its emphasis on the
relationship between ecology and spirituality. There's much
more
on the page.
While we're on this topic, you might check out "The Ten Commandments
for Ecological Spirituality," by Eugene C. Bianchi.
- http://www.religion.emory.edu/faculty/bianchi/kohntalk.htm
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- Census
Census Taker: "How many children do you have?"
Woman: "Four."
Census Taker: "May I have their names, please?"
Woman: "Eenie, Meenie, Minie and George."
Census Taker: "Okay, that's fine. But may I ask why you named your
fourth child George?"
Woman: "Because we didn't want any Moe."
(All right, all right, I know . . . so here's another.)
- The Super Duper Police Dog
A police dog responds to an ad for
work
with the FBI. "Well," says the personnel director, "You'll have to
meet
some strict requirements. First, you must type at least 60 words per
minute."
Sitting down at the typewriter, the dog
types
out 80 words per minute.
"Also," says the director, "You must pass a
physical and complete the obstacle course."
This perfect canine specimen finishes the
course in record time.
"There's one last requirement," the
director
continues; "you must be bilingual."
With confidence, the dog looks up at him
and
says, "Meow!"
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