Message of 9-22-10
Published: Fri, 09/17/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease
to exist. We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water.
Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made
evident to others from the love which he imparts to us.
- Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929). "Reality and Religion:
meditations on God, man, and nature."
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Prv 30:5-9; Ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163; Lk 9:1-6
R. (105) Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.
Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
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MEDITATION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food
I need."
This profound prayer runs a bit countercultural in today's society.
In his wisdom, though, the writer realizes that if he has riches,
he will come to believe he has earned them, he deserves them, he
has the "right" to do with them whatever he wishes. The writer is
fearful that he will refuse to see the Lord's generosity in
providing these riches and will deny him. Likewise, he fears that
if he is very poor, in need of the basics of life, he will be
tempted to steal, and thereby profane the name of God. All he asks
for is simply what he needs.
"O Lord, in this world gifted with abundance, teach us to take only
what we need."
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SPIRITUAL READING
At the Master's Feet
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
(The Disciple: "Master, in these days some learned men and their
followers regard Thy atonement and the redemption by blood as
meaningless and futile, and say that Christ was only a great
teacher and example for our spiritual life, and that salvation and
eternal happiness depend on our own efforts and good deeds.")
6. To many people life is full of peril, and they are like that
hunter who caught sight of a honeycomb on the branch of a tree
overhanging a stream. Climbing up, he began to enjoy the honey,
quite unaware of the fact that he was in peril of death, for in the
stream beneath him lay an alligator with open jaws waiting to
devour him, while around the foot of the tree a pack of wolves had
gathered waiting for him to descend. Worse still, the tree on which
he sat had been eaten away at the roots by an insect and it was
ready to fall. In a short time it did fall, and the unwary hunter
became the prey of the alligator. Thus, too, the human spirit,
ensconced in the body, enjoys for a short time the false and
fleeting pleasures of sin gathered in the honeycomb of the brain,
without a thought that it is in the midst of this fearsome jungle
of the world. There Satan sits ready to tear it to pieces, and hell
like an alligator waits with open mouth to gulp it down, while,
worst of all, the tiny unseen insect of sin has eaten away the very
roots of the body and life. Soon the soul falls and becomes an
everlasting prey to hell. But the sinner who comes to Me I will
deliver from sin, from Satan, and from hell, and will give him
eternal joy "which none shall take away from him" (John xvi.22).
- Part 2, Section 2
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METHODS OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION
Listed below are several traditional methods of prayer and
reflection. As St. Frances de Sales noted, we learn to pray by
praying, but it is also good to try different methods to see which
seem to help facilitate connection with God. Indeed, the more we
learn different methods, the better we can sense how the Spirit is
moving us to pray for any given prayer time.
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Lectio Divina Process
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/vocations/prayer.html
First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with.
It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or
anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:
* Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,
read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a
minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention
to the words or phrases that speak to you.
* Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in
this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?
* Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in
response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers
of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you
sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or
imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.
* Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to
simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let
yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel
comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the
Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God (see
Centering Prayer method, below)
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Centering Prayer
(Works best after a period of Lectio Divina, as described above;
two 20 minute periods a day are recommended.)
This term, centering prayer, is of recent origin, but the method is
described in many places, most notably "The Cloud of Unknowing."
1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent
to God's presence and action within. (This can be any word.)
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and
silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to
God's presence and action within.
3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the
sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes
closed for a couple of minutes.
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Hesychast Prayer ("quiet" prayer)
(This form of contemplative practice was widely used by the
fathers and mothers of the desert in the early days of Christianity
and is still very popular in Eastern Christian churches. At least
two 20 minute prayer periods are recommended.)
1. Sit quietly, with back straight and hands resting in the lap,
palms up.
2. Lovingly introduce into your mind the prayer, "Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." (Note: this may be shortened
as the prayer proceeds).
3. Let this prayer move in synchrony with your breath, praying the
first part with your inhalation, the second with exhalation.
4. When distracting thoughts attempt to break in, persist with the
Jesus Prayer. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, however.
Practice of this prayer may lead to feelings of warmth in the heart
and perception of inner light. Enjoy. . .
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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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Review of the Day
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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A collection of additional spiritual exercises can be found in our
Handbook for Spiritual Directees.
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
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