Message of 11-3-10
Published: Mon, 11/01/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Happy are they...who shall learn...not to despair, but shall
remember, that though the day is past, and their strength is
wasted, there yet remains one effort to be made; that reformation
is never hopeless, nor sincere endeavours ever unassisted; that the
wanderer may at length return after all his errors, and that he who
implores strength and courage from above shall find danger and
difficulty give way before him.
- Samuel Johnson
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Phil 2:12-18; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Lk 14:25-33
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
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MEDITATION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"No one who does not carry his cross can be my disciple."
Today we honor St. Martin de Porres, born in Lima, Peru, in 1639,
the son of a Spanish gentleman and a black slave mother. He grew up
in poverty and eventually was received into the Dominicans as a lay
brother, renowned for his piety, devotion to the Eucharist, austere
lifestyle and work for the poor and the sick, especially African
slaves. Martin found his cross in serving the needs of the poorest
of the poor. St. Martin de Porres is the patron of social justice
and of peoples of mixed races.
"O Lord, through the example of St. Martin de Porres, show us the
way to face and correct racial and social injustice."
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SPIRITUAL READING
At the Master's Feet
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
(The Disciple: Sometimes this question is asked, "Since God is
fully aware of our needs, and knows how to supply them in the best
way, not for the good only but for the evil, how should we pray to
Him about them? Whether our necessities be temporal or spiritual,
can we by our prayers alter the will of God?")
2. Prayer is, as it were, a breathing in of the Holy Spirit, and
God so pours His Holy Spirit into the life of the prayerful that
they become "living souls" (Gen. ii.7; John xx.22). They will never
die, for the Holy Spirit pours Himself by means of prayer into
their spiritual lungs, and fills their spirits with health and
vigor and everlasting life.
God, who is Love, has freely bestowed on all people those things
which are necessary for both the spiritual and temporal life, but
since He offers salvation and His Holy Spirit to all as freely,
they are lightly esteemed. But prayer teaches us to value them,
because they are as necessary as air and water, heat and light,
without which life is impossible. The things for our spiritual life
God has freely provided, but men so lightly regard them that they
offer no thanks to their Creator; but on the other hand, His gifts
of gold, silver, and precious jewels, which are scarce and obtained
with great difficulty, they highly esteem, though with such things
the hunger and thirst of the body cannot be assuaged, nor the
longings of the heart be satisfied. With such folly do men of the
world act with regard to spiritual things, but to the man of prayer
are given true wisdom and eternal life.
- Part 3, Section 1
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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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