Message of 10-25-10
Published: Sun, 10/24/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Slowly, through all the universe, that temple of God is being
built. Wherever, in any world, a soul, by free-willed obedience,
catches the fire of God's likeness, it is set into the growing
walls, a living stone. When, in your hard fight, in your tiresome
drudgery, or in your terrible temptation, you catch the purpose of
your being, and give yourself to God, and so give Him the chance to
give Himself to you, your life, a living stone, is taken up and set
into that growing wall.
- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), "The Candle of the Lord"
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Eph 4:32-5:8; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Lk 13:10-17
R. (see Eph. 5:1) Behave like God as his very dear children.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
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REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
With one swift statement, Jesus wipes out the 18 years of suffering
this woman has endured. The leader of the synagogue, however, is
outraged at what Jesus has done: He has healed on the Sabbath. The
leader of the synagogue even says she should have come on a
different day! But Jesus counters that she has suffered enough.
Further, he scolds these hypocrites for their intractable position.
Relieving suffering, then, is a greater act of love than keeping
the law. By his actions, Jesus teaches about priorities. Love,
compassion and mercy are greater than inaction, however
well-intentioned it might be. The crowd responds by rejoicing at
his deeds and example of mercy.
"O Lord, help us to see clearly the greater good and to have the
courage to choose it, we pray."
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SPIRITUAL READING
The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage
by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
From this unity, wherein the spirit is united with God without
intermediary, grace and all gifts flow forth: and out of this same
unity, where the spirit rests above itself in God, Christ the
Eternal Truth says: Behold, The Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to
meet Him. Christ, who is the light of Eternal Truth, says: Behold:
for through Him we become seeing; for He is the light of the
Father, and without Him there were no light, neither in heaven nor
on earth. This speaking of Christ within us is nothing else than an
inrush of His light and His grace. This grace pours into us in the
unity of our higher powers and of our spirit; wherefrom, through
the power of the grace received, the higher powers flow out to
become active in all virtues, and whereto, because of the bond of
love, they ever return again.
In this unity lie the power for, and beginning and end of, every
natural and supernatural work of the creature in so far as it is
wrought in a creaturely way, through grace and Divine gifts, and by
the creature's own strength. And therefore God pours His grace into
the unity of the higher powers, that therewith man may always
fulfill the virtues, through the power and the richness and the
thrust of grace. For God gives us grace, therewith to work; and
above all graces He gives Himself, for fruition and for rest. The
unity of our spirit is our dwelling-place, in the peace of God and
in the riches of charity; and there all the manifold virtues are
gathered together, and live in the simplicity of the spirit.
- Book 2, Chapter 3: Of the inflow of the grace of God into our
Spirit.
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