Message of 10-27-10
Published: Mon, 10/25/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Waiting for God means...readiness for any command; that sense of
perpetual suspense which listens for the word in order that it may
be immediately obeyed. Those who wait for God are pilgrim souls
that have no tie that will hold them when the definite command is
issued; no prejudices that will paralyze their effort when in some
strange coming of the light they are commanded to take a pathway
entirely different to that which was theirs before; having no
interests either temporal or eternal, either material or mental or
spiritual, that will conflict with the will of God when that will
is made known.
- G. Campbell Morgan
(How do these attitudes describe your own? Which do you struggle
with?)
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Eph 6:1-9; Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14; Lk 13:22-30
R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
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MEDITATION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first
who will be last.
"This statement is part of Jesus' answer when he is asked, "Will
many be saved?" Although this answer seems paradoxical at first, on
greater reflection we realize that God does not judge as the world
judges. Those who believe they are "first" in importance, influence
or power actually misunderstand the criteria. Salvation more likely
has to do with keeping the commandments, practicing the beatitudes,
sacrificing comfort so that others can survive, developing
humility, forgiving countless times or even selling what one has,
giving it to the poor and following Jesus -- perhaps.
"O Lord, that we may see the world as God sees it and conform our
actions with his values, we pray."
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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.")
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?"
The Master- 1. Those who ask such a question show clearly that they
do not know what prayer is. They have not lived a prayerful life,
or they would know that prayer to God is not a form of begging.
Prayer does not consist in an effort to obtain from God the things
which are necessary for this life. Prayer is an effort to lay hold
of God Himself, the Author of life, and when we have found Him who
is the source of life and have entered into communion with Him,
then the whole of life is ours and with Him all that will make life
is perfect. To evildoers God, out of love for them, gives what is
necessary for their life in this world, but their spiritual
necessities He does not even show to them, as they have no
spiritual life.
Were He to bestow such spiritual blessings upon them, they would
not be able to appreciate them. But on those who believe gifts of
both kinds are bestowed, especially spiritual blessings, with the
result that very soon they pay little regard to temporal blessings,
but fix their love on the unseen and spiritual. We cannot alter the
will of God, but the man of prayer can discover the will of God
with regard to himself. For to people of this kind God makes
Himself manifest in the hidden chamber of the heart, and holds
communion with them; and when His gracious purposes are shown to be
for their good, then the doubts and difficulties of which they
complain pass away for ever.
- 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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