Message of 11-17-10
Published: Thu, 11/11/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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ANNUAL APPEAL
So what exactly goes on with our Internet ministry?
Yesterday, I mentioned our discussion board, which has become a
significant resource area on the Internet. I can't tell you the
number of times I've googled a topic and found one of the top
links to be pointing to our discussion board.
- see http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums
Another major outreach is Daily Spiritual Seed, which you know all
about. When I first started this ezine in 1997, there weren't many
such daily spiritual resources on the Internet. Now, there are
hundreds. But we're still here, and hope to continue as long as
there is interest.
The shalomplace.com web site is host to a wide range of resources,
including spiritual director contacts, ebooks, worksheets and
handouts, audio workshops and retreats, and our Christian
Spirituality Bookstore.
It takes lots of time to keep up with all this, and your support
helps to make it possible. Thank you for your consideration.
Phil St. Romain
Internet Ministry Coordinator
- - - Several ways you can support our Internet ministry:
a. Pray for us and for those make use of our services (that
includes you, of course).
b. Tax-deductible donation or subscription: see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html (check payment
information provided).
A special gratitude gift will be sent to all donors/subscribers.
c. Purchase an Amazon.com gift card:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
- a great gift for almost any occasion
d. Purchase a paperback book, ebook, or audio series:
http://shalomplace.com/products.html (shows all options)
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"I am the utter poverty of God. I am His emptiness, littleness,
nothingness, lostness. When this is understood, my life in God's
freedom, the self-emptying of God in me is the fullness of grace. A
love for God that knows no reason because God is the fullness of
grace. A love for God that knows no reason because God is God; a
love without measure, a love for God as personal."
(Thomas Merton [20th C], from "Praying With Thomas Merton")
Breathprayer:
"Loving freely (breathing in). . . loving deeply (breathing out)"
Journaling:
At what moment of this day did you make a choice to love?
- by Sr. Joel Christoph OP
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Rv 4:1-11; Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6; Lk 19:11-28
R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
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MEDITATION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the
one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
When we consistently make bad choices, our troubles mount and
multiply, our vices grow more pernicious; we spiral swiftly
downward, drawn into a dark vortex. But, thank goodness, good
choices made consistently have an opposite cumulative effect.
Goodness generally builds on goodness, leading us to greater
success, happiness and virtue. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, patroness
of Catholic charities, stands as an exemplar of someone given much
who made the most of it. A wealthy noblewoman, her only desire was
to serve the poor and the sick. Through her intercession, may we
learn to use all we've been given to build the kingdom.
"For prudent and holy use of God's gifts, we pray."
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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?")
4. Although fish spend their whole life in the salt water of the
sea, yet they do not themselves become salty, because they have
life in them; so the man of prayer, though he has to live in this
sin-defiled world, remains free of the sinful taint, because by
means of prayer his life is maintained.
- 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.
- - -
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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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
- - - -
Please help support Heartland Center's Internet ministries:
- For more info on tax-deductible donations, see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html.
Thanks for your consideration!
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