Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Wed, 02/23/11
- readings, teachings, references and reviews -
Contents:
- Ad - Amazon.com gift cards
- Spiritual Growth Resource of the Month
- Weekend Readings
- Theology Note of the Week
- Saint of the Week
- Book of the Week
- Shalom Place Discussion Board
- Personal Spiritual Guidance
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Website of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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Amazon.com gift cards
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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SPIRITUAL GROWTH RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
The Way of Christian Spirituality
- see http://shalomplace.com/inetmin/basXspir.html
What do we mean by spirituality? Christian spirituality? How does
one lead a Christian life? This series of 25 lessons will explore
these topics in depth, including spiritual disciplines that enable
growth in Christ, obstacles to growth, and living fully in the
Spirit. The process will include teaching, references to resources,
discussion and sharing experiences.
Resources: full access to the following will be provided to
registered participants
- Basics of Spirituality audio series
- Pathways to Serenity eBook
- The Way of Christian Spirituality PowerPoint presentation (online
slide show)
- Numerous handouts and references to web pages.
- Premium group discussion forum.
Course Topics: these will be presented via e-mail, with
opportunities for discussion on discussion board.
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Sir 17:1-15; Ps 103:13-18; Mk 10:13-16
Sunday: Is 49:14-15; Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; 1 Cor 4:1-5;
Mt 6:24-34
R. (6a) Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
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THEOLOGY NOTE OF THE WEEK
- Infant baptism
The practice of baptizing infant children of believing parents. In
the Roman Catholic Church infant baptism washes away original sin
and is regenerative. In Reformed circles, infant baptism is not
regenerative but covenantal and validated through the believing
parent(s). There are no explicit accounts of infant baptism in the
Bible. However, it cannot be completely excluded as a possibility
given that entire households were baptized Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8.
- http://www.carm.org/i
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955): March 3
If your father is an international banker and you ride in a private
railroad car, you are not likely to be drawn into a life of
voluntary poverty. But if your mother opens your home to the poor
three days each week and your father spends half an hour each
evening in prayer, it is not impossible that you will devote your
life to the poor and give away millions of dollars. Katharine
Drexel did that.
She was born in Philadelphia in 1858. She had an excellent
education and traveled widely. As a rich girl, she had a grand
debut into society. But when she nursed her stepmother through a
three-year terminal illness, she saw that all the Drexel money
could not buy safety from pain or death, and her life took a
profound turn.
She had always been interested in the plight of the Indians, having
been appalled by reading Helen Hunt Jackson's A Century of
Dishonor. While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and asked
him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop
James O'Connor. The pope replied, "Why don't you become a
missionary?" His answer shocked her into considering new
possibilities.
Back home, she visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader Red Cloud
and began her systematic aid to Indian missions.
She could easily have married. But after much discussion with
Bishop O'Connor, she wrote in 1889, "The feast of St. Joseph
brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the
Indians and the Colored." Newspaper headlines screamed "Gives Up
Seven Million!"
After three and a half years of training, she and her first band of
nuns (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored)
opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. A string of foundations
followed. By 1942 she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13
states, plus 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools.
Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in
Pennsylvania. In all, she established 50 missions for Indians in 16
states.
Two saints met when she was advised by Mother Cabrini about the
"politics" of getting her Order's Rule approved in Rome. Her
crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New
Orleans, the first Catholic university in the United States for
African Americans.
At 77, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire.
Apparently her life was over. But now came almost 20 years of
quiet, intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary.
Small notebooks and slips of paper record her various prayers,
ceaseless aspirations and meditation. She died at 96 and was
canonized in 2000
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1311
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Catherine of Siena: a passionate life," by Don Brophy. Blue
Bridge, 2010.
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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1933346280/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
Brophy gives the life of a great mystic , Catherine of Siena, who
lived in the second half of the 14th century. This was a time in
Italy of shining art and beauty, and dismal violence and chaos. In
Europe there was the plague, famine, and the Hundred Years War.
Even the popes were part of the chaos, by leaving Rome and taking
residence in Avignon, France. The city states in Italy knew
prosperity as well as great disarray.
In this arena, the dyer's daughter Catherine of Siena and her twin
sister Giovanna, arrived on the scene on March 25, 1347, as #23 and
#24. Giovanna was not well from the start and since mother Lapa
could not nurse both girls, Giovanna was given to a wet nurse; the
infant died shortly after birth. In later years Catherine was
unhappy with the knowledge that too soon after her birth, another
little girl was born and Lapa ceased nursing Catherine. The new
Giovanna took her place at Lapa's breast, but she died as a child.
This made Catherine the baby in the large family and her parents
had great hopes that she would marry well and bring wealth and
prestige to the Bennicasa family.
From a tender age, Catherine resolved that Christ would be her only
spouse, and she refused all efforts of her parents to get her
married, even going so far as to cut off her beautiful hair. Her
parents were furious, but finally her father led the way to allow
Catherine to spend time in prayer in an isolated section of the big
house. Until she was twenty, Catherine sought her Lover in the
quiet of deep prayer and sacrifice. At that time she was led to
recognize the problems in the world around her, the sickness, the
unrest in civil and ecclesiastical society, and she changed her
pattern and began to reach out to those who needed help. This she
did by her voluminous correspondence and personal ministry with
people in high and low places.
The author gives a detailed portrait of an intense young women,
with details from her many letters and her spiritual masterwork,
the Dialogue. Intended for people with deep faith or no faith at
all,this is the story of a passionate woman in the 14th century.
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review)
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Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your starting point for
online shopping at Amazon.com. You can buy books, cds, videotapes,
software, appliances and many other products at discount prices.
As Amazon.com affiliate, we are paid a small fee for purchases
originating from our web site. Every little bit helps!
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
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- PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE -
Need a companion for the spiritual journey? We have several
wonderful people ready to help, using email and telephone
conferences to bridge the miles.
- Now providing -
Consultations: this option is best for short-term guidance
pertaining to a specific issue.
Spiritual Direction: ongoing relationship with a spiritual director
to become more attuned to God's presence in all of life.
See http://shalomplace.com/direction/
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SHALOM PLACE DISCUSSION BOARDS
A variety of topics are under discussion.
False self, sin, and freedom - Christian Spirituality Issues forum
Watching Eqypt - Religion and Culture forum.
From false gods to Christ - Transformative Experiences forum.
Musings - Shalom Place Lounge
- see http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums for this and hundreds of
other discussions.
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: teaching and
support on contemplative practice
http://www.prayeroftheheart.com
Heartland Center for Spirituality: retreat center in central
Kansas..
http://heartlandspirituality.org/index.html
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in
British Columbia
http://emmanuellahouse.shawwebspace.ca/
Serenity of the Mind: supporting those who served and who suffer
from PTSD.
http://serenityofthemind.com/default.html
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study
resources.
http://www.theark1.com
Kyrie Places of Pilgrimmage and Renewal.
http://www.kyrie.com/places/index.htm
Contemplative Rudder: "In the midst of Consecrated Silence
atmospherics ... a Rudder!
http://www.contemplativerudder.com/
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the
mature Christian.
http://innerexplorations.com
The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
http://fromholyground.org/index.htm
Institute for Women's Spiritual Dynamics: holistic, flexible,
sensible Christian spirituality for women.
http://www.womensspiritualdynamics.com/
SeeScapes. Picturing the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
http://www.seescapes.com
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street
neighborhood, San Francisco
http://www.temenos.org/
(Reach other people who have a similar interest in Christian
spirituality. Simply publish a link to Daily Spiritual Seed--
http://shalomplace.com/seed --on a prominent place on your web site
and we will reciprocate with a weekly link to your site in the
newsletter. Contact the Editor when you're ready to begin.)
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WEB SITE OF THE WEEK
Spiritual Health Inventories
- http://www.eremitical.com/questions/
This is a resource compiled by participants of the Shalom Place
discussion board. Special thanks to Derek Cameron for spearheading
the project.
Inventories include:
- False Self Scale
- Codependent Behaviors Checklist
- The Christian Walk With God inventory
- Addictive Behaviors checklist
The way it works is you click one of the inventories and you will
be presented with an explanation of what it's about. There are a
series of questions or statements with numeric rating options for
each. At the end of each test (which takes only a couple of
minutes to take), you receive your score with some comments about
it.
Have fun!
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- Pick-up line comebacks...
He: Haven't we met before?
She: Yes, I'm the receptionist at the Bad Breath Clinic.
He: Is this seat empty?
She: Yes, and this one will be too if you sit down.
He: So, wanna go back to my place?
She: I don't know. Can two people fit under a rock?
He: Your place or mine?
She: Both. You go to yours and I'll go to mine.
He: Hey, baby, what's your sign?
She: Do Not Enter
He: I want to give myself to you.
She: Sorry, I don't accept cheap gifts.
He: If I could see you naked, I'd die happy.
She: If I saw you naked, I'd die laughing.
He: I know how to please a woman.
She: Then please leave me alone.
He: I'd go to the end of the world for you.
She: Sure, but would you stay there?
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