Message of 3-18-11
Published: Sun, 03/13/11
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Whatever task God is calling us to, if it is yours, it is mine, and
if it is mine, it is yours. We must do it together--or be cast aside
together, as God in his absolute freedom goes on by other means to
use His Church in hastening His Kingdom.
- Howard Hewlett Clark (1903-1983)
(What "tasks" do you need help with these days? How can you ask
for it?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8; Mt 5:20-26
R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MEDITATION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
God doesn't keep a balance sheet of our good deeds and evil actions
like your friendly bank keeps a record of debits and credits. We
often times reason that as long as we keep the good deeds (credits)
ahead of the evil deeds (debits) we ought to be God's special
chosen ones for eternal glory. This is the human way of reasoning
which people believe would be more fair. It might be true in the
human way of justice but it's far from God's plan of mercy. Do I
indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? "says the
Lord God." Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way
that he may live?
Simply put, God's way says that if a person rejects his life of
evil and he turns back to the Lord that person will live. And if
the virtuous man turns from his way of virtuous deeds and accepts
the way of evil he will surely die. This is why the Lenten Season
is so important in the plans of God. It should convince us of what
a tremendous grace he provides for us by asking us to participate
in the Lenten observance. Lent is the season of God's mercy. It's
God's way and the fairest way to welcome back any of us who have
allowed our lives to stray from him in careless ways or by
unfortunate tragic turns.
- by Howie Kalb, S.J.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SPIRITUAL READING
- Fenelon's "Maxims of the Saints"
The Apostle Paul speaks of Christians as dead. "You are dead," he
says, "and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. iii. 3.)
These expressions will apply, in their full import, only to those
Christians who are in the state of unselfish or pure love. Their
death is a death to selfishness. They are dead to pride and
jealousy, self-seeking and envy, to malice, inordinate love of
their own reputation, anything and every-thing which constitutes
the fallen and vitiated life of nature. They have a new life, which
is "hid with Christ in God."
- Article 33
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
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!
______________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed