Message of 5-10-11
Published: Sat, 05/07/11
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
If you would judge of the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of
pleasure, then take this simple rule: Whatever weakens your reason,
impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of
God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things - that to you is
sin.
- Susannah Wesley
(Using these criteria, where in your life might you be sinning?)
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 7:51--8:1a; Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21; Jn
6:30-35
R. (6a) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake you will lead and guide me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
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REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
The bread which Jesus offers his disciples sustains us not only on
our journey to the heavenly paradise, it gives us the abundant
supernatural life of God which sustains us both now and for all
eternity. When we receive from the Lord's table we unite ourselves
to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and
partakers of his divine life. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.)
calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality,
the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in
Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for
both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. Do you
hunger for God and for the food which produces everlasting life?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you are the bread of life. You alone can
satisfy the hunger in my heart. May I always find in you, the true
bread from heaven, the source of life and nourishment I need to
sustain me on my journey to the promised land of heaven."
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SPIRITUAL READING
"The Way of Perfection"
- by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
(Exhorts the nuns to keep their Rule and names three things which
are important for the spiritual life. Describes the first of these
three things, which is love of one's neighbour, and speaks of the
harm which can be done by individual, exclusivist friendships.)
Returning to the question of our love for one another, it seems
quite unnecessary to commend this to you, for where are there
people so brutish as not to love one another when they live
together, are continually in one another's company, indulge in no
conversation, association or recreation with any outside their
house and believe that God loves us and that they themselves love
God since they are leaving everything for His Majesty? More
especially is this so as virtue always attracts love, and I hope in
God that, with the help of His Majesty, there will always be love
in the sisters of this house. It seems to me, therefore, that there
is no reason for me to commend this to you any further.
With regard to the nature of this mutual love and what is meant by
the virtuous love which I wish you to have here, and how we shall
know when we have this virtue, which is a very great one, since Our
Lord has so strongly commended it to us and so straitly enjoined it
upon His Apostles -- about all this I should like to say a little
now as well as my lack of skill will allow me; if you find this
explained in great detail in other books, take no notice of what I
am saying here, for it may be that I do not understand what I am
talking about.
- Chapter 4
(It is good to remember in all of this that the nuns to whom she is
writing were a contemplative order.)
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