ANNUAL APPEAL FOR SUPPORT
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- The regular newsletter content can be found below.
The Internet has certainly come of age since those early (1997) beginnings of A Daily Spiritual Seed. At that time, my Internet Service Provider was America Online, and they had a feature that let you search for other members who shared common interests. I did one for “Christian spirituality” and there were a few names with email addresses. Talk about times changing; no
ISP would dream of revealing names and email addresses now! But it was helpful to me, as I sent a sample copy of A Daily Spiritual Seed to those email addresses, inviting the owners to consider subscribing to the eNewsletter. A few did so, and this was the beginning of the subscriber list, which was managed from my computer. I’ve often wondered if anyone from that AOL contact list is still a subscriber. If you are, please let me know.
Now, happily, there are better privacy policies in place, which is a good time to say that we maintain complete confidentiality concerning the subscriber list to A Daily Spiritual Seed, the Shalom Place Discussion Board, and all of our other Internet ministry ventures. These lists are all opt-in,
which means that not even I can manually add anyone to them. Subscription is a two-step process, including confirmation by email. That’s one reason why I’ve occasionally become annoyed when someone reports A Daily Spiritual Seed as spam email to Aweber.com, our listserve. Unsubscribing from the list is very easy, with a link included on each email. I used to have to do all that myself in a contact list on my computer.
Aweber.com is one of the many expenses incurred to provide for the technical aspects that make this ministry possible. They provide list management, templates, time queueing, and others helpful services that are just not available on free listserves. Your support helps to pay Aweber and other bills, and I appreciate your consideration in
this regard.
Peace, Phil |
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You have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need inquire after; no oracle that you need to consult; for whilst you shut yourself up in patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your heart is His dwelling-place, and He lives and works in
you....
- William Law
(This encouragement applies primarily to those who are faithful in prayer and
other spiritual disciplines.)
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TI 2:1-8, 11-14; PS 37:3-4, 18 AND 23, 27 AND 29; LK 17:7-10
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
Turn from
evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
The just shall possess the land
and dwell in it forever.
USCCB Lectionary
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Reflection on the Scriptures
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"Reject godless ways and
worldly desires." –Titus 2:12
Many of our desires are contradictory and destructive. Therefore, in His mercy, "the grace of God has appeared, offering salvation" and training us "to reject godless ways and worldly
desires, and live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age" (Ti 2:11-12). The Lord commands us: "Live soberly" (1 Pt 1:13), and "do not yield to the desires that once shaped you in your ignorance" (1 Pt 1:14). "You are not to spend what remains of your earthly life on human desires but on the will of God" (1 Pt 4:2). "You must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire" (Eph 4:22). Unless worldly desires are rejected, they will deform
us, take away our lives, and cause our lives to deteriorate. Therefore, "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24).
Father Al Lauer, founder and long-time
author of One Bread, One Body, said near the end of his life: "The more I say 'No' to myself, the more I say 'Yes' to the Holy Spirit." Ask the Spirit to lust against the desires of your flesh (Gal 5:17) and give you the strength to crucify your desires. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17). Do not be enslaved by your desires but be free in the Holy Spirit. PRAYER: Father, may my desire for You be so encompassing that all my worldly desires will be rejected and crucified.
PROMISE: "The just shall possess the land and dwell in it forever." –Ps 37:29
- from mycatholic.com web
site
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Selected Quotes from the Writings of St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) • Trust shows the way.
• God hugs you.
You are encircled by the arms
of the mystery of God.
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