Message of 5-20-16

Published: Fri, 05/20/16

God never simply buries our dead and broken dreams because He’d be burying our hearts along with our dreams. One of two positive things will happen. Either the dream will become fertilizer for something even better, or the Lord will give me the gumption and oomph to bring my dream to fruition. I can’t lose either way!
- Noni Joy Tari

(Has this been your experience? What dream(s) in you are alive and well at this time in your life? Which seem to be fading?)

Readings of the Day

Jas 5:9-12; Ps. 103:1-4, 8-9, 11-12; Mk 10:1-12

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.

USCCB Lectionary

Amazon Gift Cards: Good for any occasion.

Scripture Reflection

Mark 10: 1-12 (On marriage and divorce)

In a culture that permitted a man to leave his wife for the slightest excuses (though not vice versa), Jesus' words on the seriousness of the marriage commitment were ill-received in his day. He believes, however, that love relationships cannot grow without commitment. These words shall forever be challenging.

* What is the value of commitment in a love relationship? Do you believe that God is committed to you?

* Spend time thanking God for those people in your life who are committed to loving you.

Paperback, Kindle

Spiritual Reading

The Way of Perfection, by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Continues the same subject and gives counsels concerning different kinds of temptation. Suggests two remedies by which we may be freed from temptations.

What a strange thing it is! You might suppose that the devil never tempted those who do not walk along the road of prayer! People get a greater shock when deception overtakes a single one of the many persons who are striving to be perfect than when a hundred thousand others are deceived and fall into open sin, whom there is no need to look at in order to see if they are good or evil, for Satan can be seen at their side a thousand leagues away. But as a matter of fact people are right about this, for very few who say the Paternoster in the way that has been described are deceived by the devil, so that, if the deception of one of them causes surprise, that is because it is a new and an unusual thing. For human nature is such that we scarcely notice what we see frequently but are astounded at what we see seldom or hardly at all. And the devils themselves encourage this astonishment, for if a single soul attains perfection it robs them of many others.

- Chapter 37

(Keep in mind that she is writing to sisters in a cloistered contemplative order.)

Paperback, Kindle

Please support this outreach with a tax-deductible donation.
http://www.heartlandspirituality.org/support.html

Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed

RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed