Weekend Edition - Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Thu, 08/21/08
- readings, teachings, references and reviews -
Contents:
- Weekend Readings
- Commerce Corner (new)
- Saint of the Week
- Book of the Week
- Email Spirituality Series
- Shalom Place Premium Groups
- Spiritual Enrichment Resource
- Email Spirituality Series
- Shalom Place Discussion Board
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Website of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Ez 43:1-7ab; Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14; Mt
23:1-12
Sunday: Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36;
Mt 16:13-20
R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of
your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- August 27th. St. Monica.
The mother of St. Augustine (of Hippo), the great Doctor of the
Church who is celebrated on August 28th. She was born in North
Africa, at Tagaste, in 332. She endured a difficult marriage to one
Patricius, compounded by the presence in the house of an even more
difficult mother-in-law. Her patient demeanour eventually won both
of them over. Her husband was baptised in 370 and died in 371. She
had three children. Her relationship to Augustine is recorded in
her son's "Confessions" (Book 9): Monica had him enrolled as a
catechumen when he was young, but his lifestyle was so wayward that
he could not proceed to baptism. Tempted to evict him from the
house, Monica realised that a better way lay in prayer and fasting.
Augustine eventually went to Rome (trying to shake off his mother
by giving a false departure time), but she followed him, and from
Rome to Milan, where she had the joy of seeing him undergoing a
full conversion of heart and being baptised by St. Ambrose in 387.
Monica herself played a part in the spiritual preparation and
retreat which preceded this baptism. Thereafter, mother and son
prepared to return to Africa and got as far as Ostia, the port of
Rome, where while waiting for a ship Monica was taken ill and died
(387). The final dialogue between Monica and Augustine is movingly
recorded in the "Confessions", including Monica's prayer - used so
often since by those about to die - that wherever Augustine might
be, he should remember her at the altar of the Lord. Monica's
relics are venerated in the church of St. Augustine in Rome, near
the Piazza Navona.
- http://www.hullp.demon.co.uk/SacredHeart/saint/StMonica.htm
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Banishing God in Albania, the prison memoirs of Giacomo Garden
SJ," edited by Giacomo Gardin. Ignatius Press, 1988.
-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ref=noism/0898702208/christianspiritu/
This is the unusual story of an Italian Jesuit priest who learned
the Albanian language and was sent to the atheistic country of
Albania as parish priest. He was imprisoned for ten years before
being returned to Italy. During his time in prison, he saw his
brother priests executed, tortured, starved, exiled, and reduced to
skeletons. He likewise was reduced to a skeleton of a man but with
comparatively good health.
Father Giacomo said that he learned three powerful lessons in
prison; namely, to know himself better, primarily through tough
obedience to unrelenting cruel guards; he learned humility by never
being appreciated and by being disrespected in awful ways; he
learned privation and total poverty by eating only soup and bread,
sleeping on wooden floors, wearing rags, working long hours, and
putting up with parasites.
The prisoner was given many opportunities to minister to his fellow
men, some of whom were priests. He was able occasionally to
celebrate Eucharist. He begged for a reprieve when his mother was
seriously ill, but he was not allowed to see her nor go to her
funeral. When it was eventually time for him to be sent back home
in 1955, he left with some reluctance because he knew there were so
many prisoners still detained and without hope. He wondered if he
should stay to minister to those unfortunate ones. Father Giacomo
remained a man of gratitude in prison and after.
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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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and study and spiritual growth.
Groups now open include the following:
A. Psychological Types and Spirituality
B. The Way of Christian Spirituality
C. Freedom from Codependency
D. Christian Spirituality Resources
E. Wonderfully Made . . . (Christian metaphysics)
F. Growing in Christ
G. Communities in Transition (Spiral Dynamics)
H. Discerning God's Will
I. Dark Night of the Soul
J. Silence, Solitude and Sabbath
K. Alpha Group -- includes all the above and all to come for only
$65.00.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html for more info.
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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT RESOURCE
"Critical Issues in Christian Contemplative Practice"
Edited by James Arraj and Philip St. Romain
- http://shalomplace.com/view/criticq.html
Sharing and reflection by numerous contributors on the practices of
Christian Meditation, Centering Prayer, contemplative prayer and
Eastern forms of meditation. Also explores the meaning of kundalini
awakening and the loss of the affective ego.
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EMAIL SPIRITUALITY SERIES
"The Way of Christian Spirituality"
- 24 teachings on Christian spirituality and practice. Conferences
now available as free email subscription.
- see http://shalomplace.org/basXspir.html for more info and to
subscribe.
"The Five Consents"
- 35 lessons to your email. Topics pertain to faith, hope, loving
service, redemptive suffering, and joyful living. Free-will
donation.
- see http://shalomplace.org/fiveconsents for more info and
subscription form.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 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
- Discussions this past week covered a variety of topics:
Great books/movies of your life - Shalom Place Lounge forum.
Watching Russia - Religion and Culture forum.
Christian contemplative seeking guidance - Christian Spirituality
Issues forum.
Nonduality again - Christian Spirituality Issues forum.
- see http://shalomplace.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php to read these
topics -
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
http://fromholyground.org/index.htm
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/
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study
resources.
http://www.theark1.com
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: teaching and
support on contemplative practice
http://www.prayeroftheheart.com
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the
mature Christian.
http://innerexplorations.com
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in
British Columbia
http://members.axion.net/~massf/
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/
Heartland Center for Spirituality (sponsoring Internet workshops
year-round).
http://www.heartlandspirituality.org/index.html
(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
The Hunger Site
- http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1
The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a
specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Since
its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a
leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. On
average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the
site each day to click the yellow "Click Here to Give - it's FREE"
button. To date, more than 300 million visitors have given more
than 500 million cups of staple food.
The staple food funded by clicks at The Hunger Site is paid for by
site sponsors and distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps and
America's Second Harvest . 100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to
our charitable partners.Funds are split between these organizations
and go to the aid of hungry people in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe,
the Middle East, Latin America and North America.
(descriptor from the website)
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- A very good deed!
A fellow finds himself in front of the Pearly Gates. St. Peter
explains that its not so easy to get in heaven. There are some
criteria before entry is allowed.
For example, was the man religious in life? Attend church? No? St.
Peter told him that's bad.
Was he generous? give money to the poor? Charities? No? St. Peter
told him that that too was bad.
Did he do any good deeds? Help his neighbor? Anything? No? St.
Peter was becoming concerned.
Exasperated, Peter says, "Look, everybody does something nice
sometime. Work with me, I'm trying to help. Now think!"
The man says, "There was this old lady. I came out of a store and
found her surrounded by a dozen Hell's Angels. They had taken her
purse and were shoving her around, taunting and abusing her.
I got so mad I threw my bags down, fought through the crowd, and
got her purse back. I then helped her to her feet. I then went up
to the biggest, baddest biker and told him how despicable, cowardly
and mean he was and then spat in his face".
"Wow", said Peter, "That's impressive. When did this happen"?
"Oh, about 10 minutes ago", replied the man.
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