Message of 8-13-08
Published: Sat, 08/09/08
"Some people think of the creation as though God made this thing
and then tossed it out into space to let it fend for itself. By no
means. All that is, is of God. At every moment the creation comes
forth from the Eternal Creative Love. There is not a moment when
the Divine Creative Energy is not fully present to the creation,
for in such a moment all would simply cease to be. We are in some
mysterious way a participation in the Divine Being, destined to be
partakers in the Diovine Life and Happiness."
- M. Basil Pennington, "True Self, False Self"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22; Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Mt 18:15-20
R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
. . . It doesn't start with discipline. It starts with love. We
know God loves us and we are to love each other. There is nothing
better we can experience on this earth than the love of our brother
or sister. It is that love that allows us to address the sins in
our midst in the way that Jesus said. We practice exactly what it
says in the Bible. We're not perfect people. We sin against each
other. And we deal with it so it doesn't go so far as to bring
division in the community. We greatly value the Christian community
because we know how very powerful it is to experience Jesus in our
midst. , , ,
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
The second capacity (of the soul, the first being Intelligence) is
Will. That is a nobler one, and its essential characteristic is to
plunge into the Unknown which is God. There the Will lays hold of
God in a mysterious manner, and the Unknown God imparts His impress
to the Will. The Will draws thought and all the powers of the soul
after it in its train, so that the soul becomes one with God by
grace, as the Holy Ghost is one with the Father and with the Son by
nature. In God it is more worthy to be loved, than it is in itself.
Therefore St Augustine saith that the soul is greater by its
love-giving power than by its life-giving power. If one might only
abide in this union, and do all the works which have ever been done
by creatures, he would be no other than God, if his higher powers
so brought his lower powers under control, that he could only work
God-like works. That however may not be, and man's highest faculty
therefore contemplates God as best it can, and so influences his
lower faculties that they can discern between Good and Evil.
- #5, The Self-communication of God
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REVIEW OF DAY
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and formation in Christian spirituality.
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. 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.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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