Message of 9-8-08
Published: Sat, 09/06/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"The Word of God comes to us, and we have no way of distinguishing
whether and to what extent it is different from God. There is
nothing about this Word that could not be considered known and
human, except for the manner in which it confronts us spontaneously
and places obligations upon us. It is not affected by the
operations of our will. We cannot explain an inspiration."
- C. G. Jung, "Memories, Dreams, Reflections"
(Ask God for promptings and inspirations this day, and be alert for
their coming.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 13:6ab, 6c; Mt 1: 1-16; 18-23
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who
are called according to his purpose."
The call to bear God's own Son, to bring the long-awaited Messiah
of Israel into the world, must have energized and sustained Mary.
She lived, no doubt, with a profound sense of purpose. So should
we, for in our own way and our own particular circumstances, we are
likewise called to bring Christ to the world. Let us look today to
our Blessed Mother as the exemplar of Gospel zeal. May we hear and
answer God's call as she did.
"For faithful love, we pray."
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LECTIO DIVINA PROCESS
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/vocations/prayer.html
First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with.
It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or
anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:
* Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,
read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a
minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention
to the words or phrases that speak to you.
* Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in
this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?
* Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in
response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers
of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you
sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or
imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.
* Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to
simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let
yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel
comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the
Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God.
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THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S "THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY"
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
417-8. The Holy Spirit is continually being sent, and Pentecost
never comes to an end... He gives them (Christians) the spirit of
Christ, the mind of Christ, the spirit of adoption that cries out
to God in our hearts, "Abba, Father," He pours charity into their
hearts, He brings them all together in Christ to be a single
organism of salvation. He instills the first stirring of faith into
the soul and, on our entrance into glory, He will endow our bodies
with eternal life.
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