Message of 9-10-08
Published: Sat, 09/06/08
"The more we believe that God hurts only to heal, the less we can
believe that there is any use in begging for tenderness. . . What
do people mean when they say 'I am not afraid of God because I know
He is good?' Have they never been to a dentist?"
- C.S. Lewis, "A Grief Observed"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17; Lk 6:20-26
R. (11) Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father's house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, and you must worship him.
All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters;
her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;
behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
The place of your fathers your sons shall have;
you shall make them princes through all the land.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
There is nothing wrong in having money, fun and a good reputation,
but Jesus noted the potential weakness in this regard for the
people of his day. That's why Jesus adds the antithesis to each of
his beatitudes concerning what is required for happiness. There is
always the danger for the collateral damage.
To "Jesus' woes", we might add another example. If the motive a
person has for changing churches or parishes is the opportunity for
new friends, relaxed observance, entertaining services and more of
whatever, he/she could be badly disappointed. Perhaps the
antithesis may not be felt immediately or even in this life. But
for the person who is motivated by these priorities, the opposite
reactions might well happen here or hereafter.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
The Father and the Son have one Will, and that Will is the Holy
Ghost, Who gives Himself to the soul so that the Divine Nature
permeates the powers of the soul so that it can only do God-like
works. Just as a spring, which perpetually flows and waters the
roots of the flowers, so that the flowers bloom and receive their
colours from the water of the spring, so the Godhead imparts Itself
to the capacities of the soul that it may grow in the likeness of
God. The more that the soul receives of the Divine Nature, the more
it grows like It, and the closer becomes its union with God. It may
arrive at such an intimate union that God at last draws it to
Himself altogether, so that there is no distinction left, in the
soul's consciousness, between itself and God, though God still
regards it as a creature. Wherefore let yourselves not be misled by
the light of nature. The higher the degree of knowledge which the
soul attains to in the light of grace, the darker seems to it the
light of nature.
- 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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