Message of 10-1-08
Published: Thu, 09/25/08
To pray is to listen to the One who calls you "my beloved
daughter," "my beloved son," "my beloved child." To pray is to let
that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let
that voice resound in your whole being.
- Henri J. M. Nouwen
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jb 9:1-12, 14-16; Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15; Lk 9:57-62
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The Gospel from today's liturgy brings us a better way to grapple
with this incredible mystery. It calls us to risk all for the sake
of God's reign, even if we do not, no cannot, fully understand what
we are doing. If we dare to respond to the invitation to
collaborate with God in the creative and redemptive work of the
Kingdom, we must be prepared to place our love and loyalty for the
mysterious way of God (which is to say, God's self) ahead of human
reason, human affection, human loyalty, and we must be prepared to
fail - in human terms. This is a tremendous challenge in our world
that wants to understand, and calculate the cost, before we commit,
and to be seen to be successful. The truth is, we rarely understand
even ourselves, so how could we hope to understand God? But we can
trust that God understands us - and will remain faithful to us,
even if our loyalty falters. So we pray with the psalmist in
confidence: "Daily I call upon you, O LORD; to you I stretch out my
hands."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
I have read many writings both of heathen philosophers and inspired
prophets, ancient and modern, and have sought earnestly to discover
what is the best and highest quality whereby man may approach most
nearly to union with God, and whereby he may most resemble the
ideal of himself which existed in God, before God created men. And
after having thoroughly searched these writings as far as my reason
may penetrate, I find no higher quality than sanctification or
separation from all creatures. Therefore said our Lord to Martha,
"One thing is necessary," as if to say, "whoso wishes to be
untroubled and content, must have one thing, that is sanctification."
- #6, Sanctification
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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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