Message of 10-20-08
Published: Sun, 10/19/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- - -
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"Gratitude takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is
constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of
God."
- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
(Take time this day to consider what/whom you are grateful for.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Eph 2:1-10; Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4ab, 4c-5; Lk 12:13-21
R. (3b) The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Sing joyfully to the LORD all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him; bless his name, for he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"One's life does not consist of possessions."
Most of us don't build barns to hold our stuff. After our garages
and attics and closets are full, we rent space. The self-storage
industry claims over $22 billion in annual revenue and over 2
billion square feet rented out to storage. Self-storage is an apt
name, for we give a little bit of ourselves to each thing we own --
our time and energy to buy it, clean it, walk around it, store it,
wonder what to do with it. And someday, someone we love will
inherit all this. Lucky them. There's only so much space in our
closets. A home can hold a few beautiful and useful things. Too
much, and it ceases to be beautiful or useful. The same is true for
our hearts and minds. We can only hold so much. If our homes are
cluttered, chances are our hearts and minds will be cluttered, too.
"Lord Jesus, help us to make room for you and those you place on
our path today."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S "THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY"
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
432. Christ's charity is the source, within the human race, of the
divine life that is diffused throughout mankind, just as spirating
love is the principle of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity.
_________________________________________________
* Web Archive: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?dailyseed
* RSS: http://www.aweber.com/z/rss/?dailyseed