Message of 11-12-08
Published: Tue, 11/04/08
Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I
begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will
have been made.
- St. Peter of Alcantara
(St. Peter lived in the 16th C. and thought things were going
badly. Seems there's nothing new under the sun. His counsel is
also still timely.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Ti 3:1-7; Ps 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6; Lk 17:11-19
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Instead of being thankful for what I have, for the gifts from God,
I look around to see what others have. One way to break free of
that foolishness and delusion is to stop, take a breath and say
thanks to God. That small prayer of thanksgiving really gives back
to me. It helps return my focus to God, to what is important.
Giving thanks and showing appreciation to those around me helps
keep me centered in God. The Twenty-third Psalm is also a reason
for thanksgiving. "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want."
My prayer today is to make every day Thanksgiving, to say thanks to
those around me and to God.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
The philosopher Avicenna says, "The spirit which is truly
sanctified attains to so lofty a degree that all which it sees is
real, all which it desires is granted, and in all which it
commands, it is obeyed." When the free spirit is established in
true sanctification, it draws God to itself, and were it placed
beyond the reach of contingencies, it would assume the properties
of God. But God cannot part with those to anyone; all that He can
do for the sanctified spirit is to impart Himself to it. The man
who is wholly sanctified is so drawn towards the Eternal, that no
transitory thing may move him, no corporeal thing affect him, no
earthly thing attract him. This was the meaning of St Paul when he
said, "I live; yet not I; Christ liveth in me."
- VI, 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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