Message of 11-26-08
Published: Mon, 11/24/08
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"Out of this (contemplative prayer) grows the love of our
neighbours, for we now esteem them, and no longer judge them as we
used to do, when we looked upon ourselves as exceedingly fervent,
and upon others as not. Now we see nothing but our own need for
God, which we keep so constantly before our eyes that we can look
upon nothing else."
- St. John of the Cross, "The Dark Night of the Soul"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Rv 15:1-4; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9; Lk 21:12-19
R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord,
mighty God!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The words of Jesus are timeless and are addressed to any persons of
any age who will listen and hear them. They are addressed to me and
to you and to all who read these reflections and all who read St.
Luke's gospel. These words tell us that if we persevere, that is if
we faithfully follow the words and teaching of Jesus, we will be
saved. We may suffer in this life, but we will attain eternal
happiness in the next.
Jesus also talks about the trials and sufferings that come with
persecution. The words: "you are not to prepare your defense
beforehand" remind me of the example of so many martyrs. Their
stories show us how human they were. They reacted with fear in the
face of torture and death. They found it difficult to find words to
defend themselves. Yet over and over again the stories of martyrs
show us that Jesus gave them a wisdom that confounded their
persecutors. Today they provide us with a powerful example of
fidelity to the words and teaching of Jesus. And their stories
impress upon us that Jesus is faithful to his promises.
Today those of us reading the words of Jesus about perseverance may
not be destined for martyrdom, but we are all called to heed the
words of Jesus. We are called to persevere in following Jesus and
to secure our lives in the happiness of heaven.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
God has remained from everlasting in immovable sanctity, and still
remains so. When He created heaven and earth and all creatures, His
sanctity was as little affected thereby as though He had created
nothing. I say further: God's sanctity is as little affected by
men's good works and prayers, as though they had accomplished none,
and He is by those means no more favourably inclined towards men
than if they ceased praying and working. I say even more: when the
Divine Son became man and suffered that affected the sanctity of
God as little as though He had never become man at all.
- 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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