Message of 12-10-08
Published: Thu, 12/04/08
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"Let us acknowledge that we are incapable of becoming holy by our own
efforts, and put our trust in God, who would not have taken away our
ability to walk unless he was to carry us in his arms."
- Jean-Pierre de Caussade: "Abandonment to Divine Providence"
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10; Mt 11:28-30
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
God's is a rescuing love, and a love that empowers us to act on His
behalf. The images here capture our imagination and promise an
exciting response to God's loving initiative: "They that hope in
the Lord . . . will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and
not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."
A reading like this invites us to reflect on the initiative of God
who calls and to receive the strength we need to respond with vigor
to His call. Can we truly believe that we will be filled with hope
and will soar as if on eagles' wings? Are we bold enough to
walk/run without weariness?
Questions such as this inspired by God's Word help us as we
continue our journey through this grace-filled season. Our prayer
needs to be that we be open and responsive to that Word.
"Be at our side, Lord, with your invitation that brings life. Help
us to be eager to respond to the needs of our world with the help
of your hopeful and affirming grace."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
When God appears to be angry or to do us a kindness, it is we who
are altered, while He remains unchangeable, as the same sunshine is
injurious to weak eyes and beneficial to strong ones, remaining in
itself the same. Regarding this Isidorus in his book concerning the
highest good says, "People ask what was God doing before He created
heaven and earth, or whence came the new desire in God to create?"
To this he answers, "No new desire arose in God, seeing that
creation was everlastingly present in Him, and in His
intelligence." Moses said to God, "When Pharaoh asks me who Thou
art, what shall I answer?" God said, "Say, I AM hath sent me unto
you," that is to say, "He Who is unchangeable hath sent me."
- 6, Sanctification.I have quitted all forms of devotion and set
prayers but those to which my state obliges me. And I make it my
business only to persevere in His holy presence, wherein I keep
myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to GOD,
which I may call an actual presence of GOD; or, to speak better, an
habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with GOD,
which often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes
also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate
them, and prevent their appearance to others.I have quitted all
forms of devotion and set prayers but those to which my state
obliges me. And I make it my business only to persevere in His holy
presence, wherein I keep myself by a simple attention, and a
general fond regard to GOD, which I may call an actual presence of
GOD; or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret
conversation of the soul with GOD, which often causes in me joys
and raptures inwardly, and sometimes also outwardly, so great that
I am forced to use means to moderate them, and prevent their
appearance to others.I have quitted all forms of devotion and set
prayers but those to which my state obliges me. And I make it my
business only to persevere in His holy presence, wherein I keep
myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to GOD,
which I may call an actual presence of GOD; or, to speak better, an
habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with GOD,
which often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes
also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate
them, and prevent their appearance to others.
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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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