Message of 12-8-08
Published: Thu, 12/04/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and
reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a
fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent...If Christ is to come more
fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really
incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer.
Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our
souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great
responsibility not to waste this Advent time.
- Edward Hays
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Gn 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Lk
1:26-38
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous
deeds.
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.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"... as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be
holy and without blemish before him."
A growing trend in Hollywood after a successful movie is the
development of a prequel giving the "backstory" -- what led up to
the action in the first film. We know that Mary was chosen to bear
the Christ. She witnessed the Paschal Mystery in the most profound
and personal way. Today, as we reflect on Mary's backstory and view
how Mary's obedience to the will of God unfolds, we learn an aspect
of our own story. We share Mary's call. While Mary was conceived
without sin to bear our Salvation, we too, long before our births,
were chosen by God and for God to bring forth the Word.
"Grant us, O Lord, the grace to know and to do your will, we pray."
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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.
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THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S "THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY"
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
p. 459: -- To determine what the supernatural is theology
distinguishes two aspects in God. 1. God as founder of the natural
order 2. God as He is in Himself - the inner life of God.
-- God causes a thing to exist, and then He unites His own perfect
being with the being of the thing - therefore the thing exists in a
more perfect way.
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