Message of 9-17-07
Published: Sat, 09/15/07
MESSAGE OF THE DAY
We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in
store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We
think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual
knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that
we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good.
Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the
strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others,
and we consider this lament to be pious. We pray for the big things
and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really
not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will
not thankfully receive from Him the little things?
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(What you have right now is enough. Give thanks to God for the
small things in your life.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Tm 2:1-8; Ps 28:2, 7, 8-9; Lk 7:1-10
R. (6) Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.
The LORD is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
feed them, and carry them forever!
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Praying the Daily Gospels
- by Philip St. Romain:
- http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614
- Luke 7: 1-10 (Jesus heals a Gentile's servant.)
"With God, all things are possible," we say at one time or another.
But do we believe this? Those who do may discover, as the centurion
in today's reading, that God cannot resist helping us when we are
truly submissive to his will in faith and hope.
- During which period of your life was your faith strongest? How
would you describe the strength of your faith at present?
- Why did the Jews plead on behalf of the centurion? What does
this say about the power of love?
- Pray for the grace to grow more deeply in faith.
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THEOLOGICAL GEMS FROM EMIL MERCH'S THEOLOGY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY
from http://www.innerexplorations.com/chtheomortext/theolgems.htm
231. God, and more precisely the Word, is the universal archetype,
in particular for humanity.
232. Christ as man takes all mankind to Himself.
God alone is present to the being of all things, because He is
Being itself.
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LECTIO DIVINA METHOD (Benedictine Approach)
1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.
2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking
directly to you in it.
3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it
slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.
4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments
awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage
and repeat steps 3 and 4.
5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in
loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.
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