Message of 1-28-08
Published: Mon, 01/21/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Christianity must be practical. Two children were afraid they would
be late for school. One said, "Let's kneel down and pray to God
that He may help us not to be late." The other child offered a more
practical solution: "No, let's run and pray at the same time."
- Anonymous
(What practical action are you called to do at this time?)
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- Lenten spiritual enrichment series:
THE FIVE CONSENTS: Co-operating With the Spirit to Grow in Grace
Internet/email series begins Ash Wednesday and continues through
Easter week.
Leader: Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min.
Cost: free-will donation
This spiritual enrichment series will consist of 35 messages sent
to your email through Lent and the first week of Easter. Themes
for the presentations will focus on giving consent to:
1. Life, and living to the full (the virtue of hope)
2. God's providential care (the virtue of faith)
3. Loving service (the virtue of love and the gift of community)
4. Hardship, suffering and death (the way of the Cross)
5. The gift of the present moment (resurrection living)
A special discussion board forum will also be available for
participants to interact and share experiences. For more
information this series and and to register for it, see
http://shalomplace.org/fiveconsents
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
2 Sm 5:1-7, 10; Ps. 89:20, 21-22, 25-26; Mk 3:22-30
R. (25a) My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
"On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth."
"I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong."
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers."
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said ... 'By the prince of
demons he drives out demons.'
We hear twisted, convoluted logic every day. One prevalent strain
of it says that the only way to secure peace in the world is to
wage war. But violence begets violence. Indeed, how can Satan drive
out Satan? As we look for the strong forces that conspire against a
peaceful world, let us see first our own greed and domination of
others. Let us see the systems that cause poverty, oppression and
despair as the demons that roam the world today.
For discernment that we may see truth, conversion that we may mend
our ways, and compassion that we may act with justice, 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
306. Mankind is tormented not only by its malice but by a profound
ignorance of itself which is the legacy of its sin and which causes
it to suffer even in the good it possesses.
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