Message of 3-7-08
Published: Thu, 02/28/08
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of
all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen,
confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything,
even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.
- Andrew Murray
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Wis 2:1a, 12-22; Ps. 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; Jn 7:1-2,
10, 25-30
R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
from "Praying the Daily Gospels," by Philip St. Romain:
- http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614
- John 7.1-2, 10, 25-30 (On Christ's origins)
The Jews had many preconceptions about from where the Messiah would
come, what he would be like, and what he would do. Many of these
preconceptions prevented them from recognizing Jesus as the one for
whom they had prayed.
- Have you, like Jesus, ever been misjudged and limited by
others who drew hasty conclusions about you? Is this happening on
a regular basis even now? How are you handling it?
- What do you do to prevent your first impressions about other
people from limiting your relationship with them?
- Pray for the grace to let God be God in your life.
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PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE (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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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence
That he was very well pleased with the post he was now in; but that
he was as ready to quit that as the former, since he was always
pleasing himself in every condition, by doing little things for the
love of GOD.
That with him the set times of prayer were not different from other
times: that he retired to pray, according to the directions of his
Superior, but that he did not want such retirement. nor ask for it,
because his greatest business did not divert him from GOD.
- Second conversation
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