Message of 3-17-08
Published: Mon, 03/10/08
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Practically everyone has known the taste of Palm Sunday, the
sweetness of success and popularity, and nearly all of us have
tasted the bitterness of Good Friday, of failure and rejection.
What saves us from an endless round of ups and downs, what frees us
from the tyranny of events over which we have no control is our
commitment to press forward in obedience to God -it is trust in
God's love to bring about Easter morning, - knowing that the
meaning of life is to be found in the knowledge and love of God,-
and in sharing that knowledge and love with those who accompany us
on the way.
- Rev. Richard J. Fairchild
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Is 42:1-7; Ps. 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14; Jn 12:1-11
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
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REFLECTION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
Here is my servant ... he shall bring forth justice to the nations.
Yesterday we entered Jerusalem with Jesus in triumph. Today we
begin to walk with him, step by step, up Calvary's hill. Although
he is the suffering servant, Jesus is not a passive victim. His
obedience to God is free and loving. We, too, are called to serve,
freely and in love, all whom God places in our path. The most
mundane act of unselfi sh service done in the love of God helps to
spread the Gospel message of God's astonishing love and
forgiveness. The way of the cross may be hard and dark, but it
leads to the blazing, glorious light of Easter.
We praise you, Lord, for sending your Son Jesus to be our Savior
and for calling us to share in his mission.
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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
359. Christ is God by being the Son.
The God of the Incarnation is God as attained by faith alone,
rather than God as known analogically by our unaided intellect.
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