Message of 4-23-08
Published: Sat, 04/19/08
"The Holy Spirit rests in the soul of the just like the dove in her
nest. He hatches good desires in a pure soul, as the dove hatches
her young."
- Jean Vianney -
(You good desires give evidence of the Holy Spirit, who "rests in
your soul. . ." Follow one of these desires to that place of rest
and enjoy the presence of the Spirit who lives within.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 15:1-6; Ps. 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; Jn 15:1-8
R. (see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and
every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit."
Many a would-be athlete knows the pain of being cut from a team.
Those who do survive cuts also may come to know more pain than they
had anticipated. Discipleship, likewise, is no picnic, but
everything worthwhile has its price. Once on the team, the athlete
is expected to be part of a winning strategy. For the true disciple
this entails remaining in Jesus. How do we maintain a strong, deep,
abiding relationship with the Lord? Let us pray, study the sacred
scripture, join in fellowship with other believers and work in
service to others that we might bear much fruit and so glorify the
Father.
For ever-deepening love for Jesus, we pray
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
Hereto I adjoin a parable. There were a certain man and wife; the
woman by accident lost an eye, and was sorely troubled thereat. Her
husband then said to her, "Wife, why are you troubled?" She
answered, "It is not the loss of my eye that troubles me, but the
thought that you may love me less on account of that loss." He
said, "I love you all the same." Not long after he put one of his
own eyes out, and came to his wife and said, "Wife, that you may
believe I love you, I have made myself like you: I, too, now, have
only one eye." So men could hardly believe that God loved them till
God put one of His eyes out, that is took upon Himself human
nature, and was made man. Just as fire infuses its essence and
clearness into the dry wood, so has God done with man.
- Sermon #3, "The Angel's Greeting"
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REVIEW OF DAY
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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SHALOM PLACE PREMIUM GROUPS
- Life-long learning and formation in Christian spirituality.
Groups now open include the following:
A. Psychological Types and Spirituality
B. The Way of Christian Spirituality
C. Freedom from Codependency
D. Christian Spirituality Resources
E. Wonderfully Made (Christian Metaphysics)
F. Growing in Christ
G. Spiral Dynamics®
H. Discerning God's Will
I. Dark Night of the Soul
J. Silence, Solitude and Sabbath
K. Alpha Group -- includes all the above and all to come.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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