Message of 4-16-08
Published: Sat, 04/12/08
When it seems humanly impossible to do more in a difficult
situation, surrender yourself to the inner silence and thereafter
wait for a sign of obvious guidance or for a renewal of inner
strength.
- Paul Brunton, "Meditations for People in Crisis"
("Wait for the Lord and keep His way. He will exalt you to
intherit the land." Ps. 37: 34)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 12:24--13:5a; Ps. 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8; Jn 12:44-50
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The word of God continued to spread and grow."
We do not know when Jesus will return for us in glory, but we don't
need to. We need, rather, to live each day attuned to the Gospel
challenge. Missionaries are not just those heroes, past or present,
who travel to distant places to spread the Gospel. The word of God
within us burns to be heard everywhere, not only to the ends of the
earth but to the height, breadth and depth of our spheres of
influence. Today, I will read the scriptures prayerfully and ask
the Holy Spirit for the grace to spread the Gospel where I find
myself, if necessary in words, but especially in actions.
"Lord, shine in my life so that others may be warmed by your light."
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
St Luke i. 28.--"Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women,
the Lord is with thee."
Here there are three things to understand: the first, the modesty of
the angel; the second, that he thought himself unworthy to accost
the Mother of God; the third, that he not only addressed her, but
the great multitude of souls who long after God.
I affirm that had the Virgin not first borne God spiritually He would
never have been born from her in bodily fashion. A certain woman
said to Christ, "Blessed is the womb that bear Thee." To which
Christ answered, "Nay, rather blessed are they that hear the Word
of God and keep it." It is more worthy of God that He be born
spiritually of every pure and virgin soul, than that He be born of
Mary. Hereby we should understand that humanity is, so to speak,
the Son of God born from all eternity. The Father produced all
creatures, and me among them, and I issued forth from Him with all
creatures, and yet I abide in the Father. Just as the word which I
now speak is conceived and spoken forth by me, and you all receive
it, yet none the less it abides in me. Thus I and all creatures
abide in the Father.
- 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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