Message of 4-30-08
Published: Fri, 04/25/08
The great flood of divine love never ceases. Instead, it flows on
and on without stopping. It flows on and on effortlessly and
sweetly and without failing until, finally, our tiny vessel becomes
full and spills over.
- Mechthild of Magdeburg, "The Flowing Light of the Godhead"
(Allow your soul vessel to be filled with God's love. Delight in
the Lord this day.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 17:15, 22--18:1; Ps. 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14; Jn 16:12-15
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of
heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands."
We will never fathom the immense power of God. It is fruitless to
apply our inadequate imagination and vocabulary to such a task. In
doing so, we only limit our understanding and trivialize whom we
believe God to be. We cannot compartmentalize God as a Sunday
endeavor or as a comforter in times of sorrow to be dismissed when
something better comes along. We do an even greater injustice to
our Creator, as well as to creation, when we lay claims to God. If
God created the whole human race, then God is a part of all of us.
Our God cannot be contained and must be shared with all.
In awe, we pray.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
- Sermon 3: The Angel's Greeting (contd.)
Again: If I am in a higher place and say to some one, "Come up
hither," that might be difficult for him. But if I say, "Sit down,"
that would be easy. Thus God dealeth with us. When man humbles
himself, God cannot restrain His mercy; He must come down and pour
His grace into the humble person, and He gives Himself most of all,
and all at once, to the least of all. It is essential to God to
give, for His essence is His goodness and His goodness is His love.
Love is the root of all joy and sorrow. Slavish fear of God is to
be put away. The right fear is the fear of losing God. If the earth
flee downward from heaven, it finds heaven beneath it; if it flee
upward, it comes again to heaven. The earth cannot flee from heaven:
whether it flee up or down, the heaven rains its influence upon it,
and stamps its impress upon it, and makes it fruitful, whether it
be willing or not. Thus doth God with men: whoever thinketh to
escape Him, flies into His bosom, for every corner is open to Him.
God brings forth His Son in thee, whether thou likest it or not,
whether thou sleepest or wakest; God worketh His own will. That man
is unaware of it, is man's fault, for his taste is so spoilt by
feeding on earthly things that he cannot relish God's love. If we
had love to God, we should relish God, and all His works; we should
receive all things from God, and work the same works as He worketh.
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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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