Message of 5-21-08
Published: Sat, 05/17/08
After the resurrection, when our bodies will be reunited to our
souls, they will be incorruptible; and the carnal passions which
disturb us now will not be present in those bodies; we shall enjoy
a peaceful equilibrium in which the prudence of the flesh will not
make war upon the soul; and there will no longer be that internal
warfare wherein sinful passions fight against the law of the mind,
conquering the soul and taking it captive by sin. Our nature then
will be purified of all these tendencies, and one spirit will be in
both, I mean in the flesh and in the spirit, and every corporeal
affection will be banished from our nature
- Gregory of Nyssa
(Something to hope for . . . )
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jas 4:13-17; Ps. 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11; Mk 9:38-40
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of
heaven is theirs!
Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have
enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
For he can see that wise men die,
and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,
leaving to others their wealth.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
"For whoever is not against us is for us."
Oh, to be able to see the world in these terms consistently.
Unfortunately we often see it the other way: that everyone who
fails to praise us is really against us. This failing is as human
as it is inevitable as it is ancient. And the Old Testament reading
hits the mark exactly with its admonition about boasting. If we
aren't getting praised, what do we often do? We praise ourselves by
boasting.
We human beings naturally gravitate towards our own psychological
needs and satisfaction and have a hard time being truly "other
aware." If this unsanctioned disciple is driving out demons and
giving relief to others in Jesus's name, then how possibly could
the work of Jesus and his disciples be diminished? What good would
come of stopping him and not allowing him to do his good works for
other people?
Oddly enough, we humans often seem more concerned with who gets the
credit than we do with who actually benefits. Deep inside, we often
would prefer that half as much good be done if we could get all the
credit than if twice the good were to be done with the credit
shared. So here we must imitate Jesus and worry not about who is
getting the credit but rather about whether God's work is being done.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
God created the soul after the image of His highest perfection. He
issued forth from the treasure-house of the everlasting Fatherhood
in which He had rested from all eternity. Then the Son opened the
tent of His everlasting glory and came forth from His high place to
fetch His Bride, whom the Father had espoused to Him from all
Eternity, back to that heaven from which she came. Therefore He
came forth rejoicing as a bridegroom and suffered the pangs of
love. Then He returned to His secret chamber in the silence and
stillness of the everlasting Fatherhood. As He came forth from the
Highest, so He returned to the Highest with His Bride, and revealed
to her the hidden treasures of His Godhead.
- Sermon #3, "The Angel's Message"
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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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