Message of 6-4-08
Published: Mon, 05/26/08
". . . freedom to choose does not mean freedom to choose the
consequences of our choice, for we are living in a universe, not a
chaos: we can choose to do this or that, but the consequences of
that choice will be governed by the laws of the universe in which
we are. It is only if we use our freedom of choice--that is, our
freedom to choose without coercion--to make choices in harmony with
the reality of things--in harmony with what God is, with what we
are and with what all other things are--that we achieve freedom in
its sense as the fullness of being."
- Frank Sheed, "Theology and Sanity" -
(How do you know when you're making choices "in harmony with the
reality of things?" Pray for guidance to do so this day.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
2 Tm 1:1-3, 6-12; Ps. 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef; Mk 12:18-27
R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven.
Behold, as the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the eternal truths of God's unending
love and the life he desires to share with us for all eternity.
Paul the Apostle, quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4;
65:17) states: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart
of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,"
God has revealed to us through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
The promise of paradise - heavenly bliss and unending life with an
all-loving God - is beyond human reckoning. We have only begun to
taste the first-fruits! Do you believe the scriptures and do you
know the power of the Holy Spirit?
"May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we
too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not
seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present
but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart's vision,
that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus
Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending
succession of ages." (Prayer of Origen, c. 185-254)
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
All that God worketh and teacheth, He worketh in His Son. All His
work is directed to this end that we also may be His Son. When God
sees that we are indeed His son, He yearns after us, and in the
depth of His Divine Being waves of longing break forth, to reveal
to us the abyss of His Godhead, and the fullness of His essence; He
hastens to identify Himself with us. Herein He hath joy and
gladness in full measure. God loveth men not less than He loveth
Himself. If thou really lovest thyself, thou lovest all men as
thyself; as long as thou lovest any one less than thyself, thou
dost not really love thyself. That person is right who loves
everyone as himself.
- Sermon 4, "True Hearing"
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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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