Message of 6-11-08
Published: Tue, 06/03/08
Fight to escape from your own cleverness. If you do, then you will
find salvation and uprightness through Jesus Christ our Lord.
--John Climacus
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Acts 11:21b-26; 12:1-3; Ps. 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6; Mt 5:17-19
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the
house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
. . . Jesus fulfills the law by extending its true purpose -
personal salvation through a stronger relationship with God,
brought about by adherence in action and heart to rules that bring
one closer to God. And extending this salvific promise to those who
were unacceptable under the rituals and rules before fulfillment
only makes sense - God is the purifier, not man, and God created
all people, not just some, to bring them each closer to union with
God, as God's message is revealed to each.
And so my prayer today is for the grace to guard against the
complacency of blindly following rules, to seek the purification
that the Holy Spirit brings, and to become holy in my heart, all
the while singing for joy.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
Some folk say: "I love my friends, who do me kindness, more than
other people." Such love is imperfect and incomplete; it is like
having your sails only half-tilled with wind. When I love anyone as
much as myself, I would just as soon that joy or sorrow, death or
life were mine, as well as his. That would be the dictate of right
reason.
- #3, 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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