Message of 6-18-08
Published: Tue, 06/10/08
"Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness."
- Meister Eckhart
(Take time just to "be" in silence this day.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14; Ps. 31:20, 21, 24; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those
who act proudly.
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
- from "Daily Reflections"
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
This (Gospel) Reading discusses behaviors that are both difficult
to do - and, yet, are behaviors that most of us do daily at some
level. This Gospel reminds us of the interesting life ironies we
live daily.
We are encouraged to let go of another layer of ego. How difficult
that can be at times! After all, we invested time, money, and
energy into some project, some need, some problem, some
relationship, etc. - and, we want credit, admiration, and adulation
for our behavior or for the successful outcome. We donated to some
who are poor, cooked and served a dinner with a group who are
homeless, gave a monthly check to an international donor agency,
helped build a home for Habitat for Humanity, etc. - and, we want
others to know we followed the Sermon on the Mount. We were cordial
(not just civil) to the individual who alienates all others - and,
we want others to know. This Gospel Reading calls us to our higher
self - shed that layer of ego which seeks admiration.
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NOTES FROM A CLASSICAL WORK
- "Meister Eckhart's Sermons"
St Paul felt such love when he said, "I would that I were cut off
from God for my friends' sake." Now to be cut off from God is
equivalent to suffering the pains of hell. Some ask whether St Paul
was on the way to perfection or was perfect. I answer, he was
perfect, or he would have spoken otherwise.
- #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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