Message of 12-31-13

A Daily Spiritual Seed
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Message of the Day

“Only God can enable us to understand our neighbour according to the ‘feeling’, the intuition of the ‘Spirit’. Then we perceive in him or her an irreducible personal existence beyond limitations and errors, beyond even the disappointment we may have felt for a moment. The other is in the image of God, not of us.”
 - Olivier Clement [20th C.], “The Roots of Christian Mysticism”

(To welcome the Word-made-flesh into our lives is to welcome our neighbor as well. Strive to do so this day.)

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Message of 12-30-13

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Message of the Day

“For the Christian whom the Spirit has led to awareness of the true self, the Son is all in all (Col. 3: 11). Everywhere, the Father’s gaze rests on the Son and likewise the Son’s rests on the Father; everywhere, there is only the manifestation of God to himself and in himself in the blessed Trinity of Persons. Thus, no one can be a stranger to any other.”
- Henri Le Saux, “Saccidananda,” 20th C -

(You might say that this is the inner fruit wrought by Christ. How does this passage speak to you?)

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Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed

A Daily Spiritual Seed
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Contents:
- Book/Resource of the Week
- Weekend Readings
- Spiritual Guidance
- Saint of the Week
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Theology Note of the Week
- Discussion Board
- Joke of the Week
- Advertising and Archives
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe links. Attributions.

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Book/Resource of the Week

A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching, by Kevin E. McKenna. Ave Maria Press, 2013.
  - http://www.amazon.com/dp/159471438X/?tag=christianspiritu (Kindle version available)

Just the book many have  been looking for: A summary and explanation of the major encyclicals and letters on social justice issues which came at the end of the 19th century with the works of Leo XIII to those of Benedict XVI in 2013.

These writings originated with the cultural shocks occasioned by the Industrial Revolution  in the Western World.  Teachings came from the papacy especially in encyclicals, which are formal papal documents that give the Church’s position on issues of concern.  Pope Leo XIII gave us the first such encyclical called Rerum Novarum based on the shifting relationship between management and labor.

Message of 12-27-13

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Message of the Day

“This is the reason why the Word of God was made flesh, and the Son of God became the Son of Man: so that we might enter into communion with the Word of God, and by receiving adoption might become children of God. Indeed we should not be able to share in immortality without a close union with the Immortal. How could we have united ourselves with immortality if immortality had not become what we are, in such a way that we should be absorbed by it, and thus we should be adopted as children of God?”
- Iranaeus of Lyons, “Against Heresies” -

(This is the meaning of Christianity in a nutshell. How does it speak to you? What possibilities draw your mind and heart? What is your response?)

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Message of 12-26-13

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Message of the Day

“There is only one God,
  revealed by Jesus Christ his Son
who is God’s Word sprung from the silence . . .”
   - Ignatius of Antioch, “Letter to the Magnesians”

(The insight in this passage is that when we come to silence, we can better discern the movement of the Word springing up to continue the creation in and through us. Be attentive for this movement within.)

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Message of 12-25-13

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- Merry Christmas!

Message of the Day

“Stay with us now, O Lord of the earth,
Make of our hearts a place for Thy birth. Tho’ our cares be great or small,
Jesus the Lord be born in us all.”
- “Wake from Your Sleep,” song by St. Louis Jesuits

(Pray these verses slowly, reflectively. Let them bring forth within a spiritual understanding of what it means to have a merry Christmas.)

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Message of 12-24-13

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Message of the Day

Welcome! all wonders in one sight!
   Eternity shut in a span!
Summer in winter, day in night!
   Heaven in earth, and God in man!
Great little One, whose all-embracing birth
   Lifts earth to heaven, stoops Heaven to earth!
 - Richard Crashaw (1613-1649), from “A Hymn of the Nativity, sung by the Shepherds”

(How can you welcome the Christ into your life this day?)

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Message of 12-23-13

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Message of the Day

“God, in Christ, comes to seek for humankind, the ‘lost sheep’ of the parable in the Gospel, even in the ‘depths of the earth’ . . .
- Olivier Clement, “The Roots of Christian Mysticism” -

(God comes seeking us. Let your attitude in prayer this day be to allow God to find you.)

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Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed

A Daily Spiritual Seed
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- blogcast from http://dailyspiritualseed.blogspot.com (comments option open)


Contents:
- Book/Resource of the Week
- Weekend Readings
- Spiritual Guidance
- Saint of the Week
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Theology Note of the Week
- Discussion Board
- Joke of the Week
- Advertising and Archives
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe links. Attributions.

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Book/Resource of the Week

My Sister, My Brother: Life Together in Christ, by Henri J.M. Nouwen. The Word Among Us Press, 2005.
  - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1593250657/?tag=christianspiritu

Communion makes us look at each other and speak to each other, not about the latest news, but about him who walked with us. We discover each other as people who belong together because each of us now belongs to him.

Nouwen was well aware that we are sons and daughters of God, and brothers and sister to Christ and one another. He learned this especially when he cared for the handicapped, and this led him to a deeper experience of God.  He knew he must live a common life, to support, to affirm, and to encourage one another because we are “people who together make God visible in the world.”

Message of 12-20-13

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Message of the Day

“Thou has visited humanity in many ways, in the loving-kindness of they heart: thou hast sent the prophets, thou hast worked mighty wonders through the saints who, from generation to generation, were close to thee . . . Thous hast given us the help of the Law. Thou has charged angels to watch over us. And when the fullness of time was come, thou didst speak to us by thine own Son. . .
- Basil of Caesarea -

(Do you believe in a communicative God? How does God communicate with you? What has God been trying to communicate to you lately?)

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Message of 12-17-13

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Message of the Day

“Scruples, too . . . hinder devotion; for they are like thorns which prick the conscience and diquiet it, and will not allow it to find repose and comfort in God.”
Peter of Alcantara [16th C.], “A Golden Treatise on Mental Prayer”

(What scruples do you harbor? Release them into the light of God's loving acceptance of you.)

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Message of 12-16-13

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Message of the Day

“The different kinds of vice, the use of drugs, in the literal or metaphorical sense of the word, all such things constitute the search for a state where the beauty of the world will be tangible. The mistake lies precisely in the search for a special state. False mysticism is another form of this error.”
(Simone Weil [20th C.], “Waiting on God”

(The One we are really waiting for is God, who becomes visible and even tangible for us with the Incarnation. How are you "waiting" during this Advent season?)

Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed

A Daily Spiritual Seed
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Contents:
- Book/Resource of the Week
- Weekend Readings
- Spiritual Guidance
- Saint of the Week
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Theology Note of the Week
- Discussion Board
- Joke of the Week
- Advertising and Archives
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe links. Attributions.

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Book/Resource of the Week

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Vintage Books. 2010.
  - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307387097/?tag=christianspiritu

Ever wanted to fight global poverty? The answer is simple: “UNLEASH THE POTENTIAL OF WOMEN!!!

Attend to the needs of impoverished women and elevate the future of their nations.  Through a series  of stories of women in many poor countries, this married couple Kristof and WuDunn encourages their readers to  pay attention to the women,  give them a little (such as a goat, or small amount of money and  opportunities for education) , and watch them turn their efforts into gold.

Message of 12-13-13

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Message of the Day

Truth seeth God, and wisdom beholdeth God, and of these two cometh the third: that is, a holy marvellous delight in God; which is love. Where truth and wisdom are verily, there is love verily, coming of them both.
- Julian of Norwich [14th-15th C.], “Revelations of Divine Love”

(Pray the grace to love God and neighbor more this day.)

Message of 12-12-13

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Message of the Day

But unless humility, simplicity and goodness adorn our lives, and are associated with prayer, the mere formality of prayer will avail us nothing. And this I say, not of prayer only, but of every other outward exercise or labour undertaken with a notion of virtue.
- Macarius [4th C.], “The Institutes of Christian Perfection”

(What difference does prayer make in your life?)

Message of 12-11-13

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Message of the Day

The reasoning of meditation resembles speech; it is formed of one thought after another and is thus always in some kind of motion. Contemplation, on the other hand, is more like sight; it attains its object in one instant, and it reposes in that object without speech and without thought.
 - Francois Malaval [18th C], “A Simple Method of Raising the Soul to Contemplation”

(Take time to "just-look" unto God, open to God's loving Light.)

Message of 12-10-13

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Message of the Day

The sun that rises and illumines the world makes itself visible as well as the objects it illumines. It is the same with the Sun of righteousness. When he rises in a mind that has been purified, he makes himself seen in addition to the form of the objects he has created.
   - Maximus the Confessor, “Centuries on Charity,” I, 95)-

(Shine, O Lord, in my life this day.)

Message of 12-9-13

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Message of the Day

Whoever knew but one creature would not need to ponder any sermon, for every creature is full of God and is a book.
- Meister Eckhart

(Creation as iconic, revealing something of God: take time to be present to some aspect of the creation today, open to encountering God while doing so.)

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Weekend Edition - A Daily Spiritual Seed

A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- blogcast from http://dailyspiritualseed.blogspot.com (comments option open)


Contents:
- Book/Resource of the Week
- Weekend Readings
- Spiritual Guidance
- Saint of the Week
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Theology Note of the Week
- Discussion Board
- Joke of the Week
- Advertising and Archives
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe links. Attributions.

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Book/Resource of the Week

My Journal of the Council, by Yves Congar. Liturgical Press. 2012.
 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/ 0814680291/?tag=christianspiritu

Want a nice little book to cozy up to during Advent?  Try this 979 page diary of Congar recorded during the  process of Vatican Council II. Day by day Congar took time to write what was happening on the floor of the Council. Even though his days were long with interruptions of persons seeking his counsel, he took great pains to let the world know what every cardinal, bishop, msgr, and theologian said publicly or said to him in private that day. This was at a time when Congar’s health was failing and there were days when he had much pain and distress.

Message of 12-6-13

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Message of the Day

Go ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life, those who do not go forward go backwards. It is the same with a boat which must always go forward. If it stands still, the wind will blow it back.
- Padre Pio

(How do you know if you're advancing in the spiritual life? Regressing?)

Message of 12-5-13

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Message of the Day

Just as at the sea those who are carried away from the direction of the harbor bring themselves back on course by a clear sign, so Scripture may guide those adrift on the sea of life back into the harbor of the divine will.
- St. Gregory of Nyssa

(Spend some time with Scripture today, that you might be formed by the Word.)

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Readings of the Day
 - http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

IS 26:1-6;    PS 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27;    MT 7:21, 24-27

R.  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD’s;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.

O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.

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Reflection on the Scriptures
- http://www.dailysripture.net

There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice.  Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we are tested. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you?  Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you  injury or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, one's neighbor and oneself.  His or her word can be counted on. If you heed God's word and live according to it then you need not fear when storms assail you. God will be your rock and your refuge. Is your life built upon the sure "rock" of Jesus Christ and do you listen to his word as if your life depended on it?

"Lord Jesus, your are my Rock and my Refuge. Help me to conform my life according to your word that I may stand firm in times of trouble and find hope in your promises."

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Spiritual Reading

The Cloud of Unknowing, by Anonymous (late 14th C.)
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/ 0385030975/?tag=christianspiritu
  (Link to the translation by William Johnson, S.J., which is easier to read than the public domain translation below).

And yet she wist well, and felt well in herself in a sad soothfastness, that she was a wretch most foul of all other, and that her sins had made a division betwixt her and her God that she loved so much: and also that they were in great part cause of her languishing sickness for lacking of love. But what thereof? Came she therefore down from the height of desire into the deepness of her sinful life, and searched in the foul stinking fen and dunghill of her sins; searching them up, by one and by one, with all the circumstances of them, and sorrowed and wept so upon them each one by itself? Nay, surely she did not so. And why? Because God let her wit by His grace within in her soul, that she should never so bring it about. For so might she sooner have raised in herself an ableness to have oft sinned, than to have purchased by that work any plain forgiveness of all her sins.

- Chapter 23

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Message of 12-4-13

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Message of the Day

Desire not inordinately visions and revelations (which are sometimes granted even to the wicked). Those who foolishly seek after them, and thoughtlessly lend faith to them, are easily deceived by Satan, who transformeth himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11: 14), and in order to mislead, mostly mingles truth with falsehood.
Louis de Blois [16th C.], “The Spiritual Mirror,” Ch. XI

("Desire not . . ." except to receive what God wants to give you this day.)

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Readings of the Day
 - http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

IS 25:6-10;    PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6;    MT 15:29-37

R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

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Reflection on the Scriptures
- http://www.dailysripture.net

In the multiplication of the loaves and fishes we see a sign and a symbol of what God always does. God knows our needs and he cares. When God gives, he gives in abundance. The gospel account records that the leftovers from the miraculous meal was more than seven times the amount they began with. Seven is a symbol of completion and wholeness. When God gives, he gives until we are satisfied. When God works for his people he gives abundantly – more than we could deserve and more than we need. He nourishes us with his life-giving word and with the bread of heaven. In the kingdom of heaven God will feast us at his banquet table. Are you satisfied with God's provision for you? And do you long with expectant hope for the coming of his kingdom in all its fulness?

Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the longing and hunger in our hearts. May I thirst for your kingdom and find joy in your presence. Give me the true bread of heaven and nourish me with your life-giving word.

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Spiritual Reading

The Way of Perfection, by St. Teresa of Avila
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/1456569856/?tag=christianspiritu

Describes how vocal prayer may be practiced with perfection and how closely allied it is to mental prayer.

The very suffering of anyone in this state will show her that she is not to blame, and she must not worry, for that only makes matters worse, nor must she weary herself by trying to put sense into something—namely, her mind—which for the moment is without any. She should pray as best she can: indeed, she need not pray at all, but may try to rest her spirit as though she were ill and busy herself with some other virtuous action. These directions are meant for persons who keep careful guard over themselves and know that they must not speak to God and to the world at the same time. What we can do ourselves is to try to be alone—and God grant that this may suffice, as I say, to make us realize in Whose presence we are and how the Lord answers our petitions. Do you suppose that, because we cannot hear Him, He is silent? He speaks clearly to the heart when we beg Him from our hearts to do so. It would be a good idea for us to imagine [94] that He has taught this prayer to each one of us individually, and that He is continually expounding it to us. The Master is never so far away that the disciple needs to raise his voice in order to be heard: He is always right at his side. I want you to understand that, if you are to recite the Paternoster well, one thing is needful: you must not leave the side of the Master Who has taught it you.

- Chapter 24

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Message of 12-3-13

A Daily Spiritual Seed
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Message of the Day

The voice of books is one but informs not all alike; for I within am the teacher of the truth, the searcher of the heart, the discerner of thoughts, the prompter of actions, distributing to every person as I judge meet.
- Thomas a' Kempis [15th C.], On the Imitation of Christ, Book IV, Ch. XLIII

(How do you "tune in" to the inner guidance of the Spirit?)

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Readings of the Day
 - http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

IS 11:1-10;    PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17;    LK 10:21-24

R.  Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.

Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.

May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

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Reflection on the Scriptures
- from Praying the Daily Gospels, by Philip St. Romain

Is. 11: 1- 10 (The Messianic Age) 

Today's passage from the book of Isaiah presents us with a few beautiful images of the kind of world the Messiah would bring.  As your prayerfully consider the passages below, note what kinds of feelings and desires they awaken in you, and pray for the grace to bring the Messianic reign wherever you go this day.

  . . . his delight shall be in the fear of God.

 . . . he shall not judge by what is seen or heard.

 . . . the earth shall be struck with the rod of truth.

 . . . with justice for a waistband, and with faithfulness for a belt.

 . . . for all the earth shall be full of the knowledge of God.

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Spiritual Reading

The Dialogue of Catherine of Siena (1347-80)

"A Treatise on Discretion"

How God induces the soul to look at the greatness of this Bridge, inasmuch as it reaches from earth to Heaven

“Open, my daughter, the eye of your intellect, and you will see the accepted and the ignorant, the imperfect, and also the perfect who follow Me in truth, so that you may grieve over the damnation of the ignorant, and rejoice over the perfection of My beloved servants.

“You will see further how those bear themselves who walk in the light, and those who walk in the darkness. I also wish you to look at the Bridge of My only-begotten Son, and see the greatness thereof, for it reaches from Heaven to earth, that is, that the earth of your humanity is joined to the greatness of the Deity thereby. I say then that this Bridge reaches from Heaven to earth, and constitutes the union which I have made with man.

- Dictated by her to her secretaries while in a state of ecstacy. Completed in 1370.

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Methods of Prayer and Reflection

Listed below are several traditional methods of prayer and reflection.  As St. Frances de Sales noted, we learn to pray by praying, but it is also good to try different methods to see which seem to help facilitate connection with God.  Indeed, the more we learn different methods, the better we can sense how the Spirit is moving us to pray for any given prayer time.

Lectio Divina Process

First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with. It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:

• Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention to the words or phrases that speak to you.
  
  
• Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?
  
  
• Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or  imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.
  
  
• Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God (see Centering Prayer method, below)

Centering Prayer

(Works best after a period of Lectio Divina, as described above; two 20 minute periods a day are recommended.)

This term, centering prayer, is of recent origin, but the method is described in many places, most notably The Cloud of Unknowing .

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. (This can be any word.)

2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.

3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.

4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.


Hesychast Prayer ("quiet" prayer)

 (This form of contemplative practice was widely used by the fathers and mothers of the desert in the early days of Christianity and is still very popular in Eastern Christian churches. At least two 20 minute prayer periods are recommended.)

1. Sit quietly, with back straight and hands resting in the lap, palms up.

2. Lovingly introduce into your mind the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." (Note: this may be shortened as the prayer proceeds).

3. Let this prayer move in synchrony with your breath, praying the first part with your inhalation, the second with exhalation.

4. When distracting thoughts attempt to break in, persist with the Jesus Prayer. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, however.

Practice of this prayer may lead to feelings of warmth in the heart and perception of inner light. Enjoy. . .


Praying With Scripture (Benedictine Approach)

1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.

2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking directly to you in it.

3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.

4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage and repeat steps 3 and 4.

5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.


Review of the Day
- from, Handbook for Spiritual Directees

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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Message of 12-2-13

A Daily Spiritual Seed
 - resources for prayer and spiritual growth
- blogcast from http://dailyspiritualseed.blogspot.com (comments option open)

Message of the Day

. . . all bodily mortifications, and other exercises, are useless, but as they serve to arrive at union with God by love; that the one had well considered this, and found it the shortest way to go straight to Him by a continual exercise of love, and doing all things for His sake.
- Brother Lawrence [17th C.], Conversations

(Love as the way to know God. . . all through the day.)

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Readings of the Day
 - http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

IS 4:2-6;    PS 122:1-9;    MT 8:5-11

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

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Reflection on the Scriptures
- http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm

Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 

The centurion puts his faith in the unconditional power of Jesus’ word or rhema (in Greek, “a spoken word” or “an utterance”). Advent prepares us for the significance of that word. It also calls us to reflect on how and when the Word became flesh -- the Word that is Logos, the total message, God’s message to humankind, Jesus himself. Advent is our annual retreat to ponder how, at the Incarnation, the eternal word entered into creation, and what the word means for us today. It’s an opportunity to see how God’s story and our human story merge, and a call to believe that all things are possible through Christ.

Heal us, Lord, we pray.

- by Patricia Russell

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Spiritual Reading

The Sparkling Stone, by St. John Rusybroeck (1293-1381)

Yet the bride of our Lord gloried in having sat under the shadow of God, and that His fruit was sweet to her taste. Whenever we feel that God touches us from within, we taste of His fruit and His food: for His touch is His food. And His touch is both indrawing and outpouring, as I have said before. In His indrawing, we must be wholly His: thereby we learn to die and to behold. But in His outpouring He wills to be wholly ours: and then He teaches us to live in the riches of the virtues. In His indrawing-touch all our powers forsake us, and then we sit under His shadow, and His fruit is sweet to our taste, for the Fruit of God is the Son of God, Whom the Father brings forth in our spirit. This Fruit is so infinitely sweet to our taste that we can neither swallow It nor assimilate It, but It rather absorbs us into Itself and assimilates us with Itself. [83] And whenever this Fruit draws us inward and touches us, we abandon, forsake, and overcome all other things. And in this overcoming of all things, we taste of the hidden manna, which shall give us eternal life; for we receive the sparkling stone, of which I have spoken heretofore, in which our new names were written before the beginning of the world.

- Chapter 11. Of the great difference between the brightness of the Saints and the highest brightness to which we can attain in this life.

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