Message of 12-17-13

A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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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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Readings of the Day
 - http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month

GN 49:2, 8-10;    PS 72:1-4, 7-8, 17;    MT 1:1-17

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.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.

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.

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

  Matthew 21:28-32 (The meaning of obedience)

Many people rebel against the idea of obedience because they believe it entails mindless submission. In today's parable, however, we learn that those who choose to obey the will of God by living a life of love are exercising human freedom in the best way.

• An old axiom says that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Do you agree with this? Why? Why not?
  
  
• Is there something that needs to be done to make your life or your family's life richer but which you have procrastinated beginning? Resolve to make a start today.

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Spiritual Reading

The Dialogue of Catherine of Siena (1347-80)

"A Treatise on Discretion"

How this soul prays God to show her those who cross by the aforesaid Bridge, and those who do not.

Then this soul exclaimed with ardent love,—”Oh, inestimable Charity, sweet above all sweetness! Who would not be inflamed by such great love? What heart can help breaking at such tenderness? It seems, oh, Abyss of Charity, as if you were mad with love of Your creature, as if You could not live without him, and yet You are our God who have no heed of us, Your greatness does not increase through our good, for You are unchangeable, and our evil causes You no harm, for You are the Supreme and Eternal Goodness. What moves You to do us such mercy through pure love, and on account of no debt that You owed us, or need that You had of us? We are rather Your guilty and malignant debtors. Wherefore, if I understand aright, Oh, Supreme and Eternal Truth, I am the thief and You have been punished for me. For I see Your Word, Your Son, fastened and nailed to the Cross, of which You have made me a Bridge, as You have shown me, Your miserable servant, for which reason, my heart is bursting, and yet cannot burst, through the hunger and the desire which it has conceived towards You. I remember, my Lord, that You were willing to show me who are those who go by the Bridge and those who do not; should it please Your goodness to manifest this to me, willingly would I see and hear it.”

- 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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