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
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.
The first several chapters of this book concentrate on the slaves of the 21st century through the horrors of trafficking and slave trade. In their dire poverty, women resorted to prostitution to make a living and put bread on their family tables. Many third world women (and girls) followed invitations “for a better life” and a “chance to study aboard” and found themselves enslaved instead. Rape and the accompanying health problems ruined the lives of many women (and little girls) and made them infertile and left them with suffering and diseases that lasted a lifetime.
Another section of the book deals with how important education is in the lives of all women, especially of impoverished women. Give them a chance to be educated and watch their opportunities for advancement blossom. This section offers stories from many poor women who made good after receiving an education. Incentives were offered and women accepted these with open arms and raised the status of their home life, their childbearing, their number of children who did not die in infancy, the possibility of providing proper nourishment for their families, and so much more.
The book contains names and addresses of many organizations working for the improvement of the status of women in disadvantaged countries, and it offers invitations for involvement in these ways of alleviating poverty and raising the standard of living of the poor.
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review.)
Weekend Readings
- http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
Saturday
SIR 48:1-4, 9-11
PS 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
MT 17:9-13
Sunday
IS 35:1-6, 10
PS 146:6-10
JAS 5:7-10
MT 11:2-11
Spiritual Guidance
- http://shalomplace.com/direction
Need a companion for the spiritual journey?
We have several wonderful people ready to help, using email, telephone and/or video conferences to bridge the miles.
Consultations and spiritual direction available.
Saint of the Week
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saintofday/default.aspx
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179): December 17
Hildegard
was a most remarkable woman, and one of the greatest figures of
the 12th century. This German mystic was a poet and a prophet, a
physician and a moralist. She fearlessly rebuked popes and
bishops, princes and lay people.Becoming a nun at 15, Hildegard led an uneventful life for the next 17 years. But more and more she found herself foretelling the future in her conversations. After she became prioress of her community she felt the need to begin writing down the visions and revelations that were coming to her. The archbishop of Mainz examined her writings and declared, “These visions come from God.” Encouraged, she began her greatest work, 26 visions dealing with God and man, creation, redemption and the Church. Full of apocalyptic language, warnings and prophesies, the writing took 10 years to complete. Pope Eugenius III examined the results and cautiously told Hildegard to continue to write whatever the Holy Spirit told her to publish.
With the blessing of the pope, Hildegard, overcoming much opposition, built a larger monastery for her nuns in a place that had been revealed to her in a vision. The new monastery had such things as running water for the 50 women religious who resided there. And Hildegard was able to entertain the community with hymns and canticles for which she wrote both the music and the words. She composed a sacred cantata and wrote 50 allegorical homilies to be used for community reading.
Her more than 300 letters, written to popes and kings, to clergy and abbesses, are full of warnings and prophecies. As was to be expected, she was widely criticized by some, including her own nuns, while others valued her counsel. Despite sickness, she continued to write. One book was on natural history, another on medicine. Some of her ideas on blood circulation and mental illness were far ahead of her time.
Hildegard was named "Doctor of the Church" by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012; she is one of only four women to hold this title (with Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese Lisieux)
Affliate Web Sites
- Please give them a visit
Stillpoint: Programs in spiritual direction, contemplative prayer.
- http://www.stillpointnashville.org/
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study resources.
- http://theark1.com/
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: Teaching and support on contemplative practice.
- http://www.prayeroftheheart.com/
Shalom Place: Resources on Christian spiritual living.
- http://shalomplace.com/
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the mature Christian.
- http://innerexplorations.com
SeeScapes: picturing the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
- http://www.seescapes.com/
Heartland Center for Spirituality: sponsoring Internet workshops year-round.
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in British Columbia.
- http://emmanuellahouse.shawwebspace.ca/
Kyrie Places of Pilgrimmage and Renewal
- http://www.kyrie.com/places/index.htm
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street neighborhood, San Francisco.
- http://www.temenos.org/
The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
- http://fromholyground.org/index.htm
Philothea.net: promoting the love of God as expressed in The First Great Commandment
- http://philothea.net/
Hearts on Fire: a blog to spark inspiration, thought, wonder, laughter and prayer.
- http://heartsonfire33.wordpress.com/
Reach hundreds of people who have a similar interest in Christian spirituality. Simply publish a link to Daily Spiritual Seed-- http://heartlandspirituality.org/dailyseed.html --on a prominent place on your web site and we will reciprocate with a weekly link to your site in the newsletter. Contact the Editor when you're ready to begin.
Theology Note of the Week
- http://carm.org/r
Revelation (General)
General Revelation is that revelation of God and right and wrong that is revealed from nature. It is known by all.
Rom. 1:18-20, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Rom. 2:14-15, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.”
General Revelation does not provide enough information for salvation because it is obscured by the sinfulness of mankind. This is why Special Revelation is needed.
Discussion Board
- http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums
Topics being discussed at this time include:
Obamacare experiences
- Religion and Culture forum
Supernatural adoption
- Christian Morality and Theology forum
Losing, then getting back the Holy Spirit?
- Christian Spirituality Issues forum
Joke of the Week
- http://www.pacprod.com/jokes.pl
Student exams . . .
Two college seniors had a week of exams coming up. They decided to party instead.
Their biggest exam was on Wednesday and they showed up telling the professor that their car had broken down the night before due to a very flat tire and they needed a bit more time to study. The professor told them that they could have another day to study.
That evening, both of the boys crammed all night until they were sure that they knew just about everything. Arriving to class the next morning, each boy was told to go to separate classrooms to take the exam.
Each shrugged and went to two different parts of the building. As each sat down, they read the first question. "For 5 points, explain the contents of an atom."
At this point, they both thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, and answered the question with ease. Then, the test continued.
"For 95 points, tell me which tire it was."
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- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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- http://heartlandspirituality.org/support.html
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