june 27th
A Reading from the Rule of Our Holy Father Saint Benedict:
Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer
When we wish to suggest our wants to persons of high station, we do not presume to do so except with humility and reverence. How much the more, then, are complete humility and pure devotion necessary in supplication of the Lord who is God of the universe! And let us be assured that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard (Matt 6:7), but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction. Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure, unless it happens to be prolonged by an inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, let prayer be very short, and when the Superior gives the signal let all rise together.
Create in me oh God a clean heart. The prayer life begins with a heart centered in love. Long devotions and floods of words are meaningless without a heart that is in Christ. The community rises together in prayer and journeys together to the God with God and one another.
This weekend, for the first time, I saw the DVD of the movie, The Passion by Mel Gibson. I had avoided it originally because I had heard that it is extremely bloody and violent. There were times during the scourging that I had to look away. I am glad that I have seen it now since there are so many people who have seen it. One of the aspects that stood out was the special connection that was without words between Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The bonds of love and mother and son were beyond anything that the worldly events could change.
Another strong message from the movie was in the midst of suffering, Jesus teaching and living the law of God to love one another. Teaching that it is of little profit to only love those who love you but to love all to love those who hate you and revile you. To do this in the name of the Father. The power of love in this world is great. There is no greater gift or movement God in the world than love. To lay down one's life can be in this life to live a selfless life devoted to the love of others in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Daily, I am called to go beyond who I am and to give of myself freely with a listening and loving heart. I pray that today I may be a worthy instrument of God's love in the world.
Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer
When we wish to suggest our wants to persons of high station, we do not presume to do so except with humility and reverence. How much the more, then, are complete humility and pure devotion necessary in supplication of the Lord who is God of the universe! And let us be assured that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard (Matt 6:7), but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction. Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure, unless it happens to be prolonged by an inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, let prayer be very short, and when the Superior gives the signal let all rise together.
Create in me oh God a clean heart. The prayer life begins with a heart centered in love. Long devotions and floods of words are meaningless without a heart that is in Christ. The community rises together in prayer and journeys together to the God with God and one another.
This weekend, for the first time, I saw the DVD of the movie, The Passion by Mel Gibson. I had avoided it originally because I had heard that it is extremely bloody and violent. There were times during the scourging that I had to look away. I am glad that I have seen it now since there are so many people who have seen it. One of the aspects that stood out was the special connection that was without words between Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The bonds of love and mother and son were beyond anything that the worldly events could change.
Another strong message from the movie was in the midst of suffering, Jesus teaching and living the law of God to love one another. Teaching that it is of little profit to only love those who love you but to love all to love those who hate you and revile you. To do this in the name of the Father. The power of love in this world is great. There is no greater gift or movement God in the world than love. To lay down one's life can be in this life to live a selfless life devoted to the love of others in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Daily, I am called to go beyond who I am and to give of myself freely with a listening and loving heart. I pray that today I may be a worthy instrument of God's love in the world.
posted by Joan Morris at 6:08 AM
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