Mishkhah

Let Nothing Disturb Thee

kate — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 01:15:52 +0000

“Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee; all things are passing; God never changeth.”

- Saint Teresa of Avila

Virtuous Living

kate — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:51:53 +0000

You, O Lord, are close;
your law is my whole truth.

My heart begs you, Lord:
hear me, so I can keep faith.
I beg you, make me free,
so I can live your laws.

I face you in the cold night
praying, waiting for your word.
I keep watch through the night,
repeating what you promise.

Hear me, loving God,
let your justice make me live.
The wicked close in on me;
to them your law is foreign.

But you, Lord, are closer still,
your law is my whole truth,
learned when I was young,
fixed for all time.
-Psalm 119:145-152

- Prisms For a Christ-Life by David L. Fleming SJ p. 134-135

Provider Psalm 103:1-5

kate — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:33:50 +0000

When my spirit is pressed and harried,

You provide space for slowing down.

When my body is weary and worn,

You provide rest and rejuvenation.

When my emotions overwhelm me,

You provide balancing perspective.

When my mind fills with criticism,

You provide teachings on nonjudgment.

When my hearts sags with defeat,

You provide needed sources of support.

Today: I accept gratefully what is provided.

Joyce Rupp “365 Glimpses of the Divine for Daily Meditation”.

The Light of God

kate — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:39:27 +0000

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put thine hand into the … Continue reading →

Living Sacrifice

kate — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:56:15 +0000

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” – Romans 12:1

In the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that we are to live our lives as worship to God. Take a moment to reflect on how you are worshiping God in your daily life.

The Prayer-Action Cycle

kate — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:41:20 +0000

“God needs intercessors. God needs us. We are the righteous servants of God. Sometimes our intercession will take the form of prayer. Sometimes our intercession will take the form of action. One will always lead to the other in a cyclical process. As our commitment to intercession grows, we will discover a congruence in our actions. When we pray for peace, we will act for peace. We might be unable to take specific action for peacemaking half a world away but we can translate that distant need into a nearby need and become a peacemaker in our communities, our churches, our families, or our hearts. When we pray for the starving children of the world, we will open our eyes to the physical, emotional, and spiritual hunger of children closer by and take responsibility for feeding some of those children in some way.

Congruence of word and deed, prayer and action, are part of the responsibility of becoming servants of God. Congruence is so important to the Episcopal bishop John Selby Spong that he says, “If we are not willing to live it, then let our lips be mute and our tongues be silent whenever we kneel to pray.” Recognizing the inconsistencies of our humanity, I prefer the gently and encouraging words of St. Thomas Moore, who prays, “The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labor for.”

- Praying for Friends and Enemies by Jane E. Vennard p. 24

Keep Living Where God Is

kate — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:57:48 +0000

When you experience a great need for human affection, you have to ask yourself whether the circumstances surrounding you and the people you are with are truly where God wants you to be. Whatever you are doing – watching a movie, writing a book, giving a presentation, eating, or sleeping – you have to stay in God’s presence. If you feel a great loneliness and a deep longing for human contact, you have to be extremely discerning. Ask yourself whether this situation is truly God-given. Because where God wants you to be, God holds you safe and gives you peace, even when there is pain.

- Henry Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love, p. 23.

kate — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:42:15 +0000

“It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion.” … Continue reading →

The Small Things

kate — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:35:15 +0000

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

– Mother Teresa

Your Body is a Temple

kate — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:56:07 +0000

“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God. So you must honor God with … Continue reading →