Greetings

Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder's craft.
One day to the next conveys that message; one night to the next imparts that knowledge.
There is no word or sound; no voice is heard;
Yet their report goes forth through all the earth, their message, to the ends of the world.
God has pitched there a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom from his chamber,
and like an athlete joyfully runs its course.
From one end of the heavens it comes forth;
its course runs through to the other;
nothing escapes its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The statutes of the LORD are true, all of them just;
More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold,
Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb.
By them your servant is instructed; obeying them brings much reward.
Who can detect heedless failings? Cleanse me from my unknown faults.
But from willful sins keep your servant; let them never control me.
Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin.
Let the words of my mouth meet with your favor,
keep the thoughts of my heart before you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

 
Anthology


In the dictionary.com, one meaning of anthology is
"A miscellany, assortment, or catalog, as of... comments, or ideas."
This web site is an assortment of comments, ideas and resources from throughout the internet
that provide insight into a spiritual, prayerful world.
This anthology is the ongoing result of my own quest for a deeper spiritual, more perfect life.
One goal was to provide a collection of resources to help guide a spiritual journey.
Another goal was to examine the possibilities of a lay person living in today's world
while emulating the core characteristics of the monastic lifestyle
culminating in a contemplative relationship with God.
There are 2 parts to this journey.
The first portion is an exploration of the historic Monasticism:
(a) the Holy Rule of St Benedict
(2) the Monastic Lifestyle
(3) the Cistercian / Trappist tradition.
The second portion is an examination of (a) Thomas Merton (b) Lay Contemplative Organizations
(c) Contemplative Prayer.
The "Guest Book" and the "Forum" features are available for you
to contribute reflections regarding your own spiritual journey.
Thank you for visiting today!
Lord Jesus Christ, you lay a gentle yoke upon those who follow you.
Meek and humble, you give them a light burden to carry.
Receive the work and the prayers we have offered to you today;
and give us rest, to make us more eager to serve you.
http://www.universalis.com/20040701/compline.htm
(If I have placed a link to your web site or
if I have referenced materials here with a link to its web site origin,
and you have questions or concerns, please contact me via the "Guest Book".
All Content provided by Doug Schuble.)


Psalm 148


Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 
Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.
Let them all praise the name of the LORD; for the LORD commanded and they were created,
Assigned them duties forever, gave them tasks that will never pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all the depths;
Lightning and hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
You animals wild and tame, you creatures that crawl and fly;
You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;
Young men too and maidens, old and young alike.
Let them all praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted,
majestic above earth and heaven.
The LORD has lifted high the horn of his people;
the people of Israel,the people close to their God. Hallelujah!

Eucharist Unites Us Over and Above All Differences

At 7 p.m. today, Solemnity of Corpus
Christi, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass on the square in front of Rome's
Basilica of St. John Lateran, then presided at the Eucharistic procession to
the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

In his homily, the Pope spoke of the significance of today's Solemnity
through the three fundamental gestures of the celebration. Firstly "our
coming together around the altar of the Lord to be together in His
presence", secondly "the procession, walking with the Lord", and finally
"kneeling before the Lord in adoration".

Explaining the first of these gestures, the Holy Father quoted St. Paul's
Letter to the Galatians, where it is written that "there is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus'. ... In these words", said the Pope,
"we feel the truth and the power of the Christian revolution, the most
profound revolution in human history, which we may experience in the
Eucharist where people of different ages, sexes, social conditions and
political ideas come together in the presence of the Lord. The Eucharist can
never be a private matter. ... The Eucharist is public worship, which has
nothing esoteric or exclusive about it. ... We remain united, over and above
our differences, ... we open to one another in order to become a single
thing in Him".

Concerning the second of these gestures, that of "walking with the Lord",
Benedict XVI affirmed that "with the gift of Himself in the Eucharist, the
Lord Jesus ... raises us up again ... and puts us on the journey with the
power of this Bread of life. ... The procession of Corpus Christi teaches us
that the Eucharist wants to free us from all distress and discomfort ... so
that we can resume the journey with the strength God gives us in Jesus
Christ".

"Without the God-with-us, the God Who is near, how can we sustain the
pilgrimage of life, either individually or as a society or a family of
peoples?" asked the Pope. "The Eucharist is the Sacrament of the God Who
does not leave us to journey alone, but puts Himself at our side and shows
us the way. Indeed, it is not enough to keep going, it is important to see
where we are going! Progress is not enough if there are no criteria of
reference".

Finally, the third element of Corpus Christi, that of "kneeling in
adoration before the Lord", is "the most valuable and radical remedy against
the idolatries of yesterday and today, ... it is a profession of freedom:
those who bow to Jesus cannot and must not prostrate themselves before any
earthly power, however strong", said the Pope.

As Christians "we prostrate ourselves before God, Who first bowed down
towards man ... to save him and give him life, Who knelt before us to wash
our dirty feet. Adoring the Body of Christ means believing that there, in
that piece of bread, Christ is truly present and gives real meaning to life,
to the vast universe as to the smallest of creatures, to the whole of human
history as to the briefest of lives".

Following Mass, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic procession that passed
along Rome's Via Merulana to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Along the way,
thousands of faithful prayed and sang, accompanying the Blessed Sacrament.
An open vehicle transported the Sacrament in a monstrance, before which the
Holy Father prayed.

VATICAN CITY, 22 MAY 2008 (VIS) -  

Church Is Always in a State of Pentecost

In the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 20,000 faithful, the Holy Father used the occasion of the visit to Rome of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, to focus his remarks on ecumenical dialogue. The Patriarch, who was present at the audience, also made a brief address in which he reflected on the same theme, also dwelling upon the history of the Armenian people.

  Greeting the Patriarch in English, Benedict XVI referred to the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church, which is located in a niche of the Vatican Basilica and "serves to remind us of the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian Christians, especially during the last century. Armenia's many martyrs are a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of darkness, and a pledge of hope for Christians everywhere".

  The Patriarch's presence, said the Pope, "revives our hope for the full unity of all Christians", and he noted the well-known "commitment of the Armenian Apostolic Church to ecumenical dialogue".

  "These days of preparation that immediately precede the Solemnity of Pentecost stimulate us to renew our hope in the help of the Holy Spirit to advance along the path of ecumenism. We have the certainty that the Lord Jesus never abandons us in our search for unity, because His Spirit is tirelessly at work to support the efforts we make to overcome all forms of division".

  Benedict XVI went on: The Holy Spirit is "a power for the forgiveness of sins, for the renewal of our hearts and our lives. It renews the earth and creates unity where before there was division". When it descended upon the Apostles they spoke in tongues, a sign that "the Babylonian dispersion, fruit of the pride which divides mankind, was overcome in the Spirit, which is charity and gives us unity in diversity".

  "Since the first moment of her existence the Church, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, has spoken in all tongues and lived in all cultures. She destroys nothing of their history and gifts, but assumes them all in a great and new unity, which reconciles unity with the multiplicity of forms. With its power, the Holy Spirit ... unites divided man in divine charity and thus creates ... the great community which is the Church in all the world".

  Pope Benedict then went on to highlight how "the Church is always, so to say, in a state of Pentecost. Gathered in the Cenacle, she prays incessantly to obtain ever new effusions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, ... and is not afraid to announce the Gospel to the furthest confines of the earth. This is why, faced with difficulties and divisions, Christians cannot resign themselves or give way to discouragement.

  "This is what Christ asks of Christians: to persevere in prayer in order to keep alive the flame of faith, hope and charity, and the longing for full unity", the Pope added. He then went on to mention his recent apostolic trip to the United States during which he had made reference "to the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement. In this period of globalization and, at the same time, of fragmentation, 'without prayer ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be deprived of their heart and soul'", he said.

  Finally, the Holy Father quoted St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians where it is written that "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today", he concluded, "we too invoke these gifts of the Spirit for all Christians, so that in the joint and generous service of the Gospel they may be a sign in the world of God's love for humanity".

VATICAN CITY, 7 MAY 2008 (VIS) - 

HABEMUS PAPAM

FRANCISCUM

 

The Message is Clear.

We Thank God for Pope Francis. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ushering in the 21st Century Are

Our World's Greatest Leaders:

Pope John Paul II

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

They Are Revitalizing

The Mission of the Church

Its Theology and Its Evangelization.