Deacon Ward's Message of the Day 4/16/20
Mater Dei Parish
St. Mary Star of the Sea / St. Edward the Confessor / St. James the Greater
St. Benedict Labre
St. Benedict Labre
Deacon Ward’s Daily Message
Thursday April 16, 2020
Happy Easter, my brothers and sisters in Christ!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
"Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good." Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC:) 2288
"Pray for Our Priests" and "Pray for our Deacons":
Today, we pray for Fr. Richard Tinney of our diocese...and also for Deacon Bob Moran.
"Eternal Father, we lift up to you these and all the priests, deacons of the world.
Sanctify them, heal and guide them.
Mold them into the likeness and holiness
of your Son, Jesus, the Eternal High Priest.
May their lives be pleasing to you.
In Jesus' name, we pray." Amen.
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Hello folks...I've been a bit lax in getting the message out...
Regarding any updates or new announcements, there is nothing new to report from either our parish, or from the diocese.
Although there is nothing new to report , I am including herewith the calendar for the Diocese for the rest of the month. Check out their website for further information/updates on participating in their offerings.
Calendar of Events For April
Calendar of Events
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SUNDAY
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MONDAY
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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17
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20
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21
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23
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27
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30
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1
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May »
The most important of all the ways we pay homage to God, is through personal prayer. Personal prayer is personal...it is that one on one conversation...you and God alone.
As St. Augustine says, "Prayer is communication with God." Why do we pray?...we pray to give adoration to God, to thank Him for His blessings, to ask pardon for sins, to ask for His grace and help.
Today I would like to offer you another way we pray...through scripture!
I now give you a short course in Lectio Divina. This personal prayer method can make reading of Scripture more intimate. I encourage you to try it!
Try reading Psalm 139 as a start. This Psalm is a meditation on God's omnipresence (present everywhere) and omniscience (all knowledge).
The Psalmist is keenly aware of God's all-knowing gaze of God's presence in every part of the universe, and of God's control over the Psalmist's very self.
I have posted Psalm 139 following the explanation of Lection Divina.
Try reading Psalm 139 as a start. This Psalm is a meditation on God's omnipresence (present everywhere) and omniscience (all knowledge).
The Psalmist is keenly aware of God's all-knowing gaze of God's presence in every part of the universe, and of God's control over the Psalmist's very self.
I have posted Psalm 139 following the explanation of Lection Divina.
You will find that Scripture becomes more than text...but as the Living Word! I hope you find this helpful!
Lectio divina is an ancient method of praying with sacred texts; usually the sacred text comes from the Scriptures, but other texts may be used as well. The basic idea is to spend time listening deeply and intently to what God might have to say to you through the text—almost as if the sacred text were a much-cherished love letter from God. The earliest Christians were Jews who were very used to praying with Scripture. St. Benedict of Nursia (480–543) was the first to use the term lectio divina (“sacred reading”) when he included it in the rule of life for all of his monks. Other spiritual masters such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Guigo the Angelic, and St. John of the Cross continued to develop the practice over the centuries, until it reached the form most people know today. It was Guigo, a Carthusian monk, who first set out the four steps or movements of lectio divina.
Here they are, with their Latin names in parenthesis:
Reading (lectio) In the first step, you choose a reading, and you read it several times, leaving room for the Holy Spirit to call your attention to a word, phrase, or line that God wants you to hear.
Meditation (meditatio) In the meditation step, you think about the word or words that the Holy Spirit has called to your attention, holding them in your mind and considering them from different angles.
Prayer (oratio) In the prayer step, you respond to the sacred words in prayer, either silently or out loud, or in writing.
Contemplation (contemplatio) In the contemplation step, you rest in God’s presence, quieting yourself and listening for God’s response to your prayer.
Even though we’ve outlined four movements or “steps” to lectio divina, it’s important to know that your prayer might not follow the steps exactly. Lectio divina is not like changing a car tire or making a cake, where the order of the steps is critical to success. It’s more like a deep conversation with a friend.
1 LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2 you know when I sit and stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
5 Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.
9 If I take the wings of dawn
and dwell beyond the sea,
10 Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light”—
12 Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.
13 You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
15 My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
17 How precious to me are your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands;
when I complete them, still you are with me.
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Through this difficult time, pray...and pray some more!
If there is anything you would like to see, or know more of, or have any suggestions, please feel encouraged to let me know.
You are in my prayers!
Until we meet again...
In His peace.
Deacon Ward
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