“Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day”
(inspired by St. Ignatius)
We’re coming to the end of an annual cycle of intense spiritual becoming. One, I believe, that has been well worth the time invested. We’ve been asked to take the Journey “in” so as to ultimately take that Journey “out” into the world. We take what we’ve learned and experienced in color back with us into a world full of shades of gray.
Thank you for making this Journey a time of family adventure!
In the household of faith, we’re never alone…
May God help each of us never forget what we’ve learned!
In the Master’s Service,
Pastor Rik
This week we will be meeting on Tuesday evening at St. Gregory’s Church for a special time of individual/group prayer. If you’ve never seen St. Gregory’s campus you are in for a unique experience! It is absolutely beautiful! We will be meeting promptly at 7pm to begin this assisted time with God…(for directions see map under ‘Menu-Calendar of Events’)
Please Don’t Miss this Wonderful Opportunity!
Also, at our own campus we have the Prayer Path set up which many have already experienced. Take an hour out of your busy schedule and draw closer to God through this individual encounter with God through prayer (thanks Pastor Steve)!
May God richly bless you this third week of the Journey!
- Pastor Rik
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This is an example of a typical “Six Point Ignatian Prayer.” I found this on the Sacred Space website. I hope that the principles in this old prayer will become a helpful tool in your prayer closet. The Presence of God “Be still and know that I am God.”
Lord, Your words lead us to the
calmness and greatness of your presence.
FreedomIt is so easy to get caught up
with the trappings of wealth in this life.
Grant, O Lord, that I may be free
from greed and selfishness.
Remind me that the best things in life are free.
Love, laughter, caring and sharing.
ConsciousnessTo be conscious about something is to be aware of it. Dear Lord help me to remember that You gave me life. Thank you for the gift of life. Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me.
To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The marvel of mountains, the calmness of lakes, the fragility of a flower petal. I need to remember that all these things come from you.
The Word (Here you would insert any scripture text you’re currently reading)
Help me, Lord, to notice how you are speaking to me.
ConversationJesus you speak to me through the words of the gospels. May I respond to your call today. Teach me to recognise your hand at work in my daily living.
ConclusionGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
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On this ninth day of our 40 Day Journey, God meets us with an outstretched arm of forgiveness. Our author attempts to drive the point into our hearts that no matter what we’ve done… God is ready to forgive and heal us!
What an Awesome God we serve!
- Pastor Rik
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Every Valentine’s Day is special for Sandee and I. It’s a renewal of our sincere love for one another. Each year we do something special that reminds us of our enjoyment of being in love. I’m reminded that God also does special things to remind us of His sincere love. And so, here we are on Valentine’s Day having just turned a corner in our 40 Day Journey to experience our God’s great act of love via forgiveness. Wow!
Please God, help us to embrace Your offered love and forgiveness on this Valentine’s Day!
- Pastor Rik
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When I was a young Christian, God placed a group of experienced people in my life who impressed upon me the need for personal fasting. Since those early days of infrequent and short fasts I found that fasting was a big help to my spiritual life. Now, after these years of attempting to discipline myself toward regular fasts I can say that it has become an incredibly important part of my life with God. Fasting is not for everyone though! For those who are underage, ill or suffering from various diseases or taking certain medications to deprive one’s self of basic foods could prove harmful. It’s essential that you’re in good health and that you seek the advice of a physician before fasting for any length of time. But, if you have never tried fasting coupled with prayer, and have sought the advice of a physician, I would encourage you to seek God about this for yourself. You may find that fasting & prayer together become the catalist for great changes in your spiritual life as I have. I want to thank one of our dear sisters in the church for pointing out this extremely helpful article on fasting.
Though I didn’t write the attached article and do not have the means to authenticate all of their views/findings, I can only confirm the author’s views for myself personally. I think you’ll find it of great benefit as it offers some very helpful information regarding Christian fasting.
Link: http://www.freedomyou.com/level%202/Fasting%20Page%20Guide.htm
- Blessings!
Pastor Rik
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This Week’s Main Thrust: “Pay attention to your feelings”
Here are a few things that I personally found helpful to me this week, so I wanted to pass them on to you!
Augustine writes:
“You have forgiven and covered up my past sins, blessing me in you
and changing my soul by faith and by your sacrament; yet when the
confessions of these past sins are read and heard, they rouse up the
heart and prevent it from sinking into the sleep of despair and say-
ing, ‘I cannot.’ Instead they encourage it to be wakeful in the love
of your mercy and the sweetness of your grace.”
Starting a Spiritual Autobiography
Use these questions below to get you started:
What have been the high points of your day?
What have been the low points of your day?
Have you ever felt like God was trying to tell you something?
Who are the people that have loved you for who you really are?
What experiences in your life have caused you the most suffering?
What gives you the greatest happiness?
What experiences have most formed the person you are today?
Who have been your heroes?
Who are the people whom you have hated most?
What did you learn about God from your family?
Who in your life is an example of saintliness?
What is most valuable to you?
What is your experience, if any, of religious education?
What have been the most fun experiences in your life?
What are your talents, and how have you used them?
THE EXAMEN
A second useful beginning exercise in the spiritual life is the examen,
which Ignatius himself counseled was the single most important exer-
cise for a person to do every day. In essence, it is about taking a good
look at our choices in life and asking whether they have made us bet-
ter persons. Over time, the examen helps us to take regular inventory
of our spiritual lives. By praying the examen, we become more adept
at listening to God and working with God in the ongoing project of
building a good life.
Steps in Making the Ignatian Examen
1. We begin by quieting ourselves. Become aware of God’s goodness, the gifts of life and love.
Be thankful. Recall that without faith, the eyes of love, the human world seems too evil for God
to be good, for a good God to exist.
2. Pray for the grace to see clearly, to understand accurately, and to respond generously to the
guidance God is giving us in our daily history.
3. Review in memory the history of the day (week, month, etc.) in order to be shown concrete
instances of the presence and guidance of God and, perhaps, of the activity and influence of evil.
These can be detected by paying attention to strong feelings we experienced that may have
accompanied or arisen from situations and encounters.
4. Evaluate these instances in which we have either collaborated with God or yielded to the
influence of evil in some way. Express gratitude and regret.
5. Plan and decide how to collaborate more effectively with God and how, with God’s
assistance, to avoid or overcome the influence of evil in the future.
My prayer is that you become more fired-up for God, and feel His presence stronger than ever this second week.
Keep seeking Him, keep pursuing Him… You can do it and it will pay off!
- Pastor Rik
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Good morning. You’re embarking on one of the greatest of life’s Journeys. So, I have a few suggestions that might help make this adventure even more powerful.
- I suggest setting the old alarm clock at least an hour and fifteen minutes earlier than normal. The fifteen minutes is for the purpose of waking up, and the hour will be your time with God. I believe over the period of the forty days you’ll be wanting to increase this time with God even more!
- Find a place you will call your “sanctuary” alone from the telephone and other distractions.
- Go before God in prayer with a sense of adventure. Allow Him to do the majority of speaking over these forty days.
- As you read through the study be sensitive to what God’s Spirit is telling you. Pause where you find His voice through the words, prayers, and scripture.
- Take what you learn from this time with you throughout the day. Meditating as often as possible on the key insights.
- Before bed thank God for what you learned. Consider where you sensed God was with you throughout the day, as well as how at times you might have wandered off.
- Give thanks for the days’ journey!
God’s blessings on you,
Pastor Rik
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It begins with Ashes…
Ashes in the Bible are used in numerous ways. They are a sign of deep mourning and the mark of a traumatized soul.
This poverty of soul, and a deep since of humility before God are the indicators that we’re starting down the right path.
This Journey will change your life. This Journey will change YOU!
As Ash Wednesday is celebrated let the sign of the cross you wear be a powerful reminder of the humility required to begin this adventure.
May God richly bless your journey!
In the Master’s Service,
Pastor Rik
(Feel free to leave your thoughts, comments and blogs at the “Menu” tab under “Our Daily Journal”)