Interior silence and meditation.

[sanctus]

[FONT=Arial, Verdana]Fr. C. Vaillancourt
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]Be still and know that I am God. (Ps 46:10) [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]Besides all our normal devotions, the practice of charity and the reception of the sacraments, we must spend some daily time in quiet meditation. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]We are bodies with a mind, soul and spirit, God is Spirit. In order to become like God we must spiritualize ourselves, that is, we must try to become like Him so that the Holy Spirit can manifest in our lives more actively. When we pray we must be true worshipers that worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) We must live every word we pray, we must mean every word we say. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]The Holy Spirit is described by Jesus as the spring of living water in a man's heart that dwells up to Eternal Life (John 4:14). When God looks at that water, He normally finds a storm taking place in our souls because of our self love. It is then desirable that we relax and become very serene, so that He will gaze at a lake of inner peace, a surface without any ripples which like a mirror is ready to absorb the attributes and qualities He longs to reflect upon us. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]Our spirits must rise in adoration before God, and they will help us to pray. (Rom 8:26) In order to reach great spiritual heights, we must stop everything when we do our meditations, we must relax and sit comfortably. We must breath deeply in and out a few times before we pray, we must slow down all the body and mind activities. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]God is the author of life, his life beats in our hearts every moment. How beautiful it is to meditate on our heart beats realizing that God is giving us life. [/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[china]

Dear Sanctus ,What does it mean ..."to meditate"?.

 

[selfactivated]

I do a daily meditation and weekly I do a Shamonic Drum Journey. Its quite peaceful and theraputic. I find Goddess there in her three forms. I can get many answers to the harder questions in my life.

 

[sanctus]

Dear Sanctus ,What does it mean ..."to meditate"?.

To quite the mind, shutting out all other diversions. To focus prayerfully on some aspect of the Gospel, or other Christ related material. This jojns us in unity with God. Being careful, of course, to avoid pagan practices so as not to divert our attention away from things that pertain to God.

 

[sanctus]

From the 'NEW ADVENT CATHOLIC ENC."

The idea of contemplation is so intimately connected with that of mystical theology that one cannot be clearly explained independent of the other; hence we shall here set forth what mystical theology is.

Those supernatural acts or states which no effort or labour on our part can succeed in producing, even in the slightest degree or for a single instant, are called mystical. The making of an act of contrition and the reciting of a Hail Mary are supernatural acts, but when one wishes to produce them grace is never refused; hence they are not mystical acts. But to see one's guardian angel, which does not in the least depend on one's own efforts, is a mystical act. To have very ardent sentiments of Divine love is not, in itself, proof that one is in a mystical state, because such love can be produced, at least feebly and for an instant, by our own efforts. The preceding definition is equivalent to that given by St. Teresa in the beginning of her second letter to Father Rodriquez Alvarez. Mystical theology is the science that studies mystical states; it is above all a science based on observation. Mystical theology is frequently confounded with ascetic theology; the latter, however, treats of the virtues. Ascetical writers discuss also the subject of prayer, but they confine themselves to prayer that is not mystical.
Mystical states are called, first, supernatural or infused, by which we mean manifestly supernatural or infused; secondly, extraordinary, indicating that the intellect operates in new way, one which our efforts cannot bring about; thirdly, passive, to show that the soul receives something and is conscious of receiving it. The exact term would be passivo-active, since our activity responds to this reception just as it does in the exercise of our bodily senses. By way of distinction ordinary prayer is called active. The word mystical has been much abused. It has at length come to be applied to all religious sentiments that are somewhat ardent and, indeed, even to simple poetic sentiments. The foregoing definition gives the restricted and theological sense of the word.
Ordinary prayer and acquired contemplation
First of all, a word as to ordinary prayer, which comprises these four degrees:
vocal prayer;
meditation, also called methodical prayer, or prayer of reflection, in which may be included meditative reading;
affective prayer;
prayer of simplicity, or of simple gaze.
Only the last two degrees (also called prayers of the heart) will be considered, as they border on the mystical states.
Mental prayer in which the affective acts are numerous, and which consists much more largely of them than of reflections and reasoning, is called affective. Prayer of simplicity is mental prayer in which, first, reasoning is largely replaced by intuition; second, affections and resolutions, though not absent, are only slightly varied and expressed in a few words. To say that the multiplicity of acts has entirely disappeared would be a harmful exaggeration, for they are only notably diminished. In both of these states, but especially in the second, there is one dominant thought or sentiment which recurs constantly and easily (although with little or no development) amid many other thoughts, beneficial or otherwise. This main thought is not continuous but keeps returning frequently and spontaneously. A like fact may be observed in the natural order. The mother who watches over the cradle of her child thinks lovingly of him and does so without reflection and amid interruptions. These prayers differ from meditation only as greater from lesser and are applied to the same subjects. Nevertheless the prayer of simplicity often has a tendency to simplify itself, even respect to its object. It leads one to think chiefly of God and of His presence, but in a confused manner. This particular state, which is nearer than others to the mystical states, is called the prayer of amorous attention to God. Those who bring the charge of idleness against these different states always have an exaggerated idea of them. The prayer of simplicity is not to meditation what inactive is to action, though it might appear to be at times, but what uniformity is to variety and intuition to reasoning.
A soul is known to be called to one of these degrees when it succeeds therein, and does so with ease, and when it derives profit from it. The call of God becomes even clearer if this soul have first, a persistent attraction to this kind of prayer; second, a want of facility and distaste for meditation. Three rules of conduct for those who show these signs are admitted by all authors:
When, during prayer, one feels neither a relish nor facility for certain acts one should not force oneself to produce them, but be content with affective prayer or the prayer of simplicity (which, by hypothesis, can succeed); to do otherwise would be to thwart Divine action.
If, on the contrary, during prayer, one feels the facility for certain acts, one should yield to this inclination instead of obstinately striving to remain immovable like the Quietists. Indeed, even the full use of our faculties is not superfluous in helping us to reach God.
Outside of prayer, properly so called, one should profit on all occasions either to get instruction or to arouse the will and thus make up what prayer itself may lack.
Many texts relative to the prayer of simplicity are found in the works of St. Jane de Chantal, who, together with St. Francis of Sales, founded the Order of the Visitation. She complained of the opposition that many well-disposed minds offered to this kind of prayer. By ancient writers the prayer of simplicity is called acquired, active, or ordinary contemplation. St. Alphonsus Liguori, echoing his predecessors, defines it thus: "At the end of a certain time ordinary meditation produces what is called acquired contemplation, which consists in seeing at a simple glance the truths which could previously be discovered only through prolonged discourse" (Homo apostolicus, Appendix I, No. 7).

 

[Nikki]

In order to become like God we must spiritualize ourselves

Why would anyone want to be like GOD? He is evil and an unloving god.

 

[sanctus]

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Why would anyone want to be like GOD? He is evil and an unloving god.

And your reason for thinking so would be...??

 

[Nikki]

And your reason for thinking so would be...??

Have you read the bible!!!!!???? How about every second thing in it. IE) stoning children, being bigited (ie beign gay is wrong) Why would anyone want to be like this?

 

[sanctus]

Have you read the bible!!!!!???? How about every second thing in it. IE) stoning children, being bigited (ie beign gay is wrong) Why would anyone want to be like this?

Uhmm, yes, I've read The Bible once or wtice..I don't know what a "bigit" is???

Being inclined to homosexuality is not wrong, homosexal activity is wrong. In fact, all sexual acts outside the bonds of matrimony are wrong in the eyes of God.Homosexual behaviour obviously falls under that catagory. So too does adultery and pre-marital sex.

I'm sorry though, that you feel that way. Can I assume you've read all 72 books of the Bible? If so, what in particular do you find so offensive??

 

[Nikki]

I don't know what a "bigit" is???

Screw you! Just because I can't spell doesn't make my claim any less valid. Your God is a jerk. If you have read the bible a couple times like you claim you would know it is full of double standards and that people pick and choose from it!

Did you know that there are stanzas (or whatever they are called i am sorry if the spelling isn't correct *rolls eyes) that didn't "make the bible" what the **** is that!? Its the word of god and it didn't make the bible. What a load of ****.

 

[sanctus]

Screw you! Just because I can't spell doesn't make my claim any less valid. Your God is a jerk. If you have read the bible a couple times like you claim you would know it is full of double standards and that people pick and choose from it!

Did you know that there are stanzas (or whatever they are called i am sorry if the spelling isn't correct *rolls eyes) that didn't "make the bible" what the **** is that!? Its the word of god and it didn't make the bible. What a load of ****.

Ohhh. did you mean "bigot"??? I really wasn't sure what you were trying to say. Excuse me if it offended you.

But to your point. I have read, and continue to read it, almost daily for a better part of my life. I am well versed in the Scriptures, so again I ask, what specifically offends you about the Bible?

See, in my line of work, I get a great many vague references of dislike for doctrines or the Scriptures, but very few specifics. Generalizations seem to fuel a great many opinions.

Have you read any or all of the Bible? It would seem to me that you would be much better informed if you did so. Are you aware that parts of it recount historical events? Or that other parts are metaphoric? Do you know the context in which any of the 72 books were written? This would perhaps explain some of the references you are trying to suggest.

I do not care one way or the other if you like or dislike God, or the Scriptures. That is obviously your personal choice and between you and God.

But I am interested in SPECIFICALLY what you are basing your comments on.

 

[Nikki]

Being inclined to homosexuality is not wrong, homosexal activity is wrong. In fact, all sexual acts outside the bonds of matrimony are wrong in the eyes of God.Homosexual behaviour obviously falls under that catagory. So too does adultery and pre-marital sex.

I'm sorry though, that you feel that way. Can I assume you've read all 72 books of the Bible? If so, what in particular do you find so offensive??

1. You will go to hell for judging others because its a sin to do that. Only your precious God is allowed to judge others.

2. What do I find offensive abou the bible. How about all of it!? First off it contradicts itself around every corner. First off Stoning your children WTF is that!?? and In Exodus 21:7 when he mentions that a man can sell his daughter as a slave wtf!? this is messed up. And don't give me any of your "you have to look at the bible in context crap because I am so sick and tired of hearing that bull ****. Not to mention almost anything can be torn apart or defended through babble vs. Yes because it is that contradictory. And as for your creationism crap which is it.....

Genesis for example has two contradictory sotries of Creation. In Genesist 1:20 and 21, "every living creature" Is brought forth from the waters, including ever winged fowl." however then in 2:19 it says "god brings forth every beast of the field and every fowl of the air from dry ground.

In genesis 1:2, earth comes into existence on the first day, completely underwater. Only by the 3rd day were waters of the deep collected and dry land formed. Then again in Genesis 2:4,5 and 6...Earth on the first day was dry land,unwatered.
The first sory has trees made on the 3rd day and man formed 3 days later (1:12 and 26-31) . In the second version man was made before trees (2:7,9). If chapter 1 is true then fowls were created before man. If ch 2 is true then they were created after man.
Version one teaches man was created after all beasts. The second states adam was created before beasts (1:15,27 v: 2:7,19)
Version one = Man and woman are created simultaneously (1:27) while in version two (2:7,20-22), man and women are separeate acts of creation.

In other words Genesis ch 1 God created heaven and earth and adam and eve in 6 days rested on the 7th blah blah then you get to ch 2 and god creates adam and then later creates eve because adam is lonely.

GEN 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
GEN 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
GEN 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
GEN 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

In Genesis, the long discredited description of the heavens as a "firmament" is a fundamental contradiction in the Bible of the known realities of astronomy today. Biblical stars, sun and moon are all embedded "in" this firmament. (The meaning, during biblical times, of the word "firmament," was a "solid" body or orb, or the solid concentric domes holding the heavenly bodies ~ Webster's Third International Dictionary.) We are told there are waters below the firmament, and told waters are "above" it, too (1:7).

Now lets go to genesis 6:11-13. Noahs ark, You can't get 2 of everything on a boat it isn't possible there are 10 billion species. not only does that bother me but it also says the following...
GEN 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
GEN 7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, GEN 7:9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. You can't take the bible literally,because it isn't a true story its stories thats it, its symbolic. So don't tell me in one breath that the bible is literal and you must follow it then in the next breath say "well you shouldnt stone children of course, the bible isn't literal"


here are a few more contradictions to think about

PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

EXO 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
ROM 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.


Who was at the Empty Tomb? Is it:

MAT 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
MAR 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
JOH 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.


Is Jesus equal to or lesser than?

JOH 10:30 I and my Father are one.
JOH 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.




This is my fave....
The sins of the father

ISA 14:21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
DEU 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Then other things in the bible are just plain stupid...

LEV 11:21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
LEV 11:22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
LEV 11:23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

and I bet you didn't think I Owned a bible. But I really think more people should read them. Know why!? Because reading it creates more atheists.

 

[Nikki]

Have you read any or all of the Bible? It would seem to me that you would be much better informed if you did so. Are you aware that parts of it recount historical events? Or that other parts are metaphoric? Do you know the context in which any of the 72 books were written? This would perhaps explain some of the references you are trying to suggest.

I am offended that you are implying that i have not infact read the bible. It would be stupid of me to claim such things about god if I have not read the bible. I wasn't ignoring your comment I was simply typing but do you know how long it takes to flip through the bible and find **** that i have marked off. and then type it. Roughly 45 minutes/ :tongue7:

 

[Nikki]

And yes I am aware that it somewhat covers some historical events but not truthfully. For example the nOah story is probably based off flooding that did happen over seas and a king survived and he sailed around for quite sometime

and The flooding of the red sea probably wasn't the red sea at all it was a smaller river ( and I can't remember the name of it right now) but it decends and they probably crossed that. However that being said. There is no archeological evidence suggesting that the jews wandered the dessert for 40 years. There would be bones from the ppl that died.

 

[selfactivated]

Nikki I Love you Ive read the bible once or twice too and several versions. Thank you very much.

Nikki you know what I did today? I preformed my very first ceramony! Im soooooooo excited! I wish I could find a dance smilie! LOL It was so calming, so Loving. See in Paganism theres different sects like Wiccan, Shaman, Vikinng. I think there's 33 different ones. Not a bible in site LOL But there is meditation. Quietness. Love of self and diety. We all have different ones! My God is Pan and my Goddess Fae. Pans playful and fae oh so Loving. This morning I did a Drum Journey in preparation. Its kinda like a trance or deep meditation. You listen to the drums as if they are the heart beat of the earth. Its amazing. I had almost forgotten in all the greif. I had a very healing vision. Cause when you get that quiet, that at peace, questions are answered.

At my friends house as we were about to leave for circle a man came up from a local church. We smiled sweetly and said thank you but no thank you we were Pagan. It felt good to be so honest about ourselves. He said we needed to try his path and we smiled and told him we had but it wasnt our path. He reminded me of our friend here. so desprate to convert and demanding his way was the only way, the right way. I hugged my friuend because Fae had sent a messanger in the man. I dont need anyones blessings or approval to be who I am.

See I am just as desperate as our friend here. I demand he see my point of veiw. I demand that he accept me. But you know what? He never will and If it makes me angry or upset or demanding then he is just a mirror of what I need to change within myself. I was trying to stay away from all his threads and then I got mad and posted in anger. But after today I think I can allow myself to participate without the anger. Bigitry begets bigitry unles your bigger than the biggot

 

[sanctus]

1. You will go to hell for judging others because its a sin to do that. Only your precious God is allowed to judge others.
.

I judged no one. Whatever are you "flapping your gums" about?

 

[sanctus]

and I bet you didn't think I Owned a bible. But I really think more people should read them. Know why!? Because reading it creates more atheists.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume your experience in Biblical exegesis is influenced by protestant approaches to the Scriptures. Your biggest mistake is to assume the Bible should be approached as a literal work, and in doing this you of course will ignore and/or not understand the context of the whole. Pulling bits and pieces from Scriptures and taking them literally as examples of anything is somewhat foolhardy. In doing so, you neglect to put each of the 72 books into its historical context. And you miss an important fact in your scientific approach-the Scriptures are not a Science textbook. Assuming that the creation stories, for example, are to be taken literally is besides the point.

The Scriptures are 72 books that relate God's relationship with us. Parts are historical accounts, parts are metaphoric. It is a collection of books of faith, not science.

Interesting that you write your end comment, for statistics indicate that frequent reading of the Bible brings people to God, not the other way around.

 

[sanctus]

And yes I am aware that it somewhat covers some historical events but not truthfully. For example the nOah story is probably based off flooding that did happen over seas and a king survived and he sailed around for quite sometime

and The flooding of the red sea probably wasn't the red sea at all it was a smaller river ( and I can't remember the name of it right now) but it decends and they probably crossed that. However that being said. There is no archeological evidence suggesting that the jews wandered the dessert for 40 years. There would be bones from the ppl that died.

You need to consider the possibility that the television programmes that no doubt influenced your rather foolish assertations are somewhat biased. And again, you approach the Scriptures seeking proof of their invalidity. In other words, you approach them with a pre-set agenda and of course, in doing so, you find support for a conclusion you have already reached.

Beyond that, you claimed the Scriptures reflected bigotry and hate offered no examples of same.

 

[sanctus]

I am offended that you are implying that i have not infact read the bible. It would be stupid of me to claim such things about god if I have not read the bible. I wasn't ignoring your comment I was simply typing but do you know how long it takes to flip through the bible and find **** that i have marked off. and then type it. Roughly 45 minutes/ :tongue7:

Knowing that the internet is a difficult place to gain a complete picture of people you have not physically met, I have no choice but to gain an impression from what you write. Your exegesis reflects to me an ignorance of the Scriptures that is manifested by an inability to read them correctly.

 

[m_levesque]

Genesis for example has two contradictory sotries of Creation. In Genesist 1:20 and 21, "every living creature" Is brought forth from the waters, including ever winged fowl." however then in 2:19 it says "god brings forth every beast of the field and every fowl of the air from dry ground.
.

From the Navarre Bible Commentary on Genesis 1: Quote:
Creation is the beginnrng of salvation history and the foundation on which are built God's salvific plans, which reach their climax in Jesus Christ. The biblical accounts of creation focus on the action of God; it is he who sets the scene and he is the creator, too, of those who will act out the drama and with whom he will enter into dialogue.

The sacred text incorporates ancient traditions about the origin of the world; scholars identify two separate accounts in the early chapters of Genesis. The first of these emphasizes God's transcendence over all created things, and is written in a very schematic style; this account (1:1-2:4a) is attributed to the "Priestly" tradition. The second, which also covers the fall and the expulsion from paradise, speaks of God in an anthropomorphic way; this more vivid, more popular account (2:4b-4:26) is considered to belong to the "Yahwistic" tradition. Here we have two different ways in which the Word of God (not intending to provide a scientific explanation of the origin of the world and of man) expounds the basic facts and truths on the subject in a way people can readily understand, inviting us to see me greatness and love of God manifested first in creation and then in the history of mankind. "Our faith teaches us," St. Josemaria Escriva writes, "that all creation, the movement of the earth and the other heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been achieved in history, in short everything, comes from God and directed toward him" ("Christ Is Passing By", 130).

In the first account the Bible offers profound teaching about God, about man and about the world. About God, who is the only God, creator of all things and man in particular; he transcends the created world and is its supreme master. About man, who is the image and likeness of God, above all other created beings and placed in the world to rule all creation. About the world, which is something good and is at the service of man.
Even though the Navarre does give a nod to the two source theory, the wider point it makes is that it is the same story of the same events told in two different ways to bring out some of the fullness of the significance. I kind of compare it to the two books of Maccabees, which both tell the story of a Jewish revolt against the Greeks, but each from a different perspective. Both tell the story, but taken together, we are given more detail and insight.
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