SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES & RSV BIBLE EXTRACTS - WEEK 134
STARTS THURSDAY 19th AUGUST 2010
THE FRUITS OF “MARIAN HOLINESS OF LIFE”
Weekly message No. 129 (14th August 1986).
9. Prayer as a joyful encounter with God.
“Dear children! My call to you is that your prayer be the joy of an encounter with the Lord. I am not able to guide you as long as you yourselves do not experience joy in prayer. From day to day I desire to lead you more and more in prayer, but I do not wish to force you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
PRACTICAL:
Pray every day this week to the Holy Spirit for the gift of joy in prayer.
Matthew 5:17-19.
17“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Thursday: Cf. Romans 10:4.
4For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified.
Luke 1:46-47.
46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
Friday: Cf. 1 Samuel 2:1.
1Hannah also prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.”
Friday: Cf. Isaiah 61:10.
10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Friday: Cf. Habakkuk 3:18.
18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Psalm 149:1-6.
1Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful! 2Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King! 3Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre! 4For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. 5Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches. 6Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
Saturday: Cf. Psalm 16(15):11.
11Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.
1Thessalonians 5:16-18.
16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Monday: Coming into the presence of God with songs of joy.
Psalm 100.
1Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands! 2Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name! 5For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Tuesday: Saint Paul’s joyful prayer.
Philippians 1:3-11.
3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Tuesday: Cf. Philippians 1:25-26.
25Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Wednesday: Saint Paul’s prayer for the Christians of Colossae, giving thanks to God for them with joy.
Colossians 1:9-12.
9And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.