E&W 6-1-14

Sacred Story

Encouragements & Wisdom: June 1, 2014

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If you prefer to read offline, you can also download:
Encouragements and Wisdom: June 1, 2014 (PDF).

E & W reflections are additional helps for your Sacred Story prayer journey. Reflect on them at week’s beginning or outside of your 15-minute prayer periods.

The Affirmations

The more I experience sin’s disorder,
the more tempted I will be to disbelieve my life as Sacred Story.

There is a subtle temptation in the Christian spiritual life to equate the state of holiness with the emotions of feeling holy. Those who are attracted to the spiritual life will sooner or later experience this deception. As they grow in holiness, they will come closer and closer to the reality of their sinfulness and inner corruption. When this happens, those who simply want to feel holy will turn away from their spiritual journey. The enemy of human nature discourages pilgrims by means of these desires: to pursue “feel-good holiness” and stir up fear by focusing only on the discomfort caused by an awareness of one’s sin and weakness.

If you want to be holy, you can expect to often experience your life as the opposite of a Sacred Story! Yet resist this temptation. In the face of not “feeling sacred,” consciously affirm that you are striving for the path of Sacred Story

Lord Jesus Christ, you entered human history to reveal our need of redemption and to be the source of that redemption. Help me to believe in you when I experience sin’s disorder in my life, and not to become discouraged. Give me perseverance in my journey to
Creation, Presence, Memory, Mercy and Eternity.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

(Psalm 27: 1,4)

https://sacredstory.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/giotto-ascension600x632.jpg

Giotto, “The Ascension” (1305)