"The Father of orphans and the Defender of widows is God, in His  holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken." Psalm 68.

"Come, O Holy Spirit, come, strengthen, and inspire the heart of this faithless one." (hij)

"The pivotal shift in spirituality's meaning for the twentieth century is the birth of a worldview of interdependence or relationality. In the broadest sense,... spirituality is the relational component of lived experience." Katherine Zappone.

"The Father of orphans and the Defender of widows is God, in His holy dwelling." We are blessed (?) to be challenged by today's worldview; it reveals that our Prodigal Father God is not tucked away in His comfortable Heaven. She/He finds a permanent home in the tabernacle within our depths. It is NOT one person of the Holy Trinity who is present as our guest: all Three are making Their dwelling in that same tabernacle made of frail human flesh. A tabernacle that was created, fashioned in eternity, and now has found enfleshed presence in today's cosmic reality. There is never a moment that we are not bearing that tabernacle; as we go, where we go, so goes the tabernacle. We were created in eternity, and for eternity we will be bonded.

Just mere existence is not enough for us to fulfill the destiny that has been chosen for us. We have to come alive. "The glory of God is the human being fully alive" (St. Irenaeus). We must pray for the courage to embrace the mystical and cosmic paths that have been chosen for us. They have been created to be essential for the Divine Creative Plan to find perfect completion. Our constant prayer of surrender to The Plan is, "Not my will, but Your will be done." As we continue "to trudge the path," we are actually in the process of accepting those words. Process is not an event. "We do not think our way into a new way of acting; we ACT our way into a new way of thinking." So sad, but unfortunately, all too true.

I have serious problems with constantly attending to what is happening in my life and the challenges it presents. Here are some thoughts that are bubbling up. They are disjointed, unattached to what is being reflected on, but are real for frail, and becoming more frail, powerless Joe.  As a person advances along the calendar of finite time, one's ability to exercise self-will becomes less of a challenge. The desire to have one's own way, no matter the cost, remains strong and in some areas stronger. Thanks to the blessing of old age, we cannot carry on the fight for any length of time.

"Every blessing is a curse; every curse is a blessing." Acceptance of that reality sure eases the burden of the journey. The resulting anger and frustration are tough to own but necessary for our evolving relationships both with humanity and the cosmos. Let us pray that we will respond to the grace that will lead us through challenging, dark valleys and transforming mountaintop experiences always safely and gently. We are always ,beloved daughters/sons, who are always abiding in an unconditioned love that cannot  be earned, deserved,  or qualified  for. It is a pure gift. It is grace, also understood as The Prodigal Lover, in action.

This  Prodigal Cosmic Lover loves the littlest ant, the most alienated person, both within our perception, and society's prejudiced eyes. The existential challenge is how we are to work for change. Change within ourselves, which will then help change the lens of a dysfunctional current society. Change is always slow, and difficult. Well, that has been, and my past experience. My current experience. sad to say, is no different. That is why my mantra ,"Come Holy Spirit come and change  my hardened heart" is prayed, repeatedly Ever make an effort to change the mind of an older person ? well I am considered to be, a senior, senior, senior citizen. Welcome to my reality. By the way it is awaiting all who are privileged to reach, the so called, The Golden years !!!!!!

As you read the  first sentences, what struck you, What emerged from your depths, from your deepest reality? Is that not the quiet workings of The Holy Trinity, always existing and celebrating in the tabernacle of your uniqueness ?  How personal did you allow those enlightening and life giving to become ? Did the thought, hit you, despite the always slow reaction to, uncomfortable challenges,  of how personal that first quote from Scripture is?  The Father of orphans, The Defender of widows, IS presently at home.  His Holy dwelling, in today's reality, IS EACH ONE OF US.  We have been chosen, from eternity, to be the dwelling place of The Creative Spirit, and Family, Within our individual and collective depths lies the answer(s) to all the challenges provided ourselves, and  to the collective, the cosmic. The Creative Spirit always uses human instrumentality, to achieve the fulfillment of creation's destiny. Mary's place ???

         The above words, are to be, actually consciously encountered with deep reverence, not just glance at. As a result,  may todays "widows and orphans", the powerless, the disenfranchised, the marginalized, the rejects of polite society become the place where, acceptance and Samaritan care, is offered, by us, and others. The resulting, cost ?  That will be personal for each one. Prepared to pay ?

  " May your prayer of listening, be deepen enough to hear in the depths, the laughter of The Divine"

          The marrow in the skeleton bones of creation , the cosmos, is The Cosmic Christ.

           The Skeleton holds us fast, while the marrow of, The Cosmic Christ, fills us up.

       Come, Holy Spirit, come, and strengthen the  weakened mind of this, faithless one. (hij)                                   

                         This, mystifying reality, is beginning to take hold. When the oriental horizon is slowly being illuminated on, September 29 2025, I will be entering a moment,  I have never dared to imagine, the possibility of Joe entering that stratosphere of being, get this, 86 !!!!  May, The The Gracious Creative Spirit, Who has guided my journey to this mysterious ,NOW moment preserve, protect  me as, " Expectations, are planned resentments."  My, false self, is still very much, alive !!!!  My expectation that it would die because, of  the aging process was, laboring under, a misconception !!!. My reality is with the passing years it seems to have caught up more energy. 

    Please put in a good word for me, as you are celebrating your connectedness with your Higher Power. An evolving relationship with, The Prodigal Mother/Father, has been a blessing for me , and I wish the same for all you who read this effort. A person does not, nor cannot exist, cannot evolve, in, isolation. There is, in these mysterious, fruit-full now moments, a  tremendous evolving, developing  emphasis on humanities' relationship with, The Cosmic Christ. You are reading, and hearing the mention of The Cosmic Christ.  Here is a thumbnail nail sketch of how I have been lead to understand His Reality today.

" The Cosmic Christ is a theological and mystical interpretation of Jesus Christ that extends beyond the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. It views Christ not merely as a personal savior or religious teacher, but as a universal, Divine Presence, that permeates all of creation. This understanding draws from  Christian Scriptures, early Christian mysticism, and contemporary theological developments , especially within the realms of process theology, panentheism, and eco-theology." All things one in Christ, especially within the Body of The Cosmic Christ. " In Christ were created all things in heaven and on earth : everything visible and invisible...... Before anything was created, CHRIST EXISTED, and Christ holds all things in unity ". (Col 1,15-17) Efforts at disunity war against The Reality of The Cosmic Christ,

We are not islands, then, living a disconnected existence. Back in those days that are  now, lost in the mist of time, it took me some time to plunge the depths of this reality, " no women/man is an island". " Alone, we can do nothing"(Paul)   Ireland, was and is, an island, and was surrounded by many, many  islands. In school, their names and locations, had to be memorized.  Many of these were inhabited, and flourishing. So then, can we believe, "One can flourish as an island," ?That belief can, and will lead to dysfunctional behavior. Are we, not now living an existence that is, death dealing , rather than, as The Gracious Creator intended, be life giving.  We are called, destined from eternity to be co-creators of new life, not co-destructors of that same fruit bearing, life!! 

Back then, and in some  vapid teachings, and preachings of  today, our god was presented, communicated  to be of the transcendent ,variety, " God was in heaven and all was right with the world". The evolution of scriptural scholarship  understanding, and dynamic fruit bearing  revolution of The Second Vatican Council, lead to the revelation that Our Infinite Creator is in reality, Emmanuel. Emmanuel brings with it the transforming reality, that, THE DIVINE GOD,  Is,WITH US, what is more awe-full, The Creative Presence is ever and always within us. What is even more boggling  to the mind is  the Mercy-full, The All powerful cannot leave us. WE are bound together in a covenant of love. Now we celebrate That Loving Transforming  Presence "  in Whom ,we live, and move, and have our being."There is no moment that we are in presence of  Creative, Transforming Prodigal Lover. " "Christ is present, in all things that, are" Gregory of Nazianus. Add " Christ holds things in, unity." That statement is certintly 

       Wow !! how we struggle to make that mystifying reality, the ground of our reality. We are thereby gifted with the Foundational Rock, with Whom we can exist, live, grow, and be a creative life giving and life enhancing power of love. " The logos of God has become human so that you might learn from a human being how a human being may become Divine." Clement of Alexandria  Another quote that got me  having to dig deep, when at that moment in time, I only wanted EASY solutions, in my troubled life. This was the time of deep searching, as it was then, so it is now, and ever shall be until, my last breath.
" God became man, so that man could become God".Wherever there is The Logos, Love  is in the process of creation.  Yes ! there is a new creation breaking, through into existence.  Creation is  being being continued, anew, renewed, transfigured, and transformed , through the mystery of grace in action,

   A hard fact I have only recently begun to accept, wherever there is death, there ,new life is, mysteriously birthed. Life and death are the two sides of the same coin. From the moment we are birthed we are beginning to, live. As we are living our daily lives, we are closer each lived day, to the day of our death. Then begins a new life in a deathless resurrected reality  " Death, is, no more". Love, great  grandpa Joe.

     

          

  " Go out to all the world, and tell the good news" Mark 16:15

" Unwavering is His kindness towards us, and the faith-full-ness of the Lord, endures forever" Psalm 117  

" Come Holy Spirit come, and fill the heart of this, faithless one." (jih)

  "Preach the Gospel wherever you may go, and, when necessary, use, words" St.Francis of Assisi 

    

        Well, as you work through your daily slog, what is the Gospel, that you are gifting your cosmic home with?  What is the song you are singing, as you supply words to through your actions ? To those who are companions on this challenging journey, what is the life giving gospel message, the life enhancing  bread

  that  they  are receiving, from your song of action? The life story they are reading, and being educated by, may be the only Bible they will ever have the privilege of reading.

 They will be taught from you wordless preaching the depth of mystery ,that is coming to consciousness through your lived encounters with The Paschal Mystery. Yes !! all of your life tells a story, which is the revelation of Infinite Truth.That story is told ,under the guidance ,of The Holy Spirit.  Where The Spirit is there also is, living out an infinite story of love with Beloved Son, and  The Prodigal Father. There is NEVER a moment that we are not caught up in the embrace of, The Holy Trinity.Can we get the message across that we are not journeying into hellish suffering, alone. We are following in the footsteps of Him Who is, God, enfleshed within the confines of our, fleshiness. 

       We are being strengthened by Him,  who is in  all, reality, otherwise it is not real. our strength finds its originThe Suffering Servant of His Father,  whose reality we exude. As we grow in our suffering surrendering, gifts are gifted way beyond anything we could ever imagine. This  life giving strength  has Its  origins in our depths. For, this life-giving strength, to come to consciousness a life of in depth prayer, is asked, NO, demanded of us. We have to look, through  our Gospel lenses, at the lived experienced, of our abused,  again crucified , suffering Christ.

          Where did that first horrendous abuse and crucifixion take place ? "The name of the place was Golgotha". We do not have Alligator Alcatraz, we have, GOLGOTHA, YES, Golgotha, presented, this time ,in living color.  It is mind boggling, as these acts of abuse and can be presented to the nation, a supposedly Christian  one, as something to be publicized, admired, and now, unfortunately imitated.  What deranged minds could ever condone, not to mind imitate, such places of horrendous abuse, dehumanization and  barbarity of the beloved daughters and sons of  our common Father.  We a have ICE detention centers, whose real names must be recognized, for what they really are, Golgotha !!! Where Jesus our brother was originally abused, ridiculed, tortured, and ultimately, crucified. The ignominious death reserved only for runaway slaves. Golgotha, Calvary is front of us. "Let those who have eyes, let them see. Let those who have ears, let them hear." Let those who have hands, and feet, let them become the contemporary Simon and Veronica for todays reality, of Suffering Reality.

         A realistic picture from todays dysfunctional country, world of the Body of The Crucified One, can it be replaced with the face of a child, returning to it's empty  home. Mom and dad have been carted away, to be deported ?  Is it possible for us to stop, and honestly imagine the feelings of abandonment these our sisters and brothers are forced to endure ? The many  myself included, who have to deal with abandonment issues, can more than just empathize, they are blessed to be  able to be a, compassionate  presence. Veronica and Simon will leave the Gospel pages and become, living presences for todays suffering and abused, Jesus Christ. Each follower of  Christ must allow themselves to be challenged, ever anew, by these existential treats to our, Gospel values. 

              

       To add to the insanity of the reality we are asked to survive,  and  live in, we have the shooting of school children, gathered in the school's community, Eucharistic celebration.  They were in celebratory prayer honoring the Essential Mystery of our faith. With the flash of a gun, these Innocents  became Its horrendous reality. Here is a question, is there any distinction to be made, between the children's blood on the floor, and The Precious Blood, in the chalice ?? Are they not both , The Blood of Christ ??  Where does this encounter with rawboned  Reality lead you to?

                                            Let us take whatever constructive we can to bring about.The Kingdom, of real peace, equal justice, for all, and real transforming love. This IS ON its way, let us give it a boost, so the reality may be hurried along.    A stunned, and mystified great grandpa Joe. Why did I have so long that The Crucifixion has become so enfleshed in my reality ??? Love, prayers, blessings.

        "Be, as a page that aches for words, which speak on a theme that is timeless". 

        "Sing, as a song in search of a voice that is silent" Neil Diamond.

         "Blessed are the people The Lord has chosen to be His own" Psalm 3

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to a place..not knowing where he was to go"

         "Come Holy Spirit, and fill the heart of this, faithless one"(hij")

         Well !!! Well !!! I am wondering what is going on within you now ? What are your thoughts ?" Have these words stopped you, and are carrying you to, where ? Maybe to, silence ? Or has the phone been hung up ? Each person will have her or his, own very unique, response to the above words. These words are intended not just glanced over, but are allowed entrance to your depths, where they are intended to go. The above words are sacramental, and given to you and I, now. In this now moment they are given as a nourishing challenge. A healthy  spiritual stretching, which will enable us to go beyond we can go the familiar, the comfortable, the nonthreatening, the place  where our false self luxuriates. 

  This is a placed of,  indifference, prejudice, starvation This is the place where our true selves, the one where the Great Creative Mercy-full embraces us, just exactly as we are. We do have to "put on a show", to show our Infinite Beloved that we somehow deserving of unconditioned, unlimited, unrestricted love. That boat has long sailed, and is not available for boarding. Let me be very ,clear the false self is ever so comfortable on that vessel of  comfort,  selfishness, prejudice, self occupation ,denial, and death. 

 There is that page, that place within you, which is waiting for your unique song, sung in silence. In that sacramental, sacred silence your uniqueness is being revealed to you. As we are told, "Silence is God's first language" in our silence our unique story is written. Whether that ,ever sacred story ever reaches it's intended destination depends SOLEY on our free will. What an awe-full gift free will is. The Awe-full, All Power-full One, cannot force us to to anything we do not want to do. We are getting the message that, love is freeing. We life our lives in thee freedom of being, the beloved daughters and sons of ,THE BELOVED. Our belovedness is a gift we must recognize  and claim, a thousand times a day. Why so many ? We are be aware of this frightening statistic, we ABORT, our souls, a thousand times a day. 

 Like Abraham we are being called to go forth traveling, one step at a time, into the darkness of the  unknown, where in the tabernacle of  silence, The Unknown, is  patiently waiting. Waiting so that we will consent our eternal destiny of being cocreators of an evolving, mysterious, ever greening,  cosmos. What a dignity that is imprinted on our souls. Never to be lost,  removed or obliterated. Dare to embrace your unique choice of song. Do not just sing it, rather shout it out. An empty world is waiting for that sound. Can creation continue to it's authentic evolution without your unique , constructive contribution?  Love, prayers and blessings is my gift to you all. May The Gracious Great Spirit continue the work that has already begun with in, and because of the exercise of you creative freedom. Great grandpa Joe.

      " May the gracious, (kind), care of The Lord, our God, be ours."  Ps. 90.It is ours. Let, our moment to moment actions, reflect this living mysterious truth. 

    " Come, Holy Spirit come, and fill the heart of this faithless one."

    " Today, if (when,) you hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts"

   " The denunciation of injustice implies ,the rejection of Christianity, to legitimize order."G. Gutierrez

  " Today, if (when) you hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts." It has been just over the last number of years I have begun to see the need to change the "if", which for me denotes uncertainty, to "when" which forces me to concentrate on "the here, and now". Corinthians reveals to us that "now is the acceptable time, now is the time of Salvation." Here and now, ALL , that The Gracious, Creative Spirit, in infinite Wisdom, knows I need to be an authentic co-creator is being channelled into me. NOTHING, but NOTHING is missing from this sacramental,  grace imbued moment. Nor, from THIS sacramental , and this, this.... ad infinitum.  As is was in, eternity ,so it is ,now, and ever shall be.

     I, we, must make " Lord, that I may see", " Your will be done, and not mine", are spiritual bromides  I must bring to consciousness again, and, again. Then, at least for me, this acceptance of my  innate powerlessness, to do anything on my own, results in the emergence of a reality, way beyond anything I would ever be able to imagine. I am getting to be in deeper acceptance of what I heard Fr.Rohr  first say, many decades ago, " The powerlessness of power, and the power of powerlessness". I have been growing in the acceptance of this challenging spiritual truth, not through any successes I may have. 

      The mysterious truth of this bromide comes  ONLY , through loss, failure,  suffering, rejection,  and isolation. This is the spirituality of imperfection, the apophatic way so many of us have been chosen to tread. Is it not great to know we are never alone on this slog. Yes, strength is found within the bonds of  those , the community who are  embracing the challenging of living  in daily living, depth reality of the Paschal Mystery. This community is vast. To consider  Christian Nationalism, is to consider embracing a contradiction.  It is too restrictive in its outreach and vision. Of it's essence, it is powerless!! 

    As Gustavo Gutierrez writes, we must denunciate a Christianity which ties to legitimize injustice, exploitation, dehumanization, denial of the basic needs of the human person. This can be applied, unfortunately, most certainty in our day and age. Is this not both sad, and embarrassing in a country that is looked on as educated, enlightened?  I even read recently " once there is talk of "social justice' the "privileged begin to resist." 

I have from my own experience seen people,  walk out, loudly disagree, and in one case be invited to seek a transfer to a " colored parish'. The word colored was not used, the repulsive, denigrating word was hurled in anger. I asked the person,  who encouraged my immediate  transfer, if he had  received  The Eucharist? The reply was a very definite, "yes". It was then, I hung up. I was early on in my journey in the priesthood.  Boy!! did that  initially both shocked, and rattled me. On the other hand, my resolve to face  the social,  financial ,and other injustices was strengthened from that moment on. There are some things you do not challenge an Irishman with. Especially if he comes from County Cork and was raised the many exploits of Michael Collins. We share some of the same DNA !!!!