As I look out, from a very safe vantage point, I see a frightening array of wars and armed struggles. I was going through the news on my computer when I had to stop and give up. It was too much for me. I had to look within myself and as the hard question where are the wars being fought, within myself. I once read that the line between war and peace goes straight through the center of the human heart. There is the war between the ideal and the real. I am not the first one to be forced to confront that struggle. St. Paul had that great struggle between doing " not doing the things he was supposed to do, and doing the things he was not supposed to". He called it the struggle between, "the new man, and, the old man". Today we name to battles as the battle between "the true self, and, the false self". Each one of our souls it the battleground of that death struggle. We must keep ourselves radically informed of those actions that define us "as life givers or, death dealers". We must not be lured into accepting that which appears to be life giving but actually is an instrument of death. Which one of us do not want our egos bolstered by power, property and prestige. We are human, and our broken collective humanity is so easily lured into thinking these are the keys of the kingdom. Once we possess these we will never have another bad day. Power has led to the imposition of so much rigidity that any human person can be broken by, its wonton use.
Over the years I have been appraised of this wonton action by so many angry persons. It is very difficult to write the following, those angry persons had every right to be angry. They were not exposed to the radical love of The Historical Jesus and the price He had to pay for not wavering from His radical stand. The Prophet Jesus related to persons in His living, the radical love which was the essence of His being, from, the beginning of time. His love is an eternal love, an infinite love beyond " condition, restriction, or reservation". This infinite eternal love cannot be earned, deserved, and there are no conditions that have to be met before "the pearl of great price" is entrusted to our care. This is why the love offered is a prodigal love. It is reckless, in the eyes of merciless, and self righteous, but, they are not at fault it is outside there lived experience. It is extravagant, to the mean spirited persons who have no real experience of the awe-full reality of unconditioned generosity. They too are not at fault until, the truth of the unimaginable is placed before their eyes, and they freely choose not accept the gift offered.
With the coming of the papacy of Pope Francis we are now ,and have been living in a time of radical change. Yes, there has been a radical change in the way the human person is to be viewed and accepted. "God loves us all AS WE ARE" so says Our Prophetic Pope. We do not have to change for our Prodigal Mother/Father to love us. ( by whose power are we going to change ourselves, we are of powerless". "There is One Who has all power may you find Her/him now." The Creative Love of The Prodigal One changes us. It is a slow process, not intended for the goal orientated. All we have to be is receptive to the gift offered. Please,just say, YES and again Yes.The there is, however, a catch.This will be very difficult for those those who are not in the habit of give unconditional gifts. Now we have been given the gift, we cannot keep it. It is given to us to pass it on. In that way we are fulfilling our vocation to "be co-creators and co-perfectors" of all of creation. Pope Francis has spent ten years working to make the Catholic Church not "a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners." In his recent remarks to those attending the Synod, he emphasized again the fact they are NOT to impose heavy burdens on the people. Any such action would contradict the reality that we are gazed upon with a loving, mercy-full gaze. Free of all conditions. Many times the gaze of a mother on her child and the child's questioning returning gaze is used to convey that which is mysterious, and the essence of, Being.
There is a new day dawning.I will not be around for its, evening and beyond. You are going to be part of the living revelation of a new way of thinking and acting. All will be guided by The Loving Creative, and Creating Spirit Who has made your depths, a mysterious dwelling place. Had a visit with The Visitor within, lately? You do make an, awe-full, team. A team designed, created from the beginning of time, to challenge the darkness of ignorance and oppression, so, so very rampant that it is the reality in which we are challenged to live. Blessed ye, you are to make our Church, the living authentic incarnation of the real, and the true gospel The Prophet Jesus lived and died. Some may go as to say there must be a radical commitment guided by, Radical Grace. (Can you guess I had a great, long, hike this morning ? ) As always love, prayers and blessings. Great Great grandpa Joe.
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