Pierre De Chardin,  the great  Jesuit theologian and paleontologist, was one time looked on as a maverick, whose books were not looked on as approved reading has gifted us with these challenging words," We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings immersed in the, human condition." These words had a radical effect on my ability to think to see anew. I do not remember when I read those words but after that experience, my  thinking and  the resulting thoughts  were , as you may well expect, radically changed. My lenses through which all reality was viewed, resulted in a deepening, I am still coming to grips with. The resulting trudge has resulted a gradual unfolding. So let  the great exquisite, mysterious, sometimes pain-full, yet at times joy-full, unfolding, unveiling  process continue. 

      "We are spiritual beings immersed in the human condition." Our origin is spiritual, springing from the  infinite loving womb of our Creator God. My human existence  then  is not the only existence, reality, I am challenged to come to terms with ,and gain a gradual  understanding of. Its appearance, is, at times so painfully slow. We are told by those who know this unveiling not happen without real a great  cooperative effort on our part. Has not  everything  of real value, in this life a  hearty price attached to it, except of course, Our Prodigal Father's unconditioned love.  To be honest I did not like to have to change decades of seeing, thinking and understanding. After all had I not finally become somewhat comfortable in my brand new Vatican Two shoes ?  I was growing comfortable with the familiar. Now I understand that was my false self recoiling from inevitable change. There was a great cry, Let me alone !!!  The Alone never responds to unhealthy requests. We are so loved,  that only the very best of gift awaits us. You and I are in the process of believing, we deserve only The Best, and will not, through grace, settle for less. D.V.

      We are preparing for The  Original Spiritual  Being to come to be immersed in our human condition. There was not a different humanity awaiting The Eternal  Voyager, our broken, vulnerable, desperately wounded was awaiting, His Incarnation. That coming has forever changed to course of both human and religious history. That change has been in process, we are called to be the instruments through which further revelations can be revealed to all of creation. How often have we been told, " we are more than we appear externally to be." There is a mysterious reality we are being prepared to be led to. In the gradual embracing of The Mystery within, will the Mystery of The Incarnation be continued to be revealed. This is who you really are, and are called to be. Would you believe, or are you coming to the belief you each one without  exception  are ,MARY, Yes, Mary and we like her, are privileged to be chosen from eternity to surrender our lives lives and let The Gracious Creative One continue the transformation  of our mighty cosmos. " Help me to believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is.

       Something to be added to your Thanksgiving list ?? Have a blessed one. Great Gramps.

  Holy and mercy-full,  Spirit, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is. These must be familiar words to you, I use them often enough. I am using them here, and will again, D.V., in the coming weeks so as to encourage all to have the faith-filled  courage to believe the awe-filled mystery laying in your depths. From eternity this moment has been planned. This Mystery can and as a result of our free response be brought to consciousness. Then to  be embraced as the life changing  power of change. 

     As we approach the coming seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany we need to take, as we say in Ireland, a "serious run at it"!!!!!. May I say, a very serious ,reflective run at it, otherwise we will miss the message and suffer through another ho-hum, very ordinary time. To begin with, here quoting John O'Donoghue, " there is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where ther's still a sureness in you, where there is a seamlessness in you, and there is a confidence and tranquility in you. And I think the intention of prayer and spirituality and love is now and again to visit that inner kind of sanctuary.".

  At first read ,do you ever actually believe this mysterious truth about your true identity? There is in our depths a sanctuary where the One Whose coming we are preparing ourselves to welcome, is now and always here present. The more we enter this awe-filled reality, will our preparations have depth of meaning, rather than mere meaningless and boring  routine. Like everything  else in life we are empowered to make a free  faithless or faith filled , response.   Our coming Guest invites us to " come rest in Me, as I do in you" and discover ever anew, the sanctuary of confidence and tranquility. This is a gift truly worth being prepared for.

 I particularly like those words "now and again." What are your honest feelings ? The truth will set you free, but first they will tee you off. " Lord, that I may see", "the new beginnings..... of that which is new' lying beyond the safety of sameness'. This will take us beyond what we have outgrown, and are being prepared for gifts far beyond our wildest imagination. Maybe we will slowly grow into the truth that " our lives are unique stones, in the mosaic of human existence." ( Nouwen)