Aisling on Earth

"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"