Aisling on Earth

 " The voyage of discovery, consists not in seeing new landscapes, but having new eyes." M. Proust

" Awakening is not to new facts, but to a new way of seeing, 

                                                 and becoming responsible for what we see." Thomas Merton.

               "Awareness, demands, response" (Anon)

       "Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for You are with me." Psalm 23.

The above quotes can be used to describe my life's journey, up to this point in time. I hope and pray that complacency does not set in, for one reason or another. Can I  say, "Joe, You have been working for decades now, why don't just put your feet up, and relax. Take it easy, you have earned it." ? Words that sound vey tempting, but are the words of the false self, wanting to lull me into, inaction, and that death dealing, state of, complacency.

       Remember how often our beloved Pope Francis, acting as prophet, challenged us to face our individual, and collective, sin of indifference. Can we honestly say, as we view today's individual, and collective  inhospitable and death dealing actions, that there has been any real compassionate actions directed towards relieving, what ? The gruesome burdens of our victimized, exploited, marginalized, dehumanized sisters, and brothers. "  These, "The least of the brethren" are seen as always been the dwelling place of, Divinity.As it was, so it is, and ever shall be, long after those who read this are, dead.

               PLEASE, do NOT even think or imagine that I have come, to the new insights, shared have somehow come by the much desired, "easier and softer way". The, may I say Golden years, have not in any way been golden, in the accepted sense. I am being awakened to this reality, the true, invaluable  lasting treasures of old age, have come ever so slowly, and not according to my, expectations.  My expectations emerge from my false self, and it's insatiable appetite for "power, property, and prestige" (Rohr)  I have placed this little reminder, in my direct  line of sight, as dishes are wash dishes, " Expectations, are PLANNED, resentments."

      Does it work, to be brutally honest, I may catch myself once, in every 40-50 times. That is on a good day, when I am most, vigilant. WOW, the places, events, and circumstances my expectations have taken me would fill volumes. All of which would challenge today's, sensors. Attempting to life in real reality, not fantasy land, demands such effort and discipline. Being disciplined is an essential part of my story. Misdirected discipline can and does irretractable damage.The death dealing, and the abortion of healthy embryonic life, is the  residue  that lasts a lifetime, especially when it comes to sexual abuse. When you say, " I love you" do not expect a heartfelt response to you expressions,The inability to respond, finds it's origin, in the wound that can never be, healed. We must. always be guided by, reverential light when expressing the desire, to really know,  a person, and their in-depth story. The requirement for this real, healthy encounter requires, NO, demands compassion, not empathy. 

            I am sharing with you what has been gifted from my Paschal Journey, into being, AWOKE, and the process of awakening. I was prepared for this  recent, intensely  challenging journey, when I discovered in my library Keating's book " Reawakening". I remember reading his other book. "Awakening." Being in the process of becoming "Woke" we asked, really challenged, to meet the moment to moment change of vision. This is an evolving process. This challenges us to become more and more conversant with, what, at one point in our lives was viewed as unthinkable, a demand to have a personal response to the systems of inequality, loss, sexuality, environment, and global injustice. 

 We all have to accept, and embrace  the local and cosmic challenges, no other generation  has been forced to personally and globally, such challenges. Be gentle going forward. The solution(s) will not come to consciousness upon demand. The answers lie in our depths.  They lie within the collective unconscious, which we all contribute to.  We must have patience with the birthing process. Birthing can be a very slow and extremely pain-full experience. Can we expect any less, as we participate in the cosmic birthing that is happening through our cooperation and instrumentality ?

      Take heart. Make Psalm 23 your own. Yes !! we will with certainty enter dark valleys, We will see that those dark valleys  were in reality, wombs. Fertile wombs from which a vivifying something, un-definable , responding to the darkness of our existential, as our true, reality, emerges.  Again, slow and pain-full, are the operative words. This is how we  to recognize our true destiny. Sadly it comes with a very slow  birthing. That adage: " No pain, no gain" is truer than fantasy, or fiction. You have a Gospel to write.Wrong, Joe. The new gospel, emerging from the collective unconscious, is being written.  The challenge is to bring it to, consciousness.  Maybe this will be the only spiritual reading, gospel-book, some  people will ever be blessed to read. This is your destiny. It is your, eternal, destiny. Great gramps.