ADVENT 2025.   " There is in all  visible things, a hidden wholeness." Thomas Merton.

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

"Come, O Holy Spirit, transfigure and transform, this hardened, and faithless heart." (jhi)

" At the center of our being, is a point of nothingness that is the pure glory of God, 

                                                                                     " untouched by sin and illusion." Thomas Merton.

" Go to your cave, and it will teach you, everything, you kneed to know" was the advice one of the Desert Fathers gave, when asked for answers. Centuries later we are challenged to respond to that challenging exhortation. " Go to your cave." In those days women and men, choose the nothingness of the desert, to be the place where they immersed themselves. Immersion, for what purpose ? For what purpose ? so as to be led into an ever deeper awareness of The Unknown, The Divine Presence, God. They choose an isolated cave to be their dwelling place. It was not a place of comfort. With none of the conveniences of todays living. In the emptiness of those caves the wisdom we all ache, and search for was, revealed. Thanks to, The Gracious Giver, of all that is essential for our journey their wisdom has been preserved and has filtered its way down to you and I. 

So here we are, journeying into the,  unique cave each. A cave that has been chosen for us, from eternity, as an essential part of the evolution taking place on the  many levels of  our individual  evolving souls. As the evolution goes so goes the health and well being of the collective unconscious. The wisdom of the desert offers a contemporary guidance, to us the desert mothers and fathers of 2025.  Their apophatic wisdom offers us a wisdom that will challenge the given, the certainties, the comfortable places we have found, and will defend to the death. Yes ! it will take many, many, deaths, Calvarys for us to be blasted out of that comfort, so St.Theresa of Avila warns us. Bethlehem, the manger, the crib, its inhabitants and visitors  is the dynamite we most need ,  so as to be blown out of comforting answers, for our uncomfortable always challenging journey. A journey in the vivifying, contemporary, meaning-full,   supernatural Mystery of, The Incarnation. 

 If we complain about comfort, lets us ask Mary, of her endless journey, which began with her, YES !!!! Mary is the model that is presented, not for our comfortable admiration, but for our challenging, response, embrace and  imitation. To remind ourselves of this  awe-full reality, we are Mary. As she was chosen, so we have been chosen, from eternity. She was born free of all the ravages humanity had, has to endure. We are chosen to endure the legacy, of humanities rejection, of the original plan. It did not come without a price, her Son took care of that. We are the contemporary Marys challenged to renew our YESES, again and again. Why ? so that the mysterious work Mary began can continue, into eternity.

 Many years ago, I think this has been previously mentioned, The Bethlehem scene was presented to the community as happening within a cave. The same cave reappeared for the communities journey into Lent, and the celebration of The Paschal Mysteries. Yes, the same cave, evolved as reminder the The Incarnation event and The Paschal Mysteries are one continuous vivifying reality, always happening within the cave of our souls. (The,  deepening belief and acceptance of  this reality, is only a resent gift.)  How we prepare and celebrate leaves a lasting legacy. 

What is the legacy we are preparing to leave from 2025 preparations ? Do we recognize this challenging, awe inspiring, deepest reality, we live within  a contemporary, Bethlehem. How was The Christ Child, and His parents treated ? How do we see children and  their parents being treated ? There was no welcome to be found, in the busyness of the inn ? They were sent to a place of silence, emptiness, and nothingness. In that place of abject poverty The Divine Creator choose to be the birthing place of His Son. This begs the question, where is the place of abject poverty that The Christ will be incarnated within you? What are the challenges the Bethlehem at large offers, in your Via Dolorosa, that can lead to apathy, complacency, and the deadliest, indifference ? 

Yes !!! "there is a  hidden wholeness in  everything." "Everything Belongs"(Rohr) The Gospel accounts are NOT about 2,000 years ago. This is the lie that somehow has developed credence. We are called to confront the lie. To BE the living answer, The Gospels are alive and well, do you not see it in the gospel that I am have been chosen to write. You, and I, by our actions create, write, a living gospel, for the people who have been chosen to read it today. In this, now, moment. For all, " Now is the acceptable time, now, is the time of salvation." You, the now, your manger and crib within  the Bethlehem of the existential ????

 All the answers, must be ALLOWED  to bubble up.  These challenging answers are to be embraced, no matter the cost, and the guaranteed inconveniences. Ask Mary about, challenges and inconveniences ?? Yet the power, of mysterious grace, brought her safely through. As it was for her, let us beg the grace for us to really and truly embrace the challenge, the danger of being the contemporary Mary. May the fruit of your womb be an everlasting blessing, for now, as it impacts to collective unconscious ,for, eternity. 

 Advent 2025    " Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven, is at hand." John The Baptist.

   " The soul is transformed by Uncreated Light, not by moral striving." Gregory Palmas

   "Come, Holy Spirit, and transform, this hardened, and faithless heart." (hij)

   Grace, is The Power of Infinite Love, acting in the depths where we cannot act." Athanasius

 " We do not think our way into a new consciousness. We, awaken, because Grace has already restructured us, from, within." Richard Rohr, in," Falling Upwards".

 Well !!! here we go, another journey, into the unfamiliar territory of soul, unfolding. This is my very limited , human effort to draw you, the reader, into what been, bubbling up from you Tabernacle depths. This bubbling up has resulted in new, awakenings. Awakenings that have resulted in the, radical, reshaping, of past and treasured understandings. More steps, are essential,  so we can be safely guided along the tough, challenging trail which leads into an ever deeper, and still deepening, mysterious darkness. As this reality is gradually accepted, by acts of willingness, an ever deeper relationship is somehow developed with the evolving reality, of, The Mysterious Darkness. This being our first home, and our, final, eternal,  destiny.

        I have slowly been introduced into the challenges that follow into a conversant relationship with the Greek word, METANOIA. Metanoia cannot be translated with the English words, "conversion" and "repentance". There  two words fail to capture the depth of meaning the full essence of, metanoia. Metanoia is more radical, it is the ongoing  action of The Infinite Creative, and Creating Power of mercy-full love. A Mercy-full , divine action, that frees us into radical freedom. Freedom always comes at a price. The price is, we must surrender and be led on an endless journey into, silence, emptiness, and nothingness.  The false self, this little self plunges, into the panic mode, and begs," there must be an easier, softer, way" ? The only answer is a resounding, emphatic, NO. Taking all this in consideration, are you willing to journey, on  this, the apophatic path? To journey with Mary on her Via Dolorosa, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to Nazareth, and ultimately to, Calvary?

      We cannot earn, deserve or qualify for the infusion of the Radical Grace essential for this apophatic journey. When we actively indicate our willingness to be accepting of this gift, there is a radical change, within our depths. With metanoia everything changes. There is not even a  remanent left of, the past familiar.  This radical change is NOT going to be accepted without a serious fight. War is declared. There is a vain effort to retain comforting control. The reassuring presence of will power must be defended, by any means necessary. We are not very welcoming of the radical loss of ego power. We have to choose absolute surrender, to the unknown, the home of The Unknown. Let the battle begin. Question, in reflecting have been awakened to your invitation to a, BATTLE ?

     In our Advent adventures, into the radical newness of awakening Mystery, we have been blessed with the mysterious adventures of Mary. Mary, the teenager from Nazareth, and her silent, righteous  husband, Joseph. Mary, just as WE Are, was chosen for the most challenging ,of challenges, to be the instrument, the human body which will be essential for The Eternal Plan to become, Reality. Her yes, Mary's "fiat" triggered a cosmic evolution, leading to cosmic revolution. Our moment to moment consent, freely expressed, guarantees the continuation of a mysterious plan. We can also use, " The Mystery of The Incarnation" to the accumulating, hidden treasure. Plan, this leaping from the Heavens, is reenacted, given life by us imitating Mary, and repeat," I am the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Your Word.".  

    We, as present day "Marys", make The Mystery of The Incarnation an ever  new,  and continuing ,Reality. As contemporary " Marys", we have been eternally chosen, uniquely gifted to continue the revelation inherent in the depths of our being. A Reality to be endlessly awakened. These days of Advent are recalled, each year, to awaken a newer understanding of this Eternal Mystery. We must, in our moment to moment living, meet the challenge of, I think Thomas Merton, " Be, who you already, are." Nothing to be added to you, in this or any other moment, to think otherwise, and act accordingly, is to life a lie. 

 There is no vivifying power in this, living a lie. The lie is, and always has been, both seductive, and destructive. Somehow we find the lie, very welcoming, but it is the threshold into being a resident in the prisons, of, guilt, fear, shame, and one of the most abhorrent places to CHOOSE to live, the hellish prison of, perfectionism. We all have to face this question, are we choosing to meet the contemporary of being Mary, and journey into, the chosen unknown. In that experience of the unknown, we encounter, ever anew, The Unknown. The same Unknown Who is patiently waiting for our trembling, " Let it be done to me according to Your, Word"

   Those who know, or those women, and men,  been led to this knowledge challenge us to consider this challenging, mysterious reality, the cave of Bethlehem IS, the cave of your soul. All that happened in Bethlehem is now happening in our depths. Our challenge is, to bring what is hidden, into consciousness. We are challenged, to cooperate with Mysterious Grace, in allowing what is being revealed, to all contemporary "Marys", to find life. To continue the journey of The Cosmic Christ into both a radical, challenging, and vivifying, Reality. A reality that is evolving into what is essential for a healthy response, to today's life threatening, and life destroying efforts. These efforts are antithetical to the vivifying teachings of Him, who is to enter our cosmos as its most vulnerable, at birth. There is not another new born, except the human child, that is not equipped with instinctual survival instincts. The Creator-Father sure set His Son up for "easy living"? 

 Now question, what was awaiting them in Bethlehem ?.Would you go if your were in the same position? Do not worry, you do not need to make that decision. It has been already made ??????

      

                                                             

                                            

                                                          Advent 2025. 

" What good is it if Christ is born in, Bethlehem, if He is not born in me." Meister Eckhart.

" 'We are all meant to be mother's of God, for God is always in need of being born." Eckhart.

   " Come, Oh ! Holy Spirit, and fill the hardened and fear-filled heart of this, faithless one"(hij)

" The ox, knows its master, and the donkey its masters crib, but Israel does not know Me,

                                      My people do not understand." Isiah I:3.

A very, very, very Happy New Year. This are the first days of a new, Liturgical Year. Liturgy is, the work of the people. We are all included, in each liturgical celebration, whether we are conscious of it or not.  We come to each liturgical, just as we are. There are no qualifications, or moral standards demanded of us. The spirituality of the liturgy is summed up as follows,  This is the authentic voice of, Divinity Incarnated " Come, you are penniless, weary, frightened and exhausted. Ye, who have nothing, and are looked on as nothing come and find radical acceptance ,consolation, mercy-full love,  and Myself as Your food.  In this our encounter  with your emptiness an awe-full, wonder-full, miracle happens, through the unique action of grace.  The emptiness, the place of nothingness will be filled  with My Presence, and I will never leave you, I am unable to leave you. I am sure you have been victimized by statements denying this truth, that is all baloney,  malarkey at its best.There are a lot of lies bandied about, originating with those who do not understand, and have no willingness to learn, so as to understand.  There are none so blind, as those who will not see." This is the revelation of, covenant love. No transaction involved here !!!! ACCEPTANCE.

   This new year is meant to celebrate the ever newness of mystery, in The Mysterious. This newness is evolutionary, a process dependent on, willingness. We receive new nourishment, in each new, and unique celebration. There are no duplicates. The Creative Gracious Spirit does NOT do, duplicates. Each and everything in creation is an, evolutionary and revolutionary  newness. Our lenses, however are  in constant need of is  of tweaking !!! As we cast our gaze out we see that is going to be a, happy new year for some of the cosmic community. For other members of our shared community, sad to say, it is anything but happy. While the minority experience wealth, and wellbeing, the majority are subsisting on, a pittance. If they are lucky. Their eyes cannot wander from their empty bowls. Licked clean, of , every morsel of food. Many cannot count on another sparse helping of nourishment, while millions of tons of food are conveyed to, the garbage. 

 This is also, The First Sunday of The  Advent Season. We are being afforded four weeks, to again be lead into the necessary understanding of, The Mystery of The Incarnation, as it applies to you and I, right now. Through the instrumentality The Holy Spirit, the NEW insights demanded, for our effective and creative presence is uniquely gifted to to us. We cannot fulfill our unique vocation, by looking at how our companions are doing it. We must listen in stillness. Responding to the command,"Be still and know that I am, God". We are not looking at our hours and days. We are encouraged not to look anywhere but, the PRESENT, NOW MOMENT."  For, "now is the acceptable time, now is the acceptable time, now is the time of salvation". The present that is gifted to us in each unique, now, moment. Not today, but in what is being revealed, communicated to, in this present moment. Thank The Gracious Spirit that lead me to the understanding of, the sacramentality of the present moment. Here, in my Autumnal living, the challenges I face have to be met with being concentrated on where am I right now. The gift of simplicity is much appreciated. 

  Bethlehem is not a place one visits, that is speaking of spirituality realities. Each person will be placed on a unique path, to tread, not lightly. We will  be introduced to what it means to be challenged to, slog!! On the slog be vigilant for the immersion into your unique understanding of the inner reality of  the historical,Bethlehem, now a spiritual reality, WITHIN. Each person we read about in the gospel narrative, is already present, in our depths, right now.  Waiting for us to enter accept their, individual real reality. From this dynamic encounter a new life emerges. Into that unique newness,The Christ Child, will be born, always anew. This newness is the power that draws us into the excitement awaiting us in our Advent-Christmas- Epiphany journey here in 2025. We pray for the openness to embrace all the truths all the exciting and sometimes frightening, challenges. The Christ Child is holding your hand. Entrust your whole hand into His gentle hand that both seeks, and accepts our trembling hand. We are experiencing an inner safety. Make that place of safety your home. The home to house you as we enter a....... you finish !!!