Aisling on Earth

 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 ??????