" I am my beloved's, His desire is only for me. My Beloved is mine, and I am His." Song of Songs. " The soul is always stretching forth into God, never exhausting, The Depth." Anonymous. '' The Christ Mystery, is, a universal pattern of death and Resurrection, in all creation." Fr. R. Rohr.
As we are continuing on the path, of exploration and belief in The Inexhaustible Paschal Mystery. This is the hard reality we have to face in every existential we will never exhaust The Depths, the Darkness, into which we are invited to plunge. The endlessness of this search can, and will be exhausting. That is why we have grace. grace reveals the consoling realityWe already have the consoling, assurance, " Of ourselves we can do nothing, but, we can do all things, in Him who strengthens us" The quote, "faith is a journey into uncertainty, not certainty" " If we think we are on the right path, then we are on the wrong path." At times, we will be challenged, by the awe-fulness, of the unsettling feelings that are to be encountered, as we plunge the depths. We are never alone. I am The Beloved's and He will never desert, or abandon me. He cannot, He has to be faithful to His covenant. "I am, with, with you, until the end." So, "Fear not." Also, let us always be conscious of how Jesus, encouraged His frustrated Apostle Peter, " To cast his net into the deep", the result was ," a miraculous, catch of fish." There are, as yet unknown depth of wonders, always waiting for us to be lead into. We are told this adventurous plunge into the depths, of the unknown, we eventually encounter, Unknown Presence. In, The Silence, Emptiness and Nothingness we discover our intended home, The Way !!!! It is a journey into radical surrender. There is no step that can accomplish this. Oh, fiddle sticks !!! Our destiny is a gradual reluctant surrender. Our seemingly innate attachment to avoidance, illusions, and above all, ego. will result in endless war, leading to temporary mystical revelations. Revelations, that upon reflection, makes the strife, the battle so worthwhile. If you find anything consoling and nourishing. the my journey, up to this nano second ,has not been in vain. Thank you, for your constant participation, ever leading to a deeper immersion.
Easter Sunday, The Day of Resurrection, was also the day when the now Transformed ,Transfigured Christ did not forget His promise of endless vigilance, care, and active concern. The Gospel accounts shows the Risen one, resuming His work as, Shepherd. He did not desert His fear riddled disciples. He Sought them out. Locked doors did not prevent His Presence from encountering their shattered presence. His first greeting was the age old wish, "Shalom." Not even the slightest hint of harsh judgement, or indication of retribution. Here He provides the model for all generations to follow. Here He is the living model of being a good shepherd. The disciples do not need to be reminded of their need for radical change. The Good Shepherd embraces their imperfections as a reality to face, in that concrete moment. In this acceptance of reality, begins their formation in the challenging school of, shepherd-hood and shepherding. We have inherited the moment to moment challenge of allowing ourselves to be shepherded. As we are being formed, in the school of mercy-full grace, so it will be the model for us to follow. To follow when meeting the existential challenges of being good shepherds, Shepherding the realities revealed in the action ofShepherding ourselves and those lambs and sheep chosen to inhabit, and participate in, the Via Dolorosa with us. A sacred, mystical slog, at that ????
The Risen Good Shepherd offers His disciples no harsh judgement, only the best of wishes, for health and a new way of being , summed up in the word ,"Shalom" ? As it was for those disciples, so it is for us in the here and now. The belief in the reality, that, we are beloved is leading you where ? Stand where your feet are planted and the result is ??(What feelings are being triggered within you ? Feelings of what ? Feelings that are not welcomed ? Because ? There are endless challenges, and threats being revealed ?) Here The Prince of Peace is wishing all the best the of everything needed for health and spiritual wholeness. Seek out again the twelve radical blessings, summed up in that ever so common greeting. What is familiar demands the most attention , so thatthe depths of spiritual meanings, can surface into, consciousness, and ??? Now let us move on to welcome a familiar companion, who accompanies us, and we find hard to embrace, accept and love. The disciple who denied the good news, and offered conditions for belief.
No ! On the other hand lets, not. Thomas and his disbelief, must wait for another time In the meantime I wish all who wear the mantle of motherhood, a very, very Joyous Mothers's Day. Is there any other vocation that reflects the essential meaning of being, good, shepherd? Who else models what it means to totally surrenders, to live a life being a living sacrifice. demanded by immersion into The Paschal Mystery ? Yes !! All women are persons of mystery, whose depths and innate dignity is slowly being accepted, being validated . May the process continue, in spite of virulent opposition. Yes, sad to admit, there are future fruit-filled experiences of Golgotha, to be endured. The wisdom resulting from the endless encounter with birthing and death makes their life eternally, pregnant with meaning. May all are surrenders, result in the birth of future Christ Children . All destined for the revelation of endless truths. May these truths continue the revelation, first revealed in the life, death and Resurrection, of Mary's Christ Child. Speak, right now, and forever endlessly to The Mother Mary within, " Mary did you know ..........." Bethlehem and The Incarnation only finds is authentic meaning from Calvary. Something to chew on, providing mysterious and endless......