" Have in you the same attitudes ( cf. The Beatitudes, Matt 3 1;12) that is in Christ Jesus. Though He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, found human in appearance. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death " even death on a, cross" Philippians " God became man, so that man could become God." Saint Athanasius, of Alexandria. " Become partakers of The Divine nature." Second. Peter 1:4
Joe, through grace, and only through grace could it happen, had another birthday. Using golfing terminology, I know the tee shot has been hit, to begin play on the 18 hole. For those not familiar with golf, when you have teed off from the 18 tee box, you are now playing the last hole. After completion of this hole, game over !!!! The last hole, envisioned playing, is the glorious Pebble Beach's closing hole. The tee shot has hit the fairway, next to the large tree. Am I going for the green? I think not. This is the last hole so I am going to play, so, stretch it out. NO RUSH !!!! An long iron will get me in proximity to the green. The next shot, a pitching wedge, my worst club, hopefully on the green ? No way, I am going to shank it into the sand trap ? This where I lie, buried deep in the sand. What a glorious place to be writing from."Old men, WILL, dream, dreams." Acts 2:17. Why not Joe?
Honestly, I am not dreaming as I attempt to write the following. Notice the word, attempt !!!What you read here, is not the final, anything. It is meant to encourage each person to enter the depths of who they are becoming, and there discover, The Gracious Creator's Unique Dream for you. It is an eternal dream. Now "in the fullness of time" for you, you, through grace are exposed to The Everlasting Dream and your invitation for, participation. You are. in every nanosecond, invited to go to where The Truth Dwells, and become willing, over time, to receive The Aisling, The Dream. Have no illusions about the journey. It is a real slog. It involves a commitment to hard word. The work is NEVER undertaken alone. Never in isolation, but in connectedness. What quantum theory today sees as entanglement. There is no, me. There is only we. Our weness ,is created and empowered by The Trinity. So it is The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit and by consent, each created human being. Consequently is is not the isolated I, in this now moment it is a Foursome. What a Mysterious Foursome that is ? Ready to discover your personal existential invitation to enter The Aisling, and the inherent dignity dreamt for you ? Preciousness !!!
Now we are going to explore the depths of the mystery of, Kenosis, and, Theosis. Kenosis is the name given to the free action, chosen, taken by The Christ. He freely emptied Himself of His divinity, so as to become an authentic human being. A human being " like unto us in all things except sin", Whose ministry was directed to those who had lost their way, and thought themselves as rejected, abandoned, and totally outside the reaches of Compassionate, Mercy-full Love. They, and "the they in us", were, are, exposed to a love, that was "unconditioned, unlimited, and unrestricted." (Rohr) The Emptied One , is known as the historical Rabbi Jesus. He entered The dread, the darkness of The Paschal Mystery and exited the tomb as, The Risen Christ. The pattern each one has been chosen, to follow. The challenge is to grow in the gradual acceptance of discovering the uniqueness of all that you are, and The Mysterious One you have been chosen to reveal. Not through your words but by that which reveals your deepest truth. When was there a recommitment to the dream search ???
The wholeness of our human journey, the participation in The Paschal Mystery, and from that participation come to experience, Theosis, asleo called by mystics, divinization. Becoming sharers, participants in the Divine Nature, all powered, made possible, by the workings of The Holy Spirit. The Gracious Creator is Divine, by nature, we are " divine" by participation. This Theosis happens not in an instant. This actually happens, like all realities of the spiritual realm, through a process. This again an never ending process. There are three continuous stages into Theosis, as grace is responded to. The three stages are, Purgation, Illumination and finally Union. You are responsible to research the meaning of the three stages for you, personally, not for anybody else. Where have you encountered all three, or, are encountering one in particular, at this time. There is always a stage to be travelled. Grace is relentless, in the commitment to our journey into Theosis, or individuation. Radical honesty is required. If you cannot reach the desired level of honesty, pray for the willingness to be willing. The false self fights radical honesty, it just plain hurts. Paschal pain !!! A gut honest prayer ALWAYS works. Your true self is in honest loving communication with The Self.
Each one walks, trudges, the unique Via Dolorosa created for their preordained individual, "gifts, talents and abilities" Paul. We are not destined to walk the walk of another. It is the wrong way. Our unique path is tread in the darkness of uncertainty, yet, still guided by an Unfailing Light. Mysteriously this light appears out of the darkness. This light cannot be overcome by, darkness. The Mystery to be entered into, light appears out of darkness, and light has its birthing in darkness. The Mysterious Spiritual journey appears to be an endless journey into paradoxes. Sorry Joe !! Life is a living paradox. We live to die, we die to live. Confused enough? The answer is to be found in silence, emptiness, and nothingness !! Could this be called, participation in tomb time ? Womb time ??
As much as we glory in our uniqueness, we are, Not, alone on this journey from Kenosis to Theosis, individuation. We have literally millions of companions who are joined together in the process of, seeking individuation. Another word for psychological wholeness. That is why it came as a revelation that wholeness and holiness are interchangeable. This had a radical effect on the materials used in homilies. There were a lot of questioning faces looking at me. Has he lost it, in his old age? Old age has brought wonder-full mystery laden insights, that has not allowed complacency to set in. Each one of you contribute to my nagging inability to settle for, what is. Horizons have been gifted. Thank you all for being companions in the process. Horizons are not destinations, Joe has painfully discovered. We have no permanent home, only silence, emptiness, and nothingness !!!!
The process, that is the journey into individuation, is a wonder-full gift from Carl Jung. It took him a long time to discover the patterns that developed in individuals who sought out the path to individuation. As the years have passed, we now have reached this best understanding of today's thinkers, when we speak of Theosis and individuation we are speaking about apples, and apples. "Kenosis is the psychological price of admission, for both journeys. To reach spiritual deification, (Theosis) or psychological wholeness, (individuation) the immediate surface level ego must willingly empty itself, step down from it's throne, and serve a higher transcendent Center." This means you have a great deal to share with fellow human beings, who may not share our beliefs, but we all have the same destiny, holiness-wholeness, Theosis-individuation.
Joe has always been devious, and or, mischievous. Now that I am is a senior, senior senior citizen that is going to surface more and more. I have presented you with Kenosis, Theosis, and their reflective reality, individuation. Now to really place the fox among the chickens, get ready for it!! Whatever search engine you use to research Quantum thought, and theory, ask this question, look at Kenosis, Theosis and individuation through the quantum lens, and be ready for ? Mischievous Joe.
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