" You shall not molest or oppress an alien...you shall not wrong any widow or orphan." Exodus 22. "You shall love your neighbor, as, YOURSELF" " The first thing to secure, is to secure, is to save the unfortunate, from the cruelty of men of greed....where the fragile are silenced, take a stand. To hope, is to take a stand. " Pope Leo X:14.
" How blessed are the poor in spirit, there's, IS, the kingdom of heaven."
Remember you were encouraged to become very familiar with the Scripture Reading for Sunday October 25. I had not read the scripture lessons for Nov 1st. Now that both are in his senior, senior mind, wondering Joe finds himself, facing another smorgasbord. This will not result in the addition of anything, it will challenge us to, let go. To become less, so, we are led to the emptiness of, desiring more. We have been told, unfortunately, " more is better". This is the challenge of spiritual journey. It is all about subtraction not, ADDITION. The false self is horrified at the prospect, The less, and the fight is joined, endlessly. The fight is endless, ending, only, with our last breath. Our ultimate, surrender. The egotistical ego the false self is all about, "power, property, and prestige. (Rohr), and it does not care who has to be victimized, exploited, dehumanized along the way to achieving the destructive, ultimate goal. Where are you seeing this in yourself and rampant in our supposedly Christian nation ? Honesty is progressive. We can only be as honest as we are brave enough to be, at any given moment. We are NOT PERFECT, we are perfectly imperfect !!!! We pray for the courage to be honest. Cash honesty is on thing, emotional honesty is a greater challenge. Become aware of the challenge of emotional sobriety, and the great challenge inherent in it's pursuit. I encourage all to seek out emotional sobriety, if you are willing to work hard !!
Pope Leo is encouraging us to hope, and take an active stand to counter the exploitation, rampant in our time. Just one of the many destructive forces that are to be annihilated. The manifestations of the false self are legion, maybe that can explain why the war, the battle is endless. Then, " Where sin abounds, "Grace abounds even more fully." " Here there is no love , sew love and your will find Love has already been awaiting discovery, or the awakening. Ineffable Grace, is, the guarantee that we can never be forgotten, rejected, or disowned. On top of that we are "never be tempted beyond our strength." The strength is not mine, it is always, ours Is this the power of we, appearing again to encourage perseverance on, the slog. We are never alone, but who is the companion, we are choosing to be our companion ? The answer is essential for a healthy noon binary spiritual journey. To help us in our ever deepening journey, into silence, emptiness, and nothingness we have been give thee aids. The three movements of grace are, purgation, illumination, and union, our constant, nanosecond companions. Are you making friends with them ? Is it worth it ? The more we know, the easier it will be to trust, and let go. This is where excitement bubbles up, as the result of honest reflection. Letting go of our illusion , and grow into honest prayer is a " Nouwen step " The he journey from illusion to prayer, is repeated, endlessly. We are challenged, never compare our prayer life, with anyone else's. We are by that, rejecting our uniqueness. As beloved daughters/sons we are truly loved, uniquely. This Eternal Love has been ours from before the beginning of Time.
I have had to learn to grow in acceptance of the evolving relationship with the shadow side. We all have a shadow side. The parts of us we hide away, and will not reveal to almost, anybody. I have been a great number of kind companions who by loving, and accepting Joe as Joe, I have very gradually blessed with the lens of evolving honesty, and the acceptance of the reality of both, light and shadow. I am in the process of accepting my compulsivity, my perfectionism, my great desire to people please, just to own up to the few, among, the many. The journey into the acceptance of light and shadow, cannot happen apart from grace.Continuous shadow work, is essential for lasting, peace, You have heard it said, or experienced this reality, the two people most like each other, there is a constant war, strife. They are battling their shadows, but in each other. This war, and all wars, are the result of transference. That was first introduced to me, in the early 70's. That introduction has resulted in unplanned , but essential changes, one being the following. Whatever Joe do not like, accept, in himself, when this personal unacceptability is seen in another, Joe will go to war with that person. When Joe becomes aware of his dysfunctional behavior , and took responsibility for his unhealthy actions, change happened. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was a gigantic help. Without reconciling grace, all there is left for us is transference. Also known as scapegoating, another name for the dynamic, of transference. The essential reconciliation cannot happen without the mysterious workings of Mercy-full love. The action of Mercy-full in our lives, heals, soothes, comforts, strengthens, transfigures and transforms, all progressively. The harder we work, the more inner peace we experience, and so become " Channels of peace". Our chosen destiny, from eternity.
The dynamic of scapegoating is alive, and so visible in our contemporary, current existence, which is mistaken for real life, and mercy-full living. Where do you see scapegoating alive and active within your daily life ? In the inner and outer lives !!! The migrant, the alien, the trans person, the poor and powerless, ( todays widows and orphans), people of nations whose chosen destiny was not to be an American. The Creative Creator "places each person in the place The Infinite Loving Creator freely chooses for them" Paul. There are no mistakes in all of creation. Through quantum theory, all creation is one integral whole. Paul in his teaching on The Mystical Body of Christ says the same," We are all one." Division, is the result of blurred vision, or crass ignorance on the part of human participants in the creative, creating process. Until transference of the shadow, to the vulnerable, becomes less as a practice in our the human experience, there will be no peace and harmony. Peace, as the result of reconciliation, can last, as long as honest shadow work, is operative in us, and our greater communal home.. For this you and I are responsible. " The state of the individual soul, is, reflected in the state of the greater society."
The movement into the acceptance of our "poverty spirit" will see a gradual change. Here we have to be more accepting of who we are, and where we are at, at any given moment. Paul teaches us, " We are, who we are, (in unconditional love) in, this, moment". How sacramental every unique moment is. " Now is the acceptable, now, is the time of salvation," Paul writes to the Corinthians. The acceptance of mercy-full grace allows us to move from defensive boundaries, and competitiveness , towards an open safe, welcoming space, for others." Not maybe, but really, for ourselves first, then for others. " We cannot give, what we have not got." There is a great deal, I was going to say " a mountain" of work for all to do. There are no unique exceptions, to this process of transformation and transfiguration. We must remember the words, "the kingdom, IS, within you". The kingdom is within you right now, but the realization and acceptance of this awe-full reality is a very slow process. We are blessed with glimpses, for our encouragement. If " the kingdom is to come" it will of necessity have to find a home in each one of us , FIRST ????
Finally, a lasting thought and challenge. I came across the following in my research "Viewing " how blessed are the poor of Spirit, there's is the kingdom of heaven," through quantum lens " bridges ancient spiritual wisdom, with modern theoretical physics." That is a quote to be treasured long, after I have ended this part of my journey. "
" Gracious, and mercy-full Giver of all that is good, bless us. Strengthen us, Your weakened beloved daughters and sons, with the the courage to be open to this ongoing challenges we are facing, in our cosmic home. The feelings of uncertainty, as the result of endless, war, and resulting changes are rampant. Strengthen us to meet the endless challenge of change. Open our eyes, to the All, that is already present and endlessly active. Bringing all things into an evolving wholeness, Holiness. You are forever drawing us deeper into, mystery. As we journey, may You, as, The Mystery awaken us to all that is already, present, as Your Presence unfolds." Love and blessings. Great gramps.
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