tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67430714598932552422024-02-21T01:28:02.342-06:00Spirituality Without BordersEosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-33220643425348129532016-06-14T18:48:00.001-05:002016-06-14T18:50:59.293-05:00 Grieve This Well!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Grief is an odd thing. At one moment, tears are running down my cheeks, at another I am smiling as English queer folks vogue in the street at a vigil 'cause we're folks who celebrate LIFE and do so fabulously, at another, the tears flow and I laugh at the same time. But my heart is heavy, and I want the heaviness to end, but, then feel guilty that I am somehow disrespecting the dead.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">As time passes, the tears tend to dry and the heaviness lightens, but we can never, never forget that 49 mostly Latinx queer and straight folks were gunned down and over 50 injured by a man who had deep conflict over his own sexuality. Each of us needs to grieve in his or her own way and each of us needs to respect the way others do.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">And we can't let anyone tell us how to grieve or how long to do it. No, most of us didn't know anyone personally who was killed or injured at Pulse, but we feel it viscerally. Our peeps were gunned down for being and celebrating who they were. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Know that we are in this together; you are not alone in your grief. Reach out to each other, even if via a private message or email as people have done in my case. We are FABULOUS and we will overcome! <3</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-30414608182960171172016-06-12T21:40:00.004-05:002016-06-14T17:52:43.748-05:00Let us be love and peace...49 dead/53 wounded, Orlando <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Many thanks for a kind comment from my friend, Aaron, who said I should blog or preach. I've decided to restart this blog. It's a shame that it has to start on such a horrific day: the day my queer sibs were gunned down in Orlando, Florida at Pulse Night Club. I respect that some dislike "queer" but I feel it is a term of radical inclusion.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">That a troubled person could walk into a dance club full of people just wanting to feel safe, free from the pressures of family, possibly faith, or even being out at their job, the one place of sanctuary for many of them, and just shoot them dead, is beyond belief. 50 people dead; over 50 injured. The inspectors had a terrible time because the cell phones of the dead kept ringing with frantic calls from friends and loved ones that would never be answered.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">I want to hurt the now-dead attacker. I want to hurt those elected officials who have the nerve to offer prayers while failing to require checks on prospective gun buyers. I want to hurt those religious officials who slobber and stumble all over themselves to pray for the dead, while they won't even let the living be members of their church or, if they do, ordained within it. I want to hurt those who celebrate these deaths with "it's only a bunch of gays" or "less pedophiles" and the like. I want to hurt because my heart is absolutely broken. But I can't.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">My very being cries out in rage, but also, once again, in love, for love, to BE love. Inflicting pain solves nothing, but only brings more of it. My spiritual path is about love and if I am for love I cannot be about violence. Eventually, I must rise above the baser nature of my being and radiate love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">The Beloved, as I choose to call God, is intimately in this, suffers this as we do. No sweeping in and making it all right, however. The Beloved nudges us to make for justice, to love any way, and to not be afraid. And eventually to forgive. Yup, you read that right.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">We must forgive, not right away; but we must do so in order for us to move forward. We need to let the rage go against this shooter, Omar Mateen. We need to be vessels for peace as well. We must stand in solidarity with our Muslim sisters and brothers for they are already reaching out to us. We must be peace.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Om shanti/salaam/shalom/peace</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-36847151644889632582013-09-08T16:42:00.005-05:002016-06-12T21:15:39.936-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxV-l662PbSZlKnoA9_MPS3IhxbhvyCWq1LDJTXBVi-_n3jKmkqNXb8jvAbF2n1sgVthqVJuBhvBP6gnLlixhgUrqaGUZomjJORswu5lBtgemnUpEn6Fi8yKQApfvaTYyaRezM3K73WE/s1600/DSC_6709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxV-l662PbSZlKnoA9_MPS3IhxbhvyCWq1LDJTXBVi-_n3jKmkqNXb8jvAbF2n1sgVthqVJuBhvBP6gnLlixhgUrqaGUZomjJORswu5lBtgemnUpEn6Fi8yKQApfvaTYyaRezM3K73WE/s400/DSC_6709.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Update 2016: It was an amazing day, but, sadly, OUnI no longer exists. Too much drama to go into here. I still regard myself as an Interspiritual minister, though delighted to be 30 lbs. lighter than I was here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Amazing! A ceremony that took all of 16 minutes really packed a spiritual punch. Wow!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is truly difficult to put into words what has taken so long in coming. Those who know me best, knew this would come, even when I doubted it. Had a couple of false starts, but yesterday I became an InterSpiritual minister with the Order of Universal Interfaith (OUnI), founded in the tradition of the late Br Wayne Teasdale, among so many other amazing interSpiritual pioneers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And this is an ordination, not a coronation. An intimate group gathers in a circle, of which I, too, am part. No one above anyone else; we are equals. No special status was bestowed on me. The spiritual energy, though, was palpable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">What made the day extra special is when several of my dear friends came up to lay hands me, regardless of their faith tradition or none. They affirmed what they saw there and claimed me as a ministering presence among and for all people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This ordination is not about titles and robes, but about presence and service. It's about living the interSpiritual vision, not about tearing down any religious tradition. It's not about me; it speaks to the interconnection of all sentient and nonsentient life.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-23610928648780881892013-07-11T00:12:00.002-05:002013-08-01T09:12:30.982-05:00Just Being<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpsjacwM6khZk32p3VdQhVFE3pQsvfzBSFJKlsJIdlNzbWHqUfUjTD3vD6exT_j9FPtmA4zq_U_c-3EeY17NerDz6r9VZmN260Hh0-6GXEAEtOinj1sMwjOIaKHJmKAI2xp4YGS9sUXQ/s1600/sun-light-in-thick-forest-wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpsjacwM6khZk32p3VdQhVFE3pQsvfzBSFJKlsJIdlNzbWHqUfUjTD3vD6exT_j9FPtmA4zq_U_c-3EeY17NerDz6r9VZmN260Hh0-6GXEAEtOinj1sMwjOIaKHJmKAI2xp4YGS9sUXQ/s400/sun-light-in-thick-forest-wallpaper.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Before I am anything, I am just a human being; I transcend labels, particularly religious ones. I love the God who dances between, above, under, around, and in, our beings. It's truly all about love; the rest is commentary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">A dear friend says that I am all of the traditions which feed me, yet none of them. Spot on. I don't mix "religions;" I don't <i>believe</i> as much as I simply experience it all anew each day. God IS.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I don't have to go to church, synagogue, or temple because I or others think I should. But, if and when I want to do so, I will. This is not flighty in the slightest; it simply is the way I dance in the love of God.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br />It has been, and continues to be, a blessing, to be fed by Christianity, Judaism, Sufism, and Buddhism. They speak to me, but do not contain me. </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Though I have been initiated in each of these traditions, I no longer say that I am a Christian, a Jew, a Sufi, or a Buddhist; I simply </span><i style="color: #38761d;">am</i><span style="color: #38761d;"> a fallible child of God walking the Way, dancing with the mystics of each tradition. It is by so doing that I see that of God within all Life and am compelled to live compassionately and make for justice...</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-66054888136472707542013-06-03T20:26:00.000-05:002013-10-16T00:10:58.287-05:00Faith in the Mean Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLyriyrbx8lf56MFWiHpEilDm8we44Sbv8qNzBA0q3QKT4szP_aJP9sHGcAdaVOKjbTiNQmFkq7DntIIgJBxsEEALcnQv6Ii2QNkHsLvPGn8QOYliXYYDb_I2LG5r5acxWnorLLWpFIY/s1600/washing_feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLyriyrbx8lf56MFWiHpEilDm8we44Sbv8qNzBA0q3QKT4szP_aJP9sHGcAdaVOKjbTiNQmFkq7DntIIgJBxsEEALcnQv6Ii2QNkHsLvPGn8QOYliXYYDb_I2LG5r5acxWnorLLWpFIY/s400/washing_feet.jpg" width="340" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It's interesting just letting go and letting be what is. Often times, simply standing still in the middle of the storm invigorates. In the words of an old Quaker hymn: "No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging. Since love is lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">A sense of equanimity pervades my being; not much riles me now. But I also find that I am deeply passionate even more than before about issues in which I believe. This is a deeply-felt feeling that is balanced by the spiritual.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Life is truly a sacrament--all of it--not just the neat and tidy, but also the dull and grimy. Living in the present moment reveals such freely-given grace in the darndest of places. It's breathtaking.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Birdsong and car horn's blaring, my psalms of praise to an unknown God. Being present to all beings, sentient or not, my communion of love. Graffiti of wall and heart, my scripture. Tears of gratitude or frustration, or both, falling...my baptism. A smile of acceptance, my absolution.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Let me, then, be a minister, not of creed and <i>ordo</i>, but of hope and silliness, of comfort and compassion. Let me know that I may not have all the answers other than to be deeply present.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-60414619937618188552013-05-20T12:36:00.000-05:002013-05-21T18:12:35.556-05:00The Circle of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Death, where is thy sting? Right in my heart, thank you! How can a cat, or a person for that matter, be alive one minute and dead the next? It really is that quick.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It was surreal to wrap Lucy the cat's lifeless body in a cotton towel, dig her grave, and bury her. I have done this before with other pets and I will do so again. What once was live, lives no more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Loved ones, whether animal or human, die. It's that simple. And when they're dead, no life force is present. My hope is that we will meet again; my heart tells me that this is so.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This beloved cat was only seven years old; she died as the result of an accident in which she most likely slipped, while sleeping, from the kitchen table and cracked her neck under a heavy chair that fell with and on her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Her brother/litter mate, Ricky; her cat sister, Gidget; and her dog sister, Ginger, as well as Jim and I mourn her. Grieving is another form of letting go; it sucks, but is necessary in order to go on. The Circle continues.</span></div>
Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-69847380571273446402013-05-19T22:39:00.000-05:002013-05-20T00:14:59.321-05:00An Empty Fullness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is amazing the twists and turns that my spiritual journey has taken. I have gone over bumps, been jostled to and fro, hit brick walls, and have had any sense of God disappear completely from my life. I have also been to the depths and heights of ecstasy, feeling as if God embraced me completely. I wouldn't change it for the world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Undoubtedly, most of those looking on simply don't get it--especially the ones who think they do. They mean no harm. Each of us has different ways of God-awareness.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It seems I have come to the place where Meister Eckhart's prayer has been totally realized: "I pray God rid me of God." There simply is no God there. Hell, there's no there, there. Unlike when I hit the brick wall known as the Dark Night awhile back, no terror this time. A sense of total peace pervades my being.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The challenge of this awareness is that church doesn't feel right. I feel completely disconnected from it. Again, I am not unsettled about this, merely grieving its loss. This is an amazing liminal space in which the Divine has led me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Furthermore, I need to let be what is. No need to fight it or run from it. Just accept. Patience and faith. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">At this point, I don't know whether God exists or doesn't exist. Methinks the emptiness must even include this: total letting go of all that went before. I do not know where I will end up, but I'm in this for the duration.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Chogyam Rinpoche supposedly once said of the spiritual journey, better to have never begun. Oy! He was onto something here!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">What I can do is be in the present moment, mindfully. No more; no less. What a trip...</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-86564912272600688622013-01-16T15:38:00.000-06:002013-01-16T15:41:40.145-06:00Slowing Down and Allowing the Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is amazing what some perspective can do. Taking time to go deep and just sit there in the Presence of God Who bursts into bloom within the heart that is open to God. Giving voice to things with a trusted person helps that to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">In meeting with my spiritual director today, a Jesuit, I was able to do just that; but something more important happened. With no prodding from him, the Holy Spirit stirred my deepest thoughts and allowed them to rise. More questions than answers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">When I step back and look at the Church, I see it as gasping under its feudal structure; yet I also see the countless mystics who remained within it, calling it to a deeper holiness. No human institution is perfect; I have no illusions that it ever will be. And therein lies the rub.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And yet it goes deeper still. It is being willing to stand in and with and within this Mystery, knowing that God experiences all of this with me--the joys and sorrows. God made it, yet God contemplates it with and through me. This is holy ground even though it <i>feels</i> as if the ground beneath my feet has fallen away.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This liminal space invites me to let go of what was, yet not be fully part of what is to be. In this place of in-between, God calls me to look at Creation through God's eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Jesus knows this intimately. He protests the horrific conditions in which his people live. He embodies compassionate action. He does this even to the point of asking that this chalice pass from him the night before his execution. Jesus is profoundly human and this is what makes him so compelling.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This very human Jesus invites me to walk with him as he walks with me. He asks what do I have to offer a Church and world so sorely in need of love and transformation. I want to run and hide, saying "who, me?" But Christianity is not done alone; it is communal in nature. So it is with this question that I am left and must engage. The answer remains a mystery for the time being.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So, what is this Catholic do about <i>going</i> to church in light of this. This does not have to be answered definitively right now. I have this tendency to want to fill in a hole when it becomes evident. Better to allow time to be silent and listen to the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I am going to be spending time with the Quakers for now, and also going to Mass on Saturday or during the week. And, more importantly, I am going to let it all go and allow God to lead the way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is amazing how these insights came to the fore in the compassion of my spiritual director who held the situation gently, allowing it all to simply be. </span></div>
Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-53491335887865425822013-01-06T22:59:00.001-06:002013-02-14T22:34:27.302-06:00To a Place of Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XdB4ZqdqGzrzC5bYrJEbvLsMlozOZmG97kJ07k-AgtElTtRxL6MEGpPASUpoIr7TrxfG_GwIkEhGWG444ugaPeqH7yQ8NlTW92fxGQps0b5ybL9N8ma0EZ4HFtxg7zecWnCyk-tJzHw/s1600/304455_430731646976233_461408571_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XdB4ZqdqGzrzC5bYrJEbvLsMlozOZmG97kJ07k-AgtElTtRxL6MEGpPASUpoIr7TrxfG_GwIkEhGWG444ugaPeqH7yQ8NlTW92fxGQps0b5ybL9N8ma0EZ4HFtxg7zecWnCyk-tJzHw/s640/304455_430731646976233_461408571_n.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Did I leave the Roman Church, or did it leave me? Maybe we left each other; maybe it doesn't matter. But let us be clear: I am still a Eucharistically-centered Christian in love with the saints and mystics, and most importantly, Jesus. But the Eucharist, the saints, mystics, and Jesus embrace a whole lot more than just the Roman Church! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I wish I could hang in there but I can no longer take the abuse from the Pope, the bishops, and many priests; I refuse to take part in my own oppression any longer. The hateful language they spew forth over gay/lesbian and women's issues befouls the Church. Their response to the abuse crisis has rendered their moral authority flaccid. I thought I could hang in there until the "seeds of regeneration" break ground or at least have that hope, but I no longer have that desire. Merely finding an inclusive parish does not solve anything, either.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">But, I also have theological reservations with this Church. For one thing, where does one draw the line with theological disagreement? When does one stop being a Roman Catholic? It seems to me, that many, whether conservative, liberal or somewhere in between, want their dissent and their Church as well. That can only happen to a point, but then it can go too far and a person has to ask himself or herself that all important question.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So, for now at least, I dance in the Heart of God, interconnected with all life. It is "outside" the Roman Church, but a place of grace nonetheless, as a friend of mine said upon hearing I had decided to leave. <b>If</b> I am called to embrace a Christian tradition later, it will most likely be the Episcopal Church, as I find myself more in sync with Anglican theology, delightfully finding God in the messiness of ordinary living. It is both Catholic and Reformed, as am I; it is within it that I practiced for over 15 years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I am, however, one of those odd ducks who both loathes, yet is somewhat attracted to, organized religion. It is not always the most comfortable place to be, but it is there that I stand. It seems I didn't "leave" anything after all, but, rather, embraced the fullness of living within the joy of God.</span></div>
Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-34432008148037719552012-12-16T14:15:00.001-06:002012-12-16T14:17:41.980-06:00Free<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlib6gnmYP-g6jr4bLhrWJyLcusUXY7Ir9t_gF7QMHjK815iE0U9bCLUCyVN48PiHMn0A1uq2F7EwuHS_An7qaoa1uWLFeIVbNd1698dAzEeV2fkoB6CeUlg3ffr9hxT80U9j9nndsu0/s1600/weather-winter-fog-breaking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlib6gnmYP-g6jr4bLhrWJyLcusUXY7Ir9t_gF7QMHjK815iE0U9bCLUCyVN48PiHMn0A1uq2F7EwuHS_An7qaoa1uWLFeIVbNd1698dAzEeV2fkoB6CeUlg3ffr9hxT80U9j9nndsu0/s640/weather-winter-fog-breaking.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It seems, perhaps, that I am being called even deeper--the divine drag comes off and I face God by simply being in God's presence. When I dance, God is the music, the ground, the sky, the flute, the dance itself, and even this one dancing. I truly hear the Scripture of Life on the wings of the wind and in the streams babbling and jumping down the mountainside. As I have said, I no longer </span><i style="color: #38761d;">believe;</i><span style="color: #38761d;"> I experience God ravishing my very being. It's as if I cease to exist, only to reappear in a fuller way, if that makes any sense...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Such is life with the Divine...one would run if one could or simply not begin down this path. Once one does, no turning back...</span></div>
Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-13164559011847062772012-11-18T23:57:00.004-06:002013-02-14T22:34:47.967-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_8F-gAWQ3e0_Rx7k5VEM0Wg9zmRiD5iskRbkpaU3LbrBQhryU3dGzU4inrqzAyXPvIv28YMRpWN881NBsBSvJl943Lqem2s-HOPEHRjxSOzxuKvznC5AJKge4SQGADS9Q4mUJ4f438I/s1600/autumn-free-wallpaper-autumn-path_422_93077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_8F-gAWQ3e0_Rx7k5VEM0Wg9zmRiD5iskRbkpaU3LbrBQhryU3dGzU4inrqzAyXPvIv28YMRpWN881NBsBSvJl943Lqem2s-HOPEHRjxSOzxuKvznC5AJKge4SQGADS9Q4mUJ4f438I/s640/autumn-free-wallpaper-autumn-path_422_93077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The wind blowing through the trees</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">speaks God's will but true;</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">we fight over ancient words</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">printed on a page</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Is it not enough to say</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">a profound prayer</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">of "Thank you" for</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">All That Is</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">All Creation dances praise,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">two sticks rubbed together,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">bow to violin's caressing,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">don't you hear it?</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Let God be God, let</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">go of God, be filled,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">just Be,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">that's all there is</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Redeemingness ripples over</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">all who sing, move, praise,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">barn owl benedictions,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">laughing mountain melodies</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Radiance splendor illuminates,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">totality of life's reality,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">buzzing, rumbling, rambling,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">sizzling, ALIVE</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">For God is No Thing,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">empty in fullness,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">full in emptiness,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">welling up soul-drank hue...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Yossi Lopez-Hineynu, Copyright 2012~All Rights Reserved</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-76248809793226125462012-11-17T15:07:00.000-06:002012-11-17T15:09:24.930-06:00What do we value? What do we hold dear?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJSMvqod_V6Ho5V-8jvJmzO-sOTTlmK4TMMMEiywflSeFgDvLOR4OYm9bpkwBsaUS_niRvA9QR9Bi8fgnNfZxkojlh9hCDQtHJeb0kTbxgZqUK9pz5iN5G-RK8ELLhiirh47DaKney7g/s1600/Attacks-continue-in-Gaza-Israel_8_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJSMvqod_V6Ho5V-8jvJmzO-sOTTlmK4TMMMEiywflSeFgDvLOR4OYm9bpkwBsaUS_niRvA9QR9Bi8fgnNfZxkojlh9hCDQtHJeb0kTbxgZqUK9pz5iN5G-RK8ELLhiirh47DaKney7g/s1600/Attacks-continue-in-Gaza-Israel_8_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">BBC cameraman and his wife with the body of their 11-month old son, killed by mortar fire in their home recently in Gaza. I cannot even fathom their pain, their loss, the tender love that still is expressed through all this tragedy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">How many couples have shared this painful intimacy over the body of a lost child killed by senseless war? It could just as easily be Israeli, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Northern Irish, African, Latin American: anywhere ethnic cleansing and armed conflict takes place--why is it always the innocents who suffer? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Where is God in all of this? God could ask the same of us. What are we doing to stop war, or more importantly, make for peace? Why does this scene not outrage us, but Twinkies going away does? What do we value; what do we hold dear?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We are standing in this picture; it is our child who is wrapped in death. It is also us who surround this couple in compassion in attempts to comfort. But is also us who drop the bombs, fire the shells, and are hell-bent on the destruction of a people. We are those people who lob mortars back. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">War is oh so costly and so stupid. It proves nothing, but cuts down lives without thinking of the beautiful potential they hold. It steals the innocence of a generation. How many retired soldiers, particularly generals, have said as much.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">In just a week or so, Christians begin the period of Advent, when we prepare for the child Jesus to be born. The land in which he was born is a war zone. Jesus was a Palestinian Jew: he is the symbol of peace if we will but allow him to be born. Can we do that?</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-24478310305743901122012-11-12T19:53:00.001-06:002012-11-12T20:07:36.198-06:00Sit With It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXbfESdemPU1buLTt1r0Qi0Cj0tPPR7lsfaXF4fJGDSqr8v8TzZZS3zTjYBIcgvOjT5iwBXgPFKXgWATFzba4yYi-Y-jluecVwtLLwSE_8nFxrTI4j74RtIrRxzbW4KR7IkLbEPcBg10/s1600/197977_1947521451795_1355328355_32278091_6085969_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXbfESdemPU1buLTt1r0Qi0Cj0tPPR7lsfaXF4fJGDSqr8v8TzZZS3zTjYBIcgvOjT5iwBXgPFKXgWATFzba4yYi-Y-jluecVwtLLwSE_8nFxrTI4j74RtIrRxzbW4KR7IkLbEPcBg10/s400/197977_1947521451795_1355328355_32278091_6085969_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Sit with it. Sit with emptiness that is really full, though I do not have any way of truly knowing that. Let go of <b>everything</b>! Yikes...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">But it is the only way to be. My late friend, Br Randy, a hermit in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, said more episodes of the dark night would visit me, and probably be worse (from my perspective). Damn, he was right!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">More than anything, I would like to give up this sitting, to just walk away and get on with my life. But I can't. Whenever I attempt to do so, something holds me, and it is not fear. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And, it is never a good idea to make major changes when in this state. So, I am just present to and with the Emptiness; it is present to and with me as well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">With the exception of my experience of community last week, church neither beckons nor calls. I do read Compline every day; I sit in Silence. While I may not like it, it is okay.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Supposedly it is always darkest before the dawn. I just have to trust that is so and that, some day, the Light will shine even more brightly.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-36032123744091287792012-11-04T23:08:00.001-06:002012-11-04T23:10:48.891-06:00Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4skD0o22CFdWO1c72wutAwR71PcGVesj5isV7TxHkW3x4r53Q53U4sjpYBjFyvCxkzNxPGLwVNanqCQlDOMdzeJzl5HJ-94Qvwcq5Wb_3h0tsGW-PFC7e-2Vhxqmkzsuim2l37cVJ0Q/s1600/162943_1796029144582_1355328355_32005194_2795592_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4skD0o22CFdWO1c72wutAwR71PcGVesj5isV7TxHkW3x4r53Q53U4sjpYBjFyvCxkzNxPGLwVNanqCQlDOMdzeJzl5HJ-94Qvwcq5Wb_3h0tsGW-PFC7e-2Vhxqmkzsuim2l37cVJ0Q/s400/162943_1796029144582_1355328355_32005194_2795592_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I had a profound experience today. It was not an end to this dark night in which I find myself; in fact, I wasn't moved by the ceremony itself <i>per se. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">A group of friends (some are ordained) gathered around a dining room table. No vestments, no collection, no creed, no religious politics, just a group of folks coming together to offer thanks. But in this simplicity, the power of <b>community</b> was felt in a way that none of us feel in church. Sounds like Jesus and Co.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It seems like a good place to be. It nurtures my very being. It may not be officially Roman Catholic, but God is bidden and present.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">I have no idea where I will end up eventually; I may leave organized religion altogether. But at this table, I will always be welcome, for which I am grateful.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-60986699974890985442012-11-02T14:04:00.003-05:002012-11-02T14:04:29.201-05:00What it's all About?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Oh, yes, the institutional Church strikes again. The University of San Diego has disinvited British theologian, Tina Beattie, from coming there on orders from the Vatican. Oh my, she signed an advertisement support civil marriage equality in her homeland. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The Church on the institutional level needs to get over itself. The hierarchy is morally bankrupt in light of the abuse crisis: thousands are leaving it every day. The second largest religious group in this country is comprised of former Catholics (10%); the "nones" are now 20% of the US population. </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Where is the dialogue promised by Vatican II? Bishops, the people are not listening to you anymore. At all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The paradigm is shifting; some experience as it is happening now. The Community of Disciples is alive and well; it always has been and always will be. Eventually, bishops will remember their place as SERVANTS of the servants of God and God's people. Collegiality will govern the Church comprised of priests (both male and female), married folks, Religious, LGBT, mentally and physically challenged, people of all races, and single/widowed people. The Beloved Community will come, with or without the present cadre of bishops.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Jesus came to preach the GOOD NEWS of liberation for all. He is compassion incarnate. Let us incarnate Christ and BE the Church, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit! The rest will take care of itself.</span></div>
Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-27218806009504010192012-10-24T23:15:00.001-05:002012-10-24T23:15:11.404-05:00Dark nights and the Presence of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It seems to me that many folks give up when they hit a dark night. It is, indeed, terrifying the first time one goes through it. It often comes several other times in one's life. It is as if the rug is pulled out from under you; it does a number on complacency.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">What I learned in spiritual direction today, however, is that being one with the darkness can yield great spiritual fruit. Sitting in it means I am in the Presence, though I am not aware of it. </span><span style="color: #38761d;">God is in my presence, too.</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> I certainly don't </span><i style="color: #38761d;">feel </i><span style="color: #38761d;">it. I have to trust on that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">If my heart didn't long for God so strongly, I wouldn't be writing this post. I simply wouldn't care. That's just it; I care that much. But it means that I have to be vulnerable; I am not in control. That part sucks, but it is totally necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">God is just as much in the darkness as in the light. I just have to sit and let God be, trusting in the process.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-40140297890690572422012-08-25T20:21:00.001-05:002012-08-25T20:21:45.795-05:00There is a time to be born...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It's hard to believe that I will turn 47 yrs old at approximately 8:03 tomorrow, to be exact. Wow! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Seems I was just 20, or 30, or even 40; where do the decades go? I have been blessed richly in this life, as much, if not more, by the hardships, as the good times. Many folks have come and gone in my life. I am the richer for it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Even though I am a graduate student, I know far less now than at 20, when I thought I knew everything! My greatest prayer is gratitude; a simple "Thank you" to God for each day, each moment, spent wisely or not--for all things can teach if allowed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I have learned not to take life so seriously or be as concerned with what others think. Oh, I have my moments where I do, but they are less and less now. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We only have so much time on this earth. The older I get, the more I am aware of this. My prayer is to spend it wisely dancing in the fields of the Lord. Let my whole existence be an "Amen"!</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-20126597512667944812012-08-02T22:17:00.005-05:002012-08-02T22:17:37.155-05:00Touched by Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">As I turned off Canal Street onto Roosevelt Road this morning, I started listening to Phil Collins sing "True Colors" on the radio; I lost it. At first, I thought about all the bullied kids who took their life after years of abuse. Damn near ran off the road.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">As I crested the hill on Roosevelt Road, another feeling hit me. I simply loved <i>everyone</i> in an incredibly deep way. I didn't see the light Merton saw, but I experienced total love: for all life, sentient and non, with no agendas, distinctions or labels. It simply was. It took me several hours to process.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Songs can inspire, but not like this. This emotion was <b>overpowering</b>. As soon as it hit, it was gone but a few minutes later. But I am grateful that it happened. Things like this have taken place before, but this was the most powerful. All Creation danced with the Divine in that moment; love was real.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-72416487612557415432012-07-19T22:59:00.002-05:002012-07-19T23:13:32.634-05:00Alleluia!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Joy is like a river! I keep hearing the Alleluias sing under the buzz of the world. Yes, I know that evil exists in this world; I have witnessed it and been victimized by it. The institutional Church has been part of it. But, I return to the Church, the People of God, far wiser than when I left it. No Stockholm Syndrome here; if you think there is, you haven't a clue about who I am.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">At almost 47, I am simply able to live with the paradoxes. I can live with things that are grey; naturally they are also tinged with purple, orange, torquoise, red, electric blue and green! Change is the only constant; I am at home with that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">To me, if we don't "go and receive our mission" (the real meaning of the words at the end of the Mass) and go out and make for justice and peace, our time in church is a farce. To be able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we have to be able to <i>be</i> the Body and Blood of Christ to the poor and the marginalized. We have to get lost in serving others in order to find ourselves, to paraphrase Gandhi. We have to both feed the hungry and find out why they are hungry; comfort the oppressed and ask why others are putting them down. We need <b>both</b> to celebrate the Mass and to ask the questions that make for justice!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We need to realize, too, that "the energy of Mass is equal to our willingness to empty our egos" (<i>Why Stay Catholic: Unexpected Answers to a Life-Changing Question, </i>Michael Leach, <i>97</i>). By emptying ourselves, we allow God to fill us and move us. We become as Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Christ's emerging--incarnation--shows us that matter, matters. We need always to thank God for creation because it reflects God's light and love; it sings God's song. If we look closely enough, we can learn a lot about God by being silent and observing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Francis referred to "Brother Sun" and "Sister Moon" and even, "Sister Death." None of these things <i>is</i> God, but they all point <i>to</i> God. He saw that we are all interconnected. Whether it was the leper he kissed or the birds to whom he preached when the people wouldn't listen, Francis knew that all creation gives glory to God. We can do no less.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-54231750362735480242012-07-04T16:08:00.000-05:002012-07-04T16:09:48.235-05:00Radical Verdancy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">What joy to be studying St Hildegard, St Bridget of Kildare and St Julian of Norwich, plus the Beguines in this week's class entitled "Mystics, Prophets and Rebels," with Edwina Gateley. She brings them alive!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">One thing that God says to Dame Julian in a vision: "Don't worry if you feel nothing in your prayer; it is still precious to me." How easy to make it about myself. It's just what I have been doing for so long--whining and pining for God. All I had to do was pray and God would handle it; all I had to do was hang in there while simultaneously letting go.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">When I finally cried out in desperation to God, things changed. I needed to get to the end of my rope, as it were. I needed to be so empty, to have nothing left. Only then could I <i>receive</i> the very God I could not feel. God was in my heart all along.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">My fear is that so many get to this point, and then just give up on God not waiting for this receiving. Dame Julian, however, reminds us that "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We are ALL mystics if we allow ourselves the freedom to be just that. We need to get out of the mind and into the verdancy of the heart. When we do that, we look around and realize some things need changing--in Church and society. What we then have to say may alarm the officials; but what of it?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">An acquaintance of mine knew a Sister years ago who wore a pin; it said "Religious are DANGEROUS." We go deep into the stuff of life and find God there, right in the chaos; miracles do happen. We need to listen closely to our hearts to hear God's voice calling us to our special work realizing God's Reign.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We need to get RADICAL--get to the root of things. We need to stir things up, not for the sake of doing so, but to allow compassion and justice to flow. When we go deep into Godding, we see with different eyes.</span></div>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-76354203887597625662012-06-27T18:35:00.001-05:002012-07-02T13:43:54.253-05:00Letting Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I am giving away six boxes of books. Why, you ask? Because they're in the way and they are bogging me down, internally as well as externally. I need to let them go wherever someone else can use them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">These are not books I'd get rid of normally. Things, however, on the outside have a way of reflecting things on the inside. I need to unload. You might have something else that gets in the way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And believe me: I am a <b>bibliophile</b> extraordinaire! When I did this a few years ago, some of my friends thought I was nuts; I was, perhaps, in a way. But the mistake I made then is that I did not state an intent; I just did it. The feelings after I did it went from euphoria to same-old, same-old pretty fast.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is good to speak an intent to the God within, asking him/her to help you change and grow. The Reign of God is most definitely within. The problem today is that too many of us are afraid to <i>ask. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This certainly is not New Age in the least. All too often, New Age spirituality focuses on "prosperity consciousness." One asks for even more things to bog one down. No, one has to let go, and allow God to lead. Much of this New Age spirituality is "me" focused. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I cannot, however, reside only in the mind; rather, I have to allow myself to be guided by the song in your heart. I am feeling freer and lighter. Now, I must truly let go and allow God to speak Silence and show me how to live. God will take care of me if I let him. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This is God's song. Think, see, feel from your heart; it will make all the difference.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-51994189532962914492012-06-25T22:58:00.000-05:002012-06-25T22:58:29.535-05:00Two Parades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I love a parade! Actually, Jim and I rarely go to Pride, but did go this year. We went to honor the various religious groups, including the Mormons, and organizations making justice, like the Howard Brown Health Center, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, The Night Ministry and PFLAG. And, yes, to dance a bit and catch some FABULOUS beads.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It is important to honor the struggle of the LGBT community and to celebrate life, which can be all to serious much of the time. We need to remember and we need to be proud everyday. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Later, however, I went to Mass at my parish, <a href="http://www.stclementchurch.org/">St Clement Church</a>. We had a parade there too. No beads or floats, but a procession of gifts to the altar. Simple gifts of bread and wine, destined to become the sacrament of Holy Communion. No magic, just the power of the Holy Spirit and the will of the people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And then (as part of the same motion, really), we each get up and march to the altar singing for joy to meet our Lord once again. And, somehow, we are changed, transformed, transfigured as a result. We become radiant. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Two parades, one day. Both bless me. I am gay and Catholic, and proud of both. The LGBT community and the Catholic Church each have a lot of growing and healing to do. My hope is that they can help each other.</span>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-19498289039671315202012-06-21T18:06:00.004-05:002012-07-02T13:44:06.984-05:00Coming Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">My friend Cecilia died last week. She was a joyful and radiant soul from Peru, a Third Order Carmelite dedicated to working with the poor of her native country. She was here in the States pursuing a Masters degree through Loyola's Institute for Pastoral Studies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">My friend Thom is very much alive. Among other things, he is a blogger. His recent postings "Vaya Sin Dios I and II" speak truth. His writing is a wonderful ministry; he is a Secular Franciscan.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">My close friends and classmates live their faith daily. So do my professors and the staff of IPS.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">All of these folks have had a profound impact on who I am and am becoming. They know how I have raged at the injustices committed by the Church against the Sisters, women, LGBT folks, children, and the list goes on. They have also stood by the Church; I left it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Right after Cecilia died, I wondered what she would say to me. I could hear her getting excited saying "Don't worry about the hierarchy and some of the priests; just do IT!" Just live your faith; it's a relationship. She is right.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I simply cannot remain outside the Church, the Roman Catholic Church, any longer; it's where my heart sings. Yes, I still disagree with it on many issues. But I also stand in the long tradition of dissenting with an <i>informed conscience</i>. Many saints did it, so why not me? Many were treated like crap by the Church, but didn't give up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Heaven knows that I have a rather interesting journey of faiths. That's okay. Some will be betting how long I remain this time. But something's different; I am different. I am far more ready to weather the storms because I am in a much more secure place than before; I am home.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">In returning, I find myself in very good company. People are not taking things sitting down any more. This is an exciting time to be a Catholic! The Spirit of Vatican II still beats in the hearts of faithful Catholics everywhere. I need and want to be part of a Church that is so much more than cranky hierarchs and some stodgy clergy, though the Church includes them, too! I want to show folks the beauty that is the Church.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Coming back will not be easy; but it will be worth it.</span></div>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-19744123337630468552012-06-13T16:40:00.000-05:002012-06-13T16:40:13.801-05:00Brandon Elizardes, Presente<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">What the hell is going on here? Another young gay man, Brandon Elizardes, takes his own life after being bullied. He simply wanted to be himself. School officials in this case (and this was in Texas, mind you) even attempted to help; it was not enough.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We can have all the gay and lesbian pride we want, but it will not bring Brandon, or any of the others who have died by suicide, back. We mourn the loss of so many beautiful kids who didn't even stand a chance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Obviously, it doesn't get better for everyone; it didn't for Brandon. Haters can be found <i>everywhere</i>. When they literally hound someone to death, they must pay the price. A thirty-day slap on the wrist doesn't do it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">When the memorial candles go out and Brandon's cold body is laid in the earth, what can and will be done? When God is silent, what should we do? The solution, whatever it is, is not easy to find; but we cannot give up trying to reach it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Brandon's death reminds us that not everything's coming up rainbows.</span></div>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743071459893255242.post-21473061899825810822012-06-09T20:40:00.000-05:002012-06-09T20:41:03.029-05:00What's it all about?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuCY37n5NmMSvdNPQiDUA_JkpeCUvo1XAQ6_eXDPFbo7VVxoUMJKShwxyoHJMZZ4rsIN_NDVJ0tYrzCFPApj6C7Kf1CGJ-1WobT0GtB5vYaiR-yYBXgYY6PFNYR0Nd441dm0J62_NL1I/s1600/Santiago+de+Compostela...camino.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuCY37n5NmMSvdNPQiDUA_JkpeCUvo1XAQ6_eXDPFbo7VVxoUMJKShwxyoHJMZZ4rsIN_NDVJ0tYrzCFPApj6C7Kf1CGJ-1WobT0GtB5vYaiR-yYBXgYY6PFNYR0Nd441dm0J62_NL1I/s400/Santiago+de+Compostela...camino.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">So who or what is God? God, if God exists, simply IS. God cannot really be given human qualities and certainly cannot be put in anyone's box.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Can I "worship" God? I <i>surrender</i> to the Totality that is Godding, I suppose; but I cannot sing hymns and chant psalms to this God. It seems artificial, forced, fake. My hope is to LOVE this God, if that is possible.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">And what about death and what, if anything, comes after? If nothing comes after of which we are conscious, then the whole thing is a farce. I will not slobber over a God who allows me to be annihilated when my life ends. If we continue somehow, then, I want to love this God with my whole being--no doctrine, dogma--just pure love.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Frankly, I wish I could let this issue go, but I cannot. A "God seed" seems to have been planted within my heart and is blooming; no amount of rationalization can erase it. It does come perilously close at times! That being said, however, I cannot stomach easy answers and cutesy little hymns...no more <i>belief,</i> just being.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Oy...</span></div>Eosaidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00628855760268033937noreply@blogger.com2