Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Letter to the Scottish "Catholic" Observer
Dear Sir –
Up until eight years ago neither myself or my wife new
anything but the longest Papacy in history. Concurrently the imminent papal
conclave is both exciting and fascinating for her and I.
However I was disappointed with Kevin McKenna’s recent
comments, “Pity Those who take a Pop at the Pope.” It dismayed a deep
seated and parochial understanding of the faith handed on to us by Holy
Tradition.
In addition the fact that Pius XII helped thousands of Jews
during the war does not belong in your “Recent News” section. John Paul II refered to the Jewish people as, “Our
Older brothers and Sisters in the Faith.” Since the war It has been well known
that after the horrors of war and anti-semitic Holocoust had subsided the chief
Rabbi of Rome converted to Catholicism because of the example of the much maligned Euginio
Pacelli.
McKenna is correct in one respect – the purpose of Benedict’s
papacy was to imbed what the man who personified the Sixties Council gave us.
As such we salute “Papa Beni” and after obviously
contemplative works such as Jesus of
Nazereth we, his loyal flock, look forward to further reflections in
retirement.
The church’s current
position is unprecedented in modernity. As such Benedict will be a wise advisor
to whoever next occupies the shoes of the humble Gallilean Fisherman. The best
symbolic gesture he made was to change the crown on the papal coat of Arms to a
more appropriate mitre.
However the embedding of the social democratic model has
meant that the stated aim of the current Popes tenure – the re-evangelisation
of Europe – was outmoded and outdated. “Selfish
Society” is an oxymoron and as we saw with the French Banlieue riots Europe teeters
on a knife edge, unable to accommodate different world views.
Ideology has had its day and Chrisendom wisely looks south
for a leader. What we need now is a man with a coherent systematic view of reality
centred outside the continent that has given us some of the most fruitful and
at the same time some of the most militantly atheistic outlooks of the last
thousand years.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Our Town
Individual interpretation of Scripture has lead tosome of the grossest discrepancies in history. When doing Crossroads it was quite incredible approaching settlemennts and with typical North American earnestness, seeing signs; "REPRESENTED IN SMALLTOWN, USA" and a couple of hundred denominations denoted.
What has this done for us?
What legacy has the European enlightenment left the Great Experiment?
This is quite farcical, but at least ecumenism is stromger in a country where religion has no cultural tags or remebered grievances.
What happens in practice is that legalism is returned to and adherents become even more religous than that which they were trying to leave behind in Europe. Constructing a systemitic view of reality on the back of with a few 'trump card' scriptures as their base gurus soon rise; as well the inevitable hypocracies when the new laws that are constructed to keep order are transgressed.
What equally disturbed me was seeing a child's Catholic Apologetics card linking, "I will lead you into all Truth" with the majesterium. I have found on my spiritual search that one thing is certain - Christ and any othe prophets did not come on Earth to establish more rules. They are about providing plumblines to the divine which are generally not straight! Christ could have done easily given Divine sanction to the the Whore of Babylon, the Roman Emporer, but chose not to,streching out His Divine arms in the Ultimate show of vulnerability. As we have seen (in Justicio) great men and women are made to decimate established juridical structures - to 'sense' the need of the people to move on. In the same way evil men, like Joseph Stalin, have half a finger on the pulse of the people, lacking the full picture. The are only able to stay in power by lying about how terrible it is on the other side. This is made even more apparent as we look to North Korea.
With the all of the world's information now available to any individual let us hope we are now on the verge of some incredible advances. As the Police at Downing Street apparently found out it is technologically and technically no longer possible to lie.
Blood Brother Gael
People from
honest hard working, mico cultures generally do not project
self image but the problem with this is that you rely on others in your
micro-community to tell you
1) what your meta-narritive is
2) Therefore what your values are
3) As such who you are
I guess this is what the enlightenment was about but concurrent definitions of progress were obviously flawed.
This is why the numerous Celtic siants were were generally forged in foriegn fields. In terms of zeitgeist Scotland has now fallen between two stools as after the collapse of the Neo-Conservative mindset there is noone left to fight and the enlightenment which she forged ultimatly led to holocaust. After independebce the Island of Ireland turned to the County system for peer arrirmation. By the relative of the eurozone she and the former eastern bloc sttes have only just been mercifully spared becoming one of Feurstien's expolded cultures. Otherwise the social democratic model has ruined the naturally creative, uncompromising Celtic soul. Protestantism gave us individuation and enlightenment. In addition the monarchical Celtic feminie bent towards following a personality rather than a law was satisfied for Scotland in Empire. As a part of something bigger than herself Scotland flourished for centuries and by the time of the Easter Rising Ireland was in much the same position it had been for centuries.
1) what your meta-narritive is
2) Therefore what your values are
3) As such who you are
I guess this is what the enlightenment was about but concurrent definitions of progress were obviously flawed.
This is why the numerous Celtic siants were were generally forged in foriegn fields. In terms of zeitgeist Scotland has now fallen between two stools as after the collapse of the Neo-Conservative mindset there is noone left to fight and the enlightenment which she forged ultimatly led to holocaust. After independebce the Island of Ireland turned to the County system for peer arrirmation. By the relative of the eurozone she and the former eastern bloc sttes have only just been mercifully spared becoming one of Feurstien's expolded cultures. Otherwise the social democratic model has ruined the naturally creative, uncompromising Celtic soul. Protestantism gave us individuation and enlightenment. In addition the monarchical Celtic feminie bent towards following a personality rather than a law was satisfied for Scotland in Empire. As a part of something bigger than herself Scotland flourished for centuries and by the time of the Easter Rising Ireland was in much the same position it had been for centuries.
UK Realpolitik
In my home country, UK it was made abundantly clear at the
Downing Street (White House) gates recently that even the UK police can
sometimes make the mistake of thinking that they are above the law. As a family
friend said recently, “Nobody polices the police.” Due to our traditional
emphasis on free speech, tolerance and accountability we have always had a relatively incorrupt police service. Our
laughing stock is our celebrity culture.
Starting with Jimmy Savile the ongoing police paedophile ring
investigation is horrifying and beggars belief. It must be said however that it
is no wonder that these people apparently behaved in the manner in which they
did. The pattern by which we exhalt and then pulverise celebrity is perverse in
itself. The police are not the only ones that believe they are above the law.
Andrew Mitchel was Conservative chief whip, but the hopefuls
for the Downing Street job are becoming younger and younger. In this amoral age we must ask ourselves the perennial
question that we once asked of our leaders – “If these people are willing to act in this way towards their nearest
and dearest then how would they behave towards us, whom they do not know?” British
generic socialism should have fallen on the beach with Kinnock, but seems to
have resurfaced with the fratricidal Ed Milliband. A Post social democratic, genuine
and clearly articulated Third Way may have had a chance under Ed’s promising,
brilliant and understated brother David Milliband but after the leadership was
taken from under the latter’s nose in a typally leftist, definitevely Machiavelian
and Stalinesque manner by his underhand brother a young promising, self-effacing foreign
secretary used to addressing the United
Nations was last seen on the board of a third rate UK soccer team. The left has
always been fractuois and complicated which is generally a sign that something
is far from God.
The word Diabolo means
fractured.
The winning of the upper middle class has always been
pivotal to gaining the political leadership of working social democracies.
Aristotle noted that they weigh up and take the good from both the left and the
right, deciding if either or is going to stay on or let another philosophy have
a chance. The US copied the UK’s bi cameral system. Despite Reagan’s claims to Keep the world safe for Democracy North
American voting apathy is a result of too
much democracy - the senate is
completely elected. In the UK we must look to this as we tinker with the Lords,
and remember that thus far our bi cameral system has given us left of centre
triumphs like the NHS and Margaret Thatcher’s reforms from the right. What is dangerous now however is that like the
rest of the polity the middle class are generally narrow, historically ignorant
and often apathetic. Tony Blair’s genius was similar to that of the great Christian
writer C.S. Lewis – making complicated
things sound simple. Armed with such weapons the swinging middle class can then
be wooed.
Blair’s philosophy
was never definitively articulated. All he offered was what we needed to feel
good about ourselves at the time. In William Hague’s word’s He just sat on things. The Third Way is
now dead, extinct under UK Labour and a damp squib under Obama.
Micro finance is emphasised and much is made of the hope
that the Third World does not make our socio economic mistakes, but much closer
to home in the Former Soviet Bloc the far right is being looked to answer the
embarrassingly obvious questions that are being asked of the Occidental Social Democratic
model.
Since the “Evil Empire” collapsed our wars have become
hotter. We have fought governments and insurgents that we trained and funded
ourselves. In so doing have stretched our respective militaries to breaking
point. Blair’s transposition of traditionally right wing oratorical persuasion
was imperative to America or she risked becoming an international pariah
herself.
Current opinion polls might say otherwise but unless left
with no other option the Upper Middle class will never elect Ed Miliband. In
fact with the Labour party becoming at least unilaterally unelectable once
again the UK is probably condemned to a generation of unstable government,
absolutely defeating the purpose of our hitherto robust, sensible and
productive First Past the Post System.
The incumbent Prime Minister knows this and is completely
justified in taking his chance and calling a vote on Europe. This is called
leadership and should be applauded and not maligned.
Surprisingly for a man who was impressed by the ferocious
audaicity of the late John Smith I would rather vote for David Cameron than Ed
Milliband. Personal integrity in a politician is integral. With his EU exit
referendum proposal Cameron has at least done something with his tenure and is
offering us a plebiscite on EU membership. Britain will always be a masculine
country of legalists and does not seem to fit into the generally Latin and
therefore feminine spirit of the EU. As Scotland looks to her future in 2014 by
2020 as a country we should all at least have laid some perennial, niggling existential
banshees to rest.
As a born and bred Scotsman it was a pleasure to recently
experience the latest instalment of the Albert R. Broccoli franchise Skyfall. The film climaxes when Bond
returns to his Highland roots. We learn that the arch British hero is in fact
the product of a Franco-Scots marriage.
An acknowledgment of the current socio-political discourse?
Probably.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
New York
Around the time of the Olympics there I heard a suggestion that as the
World HQ of Coca Cola Atlanta was the cultural capitol of the world.
Interesting.
However I would dispute this vociferously.
Having lived in New York I would say that with her constant movement, green spiritual lungs and immense creativity that mantle belongs to Atlanta's sister, further North. The Beijing Olympics, majestic as they were, were contrived compared to London so I imagine that our beating heart will soon move to Mumbai, of which I have never had the pleasure.
Anyway I was working in New York when John Paul II left us.
Astonishingly I found myself in Assisi, when the world was in Rome, enjoying a small glass of wine with regulars at the railway cafe feeling quite eschatoligical for his funeral.
We watched a small black and white television as the Shiroc blew up sand from North Africa through the pages of the gospel, positioned on the Pole's humble Polish coffin.
In between times I sat on the Subway and perused The New York Times for profiles of the preferati. Absolutely content I looked up through the grimey Underground window as shadows flashed by. As if looking into a Hebridean hearth I imagined the head of one fiery Latin American red hat who had apparently
brought three drug barons to thier knees in repentance. My thoughts ranged back to Europe and our comfortable seminaries.
Common sense dictates that the key to bringing up children is to keep them as close to reality as possible. I imagine that most of Northern Conclave have never been anything like as close to life in the raw as that.
Interesting.
However I would dispute this vociferously.
Having lived in New York I would say that with her constant movement, green spiritual lungs and immense creativity that mantle belongs to Atlanta's sister, further North. The Beijing Olympics, majestic as they were, were contrived compared to London so I imagine that our beating heart will soon move to Mumbai, of which I have never had the pleasure.
Anyway I was working in New York when John Paul II left us.
Astonishingly I found myself in Assisi, when the world was in Rome, enjoying a small glass of wine with regulars at the railway cafe feeling quite eschatoligical for his funeral.
We watched a small black and white television as the Shiroc blew up sand from North Africa through the pages of the gospel, positioned on the Pole's humble Polish coffin.
In between times I sat on the Subway and perused The New York Times for profiles of the preferati. Absolutely content I looked up through the grimey Underground window as shadows flashed by. As if looking into a Hebridean hearth I imagined the head of one fiery Latin American red hat who had apparently
brought three drug barons to thier knees in repentance. My thoughts ranged back to Europe and our comfortable seminaries.
Common sense dictates that the key to bringing up children is to keep them as close to reality as possible. I imagine that most of Northern Conclave have never been anything like as close to life in the raw as that.
Unlikely
With our current focus on Latin America and Africa my mind inevitably
turns to that most popular form of cultural expression, the cinema film.
With its encompassing beauty I was shocked but not surprised to hear that in the materialistic 80's Morricone's The Mission was a complete flop.
It was an excellent film, but given that they all die one which my pragmatic father cannot see the point of!
One scene in particular comes to mind. Iron's Gabriel is speaking to Jean, the young Jesuit played by an concurrently young Liam Neeson,
The brothers think that De Niro's done enough Father
Yes but he doesn't think so Jean, we are part of an order, not a democracy
One thing is for sure, with 42% of the world's Catholics speaking Spanish if the church was indeed a democracy the conclave would be a foregone conclusion.
With its encompassing beauty I was shocked but not surprised to hear that in the materialistic 80's Morricone's The Mission was a complete flop.
It was an excellent film, but given that they all die one which my pragmatic father cannot see the point of!
One scene in particular comes to mind. Iron's Gabriel is speaking to Jean, the young Jesuit played by an concurrently young Liam Neeson,
The brothers think that De Niro's done enough Father
Yes but he doesn't think so Jean, we are part of an order, not a democracy
One thing is for sure, with 42% of the world's Catholics speaking Spanish if the church was indeed a democracy the conclave would be a foregone conclusion.
...Tolls?
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20111119_africae-munus_en.html
Given the distinct possibility of a Third World Pope it is fascinating that one of the last documents writen by Benedict was on the church in Africa.
Apparently the Church is, "Ready for a Third World Pope."
Benedict's stated aimof the re-evangelisation of Europe was endearing but outdated and for the most part hopeless.His affection for Benedict XV who shed tears as the Black Head threw Europe into a frenzy of self mutilation was , is commendable. However 'selfish society' is an oxymoron and as Europa's children look tothe South for a leader they balance precariously on a saw edge. as we saw with 9/11 terrorism can still unleash the worst of the occidental, comfort craving soul.
What we need now is a man who has a genuine holistic systematic view of this world and the next, rooted outside of the root of all the most fruitful and most evil empires of the last 1000 years.
With the death of neo conservativsm in the same mountains that defeated aggresive socialism we learned that occidental ideology has had its day.
Given the distinct possibility of a Third World Pope it is fascinating that one of the last documents writen by Benedict was on the church in Africa.
Apparently the Church is, "Ready for a Third World Pope."
Benedict's stated aimof the re-evangelisation of Europe was endearing but outdated and for the most part hopeless.His affection for Benedict XV who shed tears as the Black Head threw Europe into a frenzy of self mutilation was , is commendable. However 'selfish society' is an oxymoron and as Europa's children look tothe South for a leader they balance precariously on a saw edge. as we saw with 9/11 terrorism can still unleash the worst of the occidental, comfort craving soul.
What we need now is a man who has a genuine holistic systematic view of this world and the next, rooted outside of the root of all the most fruitful and most evil empires of the last 1000 years.
With the death of neo conservativsm in the same mountains that defeated aggresive socialism we learned that occidental ideology has had its day.
Lightening Strikes?
We must thank God that our Church is Catholic, that is, Universal and not a party to the Bi-polar politics of somewhere like the USA. However sometimes one would be forgiven for taking a second glance.
Apparently Ghanian Cadinal Turkson "dismayed" conservatives by calling for an international political set up to look at the evils of capitalism. Conserving what ? one wonders. Global inequality? Despite Catholic Neo Conservative streams the position of the church is that the market system is by no means the best, just the best we have.
Good luck, Pope Peter on that score.
Definition of the word 'conservative' is indeed interesting. How far back does Radical Traditionalism take us? To the man that took swearing, brutal, brawling Gallilean fisherman as his disciples and prostitues as His friends, ending his days Crucified by an authority that called a man in Rome God?
The UK right wing papers express hope the new Pope, whoever he is, continue the 'Work' of the first German Pope in history.
Forgive me for recourse to popular history at this late hour but they are missing the point.
The Greek caretaker of my daughter's previous school waxed lyrical about our own staunch Kieth Patrick O'Brien.
Cardinal Keith Patrick being a learned man driving home one evening after a function they conversed in Greek. Eddie said that his emminence was an excellent man, who would make a great Pope, in fact that at the previous conclave the fact that Scotland was a country withno ecclesiastical baggage had not been overlooked.
If we want another caretaker Pope then why not?
Apparently Ghanian Cadinal Turkson "dismayed" conservatives by calling for an international political set up to look at the evils of capitalism. Conserving what ? one wonders. Global inequality? Despite Catholic Neo Conservative streams the position of the church is that the market system is by no means the best, just the best we have.
Good luck, Pope Peter on that score.
Definition of the word 'conservative' is indeed interesting. How far back does Radical Traditionalism take us? To the man that took swearing, brutal, brawling Gallilean fisherman as his disciples and prostitues as His friends, ending his days Crucified by an authority that called a man in Rome God?
The UK right wing papers express hope the new Pope, whoever he is, continue the 'Work' of the first German Pope in history.
Forgive me for recourse to popular history at this late hour but they are missing the point.
The Greek caretaker of my daughter's previous school waxed lyrical about our own staunch Kieth Patrick O'Brien.
Cardinal Keith Patrick being a learned man driving home one evening after a function they conversed in Greek. Eddie said that his emminence was an excellent man, who would make a great Pope, in fact that at the previous conclave the fact that Scotland was a country withno ecclesiastical baggage had not been overlooked.
If we want another caretaker Pope then why not?
Papa Tired
To say that I am excited about the coming conclave would be an understatement.
Seeing as my wife is asleep I forsee that certain lenten observances will indeed be kept.
I dedicate this post, such as it is, to her whose love makes me who I am.
In my capacity as a spiritual searcher I must disclaim that I am not quite a cradle Catholic - I was
baptised in a small West Coast town when I was four, but since then, like Charlie Reid
I have wondered over half the world, but remained an ignorant man.
As a Spiritual Searcher, or just a sensible man, I must say that I can see the benefit to the World of a Roman
Catholic Pope who beats selflessly in his viens the antidote to the contemporary zietgiest while at the same
time floating effortlessly along on its good tide.
Forged in the fire of Nazism and Communism John Paul the Great was such a man, and as the World is in a
state of almost daily transformation we need a man to fill his shoes.
I said in my previous post that Benedict was a good man, not a great man. A Catholic friend of mine was
slightly taken aback tonight when I compared the resigning Pope to the American screen icon Forest Gump.
Tom Hanks has executed roles as eclectic as this and Dan Brown's proffesor Langdon. Semioticly Gump
was a conservative who for the love of a woman heroically stuck to the rules all his life when others around
him were losing their lives, virginity, innocence and worse.
As JPII's right hand man Ratzinger did an excellent job of making everyone tow the line, through liberation
theology, the excesses of the eighties and whatever. This was his personal journey, identical with the
subjective calling of the God he loved and with his short papacy dotted all the 'i's and crossed all the t's of his
fellow Central European pontiff.
Faithful to the end Benedict told us honestly and selflessly that he could not go on. Again we thank him.
Seeing as my wife is asleep I forsee that certain lenten observances will indeed be kept.
I dedicate this post, such as it is, to her whose love makes me who I am.
In my capacity as a spiritual searcher I must disclaim that I am not quite a cradle Catholic - I was
baptised in a small West Coast town when I was four, but since then, like Charlie Reid
I have wondered over half the world, but remained an ignorant man.
As a Spiritual Searcher, or just a sensible man, I must say that I can see the benefit to the World of a Roman
Catholic Pope who beats selflessly in his viens the antidote to the contemporary zietgiest while at the same
time floating effortlessly along on its good tide.
Forged in the fire of Nazism and Communism John Paul the Great was such a man, and as the World is in a
state of almost daily transformation we need a man to fill his shoes.
I said in my previous post that Benedict was a good man, not a great man. A Catholic friend of mine was
slightly taken aback tonight when I compared the resigning Pope to the American screen icon Forest Gump.
Tom Hanks has executed roles as eclectic as this and Dan Brown's proffesor Langdon. Semioticly Gump
was a conservative who for the love of a woman heroically stuck to the rules all his life when others around
him were losing their lives, virginity, innocence and worse.
As JPII's right hand man Ratzinger did an excellent job of making everyone tow the line, through liberation
theology, the excesses of the eighties and whatever. This was his personal journey, identical with the
subjective calling of the God he loved and with his short papacy dotted all the 'i's and crossed all the t's of his
fellow Central European pontiff.
Faithful to the end Benedict told us honestly and selflessly that he could not go on. Again we thank him.
2003, Date with Destiny. Turkson.
When Obama was elected it was wonderful to turn on the euronews and see old friends like Ferdi from Cameroon singing Ob-am-a, Ob-am-a on the Chausee de Wavre in Brussels. Those of us of African ethnicity were ecstatic to see one of our become the most powerful man on Earth.
Previous to Benedict XVI's typically Tuetonic forthright and honest announcement yesterday I stated that a Third World Pope would be the best thing that could happen to the church.
Reminded that he must shed his blood at anytime for the church in 2003 the Ghanian Cardinal Peter Turkson is now frontrunner among the Preferati for the most powerful spiritual office on Earth.
One is reminded of the Beatitutdes, Matt 5:5
The Poor will inherit the Earth.
Benedict was a good man, not a great man.
We need the later.
He called himself, "An honest worker in God's Vineyard" and like the rest of the church I salute him.
He will be an honest voice to turn to for a man not used to the infighting of Europe and like a piece of Saxon rock will remind Turkson of the place of the law - something which stears us but which we ultimitley reject and move on to spiritual meat.
Looking at history we can see that it generally takes a century for Councils in the Roman church to be implemented and Vatican II thus far has been no exception... but in John Paul II we had an exceptional man who personified the a Council that only our parents remember.
I do not cry over much but am left genuinly speechless looking at the inevitable Youtube documentaries of this Peacefull Warrior's last days.
Great friends; Benedict XVI was the interim "come down man" who steadfastly breastfed the faithful for eight years while we came to understand what the Late Great Polish Pope had done to us, the Church and the World as a whole. I am reminded of the Polish Poet under earlier Tuetonic occopation who stated that the Crucifiction of His Homeland would result in a Polish Pope.
The fruit of that prophecy was a lynchpin for the freeing of Poland and Eastern Europe from a far worse ideology.
As we contrast John Paul II and Benedict we see that the law does not vivify or create, only neutrally keep order.
Jesus of Nazareth was obviously from a praying mind. Concurrently it will be a pleasure to see what that same mind creates in retirement.
Previous to Benedict XVI's typically Tuetonic forthright and honest announcement yesterday I stated that a Third World Pope would be the best thing that could happen to the church.
Reminded that he must shed his blood at anytime for the church in 2003 the Ghanian Cardinal Peter Turkson is now frontrunner among the Preferati for the most powerful spiritual office on Earth.
One is reminded of the Beatitutdes, Matt 5:5
The Poor will inherit the Earth.
Benedict was a good man, not a great man.
We need the later.
He called himself, "An honest worker in God's Vineyard" and like the rest of the church I salute him.
He will be an honest voice to turn to for a man not used to the infighting of Europe and like a piece of Saxon rock will remind Turkson of the place of the law - something which stears us but which we ultimitley reject and move on to spiritual meat.
Looking at history we can see that it generally takes a century for Councils in the Roman church to be implemented and Vatican II thus far has been no exception... but in John Paul II we had an exceptional man who personified the a Council that only our parents remember.
I do not cry over much but am left genuinly speechless looking at the inevitable Youtube documentaries of this Peacefull Warrior's last days.
Great friends; Benedict XVI was the interim "come down man" who steadfastly breastfed the faithful for eight years while we came to understand what the Late Great Polish Pope had done to us, the Church and the World as a whole. I am reminded of the Polish Poet under earlier Tuetonic occopation who stated that the Crucifiction of His Homeland would result in a Polish Pope.
The fruit of that prophecy was a lynchpin for the freeing of Poland and Eastern Europe from a far worse ideology.
As we contrast John Paul II and Benedict we see that the law does not vivify or create, only neutrally keep order.
Jesus of Nazareth was obviously from a praying mind. Concurrently it will be a pleasure to see what that same mind creates in retirement.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Let Them All Be One
The problem with religion in the West is that it has been over-intellectualied. As a systematic views they must incorprate the mystical also.This is by definition terrestrillly impossible, as such creative space is needed, which can be done by subsuming and conquering evil, something which there has been ample opportunity for in the last century.We cannot terrestrialy adjudicate what is not of this Earth. If we try and do this our Popes and potentates neccesarily become Fuheurs.
It is no surprise that in undergraduate biblical studies John's Gospel is almost universaly totally ignored. It doesn't really matter who wrote the gospels. What matters is what is said in them. During a recent trip to the Holy Land I was astonished to hear not only theYouth but other members of the Pilgrimage getting hung up on the exact geographical location of the sights involved. Given that it was the only matching site in the area the cell in which Ye'shua bin Joseph was held after Gethsemine was most proably accurate. Attempts to explain this fell on deaf ears. Due to lack of interest at one of the best Theological faculties in the Western Hemisphere a class on The Classics of Western Spirituality was cancelled.
All too often we have tried to apply rationlistic, post enlightenment thinking to concepts which transcend our 'small selves.'
The saints speak to personal Truths in different cultural contexts. As the family teaches the saints true self, their I is neccesarity connected with individuated we's. The most 'in touch' Saints were not generally canonised until long after their deaths.Greater Saints go even further, speaking to the world as a whole.
It was a pleasure to be near Rome for the beloved John Paul II's funeral. Right at the eye of the needle the longest serving Pontif is a unique case. The dust must neccesarily settle first, until it is universally acknowledged how far we are brought on by a saints example, unless there is considerable influence at the Vatican. Only then does the church cach up. Although one is never alone at such great times I qued for 12 hours throughout the Roman night to see the Polish Pope lying in state. Afterwards I waited with baited breath to see if the church would acknowledge the Polish cries of, "Sainto Subito (Saint Immediatly)."
Although possible according to Holy Tradition I guess we erred on the side of caution even here. Ultimately tags don't really matter as most Carthusians and house wifes go unnoticed anyway.
John Paul II was a multifaceted individual who courted everyone from Irish Protestantism to Islam to "Our older brothers and sisters in the faith," the Jews. We're often told that despite obvious post enlightenment,religous objections Mary of Nazareth is a spiritual force for genuine ecumenism. JP II was such a figure. However during my intership with the World Youth Alliance in New York I was informed that our evangelical breathren were, "Put Off" by the phrase, "Culture of Life." Coined by the Late Great caretaker of the church this was an excellent up beat way of summarising the culture that we should ALL be aiming for. Secular thinking friends from all walks of life were otherwise fascinated by it, yet even here, with something that should have united there was division.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Our Lady of Walsingham -Patroness of England
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsSz_87WNo
"Attractive, Dependable."
Not neccesarily oxomorons but not generally synonymous in a woman either.
My wife says that I have to work on my compliments.
However there are two people I know that share these attributes.
There is a picture of one above.
I am married to the other, who makes Rosaries and Jewelery with her heart in her own mould.
handmadebymo.org
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsSz_87WNo
"Attractive, Dependable."
Not neccesarily oxomorons but not generally synonymous in a woman either.
My wife says that I have to work on my compliments.
However there are two people I know that share these attributes.
There is a picture of one above.
I am married to the other, who makes Rosaries and Jewelery with her heart in her own mould.
handmadebymo.org
Superbia
Einstien marked the veracity of theories not by how much
they made sense but by their beauty. For me this has to do with simplicity – if
it’s not easily comprehended by my finite imagination then it cannot be true!When
asked how he turned a boulder into something beautiful with ease Leonardo Da Vinci
replied –
“ I see all that should not be there and
quickly carve it off.”
Much of what Rohr, the son of a Kansas railwayman, is saying
is so beautiful that it must be true. We have lost sight of Common sense terrestrial
reality in the West. Although rooted in the Eternal Francis of Assisi
was trying to restore us to our terrestrial roots as early as the twelfth
century. Companions like Brother Death taught Francesco that he was not here
forever. He wanted his brothers to be harbingers of the present moment, the
only thing we have as a finite horizon stretches out ahead of us. He saw that the
purpose of a book was to stretch beyond ourselves, to try and make us immortal and
a vehicle for our limited ideas and warped imagination to endure, challenging
God who only deals with the cardial event of the present. As such the wiry
frame of the Little Man of Assisi was to be seen on the roof of the library
that his uninitiated brothers had constructed. Incandescent with rage he pulled
it down tile by tile.
The juridical farce that was pre-Vatican II Christianity had
at least one thing correct – Pride is the root of all evil. UK Pounds sterling,
“Promise to pay the
bearer on demand.”
In other words
” I give you something
that pretends to be something. You in return give me a material possession which
even further pumps up my ego.”
In direct
contravention to the Spirit of the Beatitudes money makes us believe we have
something when we do not.
In a spirit of misapprehension once again in true Galliean
style Francesco’s brothers brought him money that they had procured. Exclaiming
in disgust Francis took it in his mouth and dropped it in the deep earthen latrine.
Lux Eternum
Lux
I chose the Gailic name Eorpa
to denote Scotland’s unique, post-enlightenment position at the top of the
World.
We have given a lot to it and as the UK looks to two
imperative referendums in the next decade we consider our future.
In history there are always those who have allowed themselves to
be crushed in order to pass through the eye of the needle that is the
realisation own insignificance. They straighten up ecstatically and move forward unflinchingly
with their purpose.
The Glasgow shoemaker William Quarrier was such a man.
http://www.quarriers.org.uk/who-we-are/history/till-we-meet-again/
Here is another excellent Scottish charity -
http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/
Gerard Butler on purpose -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uTHSt0pHs8
Here is another excellent Scottish charity -
http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/
Gerard Butler on purpose -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uTHSt0pHs8
Mother Teresa provided an excellent commentary on the occidental situation -
"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for by everyboby, I think that is a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."
Ar the same time we need to consider the very basic obstacles to self realisation that those who cannot provide for their bodies face. In providing one meal a day in a place of education Mary's Meals strives for children to at least get a foothold on Abraham Masslow's structure.
In forthright but gentle, classically Scots manner Mary's Meals is proclaimed by its founder to be,
"The simple solution to world hunger that works."
Papa Latino
The modern widespread and generally occidental phenomena of
divorce and separation is completely unparalleled and in this post modern era
the the authorities are left with nothing but biased recourseto the victim
complex in favour of the femine. The breakdown of the nuclear family sounds the
death knell for western civilisation. The odds are stacked against separated
males. Even so groups like Fathers for Justice are missing the point. Having
once seperated from my wife I know that the involvement of Third Parties makes
things immeasurably more difficult as such I empathise deeply with groups like
Fathers for Justice who are willing to go to seemingly endless ends in order to
draw attention to their desperate plight. If society was truly impartial seeing
the traditionally exocentric masculine exhibiting such behaviour out of an
authentic spirit of genuinley aggrieved violation at the hands of external
juridical structures some very load alarm bells should be ringing in
society. When the zeitgeist is so definitvley
stacked in favour of the feminine by the language of rights and militant
feminism calm, dispassionate discourse goes out of the window.
Men will go to any measures in this foreign, brutal and
often ruthless emotional topography.
However although we
must love them with all of our heart and soul and die for them if
necessary our children do not belong to
us but to God, however we understand Him or Her. An adequate meta narrative
must be constructed for the family and society. In an ideal world marriage
would be forever but children are effectively on loan from God; borne out by
the self- evident terrestrial Truth that one day they will fly the nest. Our
kids are not our possession or extensions of our selves. If we treat them as
commodities no wonder it hurts our ego so much when we are deprived of them.
Nowadays families come in all shapes and sizes. If all that
we have is not to crumble an anthropology steeped in the family, as defined by
genuine charity and not merely the narrowness of blood ties, must be
constituted. In this respect we must humbly look to the Third World for
illumination, where ever present terrestrial realities such as death shatter
all selfish misconceptions.
From the point of view of the largest organised perspective
upon Earth an African or Latin American pope cannot be far off.
After the unleashing of the Spriit with John Paul II we needed a caretaker pope who would ensure that we reatained what needed retaining, the "Milk" that Paul describes. Nowwe look to a future in which we are given real spiritualmeat.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Caritas
Males with integrity find it difficult when externally imposed religous law does not correspond to internal topography. This leads to conflict and even psychosis. Fashioned in the Imago Dei a young man is a mystery to himself and others and as such needs to be taught to manage his emotions and internal schema by initiated and universally constituted mature men. Only then will he be comfortable with himself to the degree that he can uncompromisingly achieve his purpose on Earth.
The formation of the heart is imperative. A Genuine, working anthropology with a composite systematic view of reality is imperative to masculine cardial development. Male initiation is something that is being rediscovered in the West. However in true occidental, easily masticated form the 1st step of Bill Wilson’s 12 is exactly equivalent to an Aboriginal ‘Walkabout.’ Alcoholiocs are some of the most spiritual people on Earth. Acknowledgement that our lives have become unmanageable is quite imperative to the success of the 12. In the same way that a young aboriginal man was taken to the absolute limit of his endurance we are brought to a place where this is no option but to admit that ourlives have become unmanageable. The journey to Wllson’s 1st step is a boundary experience. The soul is then liberated for two things
1) Authentic openness to the Higher Power
2) Concurrent malleability by the Five Truths of Male initiation
With recourse to popular consciousness it is useful to understand modern currents of thought and the paradigms contained within them, they are a useful pedagogical tool.
Ideally for mature, well-adjusted adults our conservative upbringing should be a receptacle that we confidently but up against, and taking us definivley through our adult lives. Even if I had felt called to go elsewhere I would have always desired my children to cut their spiritual teeth climbing the formidable holistic edifice that is Roman Catholicism.
It is interesting that it seems to be the opposite with Catholic Charasmatic Renewal. It seems that in our post enlightenment era only after the faithful have been trained in the non-duality and chardial chaos of the Spirit that they seem to leave and enter more juridical structures.
The highly successful adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s beautifully crafted novels onto celluloid (The Bourne Trilogy) effortlessly and stylistically carved out an anecdotal mould for rudderless European youth. I have also been particularly affected by the offerings of the young Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenthaal. Early in our relationship my wife and I were both entertained by and shocked at Love and Other Drugs. Recently I cried and laughed similtaneusly during End of Watch. The son of a LA screenwriter and of beautifully creative ethnic potentialities Gyllenthaal’s heroic condensation of the brutally comic with a similarly brutal proximity to the bone means he is one of Hollywood’s hottest properties. The popularity of these popular cultural paradigms are sometimes a yardstick for what is required to survive in the zeitgeist.
What young men popularise is often what they would like to be but know not how to become. To become men they only need to be taught the emancipating and terresterially obvious five Truths of male initiation -
1) Life is hard;
2) you are not that
important;
important;
3) your life is not about you;
4) you are not in control;
5) you are going to
die.
die.
The purpose of secular law is ostensibly to further justice. But any of us who have dealt with occidental juridical structures know that the law exists functionally merely to keep order. In a similar way Rohr is correct about religious law: its purpose is to “get us into the boxing ring.” We only come to see morality as a result of relationship, not the other way round. A well intentioned and self-constructing masculine soul is eventually intoxicated and stretched by the Spirit until it loses all sense of itself in the higher power. The soul is left in a blissful, elemental, pre-exile from Eden state whereby all that remains is a perfect fusion of head and heart; Heaven on Earth for a man who has hitherto tried to understand all people and phenomena cerebrally.
In being freed from himself and the need to understand the man finds himself.
The self that Ludlum's character was looking for can only be found when the ego becomes subservient to the True self, which automatically chooses the higher good.
The self that Ludlum's character was looking for can only be found when the ego becomes subservient to the True self, which automatically chooses the higher good.
As composite parts of the soul the essential fusion of the masculine and the feminine (head and heart) can only be brought about by the one thing that western society wishes to avoid at all costs – suffering. The soul is brought into the Divine workplace where it belongs. This is only the beginning but as law becomes subjectively obsolete like the saints, prophets and boddisatvas before him the soul is assured that all that has been initiated here will continue along the High Road to the afterlife.
In any case he has been suffused with the knowledge that it doesn’t really matter what happens to him anyway. Threats of eschatological violence are anathema. With the masculine tryptych of mind, body and soul in correctly ordained eschatological order for the first the soul genuinely pilots the man's being. His purpose becomes that by which his soul aligns the tryptych. Lewis said that God was wild. The man's heart mirrors this but at the same time like Gyllenthaal’s heroic Los Angeles policeman one thing alone matters – duty. The man can turn to humour or whatever mechanism that the True self needs in order to survive the postmodern destruction of Jeungian social archetypes..... in South Central L.A. or the Latin Quarter.
With Aristotle the man knows in his bones that it is what we do that counts.
The world and our place in it is assimilated. Life’s purpose lies ahead of us like a heavenly vista and freed from self we look towards it. It is only when we know these things in our spiritual capilliaries that we can say with immortally with Augustine
“Love and do what you will.”
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