Understanding The Prophetic Books

Understanding the Prophetic Books

There are several prophetic books in the Bible, all of which have great significance in history of Israel, and also for our world today, as well as for the what's to come.  However, which books pertain to what time period, as well as how they can also connect to our own personal lives and struggles isn't always so clear.  This is where the Catholic Church, as I am now appreciating has a great clarity.

While they do represent history and also what is and what will be, they also in a sense represent the ongoing struggle between the secular and spiritual world, the Church of Christ and the world outside that Church that constantly attacks it, as well as our own struggles between choosing God's way or Satan's.  These prophetic books are amazing in their ability to tell of Israel's, the world and humanity's past, present,  and future.  What do they tell us about the struggles of the secular and the spiritual, the Godly?  They have existed since the beginning and it seems at times as if Satan and his secular ways have the upper hand, so we become discouraged.  However, we forget the grand design, the overall plan of redemption salvation, get lost in Satan's deceptions and fall for his lies, his parlor tricks of secularism.  The struggles is created by our own rejection of God's very logical, reasonable fixed morals, concepts and precepts to create our own moral whims and such.  Naturally, the result is disaster, as history proves again and again.  The prophets understood this, foresaw this and history proved them right.  The Old Testament Prophetic books have all been fulfilled, but the book of Revelation, that's a different story, that one has yet to fully come to fruition, as does the tribulation in full vigor, which humanity in its' secularism and rejecting Christ, all that is holy, sacred, prayerful, mindful, kind, brings upon itself.  When we look at the prophetic books, we need to realize they say a lot about history Old Testament and Israel, look at how history might repeat itself, what it says about personal struggles and when we look at Revelation, look at it holistically in terms of what historically has been fulfilled in the OT Israel and what has yet to be fulfilled, what is happening now that it speaks to, in terms of what is still to be fulfilled in terms of the Anti-Christ, a singular global governance and such.

The book of Revelation tells us that the new technologies, and growing secularism we see Christianity in particular pushed more and more underground so to speak, attacked, and Christians made out to be villains, monsters and such for standing up for fixed moral values, tenets, concepts, precepts.  Even in the Pledge of Allegiance God is being replaced with the word peace, a student can't read a Bible during study time, reading time, and handing out the Constitution is seen relegated to the back of the university where no one can see you.  Every one of our sacred rights is being taken away, especially our Freedom of Religion and once that is taken, every other right follows and is taken.  When there is no regard for God, Christ, Holy Spirit, the Church, the teachings of the Magisterium, the wisdom of the early Church Fathers, and Doctors, for the contributions of Christianity to the West, to civilization, founding of America, there is nothing.  Revelation tells us of the plague of secularism, of greed, of self-indulgence on grand scales to where life is nothing, means nothing, has no value.   Pope Frances spoke wisely when he said the following about what was happening and coming:

“You must obey the orders which come from worldly powers. You can do many things, beautiful things, but not adore God. Worship is prohibited. This is at the center of the end of time.”

Once we “reach the fullness of this pagan attitude,” the Pope continued, “then yes, he will come…’ truly the Son of Man will come in a cloud with great power and glory.’”

Christians who “suffer times of persecution, times of prohibition of worship” because of their beliefs, are a prophecy of what will happen to us all,” he emphasized.

It is sad, but true, but we will face what Daniel faced, where we will have to decide if we are loyal to the world or the Lord, and his Church. We may have to decide just how deep our faith is, and how much we value our souls and eternal life soon enough if things keep going the way they are going.  Myself, I am praying daily, even praying the rosary once again because prayer is the only real tool we have against the darkness. Let us all pray daily for each other and our world, for all to come home to Christ and to his Church.  

Shalom and Amen

What I Love About the Saints of the Church

Perseverance, Faith, Depth of Soul and Reason, But Not Perfect

Many Protestants love to bash the Catholic faith about our saints, praying to saints, that it's not directly in scripture.  Then again I have to point out, there is much that is not directly given in scripture, such as the words Trinity, Communion and Last Rites.  However, through a deep, profound prayer life, diligent interconnection of scriptures, looking at the culture of the times, oral traditions passed down in the Eastern and Orthodox faith, we can come to understand much about the Church, the culture of the Church, its' truths, given by the apostles, as all could not be written down, the Bible tells us that.   Saints are a part of the Bible, tradition, even in a sense Jewish tradition, Orthodox Jewish tradition, that's right Orthodox Jewish tradition. Why do I love saints and am going to be delving more into saints, their lives?

Saints tell me God doesn't expect perfect, but he does expect a continuous work in progress, and for me to be very aware that I am a work in progress, who requires help not to sin, fall into sin, due to the sin nature.  They also tell me that with prayer, with that awareness, development of a good, sacred relationship with the Holy Trinity, I can make progress, be perfect no, but progress.  Saints like St. Monica, they teach me about perseverance, praying for years for her son to turn his sinful life around and he did, became a saint of the church, dedicated to living a holy life, to the study of the Gospel and living the teachings of Christ.  Saints like St. Andrew, the patron saint of my mother's town can teach me about honor, doing what is right and walking away from what is wrong, corrupt.  He was a lawyer, but when he was asked to lie and manipulate to win cases, when that started to come into play, he walked away from that profession.  He wouldn't compromise what were principles of honor, ethics etc... for money or career.  They were loyal to the faith, to the teachings of fixed ethics, morals and many were loyal to the point of life and death to the truth of the Gospel, and the Church, knowing it was truth.  I love in them that dedication, loyalty to God's truth, surrender to it, not violence against others, for a true holy person never seeks violence against others, for that is misguided, but surrenders to the full truth of the Gospel and is firm in loyalty to the truth of the Magisterium understanding it is a representative of Christ, the apostolic lineage, full, expansive, holistic understanding of the bible through reason, faith, philosophy, via the Holy Spirit inspiring and directing.

Saints are guideposts, road maps  to look to throughout life, not as perfection, but as works in progress and potential for what that means, what that is  and can be when in prayer, in study, in truth.  They are example of courage, fortitude, love, and so much more, who live in heaven in sublime peace, and love, able to advocate for us with perfect clarity, along with the Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  The bible tells us that angels and saints pray for us, even for those that did harm in heaven and I have included some links as reference to this point.   Having re-discovered truth, I look to Christ, the Holy Spirit, as well as the saints for advocacy to the Father for all my needs, hopes, dreams. 

http://completelybiblical.blogspot.com/2009/01/saints-pray-for-us.html
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-intercession-of-the-saints
http://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/saints.html

Shalom and Amen

Videos of Gardens in My Area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HflWNW5zWGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL6ZLqqmbKY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Sne-1PEes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hydgcLUTrYw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzHEb3r0xVA

Another AHA Moment

AHA Moment!!

For so long it seems I was running away from home, who I was, and thought I didn't know myself, but that was a lie that society and Lucifer, as Satan, fallen, a deceiver, lier whispered into my heart, spirit and soul.  The Lord did try to get be to see the truth, I kept trying to define myself by terms of the world, a mistake I pray never to make again.  Today, as I thought about my writing, poetry, songs, friendships, I had another "AHA" moment.  What was that moment?

I realized I have always been Catholic, Universal and Ecumenical, without losing ever the core of who I am. I realized that is what is to wonderful about the Catholic faith, especially at this point in time, is its' ability to be active in the world, every aspect of the world, of life, and still if one is truly Catholic, keep to the tenets and teachings of the magisterium that have foundation in the Bible, great theological and philosophical study, as well as respecting mystical experiences we might have within our faith, that intuitiveness and such.   I have had friends, even when I was younger from all different cultures and faiths, including Muslim, and even now I would have no problem being friends with people of different cultures and faiths, so long as no one tried to shove anything down each other's throat.  I have no problem going to a synagogue service, which I have, to a mosque, which I have etc... in friendship.   When I was there I prayed my Christian prayers and asked for all to be illuminated to come to Christ to the Christian faith.  Now I pray for all to discover the Church of Christ the Catholic Church and unite with in and Christ as redeemer and savior, the only way, truth and life.  The Holy Spirit ultimately is the one who changes lives etc... and I wont ever do door to door or any of that.   Unlike Fundamentalists, though there are a few within the Catholic Church, for the most part, Catholics and the Catholic Church has reached out to others groups, especially fellow Christians in friendship and solidarity.  The Church realizes, as I am realizing more an more that every tradition of faith has a cultural history that if they could be reminded of it, learn to appreciate it, and change how they view the world, without changing moral fundamentals, we might have some peace in this world, until Christ returns to set it right completely.  Where Ecumenical used to be something I would see as awful, and unholy, I now see as a great hope for peace.  We must however, never compromise on certain core principles of faith, such as the five points of Catholicism who Christ is, Trinitarian doctrine, definition of the family, and such.  That is crucial.  When one is strong in one's own identity, which not many are, especially Universalists because they don't have a fixed belief system, it's all over the place, it's a stew of a bit of everything and they often contradict themselves in their beliefs, then one can mix with everyone and never lose one's fixed morals, fixed identity and salvation in Christ.

Shalom and Amen

Passover, Easter and Why Death Doesn't Scare Me

                                    

Easter morning we received the news of my aunt's passing in Italy.  She had died that very morning, Easter morning.  This Easter season is also Passover, both of which have Christ at their center, for it is Christ that redeems and brings us from the dark etc... What does this have to do with death and my not fearing it? Much.

Passover showed us that God, the Word of God, the Logos made flesh in and as Jesus, meant what he said and said what he meant, that he was and is ultimately in control, for the greater good of those who seek him, truly heart and soul, seeking to be and stay free of sin.  He is their advocate, victor, and will part the waters to bring them out of the darkness, out of Egypt, slavery etc... when he determines it is time to do so.  He will deliver them, and he does deliver them.  Thus  he will do the same for me, so long as my heart is true, truly seeks him, in Christ, by power of the Holy Spirit, and trusts his Word, what he inspired to be written, and when I fall get back up repentant.  Until my time to leave this earth comes he will deliver me in any number of ways here on earth, through good friends, love of family, opportunities to share my gifts, abundance, any number of positive ways.  That's where we have the hope given to us in the Resurrection.  When it is time to leave this earth, he will set me free to a place of cleansing if I need that for a period of time, and in the Jewish tradition it is believed for a year after the person dies, in what they refer to as a place of truth, and what we Catholics might refer to as purgatory, with the difference that we don't put a set amount of time on it.  I know by trusting in him, my soul will find its' light, its' peace when that time comes.  Death is not death, but a different stage of being, one of being with the Trinity, with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost until we can be in our glorious body when Christ creates the new heaven and new earth.  Meantime, I seek fellowship with those of my Catholic faith, and also with non-Catholics within my association in Catholic Societies, that I might share of myself and what Christ means to me, my life, even through the arts.  Passover is as wonderful for Christians as Easter in my view because it is a glimpse of what was to come, the Resurrection, so death does not scare me and nothing in life can ever make me bitter, or angry towards God, or life or unforgiving, not possible, not when I have the Passover, Birth of Christ and the Resurrection to recall each year among other wonderful aspects of my Biblical faith.

Shalom and Amen.

Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ.

 

Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ

Passages and points imortant to understanding the sacrament of Penance and Confession:  God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection he told his apostles, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23). Only twice are we told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. This brings home  how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.  There are those that believe that any power given to the apostles died with them.  Some most likely did, such as the ability to write Scripture. However, those necessary to maintain the Church as a living, spiritual society needed to be passed down from generation to generation. If they suddenly ceased, the Church would cease, except as an abstract entity. Christ ordered the apostles to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.", which was going to  take much time, but  he promised them assistance: "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matt. 28:19–20). Not only this but he also said that they would do not only what he did but greater and that in the end age sons and daughters would prophecy and in John 20:21-23 Jesus tells the apostles after his resurrection that any sins they forgive are forgiven and any they retain are retained.  This tells us quite clearly that they were to be representatives to and much more. Also important to note as pointed out in my research.  The power Christ gave the apostles was twofold: to forgive sins or to hold them bound, which means to retain them unforgiven. Several things follow from this. First, the apostles could not know what sins to forgive and what not to forgive unless they were first told the sins by the sinner. This implies confession. Second, their authority was not merely to proclaim that God had already forgiven sins or that he would forgive sins if there were proper repentance.  How does this all relate to the sacrament of Penance and Confession? Also, again  there is church history.  The earliest Christian writings, such as the first-century Didache, are indefinite on the procedure for confession to be used in the forgiveness of sins, but a verbal confession is listed as part of the Church’s requirement by the time of Irenaeus (A.D. 180).   Later writers, such as Origen (241), Cyprian (251), and Aphraates (337), are clear in saying confession is to be made to a priest. (In their writings the whole process of penance is termedexomologesis, which means confession—the confession was seen as the main part of the sacrament.) Cyprian writes that the forgiveness of sins can take place only "through the priests." Ambrose says "this right is given to priests only." Pope Leo I says absolution can be obtained only through the prayers of the priests. These utterances are not taken as novel, but as reminders of accepted belief.

Let me say that Protestants are a funny and sometimes silly bunch.  They get all dogmatic about The Word being the literal Word of God, but they when the Catholic Church gets literal and sacramental, they suddenly go "no, it's not literal, it's symbolic, contexua;." whatever.  Even in context, you can't get clearer than if they forgive sins they will be forgiven etc.., whatever they bind is bound etc..., so whether Protestants like it or not, the clergy are Christ's representatives on earth and as such are to do what Christ did including heal, forgive sins the whole enchilada.  Does that mean that the priest is the one absolving the sin or cleansing the sin, no.  It is the Holy Spirit doing so, but the clergy in his capacity as such, as representative of Christ does what Christ did, with the help of the Holy Spirit, gives witness to the confession and affirms what Christ would do were he physically on earth at that moment.  It is Christ forgiving, and with the Holy Spirit petitioning for us always with the Father, and the clergy is but a vessel, a representative, just like the poet, the musician, the writer etc...  There is a peace that comes from sharing, unburdening the sins periodically and having a representative of Christ give that verbal absolution, something pretty wonderful.  Like other traditions of my childhood faith, I didn't quite understand or appreciate it and neither do Protestants, many of them, which is really sad for them.

For further clarification you can go to http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html, as well as http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/confess.html.  If memory serves me, even in the Old Testament we see it practiced if I recall correctly. 

Shalom and Amen

John 20-21, Reflection

Peter the Vicar and Gatekeeper

I've read the bible a number of time, does a number of Protestant based studies on the Bible and one or two initial Catholic studies, but never really went in depth on the Catholic understanding of the Bible, or asked the Holy Spirit to help me connect the dots Biblically on some key aspects of Catholicism.  This Easter, John 20 and 21st, those readings while I was watching a TV program jumped out at me, though the subject I am covering here was not what was spoken of on the program.   I once again realized why God keeps pulling me back to the Roman Catholic faith and Church, because it is the fullness and splendor of truth.  What do certain passages tell us about Peter in 20 and 21?

John is one of my favorite books and he is one of my favorite apostles because he has this wonderful faith on sight, and gets the human/divine of who Jesus is, the resurrection right away, one of favorite apostles.  Combined with other aspects of the Bible, connecting the dots, John 20:5-6 and 21:15-19 give us a good sense of Peter's authority, position etc... in the group of the apostles and in the Church, the Catholic Universal Church, from the very beginning.  What are those dots that we can connect and what do they tell us Peter is that the Church honors still today in the hierarchy and structure of the institution?  They are the revelation of the Christ given only to Peter, the Keys of the kingdom given to Peter only, at the tomb, John wont go in until Peter comes and goes in first, Peter alone asked to feed the flock, not once but three times, for the Trinity.  What does all this mean?  It means a lot.  Really think about it in terms of a company, government, any situation, even family and trust, absolute trust and care for what is most precious.  Once I did that and stopped putting God in this narrow literal words only Sola Scriptura erroneous silly box Protestants do, especially fundamentalists, then things got clearer.

Let's connect the dots.  In the Old testament and in any situation, giving the keys to your home, castle, your company, in any form is a huge sign of trust, sharing a major secret and piece of information is a huge deal.  It's not something that is done lightly by humans, so much less so is it going to done lightly and without heavy significance by God, which Jesus would have clearly understood.  In the Old Testament times, even Medieval times, times of castles and kings, when you gave keys to someone, even the chambermaid, you were giving the keys to everything most precious to them.  Even now, if you give the nanny keys to your home, a live in nanny and you travel, you are giving this person a level of huge trust with all that is most precious to you.  God is giving Peter the keys to The Kingdom, to bind and loosen, based on this revelation he received, one that no other apostle received, only him.  That puts him in a category above all the other apostles, as even John knew and which is why he stood aside at the tomb of our Lord and waited for Peter to come before even going in to see about the body and what was going on.  Then Jesus asks Peter, three times, not once, but three, a number representative of the Trinity to care for his sheep, something he asks of none of the others, only Peter, whom he gave the keys to.  He then tells Peter, only Peter that he will be dressed and have to go where he may not want to go.  This reminds me of the Papacy, a role that is not chosen but given by others and one where there is no choice, you are chosen and you accept, no arguments.  You are dressed, crowned and you are the Vicar of Christ, die to the world, to any life other than total service to the Church to maintaining the teachings, traditions etc... of the Church against any outside heresy and influences.

There is also history, and the Papacy, the authority of the office, the Roman Catholic Church has been recognized since early days. Up till the Council of Nicaea, there was one unified Catholic Universal Church in Rome, doctrines, after reflection, study, reasoning and such were debated and agreed upon.  Then the Eastern churches decided they didn't like that arrangement, or to be under any central authority and split.   St Cyprian calls Rome "The Chair of Peter" in 252 AD, the earliest prominent Christians, such as Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and others considered Rome the trustworthy center of Christianity and doctrine.   Every nation that converted from Paganism to Christianity received the transmission of the fullness of faith from missionaries sent from Rome, the Universal Catholic Church, the Chair of Peter.   Clement admonished the church in Corinth that if anyone disobey the things of Rome they will be in transgression and in danger of losing their soul, no small thing.  St. Cyprian affirms the authority of Rome in the middle of the third century, and speaks of anyone other than those appointed by the seat of Rome as false bishops.  If we look at corruption and such overall, there has been true unity and continuity in the Roman Catholic Church of doctrine, holistically and of the offices.  The Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox and Protestants can't say the same, can they?  In the  book "Patriarchs of Constantinople" it is noted that 95 patriarchs resigned in one year alone.  Not only that, but of over 300 vacancies between the year A.D. 36 and 1884, over 100 were by disposition, 41 by poisoning, and so in the end with strangulation and other incidents, only 137 apparently died of natural death in office.  That's not  good.  Historically, even the doctrinal aspect of Orthodoxy has not been stable, whereas, the Roman Catholic Church has maintained doctrinal stability.  Seeds of theology were, by the saints and church doctors developed over time, made clearer, given more definition.  Protestantism is so fragmented, who knows what the heck it is doctrinally or in any way shape, form.  Again are there perfect people, no, and have mistakes been made due to religious zeal, by those of the faith in any denomination, including non-Christian? Yeah, but you don't throw God, and the Church of Christ, the one established upon the Rock, because the people are not perfect. History tells us that the Church of Rome, the Universal Catholic Church of Rome is the one of Apostolic succession and the Chair of Peter, and that is what is crucial, along with the continuity and very well developed theology, compatible with the Word, when understood rightly and holistically, something it has taken me a long time to understand and am only now beginning to realize.

As I look at the Papacy now and connect the dots, I can piece it all together and see that the Papacy, the structure of the Church, the gatekeeper role of all the ongoing theological study, the engagement of the Church in and with the world in a wise, and tough love, but loving way is crucial and quite biblical at that.  The Pope, Vicar of Christ on earth is the protector of the fullness of the allegorical, symbolic and literal truth of the bible on every possible level of understanding and living it day to day.



Shalom and Amen

Light of Easter, Not Just for Easter

Easter Light in the Dark Not Just for Easter

When the women and the apostles first saw the empty tomb, were told the Lord had risen, they would not any longer be in darkness, have to be in fear, be alone, I can't quite imagine what went through their minds.  As I partook of Easter mass, I know what I was thinking.

I thought of my life, my childhood, the pain, sadness, even now the pain of the fibromyalgia etc.. can make the day a frustrating one, when I find it even hard to walk and move around without pain, even to grab a hold of anything without pain in my hands.  Yes through it all there is a light, one that shines through any darkness, through any clouds, no matter how thick or dense.  It is a light that has never gone away, and will never go away, will always see me through every single moment of darkness in my life.  Christ risen is a brilliant and amazing light of redemption, as well of course of judgement, as he is both and you can't have one without the other. However it is not just an Easter light.

For me, I seek to make the light of Christ, of the redeemed Christ, and the finished work on the Cross a light I seek in the darkness of sin and the world corrupted by sin a daily prayerful, mindful thing.  It is a light that I cherish in this journey of life, faith and all that goes with it on every level.  The light of resurrection, and of Christ is there to guide me on the journey, every step of the way.  The light etc.. created by mankind is temporary, but that created by the resurrected Lord is forever and that is the one I want guiding me through out my life and in the hereafter.  That is one I can always count on in all things and at all times, if I just seek it out, prayerfully, and with wisdom.

Easter Poem

Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain 

Of triumphant gladness; 

God hath brought forth Israel 

Into joy from sadness; 

Loosed from Pharaoh's bitter yoke 

Jacob's sons and daughters, 

Led them with unmoistened foot 

Through the Red Sea waters.

'Tis the spring of souls today; 

Christ hath burst his prison, 

And from three days' sleep in death 

As a sun hath risen; 

All the winter of our sins, 

Long and dark, is flying 

From his light, to whom we give 

Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright 

With the day of splendor, 

With the royal feast of feasts, 

Comes its joy to render; 

Comes to glad Jerusalem, 

Who with true affection 

Welcomes in unwearied strains 

Jesus' resurrection.

Neither might the gates of death, 

Nor the tomb's dark portal, 

Nor the watchers, nor the seal 

Hold thee as a mortal; 

But today amidst the twelve 

Thou didst stand, bestowing 

That thy peace which evermore 

Passeth human knowing.

"Alleluia!" now we cry 

To our King immortal, 

Who, triumphant, burst the bars 

Of the tomb's dark portal; 

"Alleluia!" with the Son, 

God the Father praising, 

"Alleluia!" yet again 

To the Spirit raisin

Another "Aha" Moment

Another "Aha" Moment

An atheist asked me on twitter why God caused the Korean Ferry to sink or allowed it to sink and I cited free will and human choices, human error.  As I walked home yesterday after that twitter conversation, I asked the Holy Trinity about that very issue, the suffering and for some reason the Holy Spirit brought me back to Noah, the stench of sin and the Covenant made.  I felt that was significant, but I had to meditate on how, and I felt it connected to the whole free will, sin and sin nature, as well as God's character.  How does it all intertwine?

Let's start with God's character, which is perfect holiness, justice etc... Since he is a God of his word and law, when he first made the plan for the world, humanity and had foresight of would would likely happen, but also the solution, through Christ, and went through with creation, he couldn't go back on his plan.  His perfect holiness, being a God of his word meant that the plan had to go forward as voiced to the the angels who were witnesses to the plan.  He could not go back on his word in terms of the plan for the universe etc... once it was made, not the core of it.  That's crucial to realize, so free will must always be honored by God, our free will, natures free will, even the corruptive sin aspect of humanity and nature after the fall, despite the consequences.  Our free will to act, be and do stupid, as well as destructive with all the consequences that come with it have to be allowed to a great extent by God, or he would be violating his own laws.  If he did that, then he would then not be in any position to pass judgement not through Christ or through any means.  Hence, his character demands he honor our free will to the fullest extent possible and not micro manage our lives and the universe, so he will allow things to happen, though he will often use our stupid and sinful actions and those consequences to bring us to our senses, and will use those to bring us closer to him, or home to Christ, to repentance, understanding we are sinners and require redemption.

The sin nature and the Noah Covenant, what does that have to do with it all? Well, a lot it seems.   God doesn't cause tragedy, the sin nature which entered humanity and corrupted all things causes tragedy because we end up making unholy, undignified and impure choices, horrific choices.  We make choices that are destructive to ourselves on any number of levels, as well as others and society as a whole, motivated by selfish pleasure, ambition, greed, sloth etc... and like in Sodom and Gomorra eventually the stench is awful reaching the high heavens.  However, God made a sacred vow to Noah that he would not destroy the earth and the creatures of the earth, and he lifted the curse that was on the land.  The land gave forth fruit, it could be cultivated, animals could graze and now they would also provide sustenance, as humanity was weakened by great sin having penetrated the earth, even if Noah had been found righteous.  Because God gave his sacred word not to destroy the earth and the creatures of the earth, even when the stench of sin, as it is now, reaches the high heavens, he will not directly destroy it or humanity, as he can not by his character break his vow.  However, that does not mean that he still does not allow us to suffer the consequences of our own foolishness, our own sin, our own stupid.  Unfortunately, in our foolishness, sinfulness and stupidity, we are not the only ones who pay the price, others do as well.  Until Christ comes, and only the Father knows the time of that, not even Christ, or the Holy Spirit, only the Father, sin will create foolish and stupid, as a result of the sin nature, thus creating the wages of sin, which are chaos, destruction and death, on many levels.  God can not and will not back down on his solemn vow and will not destroy all of humanity as he did before.

Actions, choices, and decisions have consequences for ourselves and others, whether we like it or not and if we act, do and live in sin and stupidity, then we create those kinds of consequences for ourselves and others.  We have to suck it up, but even more horrific, so do those affected, maybe through no fault of their own, but because of our sin and stupid.

The Majesty of Tradition

 

Majesty of Tradition

Growing up, I remember coming home and my mom would be making different things for the holidays, different dishes.  She would also tell me about different traditions of the Catholic faith she experienced growing up, including during the feast of St. Lucy and St. Andrew the patron saint of the town.  I listened and they were cute stories, nothing of any significance, not then anyway.  Funny how with age, things change and as you make a full circle journey and really pay attention to the Lord things begin to change.

I am nearing 50 years old and have gone in and out of Catholicism without really knowing what it taught, or was about, to different denominations of the Protestantism, the New Age, even Kabbalah, but God would always draw me back to his true church, the Roman Catholic Church.  I resisted thinking I knew what it taught and falling into the narrow Sola Scriptura box, trying to put Yahweh into a box, the creator of this amazing universe and all things in it into a box, I rebelled, moved away time and time again from the Roman Catholic Church, and faith.  I couldn't understand why all the traditions, why all the involvement in community etc.., but now I am starting to understand, as I no longer have that narrow boxed in view of God and the Scriptures.  

Why does the Roman Catholic Church have all majesty etc... and get involved so much in social services?  The first question to ask is really "Why not?"  For example, Protestants will argue often times that the passage about caring for the poor relates strictly to the end times and caring for Israel, as they are obsessed with the Rapture and all that.  The Bible is not one dimensional, but three dimensional, so to say it is only applicable to Israel and one era is erroneous.   The Bible tells us that the poor will always be with us, so unless we want to have a socialist government and a true nanny state, total welfare state, then we had better force the government to lower taxes, get out of all social welfare involvement and leave that to private foundations, individuals and religious groups.  Since Christ healed etc... as did the apostles, the Church has the same obligation it would seem to me, as I grow in my understanding of the faith, of the Bible, to do the same, literally, not just in prayer and by sharing the Gospel, but by literal action and example.  As for the traditions and majesty of the Mass and such, our Jewish roots, what came out of that, and the traditions of the early Church are a great treasure, including icons that helped those who could not read or write, understand the Bible and theology, which ought to be treasured.  The fellowship with our Jewish brothers and sisters is a blessing and should never be taken for granted, but cherished.  Should we share the faith, pray that they, as well as our Muslim, atheist etc... brothers and sisters accept Christ and come into the Church, yes, but exclusion wont accomplish that, as Christ well understood.  The sinner needs to be told he is a sinner, but also know he has a home in Christ to come home to.  That inclusiveness and love for the sinner, even if not the sin and the appreciation of traditions of the Old Testament, the Jewish faith, the early church, living the beatitudes etc... makes the Roman Catholic faith and Church Christ's church, even if the people in it and running it are not always without blemish.  

I wish I had appreciated all the traditions of my mother and the faith so much sooner, but I was foolish and now I have much to catch up with, not only in the faith, but also in terms of my vocation as an artist and getting my health in order.  With the help of the Lord and the fellowship of my Catholic family I will do just that.

Shalom and Amen

Pain Wont Keep Me From Resurrection

Pain Wont Keep Me Down

Life is a combination of sunlight, rain, rainbows, riptides, and you have to be able to navigate it all.  I have had to learn this with the Fibromyalgia, Celiac, and facing the possibility of having Thesalemia. 

I find myself in pain, even with the injections I get every few months, and sometimes just walking from one room to the next is an endeavor that can literally take my breath away due to the pain in my neck, side of my head, feet, knee, and/or my calf, especially my right one.  The bland gluten free, dairy free diet is not picnic either, and can really get on my nerves.  It's enough to make a person get totally discouraged, want to give up and say to heck with anything, don't even try to have a life, just give up.  Then I remember that I was created in God's image, the image of the Trinity, that this physical life is only temporary, that even Jesus had the agony in the Garden, and on the Cross at Calvary, and the Apostles had their agonies, but they stood firm in the faith, found great strength in knowing who they were, in that identity, that truth because it was and is still truth, The Truth of God, The One True God.  What does this mean for and to me?

This for me means a great deal, this identity and as I return to my Catholic faith, my roots,  I can identify with the cause of suffering, the sin nature, and the architect of brining sin into the world.  I can accept whatever pain etc... is thrown at me, and not ask "why me?", not that I ever did.  Since we are all affected by the sin nature etc... the real question is "why not me?"  My return to my Catholic roots and the Apostolic roots, the church of Christ, means I can accept the ups and downs of life, the roller coaster, and in whatever pain and such comes, see it as a way of coming closer to Christ, of identifying more closely with the Lord.  Not so say I wont ask for healing, but I understand that healing may not come in physical form, but in some other form, some subtle form that I may not even be aware of at that moment.  I can remain calm, breathe through the pain, reach out to the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, all the angels and Saints of heaven for help, and to all those in the Church here on earth.  When you have days, many days when you are crashing from constant fatigue and pain, you reach out to heaven because as a Christian you know the truth of where your healing and hope is found.  As a Catholic, you don't see the pain etc... as a punishment from God, but as part of life, a fallen world and something that even Jesus had to endure, and that can even temporarily bring you closer to the Lord.  In my pain, as I ask for healing, until it comes, I find solace and identification in the and with the Lord, the apostles and saints.

I plan to live an amazing life as an artist, travel, promote my projects, and as an ambassador of the faith, in spite of any pain life and Satan might throw my way.  This Easter, I plan on a total Resurrection and to take my life back, with the help of our Lord, who himself resurrected and was glorified to be with the Father.  My faith will not waiver and will always define who I am and my art in great measure and be the anchor in all my storms, for no human can ever be an everlasting anchor like the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, along with the angels and saints, though loyal, supportive friends are a great treasure to be appreciated and loved.

Shalom and Amen.

Shalom and Amen

A Rainy Day, Day of Contemplation

Day of Contemplation

As the rain falls, not heavily, but in a way that brings contemplation, meditation and reflection, I thought about how God has placed certain things in my heart, spirit and soul, certain words that keep coming up in my heart over and over again.  I was starting to wonder whether things were going to manifest or not. Today I got my answer and God is never wrong, nor does he give you anything that is not meant to take hold at some point.

I submitted my manuscript of poetry to a publisher and it seemed that things were taking quite a bit of time and I was frankly getting discouraged, but God's Holy Spirit spontaneously gave me these poems at all hours, at home, as I was walking along the streets of my neighborhood, very spontaneously, but all having great significance to today's events in America, society, and my own life.  I knew they were given for a reason and that this book would somehow get published, so when DIP contacted me and offered to publish my book, sent me the formatted manuscript, with just the artwork for the cover needed to be done and a marketing person already assigned to me, but that I had not heard from yet, I got a bit discouraged.  I had a dream and I woke up this morning with a feeling of news coming, good news.  I heard from the publisher, letting me know they were re-structuring, expanding the brand, marketing and I would hear back in the next two weeks, but that limited marketing had already begun.  I also kept hearing the words Ambassador, Dynamic, Continuity and Home, but I couldn't figure out what the three had to do with each other. I knew the Lord had given me the understanding that the Roman Catholic Church was the Apostolic Continuity of Christ, and home to the faith of my childhood, which I thought I knew, but turns out I really didn't.  The Ambassador thing, well that was a new one and I was trying to figure out what that was about, which I knew in part had to do with the arts, as a lot of my poems are spiritual and faith based, but I felt it was more than that.  Today I was compelled to search for online communities and came across the Dynamic Catholic Community and they have ambassadors.  I don't feel I am to take this on right now, but I bookmarked the site, and when it is the right time, I will know and will contact them to be an Ambassador, to host events and do whatever I can.

It reminded me that God is in control, not in a dictator's way, but in a parental, guiding way and if we trust him, he really will make things work for good.  As I learn to stay still, to listen, be inspired, I can find my way home as an artist, a Christian, as a Catholic, in Christ, in every way, shape and form.

Shalom and Amen.

Palm Sunday, What it Means to Me

Crossroads to Resurrection 

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, leading up to Easter, it is a crossroads in a Journey that will lead to Jesus defeating Satan and Sin on the Cross, to Resurrect, Ascent to the Father, and give us everlasting life, who would accept him and thus it.  What does all this mean to me personally?

The past two days I have had lower abdominal pain to where it hurts to sit, to move to walk even, and yet, I have a publisher that is finalizing putting my first book of poetry together to put out on the market, several of my songs that have been licensed by Amazon and other sources, and recently Amazon sent me a contract to archive my music and be able to use it for the future in a wide range of projects, including musical productions.  I am also hoping to garner funds to produce a Christmas album to put out in early October and already have the poems for my second book of poetry and plans for other projects.  There is a lot to look forward to, but when I have these days where I crash, where I am in pain, barely sleep for two or three days in a row, I think about whether being a published author etc... going out there on the road to promote my projects is going to be realistic.  I find myself now at a crossroads, where the arts can literally lift me out of government disability dependency, and give me a whole new life, and the same goes with my faith journey, where I can really be an ambassador for the faith.  I am at a crossroads to  resurrection in a sense, to get my life back, and get an even more authentic life to who I am.

As I live this journey with the Lord to the Resurrection, I know he and all of heaven are with me, praying for me and with me.  The palms remind me that in between the palms and the resurrection, Jesus went through great agony and death.  In life sometimes we also must go through that same journey to be resurrected, and to be fully resurrected with Christ heart, body, spirit and soul.

Shalom and Amen

Back to my Roots

Back to my Roots

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I keep feeling with great strength in my heart, spirit and my soul the pull to get back to my ancestral roots, my Italian roots, and to get to the roots of the truth of the Christian faith, not a narrow pigeon hole Christian faith, but one that still stays strong in the basic concepts, precepts and principles of the Bible.  How will get back to my roots?

For one, I am going to be watching a lot more Italian TV, listening to Italian radio, music, and really work on perfecting my Italian over the next few years.  The other thing is write poems, songs in Italian to practice and reach out to the Italian community.  The arts is a great way to connect to one's culture, especially music and poetry.  Then there is the fact that God keeps calling me home to the Catholic Church, faith, but I keep ignoring it.  I am ignoring no more and  am going to start attending mass with my mom on Saturday, going to mass during the week, say my prayers to the Sacred Heart, the prayers I used to say when I was younger.  I had this erroneous notion that the Catholic Church did not believe in or accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, since I have been praying and speaking in tongues in my prayer time with God for the longest time, I classified myself as Pentecostal, especially when I got caught up in the error of Sola Scriptura as classified by the Protestant Reformation.  I will be doing a post on tradition and such within the church, and icons, their place in the faith life and journey.  As an artist, poet and songwriter and one who also hopes to get into photography and sketching myself, I am realizing that the art of the churches, and icons played an important role in the church and still can. I am also going to look into becoming a member of Italian artist groups, and organizations within the Catholic Church where my calling as an artist and writer can be put to use to counter the fracturing of the church, share with others the deeper understanding of God's Word, as I grow in my own faith.  I am realizing more and more as God keeps hammering in my heart, spirit and soul the words Continuity and Context, keeps pointing me back to the Catholic faith, how important it is to really delve into the Catechism, the works of the Church Fathers, Saints and all that wisdom, to seek fellowship to do with a supportive group, as I find my way back to my roots, to truth.

Life will bring you full circle and that is what is happening with me both in my career vocation, pursuing the arts and in my culture and faith, re-visiting Catholicism, as well as my Italian heritage. Full circle is a pretty neat journey, especially when you stop fighting God and actually agree to go home.

Shalom and Amen

Genesis XII

Abrahm's Call and Migration

Abrahm's Call and Migration

Literal, Allegory, Figurative, Symbolic? Oh My!!

How Shall I Understand the Word, the Logos, Later Made Flesh?

Throughout my life, starting from my teen years when I started to pray and speak in tongues during prayer and meditations, I have been on a journey to understand the fullness of the Gospel  and the core question I now realize has been "Do I take every word literally or not?"  In that I have been on a long and winding journey from the Roman Catholic Faith I grew up with and now realize I never really knew to not too long ago Conservative, really Conservative Pentecostal, as I have always been a writer of poetry, song and loved writing, had lots of aha moments, and when I would get songs come to me, even poems, the melody would accompany them, always very spontaneously.  It could happen in the middle of dinner, as I was walking along the street, in the shower, anywhere, often the poems etc... had to do with a Biblical passage, or a member of the Trinity.  I was drawn to the Pentecostal and I got caught up in the whole Scripture Alone thing and the Catholic Church is Babylon, the harlot etc.. all that jazz.  I also caught up in the wrong view of feminism, the yuk, Gloria Steinem brand of feminism, which of course is not true feminine or feminism, and is a crime against women, children, family and humanity overall.  Was I going to take every word literally? Was I supposed to? Please let me make clear that in now way am I denying the overall message and theme of God's inspired Word, that sin came into the world through the first human beings and that humanity requires justification, sanctification, redemption, which can only be had through accepting Jesus Christ. I wanted to make that clear.  I am coming to understand some important points about how to read and understand the Bible.

We often will say things that we assume people know not to take literally, but that still have a grain of wisdom to adhere to in that phrase.  For example if I say to someone "Remember, the early bird, gets the worm." or "Get some wind in your sails before that important meeting."  They know not to eat a worm and that they can't put win in their sails because they are not a boat.  Yet, they understand the wisdom in those phrases, provided they are familiar with our culture, right.  Even someone outside of the US culture, if I said "He gives me wings to fly" would know it's not to be taken literally, but figuratively, or if I say "His face shines bright like the morning sun."  If it shone that bright, you couldn't look at his face because you'd go blind, so again they would figure out it was not literal.  When we read the Bible, we need to have a combination of faith and reason to discern what is literal/historical seed with a grain of symbolic, and what is strictly allegory and metaphor.  If we don't, we can be completely led astray and it has happened, for example, with people calculating the Rapture and selling all their property etc... and getting really crazy about that, ending up either killing themselves or destitute, disillusioned.  I was myself getting caught up in the whole "when is the rapture going to take place and am I prepared?"  I realize that I really need to do thorough research into the matter and discern what can be taken literally and not literally from the Bible, so I don't get caught up in what I don't need to get caught up in and focus on what matters.

The Bible authors, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but not robots just jotting down and taking dictation, which is why it is an inspired work, and truly of God, sought to convey literal events, and such within the context of a larger spiritual message.   Did the walls of Jericho literally come tumbling down exactly as related in the Bible?  Maybe not to that extent and in that way, but as with every story and piece of literature or art, there is a nugget of truth and veracity.  That nugget, in the case of the Bible was placed into the context of a larger spiritual truth that God wanted, through the writer to convey, the understanding that whatever the wall, the struggle, the obstacle, if you stand strong, in courage, not fear and in faith, seek a spiritual solution along with wise strategy, you can overcome that wall, obstacle and conquer whatever it is that is holding you back from God's intended vocation for you, what he has placed in your heart, spirit, soul, even if it takes time.  One has to discern that it is from the Lord, and how we are meant to reach the goal, so that we do so ethically, honorably and morally at all times. This is where contemplation, and prayer come in, as well as God's Word.  If we engage our heart, mind,  and look at the Word from a perspective of this is a combination of history, allegory and symbolism, using the inspirational insight of the Holy Spirit, along with proper context of the text from a cultural and historical perspective, not just looking at that one passage but also cross referencing passages, we can gain insight on God's perspective on any number of life's issues and how we are to proceed as Christians.

Fundamentalist Protestants especially get all bogged down in detail, in this fanaticism I am realizing of it has to be taken literally word for word creates a problem and puts God in a pigeon hole, a straight jacket.  Again, I am in no way denying the main message of the Bible, but what I am realizing is that I have to really look at the early Church fathers, the saints, their wisdom, and also discern very carefully what parts of the Bible are to be taken absolutely literal, as literal with grains of symbolism, as allegory alone, as symbol alone.  That's not an easy task and the fact that there are the writings of the early Church fathers, the saints and the theologians, so many in the Catholic Church to refer to, including the book that Pope John Paul II wrote on the dignity of the human person is an incredible and very valuable.  I will be reading my Catholic Study Bible very carefully, as well as pursing my theology studies with the St. Paul Theology Center, online and read the works of the early Church fathers and saints over the next few years, as well as finishing up the Third Millennium Studies I started.   God gave us the ability to create a plethora of musical instruments, recipes, songs, poems, writings in a variety of genres, so his Word is not one or two dimensional, but three dimensional and to not realize that and to say that every word must be taken only literally and one is not to take into account the personal experiences of the writers, the historical context of the times and such is silly, detrimental to one's spiritual growth and one's relationship to Scripture and the Trinity.  Now, as I read the Bible, I am going to looking at all dimensions and really seeking to discern whether that chapter is to be taken word for word literally, and if not all of it is, what part of it is to be taken literally, or is there as I said before,  a nugget of history placed inside of a larger spiritual lesson context?  I also wont be so quick to dismiss customs of the Jewish faith that we adopted into the early Christian faith, which the Eastern Orthodox seem to have maintained with continuity and appreciation, but Catholics have forgotten and Protestants decided to throw into the trash to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

As I make this journey I will remember that the Bible is not meant by God to be a book of history or science, but his way of conveying spiritual truth in his own way to those he chooses to reveal it to.  I will cherish all I learn and come to understand more in depth throughout my life's journey as a Christian and as I revisit my Catholic faith.

Shalom and Amen