Today's Reading

"Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,

'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?  Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'

Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'"

It's not about how the displays of piety or following the rules of any church.  It's about doing the will of God.

Just sayin

all together now

Over the course of the past two weeks, there have been a number of discussions which my partner and I have had that consistently underline that the 'real world' (in comparison to the theoretical world as written in books and taught in schools) is far more complex and organically diversified in operation.

It isn't just a matter of a rainbow vs. black/white...but that the rainbow itself doesn't have a set of a half-dozen or so discrete colours.  To expand a phrase I have used for years, "Nature doesn't read textbooks, so it does things which the textbooks say it can't."

We, as humans, are part of nature.  Whether it is discussions of relationships, sexuality, or even as basic as how we perceive the universe around us, no two people are identical and divisions created to group folks are arbitrary.  Indeed, all of the divisions we make about nearly everything are imaginary and arbitrary.

We are all connected, all together, all one.  That which separates us is not without but within.  It is our misperceptions, misconceptions and lack of understanding that keeps us apart.

Once you see it, you will sh....

Everyone is home now. My son is safe and recuperating nicely.  I'm back at work and everything is just like it always is.

....except it's not.

It's not at all.

I keep looking around in shocked disbelief, as if I'm in some surreal world where nobody sees what is obvious to me.  The Divine working around us all, in us all.  Being connected to that Divine, feeling it coursing through everything and the affects of that Divinity....healing in days what takes weeks, months or never.

Day after day, I want to stand on a soap-box or at the top of a peak and shout "Behold what She has wrought!"  The more I am aware, the more frequently I see them, which makes me more aware yet. Every day this spiral continues and I am more grateful, thankful and astounded.

And yet...the people in this world muddle along, apparently oblivious to the awesome and incredible things which are going on right under their noses. That miracles happen around us is ignored.  That they happen with frequency and are unseen borders on willful blindness.

But once you see it, you cannot unsee it.  Once you know, you cannot turn back to how you used to be.

Thank you, Dad....for her, for him, for all of this.  

Awful

So, no, I haven't been posting much lately.  Things have been....surreal.

Last Spring, the Divine answered the prayers I had sent and brought someone into my life - someone who is wonderful and brilliant in a thousand different ways.  As the Spring progressed, so has our love blossomed and matured into something incredibly special - a partner and soulmate.  Something for which I give thanks and praise to Dad daily (if not more frequently).

But to love someone is to love their progeny as well, and my partner has a 12YO son.  We have bonded well and seem to be developing a good and healthy relationship.

In the past 2 weeks, he has undergone two serious surgeries to remove a tumor in his brain.  That fortnight has brought many sleepless nights, stressful days and more learning about medical technology than I ever wished to. Those days and nights have truly cemented the bonds between my partner and myself, showing how well we work together and how truly compatible we are.

Throughout these weeks, my faith has been resolute that Dad, in Her most Coyote of ways, would be true to His word and that She had things in hand.  The tumor is now out and we will see in the next few days how we are to proceed from here.

But that isn't what has been surreal, for that (incredible as it is) is not the real gift.   These past few weeks have brought me something beyond price or imagining - a son.  His choice...our choice.

Words cannot express nor song convey my gratitude and thanksgiving.

And, at least this once, I can chuckle with my Dad about the joke.
"Trust me," He said.  "I got this handled" She said, "This will be AWESOME".

No, Dad, it's not just some...it's full of awe.

Thanks be to God

So much...so quickly.  Some clouds seem dark while others are swirling with light and silver linings mix with rays of Divine light to the point that I see naught but the beauty that is the Creator reflected in the creation.

I don't even have words to describe how things have changed since the last post other than to say "Thank you, Dad"

....and thank you, son.

Addendum to 'real scotsmen' and a notice

A real Scotsman

One of the things which I may have forgotten to mention in my previous post is that I was hoping that those of a catholic bent (that would include all of my Anglican communion brothers and sisters) would critique and comment as to the veracity of the statements and suggest additions and/or corrections.

In other, unrelated news, the next week shall probably be sparse as I am away on family business. May the Divine shine upon you all this and every day.

Thanks be to God.

Real Scotsmen wear dresses

Last week, our regional council had their formal decision-making meeting in regards to the question of calling a diocesan bishop.  I MAY post the process and results in another post, but the entire process has had the undercurrent of the discussion of the definition of Catholicity.

It seems that most folks feel that Catholicity is determined by external factors.  Whether it's smells & bells, old men in funny clothes, mea culpas or mumbling the same prayers in a foreign tongue that were done a thousand years ago in another country.

Others seem to think that it includes or is defined by obesiance to a primate or prelate and the hierarchical organization they represent.  Talk all you wish about 'authentic Catholic' or 'purity of Church', the mantra of 'pray, pay, obey' seems to be a hum in the background.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, that seems like a pretty poor definition of a faith system and is very much not where I am at.  For me (and I could very well be wrong) the definition of a faith system of any kind, let alone a set of faith systems (catholic vs. protestant, for instance), begins with belief. It is my contention that those who were raised in a catholic faith system are largely ignorant of the differences and distinctives of catholicity.

Thus:
Catholicity embraces the doctrine of Free Will, and thus rejects Predestination (Persistance of Saints), Irresistible Grace, Limited Atonement and Total Depravity.

Catholicity embraces synergistic salvation, wherein God offers Grace and man freely accepts it, thus rejecting Unconditional Election and other monogistic soteriologies.

Catholicity embraces the validity of the Sacred Deposit, formed of both Tradition and Scripture, as the source of Inspiration and Revelation, thus rejecting sola scriptura.

Catholicity embraces the twin pillars of Justification which are Faith and Works, thus rejecting sola fide.

Catholicity embraces a Sacramental life.

I am sure that I am probably missing some and I know that doctoral theses could and have been written about each and every one I have mentioned.

One final thing to mention is that MANY of the 'distinctives' mentioned by various catholic Churches are not hallmarks of Catholicity, but core tenets of Christianity.  Belief in a Triune deity does not make you catholic, nor does affirming the Nicene Creed or a myriad of other things which make you Christian but not catholic. 

Just a quick question

Sr. Margaret Farley, Ph.D., Heretic

If a theologian propounds a viewpoint which is supported by the Deposit of Faith (which is to say, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture) and the prelates discern, in good faith, that it is at variance with current Magisterial teaching, who is the heretic?

The theologian who pronounces the Truth as revealed to them within Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition?

The bishops and prelates who see this revelation as being at odds with their teaching?

I seem to recall that the prelates in Jerusalem voiced the very same complaints against some ill-educated Nazarene.

Just sayin.

I hear the music ringing...

As things progress from Spring to Summer, dark clouds roil on the horizon, promising more than just rain. 

In the Roman Church, cracks continue to show in the facade of unity and power as the servants of Christ work to undermine His message.

In our own Communion, the rumbles and arguments about authority and leadership are cause for despair as some attempt to make us in Rome's image.

In my own life, my beloved and I must sit powerless as her son is going through a pair of brain surgeries, not knowing how much of him will be left. 

And then there are the thousand storms of man's inhumanity to man which I cannot unsee and feel helpless to counter.

All of this...and yet.

Thanks, Dad.

Thanks.