The more things change.....

"The churches are without people, the people without priests, the priests without respect, the Christians without Christ...the sacraments are no longer sacred, the holy days without their solemnities."

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the Mellifluous Doctor

mid-12th century

Epifaneez, I haz themz

Today, of course, is the feast of the Epiphany, known as the Theophany to our eastern catholic bretheren.  This day celebrates the coming of the wise men to adore Christ and also his baptism by his cousin John.  In both instances, it is a moment of revelation wherein the God-made-flesh is recognised as such by others.

James Joyce is said to have taken the word and turned it to the more common usage describing that flash of sudden comprehension and grasp of the 'big picture'.  When you briefly glimpse the Grand Scheme or see the face of the Divine in something most would consider totally mundane.


In the end, however, it is that instant when you suddenly 'get it' and (for you) the world is transformed. There have been many of these over the past year or so...moments where all of a sudden, the universe seems to change.  The key here is seems.  The world hasn't changed, your perception/understanding of it has....You have.

We are all made in the image and likeness of the Divine.  The Divine is made flesh and is amoung us.  Just look for yourself and your world can change.

At loose ends? I'm a-frayed knot.

I'm thinking about what I can discuss today and things are woven back and forth.

The low-hanging fruit is to rail against certain authorities who publicly insist and maintain positions which their religion's founder explicitly spoke against, though between Bill and Colleen, it's hard not to feel like you're bringing coals to Newcastle.

Today is the feast of saint Simeon Stylites (the elder).  I could talk about his self-mortification, of the nature of sacrifice and the ilk, but that's trodden ground for sure.

My friend was talking about how he (with a certain amount of joy) is noticing the return of some of the 'old' trappings of the pre-V2 church...some latin and candles and gilt.  There's certainly a good sermon about returning to old vs. re-discovering the past or even a bit about form vs. function.

The first reading for today is from 1 John 4, which goes on at some length about how are are loved by God, how we are to love each other, and the ramifications thereof.  There's fertile ground there, for sure.

Instead....I'm going to take a step back and talk about the big picture here.

God loves us and we are to love everyone else.  Whoever remains in love remains in God.  That's what 1 John 4 goes on about.

If that is the case, then, we should love ourselves as well...not with the selfish 'memememe' love which then turns others away, but rather the sort of love which recognizes the Divinity within everyone, including ourselves.

If that occurs, then the self-mortification like that of St. Simeon is both irrelevant and counterproductive.

If that occurs, the exclusionary, smaller church which Benedict (and quite possibly Rowan) envisions is contrary to this.

If that occurs, then we recognise our own worth and value, but also our place in the world.  We see that we are all half-blind creatures who stumble about in the dark and are prone to making mistakes.  That everyone is both worthy of and in need of salvation.

If that happens, how we set the table for supper or which liturgical fork we use is put into a different, smaller perspective. 

p.s.: This was supposed to post yesterday, but didn't for some reason.  *shrugs*