An adult that I know announced that he wanted to be baptized.
He had to put together a team of people to accompany him on the journey of instruction in the Faith.
One of them said to him: "the most important thing about your decision is that you feel comfortable about the Church, and if you do not, then do not proceed with it."
I often get the feeling that the very active people in the Church believes that the Church = it is them.
In other words; if you do not like us, do not join us.
"Who do they think they are?" is my reaction.
These people are barriers to new people who wants to come in.
The use of the word comfortable struck me. The authentic teaching of Jesus does not indicate that first you have to find the comfort, and then you choose that, because it suits you.
The Church is not an association or a club; it is about radical CHANGE, CONVERSION.
That is very rarely comfortable.
The role of the Church is to deliver the teaching, to transmit it to us in order that we can continue to hand it down.
The best way to transmit something is by example. So a person who priorities comfort, will by their very person, prevent the transmission of the complete understanding of Christ's message.
Essentially, it all amounts to surrender.
Abandoning oneself to God, means that one is empty of oneself inside, and that one accepts whatever comes.
When we say in truth: "God, it is you I want", we are throwing ourselves out on the deep end, and we do not know what is going to happen next.
It could even be extremely uncomfortable, who knows?
The point is that one accepts internally whatever comes our way, good and bad.
Because we know that life is like that for everybody, we are not exceptions just because we adhere to the Church.
Obedience of Rules
It is understandable that one would revolt against rules that one does not understand.
The big controversial one in the Catholic Church, the one that poses a problem for most people,
is the rule around sexual relations that the Church imposes.
If it is not understood, then it is more or less impossible to adhere to.
With so much sex abuse and cover up in the Catholic Church, it might seem a bit rich to
continue to impose rules in this regard on ordinary, normal functioning people.
The thing is; they do not impose anything on anybody.
We decide ourselves, as adults, if we want to adhere or not.
Just like the priests who have made the vow of celibacy; they have to make a choice if they fall
in love with a woman; they have to decide if they stay or if they go, they are free to choose.
The teachings of the Catholic Church provides rules that takes in every single aspect of the human person.
The idea with that is not, as some people still thinks, that "these people" wants to dominate and interfere in people's life. They do not, they are simply transmitting the true teaching of the Church.
It is their job. But it is not for nothing that they do that, because the ultimate goal is our unification with God.
God lives in the center of our Being.
He can only be accessed through His only Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, our brother,
if we adhere to his commands, and do all that he tells us to do.
That can not happen on the superficial, external level of our life, only in the depths of our hearts
and souls, when we employ our willpower and the control of ourselves, in all situations of our daily life. This includes also our feelings, reactions and perceptions.
It is why that to "follow your feelings" is normally not a good idea.
Due to their very changing and volatile nature, if you "follow your feelings" you could easily lose
your way and the run of yourself.
But it is important to be present with your feelings, accept them totally, especially the strong ones, the difficult and painful ones. (for example rage, revolt, fear, grief )
With the conscious use of the willpower and with great awareness, not always giving in to
biological and physical impulses, to control them, helps us to center us in the core of our being, where God lives.
This is also why gluttony; overeating, is classified as a sin.
A sin, simply defined, is whatever thought, action or omission we commit that creates a barrier between us and God.
"The rules" are a set of spiritual practices, that if, faithfully adhered to, and in a spirit of trust and surrender to the will of God, will bring us closer to God.
The big controversial one in the Catholic Church, the one that poses a problem for most people,
is the rule around sexual relations that the Church imposes.
If it is not understood, then it is more or less impossible to adhere to.
With so much sex abuse and cover up in the Catholic Church, it might seem a bit rich to
continue to impose rules in this regard on ordinary, normal functioning people.
The thing is; they do not impose anything on anybody.
We decide ourselves, as adults, if we want to adhere or not.
Just like the priests who have made the vow of celibacy; they have to make a choice if they fall
in love with a woman; they have to decide if they stay or if they go, they are free to choose.
The teachings of the Catholic Church provides rules that takes in every single aspect of the human person.
The idea with that is not, as some people still thinks, that "these people" wants to dominate and interfere in people's life. They do not, they are simply transmitting the true teaching of the Church.
It is their job. But it is not for nothing that they do that, because the ultimate goal is our unification with God.
God lives in the center of our Being.
He can only be accessed through His only Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, our brother,
if we adhere to his commands, and do all that he tells us to do.
That can not happen on the superficial, external level of our life, only in the depths of our hearts
and souls, when we employ our willpower and the control of ourselves, in all situations of our daily life. This includes also our feelings, reactions and perceptions.
It is why that to "follow your feelings" is normally not a good idea.
Due to their very changing and volatile nature, if you "follow your feelings" you could easily lose
your way and the run of yourself.
But it is important to be present with your feelings, accept them totally, especially the strong ones, the difficult and painful ones. (for example rage, revolt, fear, grief )
With the conscious use of the willpower and with great awareness, not always giving in to
biological and physical impulses, to control them, helps us to center us in the core of our being, where God lives.
This is also why gluttony; overeating, is classified as a sin.
A sin, simply defined, is whatever thought, action or omission we commit that creates a barrier between us and God.
"The rules" are a set of spiritual practices, that if, faithfully adhered to, and in a spirit of trust and surrender to the will of God, will bring us closer to God.
Updates
The updates that installes themselves on our computers are imposed on us, it is normally not we that
thinks about doing them. They are crucial to the efficient functionality of the computers, which as we know, do not operate in an individual or separatist fashion, but are part of a world wide web network. If the updates for some reason do not take place, the functionality of the computer will be drastically reduced.
In this respect, human beings are not that different from computers.
The initial downloading of our programs, the configurations, that forms our thinking, beliefs and habits that takes place when we are young, needs to be regularly updated in order for us to function properly in every new situation that might ressemble the initial situation.
Because the old original program does not help us to act correctly to the new situation,
due to the lack of updating.
Sometimes we see old people saying and doing exactly the same things that their parents did before them, without reflection, they believe fully that the world really is as they see it, and not as somebody else sees it.
Awareness in all things, especially the "small" things is the antidote. When one becomes aware of one's thoughts and one's words, the awareness will grow from there.
This awareness program will result in a growing updating to the new realities of a world that is constantly changing.
I am not here talking about acquiring new technology, neither I am talking about integrating
changing worldly trends of what is "acceptable", "cool", or "worthy" at any given time, because that is superficial, and has nothing to do with true consciousness.
I am talking about a process in the interior of the person, in the true awareness of things, as they really are.
thinks about doing them. They are crucial to the efficient functionality of the computers, which as we know, do not operate in an individual or separatist fashion, but are part of a world wide web network. If the updates for some reason do not take place, the functionality of the computer will be drastically reduced.
In this respect, human beings are not that different from computers.
The initial downloading of our programs, the configurations, that forms our thinking, beliefs and habits that takes place when we are young, needs to be regularly updated in order for us to function properly in every new situation that might ressemble the initial situation.
Because the old original program does not help us to act correctly to the new situation,
due to the lack of updating.
Sometimes we see old people saying and doing exactly the same things that their parents did before them, without reflection, they believe fully that the world really is as they see it, and not as somebody else sees it.
Awareness in all things, especially the "small" things is the antidote. When one becomes aware of one's thoughts and one's words, the awareness will grow from there.
This awareness program will result in a growing updating to the new realities of a world that is constantly changing.
I am not here talking about acquiring new technology, neither I am talking about integrating
changing worldly trends of what is "acceptable", "cool", or "worthy" at any given time, because that is superficial, and has nothing to do with true consciousness.
I am talking about a process in the interior of the person, in the true awareness of things, as they really are.
Church Abuse
This week yet another court case is taking place regarding the cover-up of clerical sex abuse.
It used to be hard to imagine that the rape of children could be made even worse by having
another crime added on to it.
In the Catholic Church, we know that often other priests had knowledge of abuse taking place,
and the bishop too, and yet nobody did anything to stop and prevent it, but instead denied it.
It is this last fact that has caused hundreds of thousands to turn away from the Church, never to return.
The same pattern of denial and silence that accompanies every new case, is a completely counterproductive exercise.
Brainwashing
A definition of brainwashing is: Persuasion by Propaganda or Salesmanship which
implies that one has given up individual independent though process.
I find that scary, because my mind and my intelligence are things that I value.
Old fashioned things like freedom of speech, where in the attitude of respect of others,
and in a democratic mind-set, one could agree to disagree on issues, seems to exist no longer.
I expressed a few years ago that I did not see the relevance in the demand for
gay marriage, because the definition of marriage is a life long union between a man and a woman.
implies that one has given up individual independent though process.
I find that scary, because my mind and my intelligence are things that I value.
Old fashioned things like freedom of speech, where in the attitude of respect of others,
and in a democratic mind-set, one could agree to disagree on issues, seems to exist no longer.
I expressed a few years ago that I did not see the relevance in the demand for
gay marriage, because the definition of marriage is a life long union between a man and a woman.
Christmas
Apart from the Mass, I do not like Christmas very much.
What we are celebrating at this time, is the miracle of life, a miracle that is unfolding
every moment of every day.
The celebrations endeavors to bring to our awareness that
because of Jesus's coming,
In reality every day is Christmas
What I dislike about this period is the excessive food and drink that people seem to think that
they are obliged to indulge in.
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