SACRAMENTAL VISION

Thanks to Richard Rohr, he encapsulates the essence of my understanding of God, thanks to Pierre Theilard deChardin and Ilio Delio.                                          

    One of the classic definitions of a sacrament is something that is an outward, visible sign of an inward, invisible grace. In the Christian church there are different rituals that are considered to be sacraments. The Catholic Church has seven sacraments, while other denominations count fewer among their number. However, this idea of sacramentality extends beyond the formal sacraments such as Baptism, Matrimony, Communion, and the Anointing of the Sick. This sense of sacramentality, rooted in the Incarnation, extends our vision out to the world so that everything can be a sacrament, meaning every person, creature, plant, and object can be an opportunity to encounter something of the Divine Presence in the world. Sacramentality is a quality present in creation that opens us up to the Sacred Presence in all things. Sacraments reveal grace.

TWITTER

 There was a time that I used Twitter. Then, it became difficult to see what awesomely unpleasant statements were made by so many. I found it difficult to be associated with it. I gave it up. 

To watch the news flowing out of Musk’s buying Twitter is both interesting and questionably stupid. No matter how rich one may be, purchasing an internet company at such an awesome amount of money that is designed to communicate brief statements seems incredible. I can somewhat understand that he wants to liberalize the platform. His intent to broaden the mainstream rather than having essentially two venues, Liberals vs Conservatives, makes sense. However to purchase the company at such at awesome price seems ridiculous, even if it is pennies for him.

The column in today’s Washington Post supports my view.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/27/free-speech-elon-musk-obama/

PERFORMANCE OF OUR GRANDDAUGHTER KELLEN

 It is such a perfect situation for any grandparent to watch of their grandchildren perform publicly. On April 24, we watched Kellen join other contemporaries in a musical production. I was so amazed at the level of the production that I asked more about it. This was not a school performance, but a community production by a professional group. All the children had to compete for selection and the parents were then required to pay for the performance which included professional musicians, stage hands, and an incredible film that accompanied by the musical, The Wizard of Oz.  

Needless to say, we focused clearly in Kellen, but we eagerly congratulated many others who performed so well.

Pierre Theilhard de Chardin Celebration of God

 Pierre Theilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit paleontologist who examined rocks in Mangolia, got me deeply into evolution and a totally different understanding of God. I first read his “Hymn of Universe” when I was in the seminary (about 1961). His understanding of the Divine seemed so right, even though it was scads different from the theology of St. Thomas that was taught to us. As it turns out, Pierre’s work started a progression that continues to this day. I dare say that few would have read as much as I about evolution and its relevance to one’s understanding of God. At the moment, Sr. Ilia Delio’s writings have predominated my reading. The trust of this understanding of the Divine is the presence of the Divine in all.

Theilard’s “Mass of the World” which he celebrated while living in the Ordos Desert in Inner Mangolia, with no paten or chalice but simply the earth, the sky, the wind, and his desire for God:

“Since once again, Lord — though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia — I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world. Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labour. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits. My paten and chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day.”

I personally have lived with this understanding of the Divine to the point that I am mindful of the presence in all that I experience: fellow humans, animals, fish, plants, trees, and the Cosmos. Prayer is simply being with the Divine in all!

FRIENDS GENERATED BY FRIENDS OF MAGGIE MAE

 As we celebrate Maggie Mae’s third birthday today, I am so amazed how many people have become her friends and, in turn, with us. There are few in our neighborhood who do not know and appreciate Maggie. They talk to her as she goes to them to greet them. At times, she even wants to visit them. Some enjoy the presence of such a loving dog. 

Even though she comes to me to run or play rather often, I cannot ever feel that it is too much. I just am awed by her energy and her wanting me to play with her. I am forever smiling at her as she looks often into my eyes.

WORLD ORDER

 I never stop being amazed at problems with the world order. You would think that history would challenge the thoughts of some world leaders that want to invade or destroy other nations. There is no evidence that it works.

 Anne Applebaum has been a constant source of understanding international relations. One of her latest observations are so pertinent:

“ There Is No Liberal World Order’

The war in Ukraine has prompted much revisiting of international-relations assumptions of recent decades. At The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum writes that it has laid bare some uncomfortable truths, including that there “is no natural liberal world order, and there are no rules without someone to enforce them”; that the West should seek more actively to disseminate information in authoritarian countries; that trade “with autocrats promotes autocracy, not democracy”; that buying large quantities of oil and gas from autocrats isn’t sustainable; and that democracy must be debated and defended.

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND OUR POLITICAL DICHOTOMY

 I have been puzzled by the stark differences among our electorate. While I appreciate how the opinions of extreme liberals would be rejected by many conservatives, I struggle to understand why so many Republicans seem to reject anything that is promoted by Democrats. The recent struggle within the Senate members interviewing Justice Jackson epitomized the issue. It is despairing to consider how disparate our political community is.

I recently came to an understanding of our political dichotomy. We do not access similar sources of information. Those who reference sources like CNN, New York Times, and Washington Post see our political world differently than those who inject the likes of Fox News, Washington Times, Federalist, and National Review. I do look at Fox News often to be aware of a different world. It becomes clear why we support different views.

Another source of political dichotomy is education and wealth. Those with higher education and wealth then to be more supportive of the Democratic Party. Those without such a background tend to support arch conservative views.

How to bridge the divide is a mystery!