Christians and Vampires

Lately there has been new Vampire craze due to the Twighlight novels and movies. Since I am feeling a little dark and gothic at the moment I thought I would write a little bit about Vampires and Christians.

Ever since Bram Stoker wrote the book Dracula, our image of what Vampires are has drastically changed from how they were originally seen. We tend to see Vampires as almost elegant, noble, sensual and even sexy. However for the Eastern European (Slavic) peoples who we get the legends from and even the word "vampire", they were unhuman - distorted versions of humanity. Originally the word for vampire, witch and werewolf were synonymous with eachother. This meant that the person was seen as unclean, devoid of grace and not really living - but a distortion of humanity. In Russia the Vampire was referred to as a heretic, someone who had rejected the truth of Christianity and now was living-dead.

We can see all this as allegories for us as Christians. Through sin we have lost our true humanity and are doomed to live but not have life within us. We live but spiritually we are dead. We become a sort of "Spiritual Vampire" in the sense that we need to feed on the Body and Blood of Jesus in order to have Eternal Life. The is the sublimity and at the same time earthy glory of the Eucharist. We Catholics believe that when we receive communion that we are not receiving Jesus symbolically, but really and truly present - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

As a result of Original Sin and our own personal sins we have lost our humanity, we have lost grace and now are spiritually dead. So this is why we need to feed on the Life of Jesus who is the true Human. His Blood is His very Life, and it restores our humanity. Without Him we are just animalistic vicious disfigured distortions of who we are created to be.

So in this sense we could then say that Christians are the true Vampires

"We Can Turn to Her, and Our Heart Receives Light and Comfort"

Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered at midday before and after praying the Angelus on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, together with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The 8th of December we celebrate one of the most beautiful feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception. But what does it mean that Mary is the "Immaculate"? And what does this title tell to us?

First of all we refer to the biblical texts of today's liturgy, especially the great "fresco" of the third chapter of the Book of Genesis and the account of the Annunciation of the Gospel of Luke. After original sin, God turned to the serpent, which represents Satan, he curses him and adds a promise: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

It is the proclamation of revenge: Satan at the beginning of creation seems to have the upper hand, but the son of a woman will come who will crush his head. Thus, through the woman's offspring, God himself will triumph. That woman is the Virgin Mary, from whom was born Jesus Christ who, with his sacrifice, has defeated once and for all the ancient tempter. Because of this, in so many painting and statues of the Immaculate, she is represented in the act of crushing a serpent under her foot.

The evangelist Luke, instead, shows us the Virgin Mary who receives the annunciation of the heavenly messenger (cf. Luke 1:26-38). She appears as the humble and authentic daughter of Israel, true Zion in whom God wishes to make his dwelling. She is the young plant from which the Messiah must be born, the just and merciful King.

In the simplicity of the home of Nazareth lives Israel's pure remnant from which God wishes to have his people be born again, as a new tree that will extend its branches in the whole world, offering all men good fruits of salvation. As opposed to Adam and Eve, Mary remains obedient to the Lord's will, with her whole self she pronounces her "yes" and places herself fully at the disposition of the divine plan. She is the new Eve, true "mother of all the living" -- that is, of all those who by faith in Christ receive eternal life.

Dear friends, what immense joy to have Mary Immaculate as Mother! Every time we experience our frailty and the suggestion of evil, we can turn to her, and our heart receives light and comfort.

Also in life's trials, in the storms that make faith and hope vacillate, we think that we are her children and that the roots of our existence sink in the infinite grace of God. The Church herself, even if exposed to the negative influences of the world, always finds in her the star to direct and follow the route indicated by Christ.

Mary is in fact the Mother of the Church, as Pope Paul VI and Vatican Council II solemnly proclaimed. While, therefore, we render thanks to God for this wonderful sign of his goodness, we entrust to the Immaculate Virgin each one of us, our families and the community, the whole Church and the entire world.

Pilgrimage of Faith

Where are you leading me to and
Whom are you taking
me to, My Consoler?
Why do you lead me as one blind,
along ways that I know not,
and how is it that you make the
crooked paths before me straight?
What is this Pilgrimage of Faith
and where is its destination?

Confused in this wilderness,
lost in the dark desert -
where to now?
Why have you abandoned me
in the Silent Mystery of Solitude?
I search and thirst for meaning
in the aridity of my soul,
but nothing satisfies me.

Deeper and deeper I wander
searching for Truth,
longing for someone who will
be able to quench my thirst.
Desperate and vulnerable in my
Sheer Naked Desire,
I finally let go of everything
and abandon myself in Unknowing.

Here in the humility of Nothingness,
I suddenly pierce through the
overwhelming Melancholy of Illusion,
and my senses become flooded with Divine Light.
Purified and illuminated I have entered
into the Chamber of Transformative Union.

Here in the cavernous depths of Being,
enlightened by the Splendour of Love
I have discovered the True Fountain
of Living Water.
Overwhelmed by the anxiety of uncertainty,
I approach the pristine waters of consolation.
Gazing upon the Sparkling Brilliance,
I catch a glimpse of the Spirit
hovering over the River of Re-Creation.

Unable to resist the lure any longer,
I plunge myself into the unfathomable depths.
Immersed in this torrent of pleasure
and tasting the Sweetness of Presence,
I delve deeper and deeper into
the overflowing and outporing
Mystery of Infinite Encounter -
with the One who is the Omega Point.
The Source, Summit and Peak
of humanity in its progress towards
final and Everlasting Destination.

Methodius 10/1/2006

Deep calls to deep

In the deepest recesses of my soul
there is an Echo.
This echo is the voice of the Eternal One;
whispering to me from within.
From the heart of the tempest
the gentle breeze beckons,
as the haunting melody of the Deep cries out
from the roaring maelstrom of inner conflict.
The constant call of Eternity
is felt pulling upon the strings of the heart,
as the ebb and flow of the tide touch the shore.

Methodius 17/6/2006

Being-melancholic-while-agapic-for-the-Other

*This post is not about anyone in particular*

I am in quite a melancholic mood today.

Why is it that friends never seem to be there when you need them? It often feels as though I get let down by friends more often than not.

Maybe I have too high expectations of them? I suppose that's why I often feel let down or not supported by them. I try always to be there for my friends whenever they need me. If they need to talk at three am I will be available, or to be picked up in the middle of the night. If they need me to be there with them I will often be there within 30 minutes of them asking.

But it often feels like this isn't reciprocated. A lot of people assume that because I am a very strong willed and stubborn person that I don't need as much support from my friends as other people might. Well this simply isn't true.

Love of solitude isn't the same as being lonely. Although I do often like to do things on my own, it doesn't mean that I don't sometimes feel lonely. I really would like my friends to call me every now and then and ask me to catch up. But often I am the one who has to call first. It's like everybody has such busy and important lives that they don't have time for me, but when they need me - I will drop everything for them in an instant.

This isn't meant to be a "whinge-session" and I am not depressed. I am just ruminating over my feelings in regards to my friends and the seeming lack of relationship that I have with them.

Sometimes it just feels as though I have lots of acquaintances but not really anyone I can open my heart to. Who do I have that I can honestly connect to and be myself with, without having to be fake or pretending to be someone I'm not?

Without trying to be a martyr, I suppose I should view my situation as my Cross to bear from the Lord and see it as a participation in the loneliness of Jesus. In the sense that He had friends who He loved dearly, and yet they let Him down in His time of need. However He was always giving Himself completely to them no matter that they would not or even could not reciprocate. He gave the Gift of Self, His entire existence was AGAPIC.

In a certain sense this is what I try to do in my friendships with others. I try my best as is humanly possible to give myself completely to the person that I am with at the time. When I am with them I give Myself completely. This is part of my notion of living and being authentic.

As a result of this I often find myself bitterly disappointed with the reciprocation of the friendship - hence my melancholy. Most people do not seem to have the same ideals as I have or even the same notion and understanding of friendship. In my relationships, I try to see myself as "Being-for-an-Other" and holding nothing back for myself. Yet when I talk with some (not all) friends they barely even seem to be able to concentrate when I talk to them. This is one of them most frustrating and at the same time disheartening things that I experience.

When this happens I often experience a sure of rage welling up within me and then later on a deep sadness fills me. I feel so angry and bitter that my complete Gift of Self is treated so indifferently. It is as if I hand over to them my heart, and then they just nonchalantly glance and it and discard it without a second thought. This is why the deep sadness comes over me afterwards.

Slowly over time I am beginning to control my outrage after such incidents, but still struggle with the sadness and melancholy that sets in.

What keeps me strong though is knowing that so long as I continue to give of myself no matter what, that I am being true to myself. I am being AUTHENTIC. So long as I can die knowing that I have a clean conscience about being true with myself and others, I believe I will have lived a meaningful existence.

To be authentic I need to be AGAPIC - no matter how hard or disheartening it can be. For me this is part of my journey of becoming Christ like, no matter how often I fall short of that ideal. I know that I need to be just like Jesus and give no matter what the cost, even if I know beforehand that it will not or even cannot be reciprocated.

In spite of being a very imperfect Christian and notoriously irascible, I always strive to live sacrificially for my friends - to have an AGAPIC existence.

There is a beautiful song written by Don McLean that I find hauntingly Christological, and at the same time it touches me deeply. Hopefully if you can take the time to read the words and ruminate over them, you will begin to understand how I think and feel as a person.

Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...