Sealed with Divinity

This Nativity night bestowed peace on the whole world - So let no one threaten;

This is the night of the Most Gentle One – Let no one be cruel;

This is the night of the Humble One – Let no one be proud.

Now is the day of joy – Let us not revenge;

Now is the day of Good Will – Let us not be mean.

In this Day of Peace – Let us not be conquered by anger.

Today the Bountiful impoverished Himself for our sake - So, rich one, invite the poor to your table.

Today we receive a Gift for which we did not ask - So let us give alms to those who implore and beg us.

This present Day cast open the heavenly doors to our prayers - Let us open our door to those who ask our forgiveness.

Today the DIVINE BEING took upon Himself the seal of our humanity, In order for humanity to be decorated by the Seal of DIVINITY. 

+ St. Isaac Syrian, Nativity Sermon

Christ as Boddhisattva

As mentioned previously, I have been very interested lately in Mahayana Buddhism, especially concepts that I find are compatible with Catholicism. 

Lojong (mind training) are maxims that have a lot in common with Catholicism, especially the Eight Verses for Training the Mind. I have this printed on my wall at work, along with St John of the Cross' way of Nothingness. 

One of the ideas I have been fascinated with recently is Christ as Boddhisattva - or Christ as the ideal Boddhisattva. Not in the sense of denying his divinity or in some sort of Gnosticism, but as a holy person who takes on suffering for others and leads them away from darkness. 

I recent came across this Kadampa blog that I found wonderful in his Buddhist explanation of Jesus. 

May the peace of Christ be born in your hearts this Christmas, so you can bring the love of God to all people 

Lojong and Catholicism

Recently I have been very interested in the philosophy of Mayahana Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism. There is a practice known as Lojong (mind training) which is a collection of slogans or maxims that can easily be applied by Catholics without needing to abandon their faith. 

Of particular interest to me within Lojong is the practice of Tonglen (giving and receiving). This almost reminds me of how in Catholicism we can take on the sufferings on others, with our own sufferings, unite them in the Passion of Jesus and offer it to God so it is Co redemptive suffering. Anyone reading this blog will know that this concept has a special place in my heart and deep meaning to me. 

In Tonglen you visualise taking in all the suffering and evil around as a black smoke - and inhale it. Then you exhale light, pure blessings and compassion. It's a meditative method to help you develop compassion for other people. In a sense, Catholics could argue that Jesus actualised this by taking on sin and suffering on the Cross, and then turned the curse into the Tree of Life for us. 

I am in no way advocating Buddhism or a non critical approach, however there are some practices and teachings that resonate with our Faith and they may be helpful to some people. This is why I am discussing it as it is helping to deepen my spirituality and outlook - especially as I suffer depression, anxiety and am same sex attracted. 

Peme Chödrön has a very good way of distilling the teachings in a secular psychological way that I recommend checking out. 

https://www.lionsroar.com/dont-give-up/

Original justice of the Immaculata

I came across this quote from a friend on Facebook, and to be honest it blew my mind as I have never thought of it that way before.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (1695), a Mexican nun and a poet, dramatist, and spiritual writer, wrote this:

The Mystery of the Immaculate Conception

God finished his creations ad extra and perfected them when he formed humans in his likeness as rulers over the entire world.  The creatures created on this day (the animals of the earth and humans) rendered obedience to the one who the Lord predestined and distinguished as Mother of his Son as an act of justice rather than grace.

When Adam was created in original justice and grace, it was his nature to be ruler over all that was created on the earth, and so all the lesser creatures rendered him obedience. When he sinned and transgressed against God he was rejected by his inferiors.  The elements and the rest of the creatures rebelled against him.  Therefore, if Mary most holy was preserved from this original poison, in justice she would be owed all the privileges due her because of being conceived in grace.  Therefore, as a matter of original justice all creatures would be subject to her, because she did not participate in that sin which caused their rebellion against Adam and all of his children.

This benefit is not to be considered as a new gift but a manifestation of the benefit that her Son and our Lord gave to her by preserving her from Original Sin.  And all the homage rendered her by the creatures of the earth resulted from the grace of her conception, like the grace of the original creation of Adam, and is a testimony to her being immaculately conceived.  She alone was the one in whom the image and likeness of God, erased by the sin of our first father, the perfection of all the universe, was restored.  Holy Scripture calls Adam the perfection and ornament of all creation either because the final creature is the crown of the entire work or because the rest of the creatures were created for his sake.  All the other creatures were left imperfect through the sin of Adam.  Divine Omnipotence is to be credited not only with restoring human nature, by redeeming it, but by making use of human nature, by predestining and preserving in his eternal mind a pure creature adorned with sanctifying grace from the first instant of her being.  Through her the image and likeness of God was restored, perfecting the rest of his work and restoring it to its rightful order.

For this reason it is not only human beings who are in Mary's debt but all the other creatures as well because she gives them perfection and nobility.  They all owe her their service for this, if for no other reason.  On this day, therefore, all the brute beasts render her obedience.

The Eucharist - sacrament of mysticism

If you want to get into some solid Catholic theology on the Eucharist that will blow your mind and is not sentimental saccharine piety then I highly recommend you check out "The doctrine of spiritual perfection" by Fr Anselm Stolz (has imprimatur) 

He goes through his definition of mysticism of the spiritual life as union with God, that Christ restored and therefore he follows from Garrigou Lagrange that mysticism is based in baptism and open for all, not for spiritual elite - 

"We merely point out that the Eucharist as a sharing in Christ's sacrifice anticipates in a sacramental manner the union with God one day to be realised, and establishes between a Christian and the Heavenly Father that intimacy which the head of the mystical body enjoys uninterruptedly. Thus the Eucharist, as the perfect fulfilment of what is given at baptism is the proper sacrament of mysticism... 

To understand the Eucharist as the sacrament of mysticism, a person can begin with the fact it conveys to the soul Christ in person, and thus effects the highest degree of union with God...

Participation in the Eucharist is not merely one means among others towards mystical union: rising as it does on the foundations of the Grace bestowed on baptism, it is much more the actual achievement of that mystical oneness, to which so far in the believer there can only be a more or less powerful reaction" 

If this does not set your soul on fire after reading I don't know what else would!! 😍