Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: Do you seek after spiritual honey or only see the dung?

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Do you seek after spiritual honey or only see the dung?

This is advice from an Orthodox saint, but still highly relevant to us all, especially today. It can be so easy to focus on all the negatives in the Church and the world, while forgetting the good things. The more you understand this history of the Church you’ll see it’s always been a mess, always issues with corruption and scandal, there’s always been weak leaders and immorality, the saints were always the exception to the norm but not the norm. There’s never been a “golden period” of the Church without error, heresy, scandals, discord, corruption and failure - that’s the reality of sin in all of our lives, and yet even in all that overwhelming mess, the Jesus remains present as a ray of light and hope to us all, showing us the way to Him.

Jesus is Lord and is in control, he is victorious (Colossians 2:15, Revelation 1:17) and has over come the world (John 16:33), we as members of the Church share in his victory (Romans 8:37) and he has left the Holy Spirit to guide the Church into all truth (John 16:13) as well as dwell in us as his own Temples (1 Corinthians 6:19) and poured his love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

So why should we be anxious or worried about things? Although we often feel like we are in a storm in our life, out of control and that we have been forgotten - but Jesus is present in the boat and in control (Mark 4:38-40). He also tells us today ““Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

Today choose to see the goodness of the Lord in your life, don’t focus on the garbage. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.