My Easter Witness

[kafka]

Love, there is only this all else is unreal. . .

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWhe1ucJRxY[/media]

{13:4} Charity is patient, is kind. Charity does not envy, does not act wrongly, is not inflated.
{13:5} Charity is not ambitious, does not seek for itself, is not provoked to anger, devises no evil.
{13:6} Charity does not rejoice over iniquity, but rejoices in truth.
{13:7} Charity suffers all, believes all, hopes all, endures all.
{13:8} Charity is never torn away, even if prophecies pass away, or languages cease, or knowledge is destroyed.
{13:9} For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part.
[b]{13:10} But when the perfect arrives, the imperfect passes away.[/b]
{13:11} When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I understood like a child, I thought like a child. But when I became a man, I put aside the things of a child.
{13:12} Now we see through a glass darkly. But then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as I am known.
{13:13} But for now, these three continue: faith, hope, and charity. And the greatest of these is charity.


I'm done with everything. I want to pass away and enter into the eternal love-feast. Become a man. I am struggling in the childishness and the dark glass. I seriously have been losing it these past couple of days since Easter Sunday. I have grown tired of the childishness and shortsightedness and sinfulness of myself (past, present and tommorrow). I have grown tired of the stumbling Church in its current state and of the wicked secular world. I wonder if God would take me if I started to pray for it? I dont see any reason for me to be here anymore. I could do a lot more and better in Heaven (if God would take me to Himself). I wish God would just cut me down, literally or at least figuratively.

In any case check out the nice chant Ubi Caritas above. He mixes Latin and English.

And remember Saint Paul's words. This imperfect state of affairs is passing away. All of it. Do not be attached to things. Do not be attached to goals, to simply getting things done for its own sake. Ambition be destroyed. Everything will change in the consummation. Love will remain. Human persons in Jesus will remain. The eternal moral law will remain. Truth will remain. But all the things of this first world-age will cease, even the present liturgical forms, all the authority, all the Church buildings, all the garbage, all the heavy handed arrogance and absurdities, all the sarcasm (and need for it). All the venomous rich and powerful sucking out the life-blood of the meek. And no more sins.

Human persons are more important than things. Children are more important than things and than self. Spiritual and selfless love is more important than all other virtues, because if you dont have this you dont have anything and source of everything, that is God. Taking care of creation, living a simple and humble life in peace, love and holiness without serious sins, with family and friends, is more precious than all things in the world. Repenting and doing penance is more precious than having fun. Prayer is beautiful. True children love to praise their Father in Heaven. Living a moral life is golden.

The message hasnt changed since Jesus, why are we changing it? Why are we adding to it, why are we subtracting from it? Why are we chasing smoke and foolish absurdities? Why cant we just see it God? If we desired love you would effect it in us, for you love what is of You. We call your Eucharistic Supper a "Mass." Your early Christians called it the Love-Feast. What happened? Why cant we be free? It would be enough to simply live for Love. All would be set in order. And we would be happy, because love flies, it creates and converges. Love sees all things. Love penetrates the depths. Who can express what is in the will, in the heart? No one will ever understand what is in the heart of a true child of God. True love in all its forms is exciting, thrilling, even mere and lowly animal love bears witness to this. But spiritual love is a torrent of energy.

But I live for the future. I look forward to the New Heaven and New Earth as I stumble through this disastrous destruction. I am disillusioned of all things. I look to the Summer of Spiritual Love. The reign of Love. Let it come. It will come soon.

{118:96} I have seen the end of the consummation of all things. Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Let us change into children of Love, Oh God. Convert your Church and all sinners.

That is all.

Edited April 28, 2011 by kafka

[Luigi]

"I'm done with everything. I want to pass away and enter into the eternal love-feast. ... I wonder if God would take me if I started to pray for it? I dont see any reason for me to be here anymore. I could do a lot more and better in Heaven (if God would take me to Himself). I wish God would just cut me down, literally or at least figuratively."

This song doesn't line up exactlly with what you're saying, but at least it relates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0lFK9xQljs&feature=related

[kafka]

that is an excellent song Luigi. I love the electric glide.

Yeah I got so sad (not depressed) the past few days it actually ended cheering me up. But yeah I feel like I want to go, but I wont pray for that unless I sincerely think it is right for me before God. So I might have to settle for the figurative death.

But I tell you I'm beginning to see things differently and it is very good.

{60:5} Then you will see, and you will overflow, and your heart will be amazed and expanded. . .

[JenDeMaria]

Oh wow!! Here I was making up my top 10 list of favorite hymns, today, and I forgot this one. It is amazing. Absolutely a favorite.

[quote]The message hasnt changed since Jesus, why are we changing it? Why are we adding to it, why are we subtracting from it? Why are we chasing smoke and foolish absurdities? Why cant we just see it God? If we desired love you would effect it in us, for you love what is of You. We call your Eucharistic Supper a "Mass." Your early Christians called it the Love-Feast. What happened? Why cant we be free?[/quote]

Someone once told Blessed Henry Cardinal Newman "We need to get back to our roots. We need to return to the worship of the early Church." and Blessed Newman replied "Why would you chop down the oak tree to find the sapling?"

I think he's spot on. Christ gave his apostles an acorn in the form of his early teachings, ordination and sacraments. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostles planted the acorn, watered and cared for it. That acorn is now a thriving, massive oak tree. If you cannot accept the oak tree, how could you accept an imitation of the sapling when neither look anything like the acorn? If the current work of the Holy Spirit in the form of councils, documents and encyclicals is not trustworthy, then how could the early work of the Holy Spirit in the form of councils, epistles and preaching be trustworthy? And if neither is trustworthy, out of what would you form your church? There would be no scripture, no teaching and no succession of witnesses, no love feasts, no breaking of bread -- but only a prophet named Jesus who was incapable of being sufficiently understood by his followers to have his teachings authentically passed down through time. For if Christ is God he certainly has the power to keep that which he began until the last day -- in fact, he promised that the Holy Spirit would remain with the Church until the end of time, that it would be founded upon a rock and that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. But you know all this.

And consider that there have never been a lack of disputes in the church -- in fact, if there hadn't been disputes we'd only have a half dozen books in the New Testament since most of the epistles were written specifically to address questions on interpretation of doctrine and Christian teaching. In the middle of a meal, St. Paul rebuked the Pope for pretending to be holier than the Gentiles. Why would we imagine there would be less dissension or fewer disputes than there were among those who walked and talked with Our Lord?

There are two things we will not have in Heaven -- the ability to merit by faith and to suffer for love because when we arrive in Heaven we will see Him as He is, we will understand completely for the first time how much He has done for us and how little we have done for Him and most of us will desire to give everything, anything to suffer just a little more -- an inconvenience, a tragedy -- to be able to express our love for Him, but the season for that will be finished.

This is the life of Christ and the message of Easter: that in a world of selfishness and annihilation, Christ emptied himself, taking on the form of a slave, obeying the Father, going to death on a cross so that we might live a new life free of selfishness and hate and every kind of evil in which we might freely choose to do the will of God. He rose triumphant from that death so that we might be incorporated into his glorious body and never fear death again.

But now we are invited to die daily with Christ -- not just in obvious matters of selflessness, but in little acts of detachment from our preferences, our pride, our learning, our habits, our will -- in weakened liturgies, in disappointing Church authority figures, in confusion, in darkness, in dissension, in hope, fear, reverence, unearned disdain, bearing the cross of faith in love of the Lord who blazed a trail in these very conditions, except that he did so perfectly.

Which is why St. Paul said:

And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us: [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=2#x"][2][/url] Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=3#x"][3][/url] For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=4#x"][4][/url] For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=5#x"][5][/url] And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=6#x"][6][/url] For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=7#x"][7][/url] Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=8#x"][8][/url] But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=9#x"][9][/url] Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live? [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=10#x"][10][/url] And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.

[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=11#x"][11][/url] Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=12#x"][12][/url] Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=13#x"][13][/url] And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=14#x"][14][/url] Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=15#x"][15][/url] Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.

[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=16#x"][16][/url] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=17#x"][17][/url] For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for [u]he found[/u] no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=18#x"][18][/url] For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm, [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=19#x"][19][/url] And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them: [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=20#x"][20][/url] For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.

[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=21#x"][21][/url] And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=22#x"][22][/url] But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=23#x"][23][/url] And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=24#x"][24][/url] And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=25#x"][25][/url] See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we, that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.

[url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=26#x"][26][/url] Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=27#x"][27][/url] And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=28#x"][28][/url] Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace; whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=65&ch=12&l=29#x"][29][/url] For our God is a consuming fire.

[kafka]

yeah well said.



It was just a little poetic outburst. I think the Church where it is right now is on the threshold of being transfigured like Jesus. And I love the development and the modernity, the teachings, Councils, VII and all. Still I find all that is going on to be a bit too much at times and some of the stuff I said was personal. The Church needs to be purged and transfigured all in an epic sweep. The Holy Spirit is hard at work. And we are getting close to something.

Still this something will be a pale foreshadowing of the Church in the future and ultimately the Church of the New Heaven and New Earth which is what I am looking forward too with all my heart. I've spent a good year meditating on the New Heaven and New Earth, and I will share an outburst of new insights on my blog in the last three posts of my creation commentary of the seven days of Genesis:

{2:1} And so the heavens and the earth were completed, with all their adornment.
{2:2} And on the seventh day, God fulfilled his work, which he had made. And on the seventh day he rested from all his work, which he had accomplished.
{2:3} And he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. For in it, he had ceased from all his work: the work whereby God created whatever he should make.

but I do need a pep talk and encouragment from time to time. When one is living in the reality of the consummation of all things, then today quickly becomes awfully absurd. And I do think we need to get back to focusing on simplicity, sincerity and humility in great measure (without sacrificing the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, sophistication, maturity, etc. built up over the past two thousand years). The Church and the world have both become way too complex. And to be honest the complexity is a consequence of the moral evils we are experiencing today and recent history. God is utterly and absolutely simple. In contrast evil is complex, absurd, confusing, etc. Dont think for a moment we are at where God wants us to be. The Spirit is urging us on, we have not quite figured out where though. And either have I, but I do see some future developments of where God wants us to go. And it is different then where we are at, in the present. But what these are is difficult to express.

And yes the theological disputes will end when Jesus Returns. I'm just tired of them.

Edited April 29, 2011 by kafka