New Beginnings

Part 1. (July 22, 2017)
Wow, over 2 years since my last post on this blog. I hadn't realized it had been that long. Theology of the Body is still a big part of my Catholic focus,  but I've wanted to envision a greater picture of body and soul together. This involves a new look at mindfulness and spirituality through the Catholic lens. The idea here as I expand and find new ways to live out my faith, I'll pass them along to you. Sometimes we can even do this through our secular culture. As Christopher West says, "finding the wheat among the weeds." I'll continue to retool this blog and add new favorite links to websites and blogs as some of the old blog had outdated stuff. Stay Tuned.

 Part 2. (July 23, 2017)
I started writing this last night (Saturday) and 2 concepts came out that resurfaced today and hadn't realized it until now.  The new title of my new blog is New Beginnings which is the title of session 1 for the new "Welcome" program (formally CHRP, Christ Renews His Parish).  The Welcome program is now under the Dynamic Catholic Family and I couldn't be happier!  I am part of the new giving team at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Northglenn Colorado.  Go Team 4!

Today's Gospel reading from Matthew (13:24-43) deals with wheat (good) and weeds (evil) which I eluded to last night.  Sometimes even the weeds are beautiful to look at (purple flowers) but under closer inspection it can certainly hurt if tried to pull by your bare hands.  Usually pain is a warning sign to our bodies. Personally, I can see these pretty purple thistle weeks as lust (pornography). When you look at porn it will certainly hurt your soul and everyone around you.  

From Bishop Robert Barron's Gospel reflections today he says, "When we discover evil, it is always very tempting to go after it with both fists, to take it out. But the warning of the Master here is extremely important. Sometimes, our zeal can lead to far greater problems, precisely because of the way evil is related to the good."

Gift of Self and Marriage

In a culture today where marriage is thrown around like a term from yesterday, here is a profound example of the marriage covenant, "til death do us part" and an example for all of us, whether we are married, celibate, or single.

Here is the link below to the resignation speech of Robertson McQuilkin, where he resigned as President of Columbia International University. He resigned to care for his wife, Muriel, who had Alzheimer's.

The statement which really stands out for me is his commitment to his wife in marriage, and not only the "good times." He says, "Its not that I have to, it's that I get to." 

When I first heard this story back in the late 1990s on my car radio, I had to pull the car over and cried. I wondered if my own marriage could be that strong. My own father at that time had Alzehimer's and my mother cared for him for over a decade.

In the day where the dignity of the human body is being discarded like trash,  we must behold and hold up the dignity of the human body, whether a young body in the best of health or the suffering of the elderly. 

In our themes of the mind, body, and being human...

Check out website, heysigmund.com, Where the science of Psychology meets the art of being human. I just saw this website today as an article was floating around Facebook. There are quite a few good articles here worthy of a read.

Check out this article in the website, titled "The Rules for Being Human": http://www.heysigmund.com/the-rules-for-being-human/

The author is Karen Young, who is a psychologist and blogs at Huffington Post UK. 

here is a snippet from the article.  I suspect most of us do not love our bodies.

1. "We all have a body. Best learn to love it. "

   "There is only one body like yours on the entire planet – and you own it – so that makes it a pretty precious commodity. Look after it and get to know it well. Above all else, love it. You can’t take care of something you don’t like. Either we can treat it well or we can treat it with delicious bad carbs andluscious lazy days on the couch. I’m all for a bit of both. But note to the universe, when it comes to taking care of this body of mine, if exercise had the side of effect of, you know, making me love exercise or something, things would be a whole lot easier, so you might want to work on that."  Karen Young

New Religon of Food by Jared Zimmerer

This is an interesting article in terms of evangelization using food and exercise, and a dash of TOB!

A few excerpts from his blog article...


"We Christians must learn, once again, to put flesh and experience on our message. Pope Francis’ whole modus operandi is to go out beyond our comfortable limits and bring Christ to the disenfranchised, the lost and the forsaken. While we may not be asking others to adhere to strict dietary law, we can also present a way of life that can change and enhance the practitioner, much more than any diet or exercise routine."

" Your body speaks a language. What language are we speaking as the body of Christ if we live in the cyclical danger of mental preparedness but never physically go out and bring others into our mission? Can those who you bring into your life tangibly see the virtues you profess?"

http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/the-new-religion-of-food/4786/

More Theology of the Body from Bishop-Elect Robet Barron

This video was first published on August 2, 2011 and Fr. Barron discusses Saint Pope John Paul's early works, including Love and Responsibility and how it relates to our culture today, and ties in with the themes of Theology of the Body.

He talks about the physics of the soul. Every moral act produces 2 effects.
1. produces immediate consequence (short term)
2. helps to produce your character and is shaping your soul (long term) and person you are becoming.

Sex, Love, and God from Bishop-Elect Robert Barron

Video was first published on January 7, 2013 from Word on Fire website.

Quotes from the short video...

"Love is an act of will for another, not a feeling"

What is Marriage in light of the Catholic Church?  "That our relationship might become an iconic sign of God's love for the world"

Theology of the Body and mental illness

We tend to hide under the covers when it turns to mental illness and we act so different  when we are dealing with a physical illness of the body versus someone dealing with a mental illness. We are mind and soul together, and we can not discard one without effecting the other. I found a great article by Richard Beck on Incarnational Theology and Mental Illness which I will link below. This all ties in well with Theology of the Body. Mr Beck states that "our theological reflection must attend to embodiment, and this includes mental illness." He continues to state that "my hope is that not only will we become more accepting of the bodies of others, but that we'll expand our understanding of spiritual formation, coming to see how attending to and caring for the body in mental illness; is as spiritual as bible study and prayer."

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/08/incarnational-theology-and-mental.html

In some circles some have speculated that we may all be a little "crazy."

In Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth, he states "The normal state of the mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness." Christians would call this original sin.  He goes on to say "our very intelligence is tainted with madness"

So we may need to look deep into ourselves about our own "madness."

Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
In one passage Scripture seems to distinguish “spirit” and “soul”: “May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23). But we must make no sharp distinction between the two.
The human soul is “the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principal in man” (Catechism, No. 263). The word “spirit” points to the fact that we are created for “a supernatural end” (No. 367). The two terms are complementary.
- See more at: https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/EternalLife/Article/TabId/738/ArtMID/13694/ArticleID/13910/Difference-Between-Soul-and-Spirit.aspx#sthash.Rsl3Jvwp.dpuf

Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D:
In one passage Scripture seems to distinguish “spirit” and “soul”: “May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23). But we must make no sharp distinction between the two.
The human soul is “the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principal in man” (Catechism, No. 263). The word “spirit” points to the fact that we are created for “a supernatural end” (No. 367). The two terms are complementary.
- See more at: https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/EternalLife/Article/TabId/738/ArtMID/13694/ArticleID/13910/Difference-Between-Soul-and-Spirit.aspx#sthash.Rsl3Jvwp.dpuf