Very little to report regarding activities on Sunday.
I slept.
***End of report***
Longer version
While at Mass I noticed that I had lots of sore muscles: Calves, left knee, thighs, shoulders and neck. My eyes were itching and while waiting for the lovely Mrs ERJ after Mass I observed that the lymph-nodes at the base of my jaw were enlarged.
I also noticed that I was tired, a hazy-gray, no-peripheral-vision kind of tired.
The sore muscles were most likely due to physical activity. Crusty/itchy eyes are from tree pollen and my allergies. Enlarged lymph-nodes could be from a multitude of sources including over-exertion and exposure to proteins that my body mistakes for alien invaders (like pollen). It could also be some minor, opportunistic virus challenging my body.
So, my Sunday day of rest was enforced by my body agreeing with God. I took a three hour nap and went to bed early.
What is this thing called "Faith"
I believe that there are many intelligent people who were raised in families that either did not practice a Christian faith or only practiced it in the most nominal of ways.
They look at Christianity as an intellectual puzzle and consider it to be contrary and irrational, a Catch-22 situation if you prefer that term.
"What is faith? How can I get it? It seems like I must already have faith as a precondition to getting faith. I don't have faith. You say faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit but he never gave me that gift. It doesn't make any sense to me..."
One possible path...
I make no claims to having universal answers. However, a few verses that seems pivotal to those questions.
...they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” Acts of the Apostles 2:37-39
I want to call attention to the order St Peter listed them in:
1. Repent. Examine your conscience*. Resolve to not sin again. Analyze what conditions made it easier to sin than not-sin. Commit to avoiding those circumstances that make you exceptionally vulnerable to sin. Ask forgiveness from those who you hurt with your sins. (Repent, Examine, Resolve, Commit, Ask)
2. Baptize. Realize that "...name of Jesus Christ..." means that you are joining a family. Families (even dysfunctional ones) are a complex web of reciprocal responsibilities and privileges. Baptism is a sacrament that is the equivalent of bathing in insecticides + antibiotics and autoclaving your lousy, infected old clothing.
3. AFTER you do those two things; that is when you will be visited by the Holy Spirit. It probably will not be bolts of lightning or flames or pigeons landing on your shoulder. It is more likely to be whispers and insights and maybe memorable dreams.
*The linked Examination of Conscience is very thorough. There are many Examinations on the internet. Some are for younger people. Some are for people who are single. Others are for married people. In terms of sin, we all live in slightly different threat environments.
Yeah, I fall into that category of 'hardly went to church' as a kid. My parents sent me to Sunday school, but after a little while, the teacher suggested it wasn't the right place for me, and that if the parents started attending church, than maybe this squirmy kid wouldn't have so many questions...
ReplyDeleteThat was really a hard nail in the coffin for me, if I'm being honest. I'm just a kid, a little one, and you (the alleged church-ey people) just tossed me aside b/c I asked too many questions, and... didn't just accept it on faith? Huh, OK? Roping my parent's in to spread your message at the house Mon-Sat is your answer to why I don't have faith in your version of the story? Really?! You thought that would work?
Then all the corruption and money-grubbing I've seen from organized religion, that really did it. Here these people are talking down to me, and raising up the sum-bitches that took money in exchange for, forgiving every sin under the sun? Learning about Martin Luther didn't help things one bit! ... and I had friends that went to Catholic School in the neighborhood, I heard stories.
Oddly, having lost both parents now, I feel closer to God than ever before, but it had nothing to do with faith, and even less to do with any organized church.
Faith and a relationship with God have little to do with organized religion.
DeleteRelying on the logic, reason, understanding, et al of an eight year old is imprudent.
DeleteYet it is what you have done lo these many years to make decisions which have affected you even now.
Per chance that 8 yr old would have a talk with you.
About 2:30 this morning I was 1/2 awake and got a whisper or insight and when I got up and read Isaiah 3 & 4 I saw it is an accurate description of where we are and where we are clearly heading. ---ken
ReplyDeleteI like the Revelation prescription as well: you have lost your first love, repent and do the first works. I've had dry spots, and repenting of my lost focus and doing what I did as a younger "zealot" helps blow the dormant fire to life again.
ReplyDelete