Jesus is NOT an Abstraction

 Jesus often criticized authority, but He never preached overthrowing it.  I think He accepted authority but never thought authority was perfect.  He had opinions and often said out loud what He thought should be corrected.  For certain, Jesus didn't like the hypocritical legalism of the Pharisees.  But He didn't plot to overthrow or undermine them.  He was a loyal, law-abiding, Jew. 

You have to remember that Jesus is in an institutional religion.  He would obey the commandments, beatitudes, spiritual and corporal works of mercy and expects us to try and follow the church's teachings, too.  Remember Jesus didn't come to abolish religion, He came to fulfill it.  Following religion is following Jesus. He is not just a feel-good spiritual warmth. He is real.

No Spirituality Without Religion

 LECTIO: Matthew 5: 17

Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to destroy but to fulfill it.

STUDIUM:

In Jesus' time, there was a lot of legalism in religion.  It was burdensome to too many people.  And of course, then as now, there was corruption among the leaders.  Power corrupts.  

MEDITATIO:

What was going on in Jesus' time is no different from my institutional church. But I see that Jesus never advocated leaving His religion.  He says, "Do NOT think I have come to destroy...but to fulfill.  The Catholic Church is Jesus' fulfillment.  The Hebrew law, priesthood, sacrifice, covenant gave birth to His Mystical Body.

ORATIO: 

Lord Jesus, thank you for making Yourself available to us in the Eucharist.  You didn't come to abolish religion, but to fulfill it.

CONTEMPLATIO: 

People who say "I'm spiritual but not religious," are missing out.   All they have are spiritual ideas and abstractions.  The Catholic Church has tangible divinity.  And best of all they give you Jesus, for free.

RESOLUTIO:

This is my answer to my relatives and friends who are merely spiritual.  They need to think deeper.  How do they worship an abstraction?

Spiritual but not Religious

When someone tells me that there spiritual, but not religious, they're telling me that they don't know what they're talking about.  I think they're trying to tell me that they don't go to church, but they do think about God.

My question is, if they think about God, why do they think God makes us.  What's our purpose and what does God want from us?  More likely, they think "Nothing," to all my questions.   They probably don't think God wants anything from us because....why?

See, I don't think the "I'm spiritual but not religious," people,  have thought that much about it.  They might used the expression, "Oh my God," but that's not spiritual, and certainly not religious.  

They might even think that exercise is spiritual, i.e., Yoga, Tai Chi.  Maybe being a vegetarian is spiritual.  Any thing New Age is spiritual.  But not organized religion.  

Since these people haven't thought very deeply about theology they don't have any answers to humanity's big questions.  They have no rational explanation for man's desire for "good," for "love," for "beauty," for our very existence.  

They're just to lazy to think, nevermind join a church.

Lackadaisical Spirituality

Franklin T.O.P.S. 463

This afternoon I was happy to have maintained my weight.  You see, I kinda/sorta blew it this week.  I was not eating mindfully.  I ate things I shouldn't have over the weekend, and said, "Oh to hell with it!"  Then ate whatever was in sight, for the rest of the week. (Hmmmm, yesterday I posted about cookies...see the pattern?) 

But at "weigh in" today, I turtled.  I remained the same weight as last week.  Go figure?

Not being as bad as I thought I was, I feel very encouraged.  I will be good this week.  I'm resolved!  It's suppose to be a good weekend, so I'm going to take my granddaughter for a walk.  We'll go swimming.  I need to vacuum; every room needs to be cleaned.  So I know I'll be more active than usual.  And if I watch what food I put in my mouth, I should lose.  I bet I do.

Staying upbeat and resolved is also a problem, spiritually.  (I bet you were wondering how I was going to tie in spirituality.)  In fact, the same problems people have with their weight, often mirrors their spiritual weight.  Not making progress, losing, gaining, yo-yo-yoing, giving up, starting over, are spiritual problems.  We can get lazy, like I did, and say, "Oh to hell with it!"  Then God blesses us in that special way that fits each of us, and we resolve to re-establish and fortify our relationship with Him.  

Of course, the resolve yo-yo-yoes--come and goes, but we can't give up.  Our health depends on it.  

Actually, this is another reason I'm glad I'm Catholic.  The past is absolved in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Imagine being reconciled with God!) and one begins again.  Just like my plans for the weekend.  

Not only will my halo shine brightly; it will fit!

Asides

Today I was giving a presentation on snacking.  A discussion arose about those that felt eating three large meals was better than six small meals.  Something I said as an aside, triggered an outcry.  What it was, isn't important.  It was something about snacks triggering a desire for more.  But it was the fact that an "aside" elicited more discussion, than the discussion topic itself, that impressed me.

When reviewing my presentation, I always try to evaluate what worked, and what didn't.  I was surprised that an "aside" turned out to be the more interesting.  It has happened before.  But it is always a surprise.  It reminded me of when Fr. Aquinas was talking about spiritual direction.  He was talking about soaring off the earth (aircraft carrier) and climbing above the mundane and reaching union with God...

He happened to say in an "aside" voice, "You're not a crop duster."

...sigh...

It bothered me that he used that image.  Did he think I was a "crop duster?"  Did Father AQ think that I thought, or sounded like, of behaved, like a "crop duster?"

That my spirituality wasn't a beautiful, sleek, jet.

Years have passed and I still wonder mediate on that "aside."

What's wrong with being a crop duster?

I am a Lay Dominican, and not a monk like AQ.  I should be out dusting the crops.  I'd like to soar like a jet, off the aircraft carrier and into the heavens.  I'm working on that.  But right now, the crops need tending.

Do you think when I go on retreat, I'll have the opportunity to soar like a jet?

You'll be the first to know.    Oremus.

Stuck

You know how I take "P & P" (Pray and Play) Days off from work, every now and then.  Well today, I took a "CBBC" (Clean Before Book Club) Day off.  (yeah...yeah...book club should meet here more often)

This morning I did errands, bought train ticks to N.J. to see Omega, got lab work done, and did an exercise work out to a TV program.  The work out instructor said something that got me thinking.  (yeah...yeah...I should do that more often, too)  She was talking about when you reach a plateau in your weight loss program.  She was obviously talking about exercise.  But I was thinking how it would apply to everything.  Well, why not?

She said, "Stop what you're doing and think how you could "vary" it."  One example would be a walking program.  If you routinely walk to lose weight and you've reached a plateau where you've stayed the same for a long time, well, vary it, e.i., speed walk for a section.  Then walk normal to catch your breath.  Try doing that again.  Speed walk and then slow to normal.  See if that makes a difference.

If you swim laps, try treading water for a period of time, then finish with laps.  Get the idea.

Well, if that works for physical gain, why wouldn't it work for spiritual plateaus/ dryness.  If you're spacing out doing the Rosary, walk while praying, then sit, then stand.  I've used different media to vary the routine: I've prayed with Father Reed on Boston Catholic TV; I've used the Rosary App on my iPhone; I've used CD's; I've prayed with the Rosary ladies before Mass; I've prayed with the parish Prayer Group; I've tried praying the Rosary in Latin, in French, in Spanish; and I've prayed the Rosary in bed where I enlist my Guardian Angel to finish it for me.  Give me another method and I'll try it.

I also like to vary the places I go to pray.  When you think of it, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Keep trying; perseverance wins the race.  That's what St. Paul says.

I think.