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Phenomenology of World Religions (c)Chapter 46THE APOSTLE SAINT PETER "What little is known about SIMON PETER, known as Peter "in the Gospels, as JESUS referred to him and chose to be one of his twelve disciples, is that he was a fisherman by trade and lived in house shared with his brother, ANDREW, who also became a disciple of Jesus and later beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.
It was ANDREW who discovered Jesus and who returned one day to Peter who was fishing along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and told Simon Peter that he had found the "Messiah", as foretold by the prophets of the Hebrew/Greek scriptures of the Old Testament. Upon hearing this, Simon Peter dropped his fishing net and went to see for himself.
Nothing has been recorded, or at least survived in history, any reference to Simon Peter's life before that time. Much of what we do know was recorded in the Gospels of the "New Testament" scriptures of the canonical "Holy Bible". Sometime after Simon Peter had seen and heard Jesus preaching, Jesus visited shore of Galilee and came across Simon Peter there, and who Jesus conversed with.
Jesus stated, upon the first meeting, according to JOHN 1:42 (KJV):
"...AND WHEN JESUS BEHELD HIM, HE SAID, THOU ART SIMON THE SON OF JONA: THOUS SHALT BE CALLED CEPHAS, WHICH IS BY INTERPRETATION, A STONE". It has been proposed by scholars and theologians that Jesus meant that he would be the foundation of a new Jewish religious sect that would come to be called Christianity.
However, passages in "New Testament"scriptures reveal that PETER and PAUL clearly states that Jesus was the founder. (1 Peter 2:4-9) and 1 Corinthians 3:11). In the 20thcentury, archaeologists discovered and restored the ancient Roman town of Capernaum. It has been the most visited spot in modern tourism, but few realized that it was the site of the apostle Peter's home, as well as the site of visitation by other apostles and Jesus himself.
Ancient church history provided clues that led to the discovery of Peter's home.The area had become an established Christian community that previously was dominated by orthodox Jews, until about 350, when Count Joseph converted to Christianity, he was awarded the governorship of Tiberius by EMPEROR CONSTANTINE, just before his death in 337.
An imperial decree was declared to build a church on the site of Saint Peter's home in an area called" Kfar Nacum". [VIRGILO CORBO; "New Memoirs of Saint Peter by the Sea of Galilee"; Jerusalem, 1969; pp. 21-22].The octagonal basilica was erected as a place of worship, not for any ordinary needs of a Christian community, but as a memorial.
It was built over the ruins of a house which, from very ancient times, revealed proof of veneration on the part of the local Christians of Capernaum. All this had been long attested by tradition and was proven true by archaeological excavation.The archaeological dig revealed that beneath the octagonal basilica there was a complete group of small buildings buried there of great antiquity.
The architect of the basilica took care to preserve the site underneath that was directly beneath the central octagon room of the basilica, which was held in great reverence and even followed the older site's dimensions. While removing the upper parts of the ancient buildings, the architect too care to preserve the former home of Peter (and Andrew, his brother), as he had earth filled in around them.
One discovery on this site was most interesting and surprising. In order to preserve the doorstep-doorway of Peter's home, a small bridge was built over it. The architect was unknown, but through his reverence of the historical importance of the revered site of Peter's home, archaeologists who unearthed it were thankful.
The basilica was designed and built as an octagon and its floors were built "one metre and one half above the ancient buildings", leaving space as to not disturb the original site. [VIRGILO CORBO, "New Memoirs of Saint Peter by the Sea of Galilee"; Jerusalem, 1969; pp. 21-22].Some interesting and vital information had been discovered:"THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION BENEATH THE PAVEMENTS OF THE BYZANTINE CHURCH HAS NOT ONLY BROUGHT TO LIGHT A NETWORK OF HABITATIONS OF THE FIRST CENTURY OF OUR ERA, BUT HAS DEMONSTRATED WITH THE SAME EVIDENCE ALSO THE EVOLUTION OF A CULTIC CHARACTER WHICH MADE ITSELF KNOWN IN THESE HABITATIONS AROUND THE LARGEST ROOM OF THE COMPLEX.
THE SACRED CHARACTER OF THIS HALL IS KNOWN FROM ANCIENT CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WHICH HAS REACHED US THOUGH THE TESTIMONY OF PILGRIMS; TODAY WE KNOW THIS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE TESTIMONIES, ALSO FROM THE TESTIMONIES OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS..."PETER THE DEACON REPORTS AN ANCIENT TEXT ASCRIBED TO EGERIA.
"IN CAPERNAUM, HOWEVER, A CHURCH HAS BEEN MADE OUT OF THE HOUSE OF THE PRINCE OF THE APOSTLES' ITS WALLS STANDING UNTIL UNTIL TODAY AS THEY WERE. THERE THE LORD CURED THE PARALYTIC. [VIRGILO CORBO, "The House of Saint Peter at Capharnaum"; Jerusalem Franciscan Press, 1969; pp. 53-54].FATHER CORBOalso describes the rooms of Peter's home:"THE PRINCIPAL AND LARGEST ROOM OF A VERY POOR HABITATION WAS VENERATED BY THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS OF THE FIRST GENERATION AND IN THE FOLLOWING CENTURIES BY ADAPTING SOME DEPENDENCIES INTO A PLACE OF REUNION AND OF PRAYER IN ORDER TO PRESERVE IN THIS PLACE THE SACRED CHARACTER WHICH IT DERIVED BOTH FROM THE PERSON OF THE PROPRIETOR PETER AND ALSO FROM THE CONSECRATION GIVEN TO IT BY THE LONG STAY OF THE LORD.
SO WHILST AROUND THIS HALL THE CULT OF THE PRIMITIVE JEWISH CHRISTIANS OF THE COMMUNITY OF CARPHARNAUM WAS CENTERED, AND THE OTHER SURROUNDING ROOMS CONTINUED TO THROB WITH THE ORDINARY LIFE OF MEN. AMONG THE OBJECTS FOUND ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE-CHURCH I MENTION TWO FISHHOOKS AND BEHIND THE EAST WALL OF THE CENTRAL OCTAGON A SMALL AXE FOR CUTTING STONES".
[VIRGILIO CORBO, "The House of Saint Peter at Capharnaum"; Jerusalem, 1969; pp. 70-71]."Peter officiated at the first apostolic council where he defended the inclusion of Gentiles to the Christian religious sect; in compliance of Jesus' instruction that they be fishers of men". The demand that Jewish Christians in Jerusalem demanded to be separated from the Gentile Christians was blamed upon Peter by the apostle Paul, a convert who never met Jesus.
Peter became angered and Paul backed down from making any further public condemnations. This and other passages clearly show there was animosity between Peter and Paul; possibly because Peter had not only been a disciple, but was apparently Jesus' favorite disciple. EUSEBIUSrefers to Peter at Antioch in the "Epistles of Ignatius":"ABOUT THIS TIME FLOURISHED POLYCARP IN ASIA, AN INTIMATE DISCIPLE OF THE APOSTLE, WHO RECEIVED THE EPISCOPATE OF THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA "(modern-day Izmir), "AT THE HANDS OF THE EYE WITNESSES AND SERVANTS OF THE LORD.
AT THIS TIME, ALSO, PAPIAS WAS WELL KNOWN AS BISHOP OF THE CHURCH AT HIERAPOLIS, A MAN WELL SKILLED IN ALL MANNER OF LEARNING, AND WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE SCRIPTURES. IGNATIUS, ALSO, WHO IS CELEBRATED BY MANY EVEN TO THIS DAY, AS THE SUCCESSOR OF PETER AT ANTIOCH, WAS THE SECOND THAT OBTAINED THE EPISCOPAL OFFICE THERE".
"[EUSEBIUS; "Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History"; Baker House, 1962; p. 120].The text of Eusebius and the agreement of historians have concluded that Antioch was the headquarters of Peter. HUGO HOEVER, Catholic scholar wrote:"CHURCH HISTORIANS AFFIRM POSITIVELY THAT SAINT PETER FOUNDED THE SEE OF ANTIOCH BEFORE HE WENT TO ROME.
ANTIOCH WAS THE THEN CAPITAL OF THE EAST. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT STATES THAT THE PRINCE OF THE APOSTLES WAS BISHOP OF THAT CITY FOR SEVEN YEARS. "[HUGO HOEVER,"Lives of the Saints"; NY, 1967; p.82]In an article by V.K. GEORGEentitled "The Holy See of Seleucia - Ctesiphon", traditions of the eastern church is recorded:"MEANWHILE, THE APOSTLES SET OUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
THE FIRST MISSIONARY FIELD OF THE APOSTLES WERE THE JEWS. THEY WERE THEIR OWN RACIAL KINSMEN. THEY WERE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH. HENCE THE WORK AMONG THEM WAS VERY EASY. THE APOSTLES HAD ONLY TO ADD A FEW ARTICLES TO THEIR EXISTING FAITH THAT THE MESSIAH HAD COME; THAT HE HAD DIED FOR THEIR SINS AND RISEN FOR THEIR SALVATION; THAT HE HAD ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND HAD SENT HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO HIS DISCIPLES; AND THAT HE WAS TO BE WORSHIPPED AS GOD.
"In that passage one can see that Jesus, born of Mary, had become deified at an early stage within the Christian Church. This would lead later into a great argument within the Christian sect, with the Church ultimately declaring that Jesus "was to be worshipped as God"- not as any replacement, but as God's equal, and as the biological "Son of God "as the "Immaculate Conception"dictated.
The Apostles missionary activity took them far across the known ancient world with St. Peter leading and as inspirational leadership. ST. THADDEUS(Mar Addai) went to Edessa to evangelize King Abgar of Edessa. St. Peter preached the Gospel in Babylon, as cited in 1 PETER 5:13:"THE CHURCH THAT IS AT BABYLON, ELECTED TOGETHER WITH YOU, SALUTETH YOU; AND SO DOTH MARCUS MY SON.
"ST. THOMAS worked among the Jews of Mesopotamia and later to the Jewish colonies on the coast of India, and into Granganore by the year 52. ST. BARTHOLOMEW and ST. THADDEUS were also founders of the Church in the Far East. Cities in the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire became important places of conversion: Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Alexandria, Rome, in the Roman Empire; and Edessa, Arbil ("Erbil"), Selucia-Ctesophon, and other cities of the Persian Empire.
Historians of the Coptic Church and the Roman Catholic Church agree:"MOREOVER, EUSEBIUS ASSERTS THAT THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH WAS FOUNDED BY ST. PETER, WHO BECAME ITS FIRST BISHOP EVEN BEFORE HIS TRANSLATION TO THE SEE OF ROME. ACCORDING TO TRADITION, HE PRESIDED FOR SEVEN YEARS OVER THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED ANTIOCHENE CHURCH, FROM 33 TO 40 AD, WHERE HE NOMINATED ST.
EVODIUS AS HIS VICAR BEFORE DEPARTURE TO THE WEST. WHILE THE CIRCLE OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL WAS WIDENED TOWARD THE EAST IN EDESSA, NISIBIS, AND DISTANT MALHARBY THE APOSTLE THOMAS AND MAR ADDAI (ST. THADDEUS), THE FALL OF JERUSALEM IN THE YEAR 70 COULD ONLY HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN JEWISH EMIGRANTS TO ANTIOCH".
[AZIZ S. ATIYA, "A History of Eastern Christianity"; London, 1968; p. 172]Some historians and theologians disagree with EUSEBIUS that St. Peter was in Rome as early as 44 AD; and believe he was in Babylon, as the Eastern churches have established. In the first book of Peter, it is clear that Peter came from Babylon to Rome.
He could not have been in Rome before the "Epistle of Romans"was written, looking at it logically and chronologically. St. Peter also stopped in Corinth after Paul had been there, as recorded in 1 Corinthians. It is assumed and apparent that St. Peter took his wife with him as he journeyed, as is recorded in 1 Corinthians 9:5.
St. Peter had been in prison two times while in Jerusalem; and from there he went to many parts of the ancient world. In Peter's epistle notes he mentions Babylon, a large center of Jewish colonists and a place that St. Peter ministered. The Eastern churches trace their lineage to Babylon, St. Peter being their patriarch to this day.
In Acts 12:17, it is written that Peter "went to another place", but the name of the place is unknown. According to Galatians 2:9, the apostles in Jerusalem, including St. Paul, continued preaching to the Gentiles, while missionaries from Jerusalem, which included St. Peter, went preached to Jews.It has become a theological controversy whether or not St.
Peter had visited Britain, the western territory of the Roman Empire.GEORGE F. JOWETT, a researched of early Christianity, takes from tradition and speculation and wrote in his book, "The Drama of the Lost Disciples":"PETER FLED TO BRITAIN. THIS IS AFFIRMED BY CORNELIUS IN LAPIDE IN HIS WORK "ARGUMENTUM EPISTOLAE ST.
PAULIS AND ROMANA" IN WHICH HE ANSWERS THE QUESTION AS TO WHY ST. PAUL DOES NOT SALUTE ST. PETER IN HIS "EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS". HE REPLIES: "PETER, BANISHED WITH THE REST OF THE JEWS FROM ROME, BY THE EDICT OF CLAUDIUS, WAS ABSENT IN BRITAIN"..."THERE IS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT PETER VISITED BRITAIN AND GAUL SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS LIFETIME; HIS LAST VISIT TO BRITAIN TAKING PLACE SHORTLY BEFORE HIS FINAL ARREST AND CRUCIFIXION IN NERO'S CIRCUS AT ROME.
"IN GAUL, PETER BECOMES THE PATRON SAINT OF CHARTRES, BY REASON OF HIS PREFERENCE TO PREACHING IN THE FAMOUS DRUIDIC ROCK TEMPLE KNOWN AS 'THE GROTTO DES DRUIDES', THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE OLDEST DRUIDIC SITE IN GAUL, ON WHICH IS BUILT THE OLDEST CATHEDRAL IN FRANCE".DEAN STANLEYwrote of the vision that foresaw the doom of St.
Peter:"KNOWING THAT SHORTLY I MUST PUT OFF THIS TABERNACLE, EVEN AS OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAST SHEWED ME. "(2 Peter 1:14)", APPEARED TO ST, PETER ON HIS LAST VISIT TO BRITAIN, ON THE VERY SPOT WHERE ONCE STOOD THE OLD BRITISH CHURCH OF LAMBEDR; WHERE STANDS THE PRESENT ABBEY OF ST. PETER, WESTMINSTER".
PETER IN ROMEThe traditional legend that Peter founded the Church of Rome has not been verified, as of this writing.Like the biography of Jesus, Peter's biography has periodic gaps.JEAN DANIELOUwrote:"WAS PAUL'S THE ONLY MISSION TO THE WEST? THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES TELLS US THAT IN 43, AFTER THE DEATH OF JAMES, PETER LEFT JERUSALEM "FOR ANOTHER PLACE (Acts 12:17)".
HE IS LOST FROM SIGHT UNTIL 49 WHEN WE FIND HIM AT THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM. NO CANONICAL TEXT HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT HIS MISSIONARY ACTIVITY DURING THIS TIME. BUT EUSEBIUS WRITES THAT HE WENT TO ROME ABOUT 44, AT THE BEGINNING OF CLAUDIUS'S REIGN "(HE II, 14:61). "IT SEEMS CERTAIN THAT ROME WAS EVANGELIZED DURING THE PERIOD FROM 43 TO 49.
"SUETONIUS SAYS THAT CLAUDIUS EXPELLED THE JEWS IN 50, BECAUSE THEY WERE GROWLING AGITATED "AT THE PROMPTING OF CHRESTOS". THIS SHOWS THAT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN JEWS AND JUDAEO-CHRISTIANS WERE TAKING PLACE, LEADING TO CONFLICTS WHICH CAME TO THE EAR OF THE EMPEROR. IN FACT AT CORINTH IN 51, PAUL MET SOME CONVERTED JEWS DRIVEN FROM ROME BY CLAUDIUS: AQUILA AND PRISCILLA.
IN 57 PAUL ADDRESSED THE COMMUNITY OF ROME, ALREADY CONSIDERED IMPORTANT. IN 60 HE FOUND COMMUNITIES ESTABLISHED IN PUTEOLI AND IN ROME. "[DANIELOUand MARROU; "The Christian Centuries"; p. 28]Christian tradition has established that Peter died in Rome. Excavations under the Church of St. Peter in Rome at the end of the second World War has brought evidence to match traditions.
It was archaeological digs that provided physical evidence and the Pope announced that the grave of Peter had been found. It is believed that Revelation 11:3-13 contains "A CRYPTIC ACCOUNT OF THE MARTYRDOM OF PAUL AND PETER IN ROME". [Dr. WM. S. MCBIRNIE; "The Search for the Twelve Apostles"; p. 35]Tradition dictates that Nero had Peter crucified head-downward on the Vatican Hill.
MCBIRNIE, who often uses his own translated words instead of accepted original language like in the King James version text, stated that John 21:18 is a prophecy made by Jesus as to the prediction of Peter's crucifixion. JOWETT; "The Drama of the Lost Disciples"; p. 176:"MALICIOUSLY CONDEMNED, PETE WAS CAST INTO THE HORRIBLE, FETID PRISON OF THE MAMERTINE.
THERE, FOR NINE MONTHS, IN ABSOLUTE DARKNESS, HE ENDURED MONSTROUS TORTURE MANACLED TO A POST... "HISTORIANS WRITE OF IT BEING THE MOST FEARSOME ON THE BRUTAL AGENDA OF MANKIND. OVER 3,000 YEARS OLD, IT IS PROBABLY THE OLDEST TORTURE CHAMBER EXTANT, THE OLDEST REMAINING MONUMENT OF BESTIALITY OF ANCIENT ROME, A BLEAK TESTIMONY TO ITS BARBARIC INHUMANITY...
IN CLASSICAL HISTORY IT IS REFERRED TO AS GERNONIUM OR THE 'TULLIAN KEEP'. IN LATER SECULAR HISTORY IT IS REFERRED TO AS THE MAMERTINE... THE MAMERTINE IS DESCRIBED AS A DEEP CELL CUT OUT OF SOLID ROCK AT THE FOOT OF THE CAPITOL, CONSISTING OF TWO CHAMBERS - ONE OVER THE OTHER... IN THIS VILE SUBTERRANEAN ROCK THE FAMED 'JUGURTHA' WAS STARVED AND WENT STARK RAVING MAD.
VERCINGETORIX, THE VALOROUS DRUIDIC GAULISH CHIEFTAIN, WAS MURDERED BY THE ORDER OF JULIUS CAESAR. IT IS SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS THAT PERISHED WITHIN THIS DIABOLIC CELL IS BEYOND COMPUTATION... ONE CAN RE-READ THE DENOUNCING WORDS OF THE NOBLE QUEEN BOADICA... SHE BRANDED THEM FOR THEY WERE.
THESE PEOPLE OF THE ROMAN PURPLE, WHO SCORNED ALL THEIR ENEMIES AS BARBARIAN, WERE THE GREATEST AND MOST CRUEL BARBARIANS OF ALL TIME."HOW PETER MANAGED TO SURVIVE THOSE NINE MONTHS IS BEYOND IMAGINATION... HISTORY TELLS US THE AMAZING FACT THAT IN SPITE OF ALL THE SUFFERING PETER WAS SUBJECTED TO, HE CONVERTED HIS GAOLERS - PROCESSUS, MARTIANUS, AND FORTY-SEVEN OTHERS...
HE REFUSED TO DIE IN THE SAME POSITION AS OUR LORD, DECLARING HE WAS UNWORTHY. PETER DEMANDED TO BE CRUCIFIED IN THE REVERSE POSITION, WITH HIS HEAD HANGING DOWNWARD. IRONICALLY, THIS WISH WAS GRATIFIED BY THE TAUNTING ROMANS IN NERO'S CIRCUS IN AD 67. "This description of St. Peter's death is found in other accounts, most of them placing the location at Vatican Mount near the Tybur (Tiber) River.
His body was embalmed by Marcellinas, the Presbyter in the Jewish custom, then buried in the Vatican near the Triumphant Way. Over his body a small church was erected, later destroyed by Heliogalachis. [DORMAN NEWMANN; The Lives and Deaths of the Holy Apostles"; London, 1685; p. 20-21]DORMAN NEWMANNdescribed Peter's appearance:"HIS BODY WAS SLENDER OF A MIDDLE SIZE INCLINING TO TALLNESS.
HIS COMPLEXION PALE AND ALMOST WHITE. HIS BEARD CURLED AND THICK, BUT SHORT. HIS EYES BLACK BUT FLECKED WITH RED DUE TO FREQUENT WEEPING. EYE BROWS THIN OR NONE AT ALL."EDGAR J. GODSPEEDwrote in "The Twelve", p. 157:"THEY SAY THAT WHEN THE BLESSED PETER SAW HIS WIFE LED OUT TO DIE, HE REJOICED BECAUSE OF HER SUMMONS AND HER RETURN HOME, AND CALLED TO HER ENCOURAGINGLY AND COMFORTINGLY, ADDRESSING HER BY NAME AND SAYING, 'O THOU, REMEMBER THE LORD!
'"
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Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt
"Traditional interpretation: Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."
literally means "as it is said..."
The word can also literally mean "as it is assessed", where the letter shin is a prefix meaning "as" or "because", and where the remaining letters mean "be assessed". In other words, the word construct represents an active prophetic assay - the moment of truth where one's "fitness" is literally "assessed".
"The Test Of Mar Cheshvan:"
Hatred, bitterness. One must transform these that normally hide, concealed deeply within, to pass this test. Nice appearances and towing the line do not cut it.
"Torah Of Ram Cheshvan:" Possessing The Sea ">
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I had to share something that I just cannot keep to myself. As a lifelong church going Christian, I have learned much of the many ideas that circle Christianity. There are so many who have theories on what is the way to happiness. We have
I just got back from a trip to Rome, italy for a few days and I saw something that I believe can be a lesson to us. You see as Christians, we can get very busy hunting for the truth. We can get so obsessed with it that we forget what Christianity is all about. In Rome, I ate the same meal pretty much for 5 days. It was pasta, salad, bruschetta, and a pizza. Now I must tell you that I recently learned alot about health and I can tell you that the majority of what I ate was not healthy. White flower in a few different forms just does not do a body good. As I walked around Rome, I noticed that something was VERY STRANGE. I guess I just have to say it "There were no obese people!. I mean yea I saw a few here and there but the masses were thin and looked healthy. I saw what they ate and trust me it was not lifegiving healthy food. So I thought to myself, why does everyone here look so healthy i.e. thin and in shape and even happy.
So here we go with the spiritual tie in. I walked about 25 miles in a few days touring the streets of Rome. Then it hit me. I was not the only one who was walking. The Romans(modern day of course) are an active bunch. They don't sit in their cars for a one hour commute each way to work and they walk all over the place. It made me realize that even though the diet was white flour, gelato, and cigarettes that with exercise they were keeping the weight off. Sure there are
So How do we do this? We do this by uplifting and serving our fellow man. This means that the mechanic needs to be honest and do his best to fix the car that someone brought to him. This means that the business person needs to be honest at work and on time and do their all as this is their duty. These are just a few examples but the point is we need to go the extra mile. We need to go out of our way to help others around us. It is our duty as Christians. We will never make a difference in the world unless we gain the reputation of being loving and kind to anyone around us.
Are Christians known as those who are a huge blessing to the world around or are we at times content with going to hear more truth and filling up with it like it is a gas station or another spiritual meal. If we don't leave our morning devotions or church or prayer meeting after being spiritually fed, then we will get spiritually constipated and spiritually obese.
Just like the human body can eat healthy food and yet someone still be unhealthy overall, so the in the spiritual we need both good spiritual food and good spiritual exercise by working for the uplifting of those around us. This is in the home, work, church etc.
I saw something in Rome that stuck out to me. I saw Basilicas that were so grand that I wonder how anyone can see the unselfishness of Christ in these magnificent buildings. Christ was a servant and He was poor and was not selfish. I guess it seemed as though these elaborate buildings were not Christ like. They seemed as though they represented a spiritually obese church that was not actively serving others. This was seen by the vast amount of homeless elderly women in Rome.
Get active in your physical and spiritual life and you will not be constipated in either. Yea it's true, exercise induces better digestion. So with more exercise in both, we will have more appetite in both to continue to grow.
What do you think, is Chrisianity Obese? Are you spiritually Constipated?
Reference: http://asatru-religion.blogspot.com
By Michael H. Brown
Spirit Daily
It was back in 1975 at the Vatican during an historic charismatic conference that an American evangelist named Dr. Ralph Martin - recently named by the Pope as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization - was given a "word of knowledge" (a locution, allegedly) that had to do with a melting down of what is around us.
As his website explains, "Dr. Martin is an internationally known evangelist. He is the founder and president of Renewal Ministries, which he established in 1980 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to renew the faith of Catholics through retreats, publications, conferences, and through television and radio. He has published numerous
"Buildings that are now standing will not be standing. Supports that are there for my people will not be there. I want you to be prepared, My people, to know only Me and to cleave to me and to have me in a way deeper than ever before.
"I will lead you into the desert... I will strip you of everything that you are depending on now, so you depend just on Me. A time of darkness is coming on the world, but a time of glory is coming for My Church, a time of glory is coming for My people. Because I love you I want to show you what I am doing in the world today. I want to prepare you for what is to come."
That was more than forty years ago, and at the time, those who heard it expected it to occur, if true, rather quickly. It seemed imminent ("soon" in human time). It did not thus transpire - at least not in obvious terms.
But Martin's prophecy arguably unfolded in subsequent decades. Whether or not it was an intuition or actual locution is left up to our individual reckonings. Looking back, one could even perceive that it did begin to take shape around 1975 - subtly, as the evil from the Sixties became institutionalized (and refined) during the Seventies and then the Eighties (see the Wall Street scandals back then) and through to the present, as never before. In 2010, a writer for "Time" began an article on the fall of trust in the U.S. by saying - as if in affirmation of the prediction - that "in the past decade, nearly every institution in American society - whether it's General Motors, Congress, Wall Street, Major League Baseball, the Church, or the mainstream media - has revealed itself to be corrupt, incompetent, or both."A meltdown...
Read more @ SPIRIT DAILY
Thomas Jude Germinario is an American scholar who has earned advanced degrees in science and humanities from Stevens Institute of Technology and Rutgers University. His extensive research on prophecy and mythology spans two decades, during which he has traveled widely to obtain first-hand information. He has authored a number of published articles, ranging in subject from astrology to law. His essay, "The Quantum Metaphysics of David Bohm" has recently been published as part of a compilation entitled Mind in Time - The Dynamics of Thought, Reality and Consciousness (Combs, Germine ">www.apokalypso.com
"FIGHT THE FUTURE! JOIN THE RESISTANCE @ FACEBOOK/WATCHERREPORT!"
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Each month of the Celtic Lunar calendar bears the name of a tree. Reed is the 12th Moon of the Celtic Year - (Oct 28 - Nov 24). The Celtic meaning of the reed within the Ogham deals with:
* Purpose
* Protection
* Purification
* Clarification
* Communication
Today we may not consider the reed a tree, but in the time of the ancient Celts their landscape held prolific reeds in swamp areas; some growing up to 20 feet tall.
The druids viewed any large plant like this with a woody stalk to be a tree, and the reed was considered very important.
All things of the natural world were honored by the Celts, and all things represented the connection with life. In this way, the reed was highly revered for its usefulness in the day-to-day practices of the Celts.
The reed was used for many purposes by the Celts. Specifically, they would weave reeds together to make thatched roofs on their homes - some of which (when properly constructed) last up to a decade or more. This is where the reed obtains its symbolism of protection. It is also a natural insulator, and the Celts honored it highly during cold, wet months.
Reed gives off a faint sweet smell when macerated, and so the Celts were known to lay out pressed reeds as flooring in their homes to deodorize. This was also a practice for cleansing and purifying homes.
Reeds also made good candles, and were viewed as beacons of light during the dark nights. This is another facet of the reed's purposefulness in the life of the Celts.
The reed gets its symbolism of communication from several sources. In the hands of a good craftsman (and there were many among the ancient Celts), a reed would make a fine whistle, flute or recorder. These were highly prized amongst the people, particularly bards. Through these flutes and music the spiritually-minded Celts would communicate fantastic worlds of vision, heroism, and beauty.
Secondly, if you are still enough, you can hear them sing a song when the wind blows through a field of reeds. If you've ever had the pleasure of hearing it, you know it is an eerie experience. The Celts viewed this as an otherworld voice, and considered it a message of powerful importance.
Take the time to incorporate these symbolic meanings of the reed in your life. Gather some up and bring them into the house to open up the energy and clear the air. Or, try fashioning a flute from a reed and take it to your next drum circle to play! Your Celtic ancestors will get such a kick out of that!
Source: http://what's your portrayal
It seems that many cultures have some concept relating to a person's purpose or destiny in life, and in American paganism and its many sub-branches these culture specific terms tend to get used interchangeably, often equated to the term "fate". Fate, of course, is the idea of a predestined or predetermined outcome in life which cannot be altered or affected by human action. Many Greek tragedies, such as Oedipus, are based on this idea which is personified in Greek mythology by the Moreia (the Fates) who create the "thread" of a person's fate, measure it, and cut it at death. Loving semantics as much as I do, I feel the need to point out that the terms equated to fate are not actually equivalent to each other and in fact often have very specific nuanced meanings. I thought it might be good to write about some of the most commonly used words and how I personally understand them, although I have to be clear that this is purely my own viewpoint; I am no expert. However I think even an amateur attempt at explaining the different terms could be helpful and also could provoke some great thought and discussion. I do want to stress though that this is my own understanding of the concepts, based on my research and study.
First let's look at the most common term: karma. At this point there are two very different ways to understand karma, which may be labeled the Eastern and Western views. The term itself is from Saskrit and means "action" and is a concept found in both Hinduism and Buddhism; this is what I refer to as Eastern karma. Effectively karma is a neutral principle, the result of the sum total of our actions in this life and previous incarnations. Karma is what directs the circumstances under which we will next reincarnate.
We can affect our own karma by choosing the actions we take, because all action inherently creates karma, but karma works on a cosmic scale. I like to think of (Eastern) karma as something like painting; each and every color choice and brush stroke, i.e. action, effects the end result. In contrast Western karma takes a more immediate approach, espousing the idea that karma works on a small, fast scale with the effects of our actions appearing not only within our lifetime, but also sometimes in the same day as the action. The Western view also sees karma as a moral principle, with "good" and "bad" karma based on actions. At its simplest this can be illustrated by saying if you do good, good will happen to you and if you do bad, bad will happen to you, rather like a spiritual ATM - put money in get money out, overdraw your account get charged fees. The most common view of this principle works entirely on the idea of an inherent good and bad value system to all actions, and is supported by the idea that either karma itself is a semi-sentient force or that the Gods enforce it. A less common view
Next we have the concept of wyrd. Wyrd is an Anglo-Saxon word, corresponding to the Norse urd, and means, roughly, "to come to pass" or "becoming"; related to this is the concept of orlag, meaning "from the law". As it was explained to me, orlag is the sum total of our past actions as well as those of our ancestors - we are born with a fixed orlag based on what has come to pass before our birth. Orlag effects all creation, including the Gods and spirits, as well as people. To quote Bauschatz: "This past includes the actions of all beings who exist within the enclosing branches of Yggdrasil: men, gods, giants, elves, etc.. it is such actions that form the layers or strata that are daily laid in the well by the speaking of the orlag. The coming into the well is orderly and ordered; events are clearly Wyrd and orlag are both flexible and fixed; like water flowing in a river and the bed of the river itself. The river bed shapes where the river flows and directs the water but the water can change the shape of the river bed. So it is with wyrd - we shape our wyrd by our choices but our wyrd creates orlag which in turn directs our lives. Some people argue that orlg and wyrd are the same concept, and that may be so, I just find that it is easier to grasp them as separate but interlinked concepts. The analogy of weaving is often used to describe wyrd, and I tend to see wyrd as the weft and orlag as the warp. Freewill is an important aspect of wyrd, as we always have choices on how to act within the circumstances we find ourselves in.
D'an is an Irish word that translates as "fate" - and also as gift, offering, craft, calling, and poem (O Donaill, 1977). It is a complex term but is often understood as the fate or destiny that a person is born with. There is a saying that goes "A man won't drown whose d'an is to hang" that illustrates this idea that d'an is inexorable and inescapable. This term out of all of the ones we are looking at most closely resembles the Greek idea of fate, although the Irish appear to have lacked the personification aspect of fate seen in the Greek.
Even if we just look at the roots of each word we can see that there are differences in there meanings. Karma comes from the I-E root of kwer which means to do; wyrd comes from the root wert which means to turn or rotate; fate is from the root bha which means voice (I couldn't track down the I-E root of d'an). Each root meaning connects logically to the modern meaning I think, and shows the subtle differences between the terms.
While I can see why it is easier to use the simple equivalents when discussing the different terms I believe that it is better to understand the nuanced meanings of each term. Each one has its own layers and depth which reflect the culture and world view from which they came, and for modern pagans more can be gained by using them properly than by reducing them all to a Greek concept of fate. There is also a wealth of understanding to be gained by studying each term, in depth, individually, which I encourage people to do if the subject interests them.
References:
Bauschatz, P., (1982) The Well and the Tree: World and Time in Early Germanic Culture
O Donaill, N., (1977) Focloir Gaeilge-Bearla
Morgan Daimler is a blogger, poet, teacher of esoteric subjects, Druid, dedicant of Macha, and wandering priestess of Odin.
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"BE CAREFUL, OR YOUR HEARTS WILL BE WEIGHED DOWN WITH CAROUSING, DRUNKENNESS AND THE ANXIETIES OF LIFE, AND THAT DAY WILL CLOSE ON YOU SUDDENLY LIKE A TRAP. FOR IT WILL COME ON ALL THOSE WHO LIVE ON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. LUKE 21:34-35 NIV"
From the article:"Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, are not anti-Christian or anti-religion, but they are, in general, just not interested in religion, says a new book based on a survey of members of this generation."
"An apathetic attitude towards religious and spiritual matters is common among members of this generation, according to The Millennials by Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Research, and his son Jess, a Millennial born in 1985. Members of this generation are likely to care less about spiritual matters than those from previous generations, the Rainers wrote."
"Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of this generation rarely or never attend religious services, according to the survey conducted by LifeWay on 1,200 Millennials. And spiritual matters was ranked sixth, below friends and education, in a list based on an open-ended question on what is important to respondents."
FEW MILLENNIALS INTERESTED IN RELIGION, STUDY FINDS
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