my spiritual journey
theo
Registrant
what follows is an excerpt from my journal from over three years ago. i was on a journey then of mystagogy, the continuing spiritual journey of those who have converted to catholicism. not a prerequisite, of course, but it was a journey i accepted gladly. it was the easter of 1997 that i confirmed my vows (i think, at any rate...it has been a while 
). from that point on, i was on a journey that continues. i participated in a parish leadership team that instilled the program of the jubilee of 2000 (disciples in mission). each year, i was given a prayer, that i feel was a gift from the Holy, to offer to my parish, and they accepted it (i wrote all that follows, but feel it was a gift) . at the time this entry was written, my former wife had already left me, and i had just struggled back from two months prior of intending to take my life. this was my private devotion, at the time. i said each prayer, followed by the "meditations", with the sign of the cross between each prayer. this is what worked for me at the time, and will work for me now, after all this time. i wanted to share this with all of you, my brothers, and all else curious. feel free to pm me about any questions. in a nutshell, each of the lines in the second stanza of the second prayer represent the essential contribution of each of the five essential paths of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Eastern (Orient), and Shamanism (Law, Surender, Serve, Path, Earth). each of these contributed to the vision of Bridgebuilders. this was not a vision of syncreticism, a combination of all religions. it was a vision of all that each contributed to the overall expression and manifestation. the "so be it" lines are the translations of the common word used, "amen", for those not aware of it. read it...meditate on it...and feel it. if there are any questions, do not hesitate, pm me. journey well.
1-1-011809hrsMonday
Quote: Journal Entry...Theo
"The core principles are expressed in the Ecology of Grace, which states:
- All of creation is related to its every constituent part
- There exists a fundamental orientation of all creation toward Holy Mystery
- There exists the potential freedom to embrace and actualize the gift of grace given unto all of creation
The meditations derived are:
- It is gift, and gift will find its way
- I inherit through my choice. I build through my affirmation. It is through my freedom that I nurture, or fade into autonomy
- Lord, you are my source, not my object. Like you, I embrace the kingdom our Father has given us to manifest
- It was not given to life to broker the Kingdom, but to manifest it
- I was not given to serve life, but to embrace it
- A solitary act does not partake of the Kingdom
The prayers derived are:
Holy Spirit,
Guide my mind
As I acknowledge
All that I am grateful for,
That but for your will
Could not occur
Holy spirit,
Guide my heart
As I acknowledge my weaknesses
That but for your strength
I could not overcome
Holy spirit,
Guide my soul
As I acknowledge
What I must reconcile
That but for your grace freely given
Could not occur
Holy Spirit,
Guide my life
As youve always done
So I may continue to recognize
What you love
That I might love as well
So be it
***
Of the earth
And of my hands
This, which is holy
That I might find strength
To listen
That I might learn
To hear
That I might remember
To reach
That I might yet stand
That I might stand
To embrace
The Law
Of my Surrender
As I Serve
On my path
All of the earth
So be it
***
Behold, earth
And blessed creation
That which is greater
Than the breath of one
Is that which is shared
There is trembling
As truth is embraced
That one is nothing
Without all else
Therefore, I stand
That I might manifest
On earth
As it is in heaven
So be it
The prayers, meditations, ecology of grace principles, and the vision of Bridgebuilders are the culmination of all I have I have sought to embrace and articulate in my life. The Kingdom of God, is not the Kingdom of Christ (the Church), the Kingdom of God is the acceptance of the relatedness of all creation, acknowledgement of its orientation, and the embrace of freedom that one can nurture the Kingdom to its eventual creation-wide communion with Holy Mystery, or to fade into autonomy. "
). from that point on, i was on a journey that continues. i participated in a parish leadership team that instilled the program of the jubilee of 2000 (disciples in mission). each year, i was given a prayer, that i feel was a gift from the Holy, to offer to my parish, and they accepted it (i wrote all that follows, but feel it was a gift) . at the time this entry was written, my former wife had already left me, and i had just struggled back from two months prior of intending to take my life. this was my private devotion, at the time. i said each prayer, followed by the "meditations", with the sign of the cross between each prayer. this is what worked for me at the time, and will work for me now, after all this time. i wanted to share this with all of you, my brothers, and all else curious. feel free to pm me about any questions. in a nutshell, each of the lines in the second stanza of the second prayer represent the essential contribution of each of the five essential paths of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Eastern (Orient), and Shamanism (Law, Surender, Serve, Path, Earth). each of these contributed to the vision of Bridgebuilders. this was not a vision of syncreticism, a combination of all religions. it was a vision of all that each contributed to the overall expression and manifestation. the "so be it" lines are the translations of the common word used, "amen", for those not aware of it. read it...meditate on it...and feel it. if there are any questions, do not hesitate, pm me. journey well.1-1-011809hrsMonday
Quote: Journal Entry...Theo
"The core principles are expressed in the Ecology of Grace, which states:
- All of creation is related to its every constituent part
- There exists a fundamental orientation of all creation toward Holy Mystery
- There exists the potential freedom to embrace and actualize the gift of grace given unto all of creation
The meditations derived are:
- It is gift, and gift will find its way
- I inherit through my choice. I build through my affirmation. It is through my freedom that I nurture, or fade into autonomy
- Lord, you are my source, not my object. Like you, I embrace the kingdom our Father has given us to manifest
- It was not given to life to broker the Kingdom, but to manifest it
- I was not given to serve life, but to embrace it
- A solitary act does not partake of the Kingdom
The prayers derived are:
Holy Spirit,
Guide my mind
As I acknowledge
All that I am grateful for,
That but for your will
Could not occur
Holy spirit,
Guide my heart
As I acknowledge my weaknesses
That but for your strength
I could not overcome
Holy spirit,
Guide my soul
As I acknowledge
What I must reconcile
That but for your grace freely given
Could not occur
Holy Spirit,
Guide my life
As youve always done
So I may continue to recognize
What you love
That I might love as well
So be it
***
Of the earth
And of my hands
This, which is holy
That I might find strength
To listen
That I might learn
To hear
That I might remember
To reach
That I might yet stand
That I might stand
To embrace
The Law
Of my Surrender
As I Serve
On my path
All of the earth
So be it
***
Behold, earth
And blessed creation
That which is greater
Than the breath of one
Is that which is shared
There is trembling
As truth is embraced
That one is nothing
Without all else
Therefore, I stand
That I might manifest
On earth
As it is in heaven
So be it
The prayers, meditations, ecology of grace principles, and the vision of Bridgebuilders are the culmination of all I have I have sought to embrace and articulate in my life. The Kingdom of God, is not the Kingdom of Christ (the Church), the Kingdom of God is the acceptance of the relatedness of all creation, acknowledgement of its orientation, and the embrace of freedom that one can nurture the Kingdom to its eventual creation-wide communion with Holy Mystery, or to fade into autonomy. "