On St. Joseph and the Mystery of Faith

Joseph shows us a great role model in terms of the mystery of faith.  That he stood by Mary, reared a son he did not father, risked his life by caring for the Christ Child, left his home and took what was likely a perilous journey to Egypt and then back to Israel all due to what was likely based on tremendous faith is rather courageous.

We don’t know through what medium God spoke to Joseph, but needless to say, it must have been compelling.  The story of Joseph is a story of great faith, of personal sacrifice for greater good and of commitment to purpose.

Jesus’ Crucifixion and The Mystery of Faith

As for Jesus’ crucifixion, we cannot take that part alone to lead us to place of accepting him as the messiah. It is the Passion, Jesus’ life as witnessed by the Evangelists, Mathew, Mark, Luke & John, the prophecies in the Old Testament, the experiences of people who were and are devoutly committed to prayer but most importantly, living out the mystery of faith personally. This is not a rational or logical process which, unfortunately, makes the faith endeavor DOA for many.

The Egocentric Mind and The Mystery of Faith

Another point to ponder, the rational, egocentric mind has a hard time separating itself from any experience that does not affect it directly or from that which it does not directly identify with.  This is why faith is said to be not an act of the mind but rather an act of the heart.  In addition, it is a process that requires us to go places we have never been within ourselves which requires risk and uncertainty and trust.  Most people will shy away from an endeavor that requires this of them.

The Paschal Mystery

It is called the “Paschal Mystery” because that’s what it is, a mystery.  During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the celebrant always chants “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith” which reminds us that we are engaged in a process of uncertainty.   Uncertainty and ambiguity are very hard for us to accept and to deal with in our daily lives, thus having a partner, friend and mentor with us at all times can we relieve ourselves from the pressure of uncertainty, guide us in our mission and compel us to live with passion & purpose.

Identifying with The Passion of Christ

It does my heart good when I hear people with at least some Christian formation tell me that they don’t identify with the Passion of Christ. This tells they have likely, but by no means certainly, never dealt with seriously trying events in their life.  Christianity is comprised of as many different episodes as there are in any one individual’s journey through life.  Different parts appeal to us at different times, and the same parts we may see differently at different times in our life.

If we tell ourselves that we won’t get on the bus unless we get to drive and until we know for sure what the destination is, we are resigned to live a life without faith.  Martin Luther King said it well when he said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” To that I say “‘Amen.'”

This post is an excerpt from a conversation with our dear friend Patrick Milazzo 

Lying down, German author Bernd Brunner writes, “spans the human condition, from complete passivity to the most passionate of activities.” It’s the position in which “we sleep and dream, make love, contemplate, give ourselves over to wistful moods, daydream, and suffer.” Almost every day begins and ends in a bed, and so does almost every human life. If Brunner has a big idea, it’s that lying down is due for a revival in the Western world, a culture too long obsessed with achievement and motion and noise and, therefore, uprightness. That makes rest a kind of rebellion. The book begins with reassurance: “If you’re lying down right now, there’s no need to defend yourself.” After all, life on the X axis is natural, enjoyable, and healthful. It’s good for the soul, the mind, and the body. By the end, Brunner is optimistically declaring that “the age of the New Horizontal has arrived.”

~ Via The Art of Lying Down

Reminds me of Winston Churchill’s quote on conservation of energy. He was asked to what he attributes his successful life. “Conservation of energy. Never stand up when you can sit down. And never sit down when you can lay down.”

1. It makes me feel great physically.

The more I do it, the better I feel. Even if I just do a short 30 minute routine every day, I can feel the difference in my body so much (and you better believe I can feel it when I skip yoga for a few days). I’m more flexible, stronger, physically grounded, have better balance and less back pain when yoga is part of my regular routine.

2. It makes me feel great mentally.

Seriously. You don’t have to be intensely spiritual about yoga for it to make a big impact on the way you think, process, and perceive. Regular yoga has made me considerably less self-conscious physically and just in general. I always feel happy right after practice, no matter how stressed out I may have been beforehand. I’m sure part of it is the endorphin production and physical release that comes with any strenuous activity, but I think for me the most important part is the kind of meditative state that I got into during yoga.

I am nothing if not a thinker, and this can sometimes work against me, making it almost impossible for me to shut off my mind and ipso facto my worries, anxieties, and stresses. However, when I am practicing yoga, I am forced to focus only on my body. When my mind begins to wander, I come back to my breath. This gives me a window of relief from the nagging “to do” list that seems always to linger in my mind off the mat.

3. I get more done.

When I have a lot to do in a day, it’s easy to tell myself that I’ll get more done if I skip yoga and use that tie to do something “more productive.” However, I am always so energized after a good practice that I get way more done with yoga as a part of my schedule. The amount of times that I have procrastinated all day, done yoga, then immediately tackled the dreaded project astounds me. Yoga clears out all your mental blockages, at least for a short time, and allows space for the new ideas and creativity needed to get things done.

4. I sleep better.

Yes, yoga energizes me and helps me to be productive, but it also puts me right to sleep! On days when I practice yoga (especially in the evening) I fall asleep as soon as I crawl into bed, almost without fail.

Click to read on at Elephant Journal — YOGA 

image via Google commons

Via: The Guardian

Of course, “curry” is shorthand for a vast, complex food culture, not a dish per se, but given the unique way it is enjoyed and eaten in Britain, it made sense to cover it as one.

Choosing a Curry House:

No, the supermarket won’t do. And who among non-Asians has ever cooked a satisfying curry at home? However, identifying a curry house that is cooking fresh, clearly differentiated dishes is difficult. There are no hard and fast rules. These pointers, though, may help.

Encouraging Signs:

-It’s south Indian. Bad south Indians must exist, but I’ve yet to eat in one. Instead, the sensitivity of the spicing in most Tamil or Keralan eateries is revelatory. From light, interesting rices cooked with curry leaves, cashew nuts, mustards seed and lentils, to the thali – the ultimate meal for the indecisive diner – you can’t go wrong.

-There are women in the kitchen. A sign that you’re in good (often Gujarati) hands.

-It is vegetarian and, therefore, will be working that bit harder to maximise flavour.

-It is a basic, no-frills cafe. It will be cheap at least, and with nothing going for it but the food, likely brilliant.

When to Eat:

There is a common misapprehension that the best time to eat a curry is when you’re drunk. In fact, the best time to eat a curry is when you’re hungover. There are several reasons for this: you can’t be arsed to cook; you’re craving carbs; the piquant flavours of a good curry will penetrate the muggy fug in your head like few other foods; eating something with a decent chilli heat feels restorative (erroneous endorphin claims or not); and it’s a great excuse to crack open what you really want, which is a belated hair-of-the-dog beer. The existential gloom will lift rapidly and (as it’s probably Sunday night), an hour later you will be having a heated debate about why are we still watching this bloody nonsense Homeland?

Click for more tips on — How to eat Curry?

Ipiales, Colombia | Flickr: gameoflight / Creative Commons

Via Buzzfeed:

22 Stunning Under-The-Radar Destinations To Add To Your Bucket List In 2014

We hope to visit Ipiales, Colombia in February! Let us know if you have been. 

~ Mahatma Gandhi