Merry Christmas, Doctor, and to all. Your perspective here is where man must begin if he would understand God and himself.
As always, I ponder our elites and their biosecurity state. I think they are trying to play god, and they are a brutal god. The good God, Who animates every motion of every strand of DNA in us, created us to know Him and love Him.
Your Christmas article is much appreciated and I wish more folks would ponder these things.
Thank you for your inspired thoughts and words! Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours. May Christ's blessings be showered upon you this coming year and ever after!
Beautifully said! Yes, all of us, with all our 'wrongness', were created to be part of God's story. No matter our past, He loves and will continue to love each of us. May each reader seek out that love this Christmas season. God is not dead nor does He sleep. Blessings to all.
Thank you so much. This is soooo beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes. I think it's the best explanation of God's love for each & every one of us that I've ever read. The video sets the frame perfectly. The gifts God has given you many🙏.
Thank you Aaron! So beautifully inspiring and encouraging!🙏🏼
There are times we need to cling steadfastly to the Truth. And know that God, Love, Truth, infinite Mind is always present. A very present help in times of need.
I’ve been thinking about this statement from the Bible recently:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Wishing you and your family a Blessed and Merry Christmas!🙏🏼🎄✨
Love this. Merry Christmas to you. I love that there is an open conversation about the beautiful gift of Immanuel- God with us. He is with us, through it all. I love that you said He IS our prize. Because it is true. He is our Rock and Refuge. There is a scripture verse that says: Take up your cross and follow Him. And as one suffering saint said: “If you can’t carry it, just drag it.” We can rejoice in suffering. God is with us. His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we are weak, He is strong. Praise the LORD
Theology - the study of the nature of God and the study of our relationship with God - is a much more difficult subject than most acknowledge. When we approach the subject with too little reflection or too shallow discernment, we tend to create problems for those who might truly want to know the faith. For example, consider the following passage from your essay:
"Just knowing that God, the King of the Universe, knew and planned out every second of your life since before time began tells you everything you could ever hope to know. God is in the minutia of our lives; there is no detail He has spared. He has taken account of everything from our highest of highs to our lowest of lows and everything in between. "
This analysis does not reflect our faith. It is a Deterministic view of the world. It does not reflect Reality nor proper Theology. It certainly does not comport with a New Testament, Christian, view. The total exclusion of Free Will in the analysis dooms the exercise.
"We have a God who turned that which is most barbaric—the Crucifixion of the Son of God—into that which is most beautiful, most good, most clearly a manifestation of His love. If He could turn the Crucifixion into the Resurrection, the hope of eternal life for all mankind, surely He can take the suffering of our lives—even those which seem almost as horrible as the Crucifixion—and make them our path to the Resurrection."
Again, this analysis strays far from valid theology. It is Old Testament thinking. It is a way of avoiding the obvious. When Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin, those steeped in OT thought did not understand the God that Jesus presented. They considered it blasphemy, and thus they ordered the Crucifixion. They believed in a puppet master deterministic God, which you present here, which was a grave theological error. As we celebrate the Incarnation, we have to be careful we do not lessen and cheapen the event with OT thinking, that, at its core, was and is flawed. The Crucifixion was not God's plan to cause suffering, it was the result of ignorance and stands, to this day, as a testament to extreme ignorance.
I have thought of these issues often. As we look at the billions of souls living in hell right now on this planet (Huxley posited that Earth may be hell for another planet), much of it is caused by us the privileged right now, and paid for by our taxes (most of it borrowed though), I wonder how much of this Christmas message can possibly bring comfort to the disenfranchised and wretched of the Earth, the children below the rubble in Gaza and in our countless ghettos. So let’s counsel the wretched of the Earth and tell them as you opine:
“We know Our Lord says in the Gospel of Luke (12:7) that even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Yet we still assume He is too busy to care about the details and difficulties of our everyday lives.”
“Just knowing that God, the King of the Universe, knew and planned out every second of your life since before time began tells you everything you could ever hope to know.”
“We are each the fulfillment of a prophecy, lovingly planned and designed by Our Lord, the King of Heaven and Earth, since before the beginning of time. This is true even if we don’t realize it. Knowing this should give each of our lives purpose, should give each moment meaning, each suffering value—a sign of love worth embracing. Contemplating this fact should change how we view not only our lives but the lives of everyone we interact and cross paths with.”
Let us add the comforting scripture on the birds loving cared for by God. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? (Mt 6:26)
Twenty centuries have gone by since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the horrors of material world existence continue seemingly unmitigated and in fact appear to be getting worse. So the questions posed in Malick’s the Tree of Life are relevant. Maybe there is another explanation to this hell we witness for so many souls. I see this better explained in Gnostic literature and by certain theosophical philosophers based on their personal revelations. Maybe this dysfunctional reality is the outcome of the Fall, not necessarily man seemingly punished for original sin, but beings in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Perhaps for awhile because of the Heavenly Fathers allowance for free will, it was permitted to exist, even with all the ensuing tragedy. Maybe the Infinite Mind behind all Creation, did not plan every second of this hell. The hope for mankind would seem thus to be found in the Lords Prayer, “May Thy Kingdom Come, May Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in the Heavens”. Personally I believe in our lifetimes this ONLY possible dream for this outlier reality is indeed possible, that is the Augmentation of this entire reality through our collective transformation as He comes as a thief in the night. But realistically there have been countless disappointing moments in the history of this reality, where it was proposed that the end of this dysfunctional idea of existence is near. Nevertheless we remain irrationally optimistic.
We will not be able to fix the tyranny of this reality through revolution, rebellion or even civil disobedience. Sure we will be permitted to have our little victories, our bread, our circuses. But the nature of reality will remain pathologically sick, because the origin of this sickness is unseen by the masses. As Camus stated in The Rebel, "Every act of creation, by it's existence, denies the world of master and slave. The appalling society of tyrants and slaves in which we survive will find its death and transfiguration only on the level of creation." Understand that hell or the state of existence for most people on this planet, can endure for only a limited period, and then a new life will begin again one day. History as we know it, may perhaps have an end; but our task is not to terminate it but to re-create it, in the image of what we henceforth know to be true. This process of re-creation can occur by conscious dissassociation with the hallucination, going inward to your original source, networking with others who are doing the same, and therefore consciously co-participating in unleashing a spiritual energy of a magnitude capable of transforming this reality.
Mary was a Virgin, the term husband implies an "ordinary" marital bond. None of the early writings or the writings of mystics like Mary of Agreda use this, They always use 'spouse' when refering to to Mary and Joseph.
Merry Christmas, Doctor, and to all. Your perspective here is where man must begin if he would understand God and himself.
As always, I ponder our elites and their biosecurity state. I think they are trying to play god, and they are a brutal god. The good God, Who animates every motion of every strand of DNA in us, created us to know Him and love Him.
Your Christmas article is much appreciated and I wish more folks would ponder these things.
Thank you for your reflections! I wish you a very blessed Christmas. May we all encounter the Incarnate Lord
Merry Christmas to all!
Thank you for your inspired thoughts and words! Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours. May Christ's blessings be showered upon you this coming year and ever after!
Beautifully said! Yes, all of us, with all our 'wrongness', were created to be part of God's story. No matter our past, He loves and will continue to love each of us. May each reader seek out that love this Christmas season. God is not dead nor does He sleep. Blessings to all.
Sounds lovely, hope it's true, not so sure.
Thank you so much. This is soooo beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes. I think it's the best explanation of God's love for each & every one of us that I've ever read. The video sets the frame perfectly. The gifts God has given you many🙏.
The Master's Way
Not ours to know the reason why,
Unanswered is our prayer,
But ours to wait for God's own time
To lift the cross we bear.
Not ours to know the reason why
From loved ones we must part,
But ours to live in faith and hope
Though bleeding be the heart.
Not ours to know the reason why
This anguish, strife and pain,
But ours to know a crown of thorns,
Thy grace for us to gain.
A cross, a bleeding heart, a crown,
What greater gifts are given?
Be still, my heart, and murmur not,
These are the keys to heaven.
'Tis ours to know the better part
Whereby a crown is won,
Then loving God I ask not why,
“Thy will, not mine, be done.”
Yea, Thy way, Lord, not mine, I pray,
I give to Thee my will,
And humbly seek Thy grace and aid,
This better part to fill.
It was not always thus with me,
I loved my way the best,
But that is past, Thy way is mine,
In it alone is rest.
Love this. Who is the author?
So inspired, inspiring, and truthful! Blessings to you, Dr. Kheriaty, and your family, and Merry Christmas to all!
I am pleased to be Catholic when I hear or read another Catholic like you. You have dignity.
Thank you Aaron! So beautifully inspiring and encouraging!🙏🏼
There are times we need to cling steadfastly to the Truth. And know that God, Love, Truth, infinite Mind is always present. A very present help in times of need.
I’ve been thinking about this statement from the Bible recently:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Wishing you and your family a Blessed and Merry Christmas!🙏🏼🎄✨
Love this. Merry Christmas to you. I love that there is an open conversation about the beautiful gift of Immanuel- God with us. He is with us, through it all. I love that you said He IS our prize. Because it is true. He is our Rock and Refuge. There is a scripture verse that says: Take up your cross and follow Him. And as one suffering saint said: “If you can’t carry it, just drag it.” We can rejoice in suffering. God is with us. His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we are weak, He is strong. Praise the LORD
Wow! You get it!
We are, indeed, beloved by God.
Merry Christmas, Aaron!
Thank you, Dr. Kheriaty. I wish you a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.
Theology - the study of the nature of God and the study of our relationship with God - is a much more difficult subject than most acknowledge. When we approach the subject with too little reflection or too shallow discernment, we tend to create problems for those who might truly want to know the faith. For example, consider the following passage from your essay:
"Just knowing that God, the King of the Universe, knew and planned out every second of your life since before time began tells you everything you could ever hope to know. God is in the minutia of our lives; there is no detail He has spared. He has taken account of everything from our highest of highs to our lowest of lows and everything in between. "
This analysis does not reflect our faith. It is a Deterministic view of the world. It does not reflect Reality nor proper Theology. It certainly does not comport with a New Testament, Christian, view. The total exclusion of Free Will in the analysis dooms the exercise.
"We have a God who turned that which is most barbaric—the Crucifixion of the Son of God—into that which is most beautiful, most good, most clearly a manifestation of His love. If He could turn the Crucifixion into the Resurrection, the hope of eternal life for all mankind, surely He can take the suffering of our lives—even those which seem almost as horrible as the Crucifixion—and make them our path to the Resurrection."
Again, this analysis strays far from valid theology. It is Old Testament thinking. It is a way of avoiding the obvious. When Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin, those steeped in OT thought did not understand the God that Jesus presented. They considered it blasphemy, and thus they ordered the Crucifixion. They believed in a puppet master deterministic God, which you present here, which was a grave theological error. As we celebrate the Incarnation, we have to be careful we do not lessen and cheapen the event with OT thinking, that, at its core, was and is flawed. The Crucifixion was not God's plan to cause suffering, it was the result of ignorance and stands, to this day, as a testament to extreme ignorance.
Dr. Kheriaty. Thank you for part 3.
I have thought of these issues often. As we look at the billions of souls living in hell right now on this planet (Huxley posited that Earth may be hell for another planet), much of it is caused by us the privileged right now, and paid for by our taxes (most of it borrowed though), I wonder how much of this Christmas message can possibly bring comfort to the disenfranchised and wretched of the Earth, the children below the rubble in Gaza and in our countless ghettos. So let’s counsel the wretched of the Earth and tell them as you opine:
“We know Our Lord says in the Gospel of Luke (12:7) that even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Yet we still assume He is too busy to care about the details and difficulties of our everyday lives.”
“Just knowing that God, the King of the Universe, knew and planned out every second of your life since before time began tells you everything you could ever hope to know.”
“We are each the fulfillment of a prophecy, lovingly planned and designed by Our Lord, the King of Heaven and Earth, since before the beginning of time. This is true even if we don’t realize it. Knowing this should give each of our lives purpose, should give each moment meaning, each suffering value—a sign of love worth embracing. Contemplating this fact should change how we view not only our lives but the lives of everyone we interact and cross paths with.”
Let us add the comforting scripture on the birds loving cared for by God. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? (Mt 6:26)
Twenty centuries have gone by since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the horrors of material world existence continue seemingly unmitigated and in fact appear to be getting worse. So the questions posed in Malick’s the Tree of Life are relevant. Maybe there is another explanation to this hell we witness for so many souls. I see this better explained in Gnostic literature and by certain theosophical philosophers based on their personal revelations. Maybe this dysfunctional reality is the outcome of the Fall, not necessarily man seemingly punished for original sin, but beings in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Perhaps for awhile because of the Heavenly Fathers allowance for free will, it was permitted to exist, even with all the ensuing tragedy. Maybe the Infinite Mind behind all Creation, did not plan every second of this hell. The hope for mankind would seem thus to be found in the Lords Prayer, “May Thy Kingdom Come, May Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in the Heavens”. Personally I believe in our lifetimes this ONLY possible dream for this outlier reality is indeed possible, that is the Augmentation of this entire reality through our collective transformation as He comes as a thief in the night. But realistically there have been countless disappointing moments in the history of this reality, where it was proposed that the end of this dysfunctional idea of existence is near. Nevertheless we remain irrationally optimistic.
We will not be able to fix the tyranny of this reality through revolution, rebellion or even civil disobedience. Sure we will be permitted to have our little victories, our bread, our circuses. But the nature of reality will remain pathologically sick, because the origin of this sickness is unseen by the masses. As Camus stated in The Rebel, "Every act of creation, by it's existence, denies the world of master and slave. The appalling society of tyrants and slaves in which we survive will find its death and transfiguration only on the level of creation." Understand that hell or the state of existence for most people on this planet, can endure for only a limited period, and then a new life will begin again one day. History as we know it, may perhaps have an end; but our task is not to terminate it but to re-create it, in the image of what we henceforth know to be true. This process of re-creation can occur by conscious dissassociation with the hallucination, going inward to your original source, networking with others who are doing the same, and therefore consciously co-participating in unleashing a spiritual energy of a magnitude capable of transforming this reality.
Regards,
Dr. Sergei Kochkin
Beautiful! {Please don't refer to Joseph as Mary's husband though. He is Her spouse. Theres a reverencial difference.}
I do not understand the difference. Can you explain?
Mary was a Virgin, the term husband implies an "ordinary" marital bond. None of the early writings or the writings of mystics like Mary of Agreda use this, They always use 'spouse' when refering to to Mary and Joseph.
What is the difference?