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We
are in the traditional Season of Lent and for many this is the time of
year for fasting and sacrifice. On Ash Wednesday I was in a local
store and several people in the line ahead of me had ashes on their
forehead. The store clerk asked them what it was for ... they
replied that it was Ash Wednesday ... but none of them knew the reason
for the wearing of the ashes other than that. Not being someone
who likes unanswered questions I decided to do some research on the
subject ... www.americancatholic.org
was a good first resource. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday ... and
for the Lenten observers, this means wearing "ash" on your
forehead during this first day. And why is that? According
to AmericanCatholic.org the reason is: Ashes
are an ancient symbol of repentance (sackcloth and ashes). They also
remind us of our mortality ("remember that you are dust") and
thus of the day when we will stand before God and be judged.
This is amazing reasoning. In
Religious Science and from the Teachings Of Jesus, I have found "repent"
to mean "giving up the un-truth for the Truth."
The Truth is that we are created "in the image and likeness of
God" ... not dust .. not a sinner ... but the image and likeness of
God ... Spirit, Life and Truth. To be told that we will stand
before God and be judged appears to be more of "God created in the
image of Man," rather than the Truth. We are judged by the
Law of Life ... according to our "sowing and reaping" Jesus
stated ... and this Law works for the good and the bad alike as we read
in scripture. Accepting that this Law is the Truth as taught by
Jesus and outlined in the Science of Mind, there is no necessity for God
to judge and in Truth, it would be a contradiction of scripture for this
to be true ... "for He knows no iniquity."
Continuing on with my research from
this catholic web site I found: "Lent
is the primary time for celebrating the Sacrament of Penance."
Well, there we have it ... in other
words, if we don't realize that all the seeming wrong that we do, we do
to our self ... we can do penance ... but, guess what? If we don't
change what we do ... we will continue to demonstrate the same discord
in our lives ... and doing penance will not stop the Law of Life from
handing us back exactly what we give it.
There is also a call for
"Fasting." Fasting has many beneficial effects on both
our body and our soul. Jesus fasted ... but I do not believe that
He fasted according to the catholic reasoning listed on this web site:
"Fasting should be linked to our concern for
those who are forced to fast by their poverty." Now,
this makes absolutely no sense at all. It does not help the poor
in any way for any of us to identify with poverty ... if we want to help
the poor there are many ways to do it ... but fasting with this idea in
mind will not ... identifying with poverty will bring poverty into our
own consciousness to be experienced ... and this is the Truth.
Church Nixes Good
Friday Fenway Hot Dogs
March 12, 2003
BOSTON - Opening
Day ticket holders at Boston's Fenway Park this year who are Catholic
face a dilemma: the Boston Archdiocese said since the afternoon game
against the Toronto Blue Jays falls on Good Friday, they must
refrain from eating meat, including hot dogs, sausages and pepperoni
pizza.
"We're already getting all kinds of requests for dispensation to
eat meat," said the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, a spokesman for the
archdiocese. However Coyne said that after a meeting to discuss the
requests, Boston church leaders decided a baseball game was too weak an
excuse to duck the no-meat rule.
There is so much to learn about God and
Life ... Infinite things to learn. But we will never learn them as
long as we hold onto old ideas and teachings that keep us bound to
symbols and rituals. Jesus did not teach voodoo ... and in
Religious Science we learn the difference between "Cause and
Effect." Jesus taught us to transcend the ways of the world
and lift up our consciousness to Infinite Good ... to God. Jesus
drew the ire of the priests of His time by shucking corn and eating it
on the Sabbath .... He knew the law of the priests was nonsense.
So many of us can get caught
up in effects and false ideas just because someone with seemingly more
knowledge or power states that it is so. And this is not limited
to traditional religions. Just this week I received an email
message from Hay House promoting Dr. Wayne Dyer ... a metaphysical
teacher and author that I have great respect for. Listed on this
message were "Dr. Dyer's Daily Dozen - Simple Reminders to Help You
Co-create Your World." Reminder # 1:
"Want more for others than you do for yourself."
WHAT????? Why would anyone practice this? There is enough
for everyone ... every Good thing we can imagine for ourselves or others
is abundant throughout the Universe. To "want" more for
others than you do for yourself would reinforce the "lesser and
greater" in our consciousness and create an imbalance.
Everyone accepts
what they are willing to accept in consciousness ... and whatever they
accept is "perfect" for them ... not necessarily perfect for
you and me ... but for them. Traditions, rituals and symbols are
"effects" ... wearing ashes on your forehead is an effect ...
and according to Jesus ... is not necessary ... like sacrifice in an
abundant Universe is not necessary ... like wanting more for others than
you want for yourself ... all of these can so easily become just so much
voodoo.
And
So It Is!
Maximum Love,
Rev.
Hank Bates
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