When the eternal Word assumed human existence at his Incarnation, he also assumed temporality. He drew time into the sphere of eternity. At first it seems as if there can be no connection between the "always" of eternity and the "flowing away" of time.But now the Eternal One has taken time to himself. In the Son, time co-exists with eternity.... In the Word incarnate, who remains man forever, the presence of eternity with time becomes bodily and concrete.
How is it possible for the infinite to "take on" finitude without obliterating it? How can the container exist within what it contains?
Well, I suppose finitude tried to swallow infinitude in the crucifixion, but fails in the resurrection. For
the historical does not serve the cosmic; no, the cosmic serves the historical. Only in history is the cosmos given its center and goal.
The Incarnation builds a bridge from the now to the forever. The "purpose" the cosmos is to actualize this in history:
The cosmos finds its true meaning in the Firstborn of creation, who has now entered history. From him comes the assurance that the adventure of creation, of a world with its own free existence distinct from God, does not end up in absurdity and tragedy but, throughout all its calamities and upheavals, remains something positive. God's blessing of the seventh day is truly and definitively confirmed.
For all time. And all time:
The centering of all history in Christ is... a new experience of time, in which past, present, and future make contact, because they have been inserted into the presence of the risen Lord.
History has a New Center "from which everything comes and to which everything tends." But recognizing this circular center requires a "new kind of seeing," a delivery "from that closure of the senses which perceives only the externals, the material surface of things, and is blind to the transparency of the spirit, the transparency of the Logos."
Any animal can see things. Only man can see through them.
The modern Problem of Knowledge in a notshall: as in thou shall not reduce reality to the means of knowing it. In another book, Ratzinger writes of the distinction
between ratio and intellectus, between reason in relation to empirical reality and man-made things and that reason which penetrates the deepest levels of being.
Reason reduced to the former (to mere ratio) is literally sick, and becomes sick because it is not and cannot be nourished by what it needs in order to flourish.
"Reason that can no longer recognize anything but itself and what is empirically certain is paralyzed and self-destructive." It is epistemological and even ontological clulesside, eagerly swallowing the satanic eucharist hook, line, and sinker. Genesis 3 all over again.
Nevertheless, the satanic eucharist is the opium of the tenured masses, giving strength to ratio-bound intellectuals. Hey, a man's gotta eat!
It gets worse, for the diabolical doctrine leads directly to progressive practice:
Revolution and utopia -- the nostalgia for a perfect world -- are connected: they are the concrete form of this new political, secularized messianism. The idol of the future devours the present (emphasis mine).
We are what we eat. Or what eats us. You decide. Or deicide.
12 comments:
AG Barr nails it:
"In any age, the so-called progressives treat politics as their religion. Their holy mission is to use the coercive power of the state to remake man and society in their own image, according to an abstract ideal of perfection. Whatever means they use are therefore justified because, by definition, they are a virtuous people pursing a deific end. They are willing to use any means necessary to gain momentary advantage in achieving their end, regardless of collateral consequences and the systemic implications. They never ask whether the actions they take could be justified as a general rule of conduct, equally applicable to all sides."
Here's another a-ha tidbit:
What is significant is this, that monotheism was not able to develop in the great cities and fertile countryside of Mesopotamia. No, it was in the wilderness, where heaven and earth face each other in stark solitude, that monotheism was able to grow - in the homelessness of the wanderer, who does not deify places but has constantly put his trust in the God who wanders with him.
Looking at our modern cities, where the seeds of every other kind of -ism tend to flourish and struggle to choke out faith in the One, it becomes easy to see how this is so.
Also, this calls to mind after all this time our Unknown Friend...
Hello Dear Blog Author:
I like your sermon, it is a corker. You have natural aptitude as a Christian preacher. You have drawn concepts from your wider reading and expounded upon them, and tied them in so as to reinforce the significance and Holiness of Christ Jesus. Well Done!
And comments directed to that large mass of theoretical citizens who have strayed from the Lord, well taken, and your excellent addendum/comment.
Julie, I enjoyed your comment on the importance of the physical environment in fostering a connection to the One True God. Nature is so essential for spiritual connection.
Love and Kisses from Dear Megan.
I think we as a nation need to come together and talk about bowel health, and the importance of caring for our gut biomes.
A lot depends on bowel health. A nation that is not regular cannot compete on the world stage. Probiotics are not enough.
People need to take pro-active steps to foster their biomes and develop a relationship with these crucial bacteria.
We need to discuss stool, and gain more familiarity with this neglected area of life. The color, consistency, texture, aroma -these matter, they matter a lot. This has been a taboo topic for too long.
-Dung Artist 000
Nobody implies that President Trump doesn’t have really great bowel health. He is a miracle from God. This is just another fake news witch hunt from the democrats. Blasphemer.
Pffffft.
That was the couch. I know it sounded like -- it's -- the vinyl -- it's a new couch -- please, just try and concentrate. okay. and we're very sleepy, we're relaxed, thinking nothing bothers us, nothing bothers us -- [several farts]
Busy week, took a couple of days off from reading but was back at it yesterday. Just now finishing the section on liturgical music; yesterday, for school we were reading Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd," etc.)and discussing how the Psalms were songs. Thanks to the magic of Youtube (even today, it is good for some things), we were able to find a multitude of versions including this contemporary song set in the original Hebrew. Really worth watching/ listening, if you have the time. Turn captions on for translation. Starts off very soft and peaceful, but switches to something much more powerful in following verses. Not at all like European hymns. I find them hauntingly beautiful, you can almost hear the passion of David crying out through the music.
There are other groups (search for Yamma Ensemble) out there putting the Psalms to traditional instruments and settings, usually Israeli. There something profound in hearing the ancient words made vital in a way we so rarely hear.
Wouldn't work for liturgy, of course, but powerful nonetheless.
Hi julie, as a traveller who has lived out of his van and spends a lot of time in the wilderness, i enjoyed your comment re wilderness and monotheism.
Also, i think youll like this chant in aramaic, in a georgian church. Features a 14 yr old girl and a man with a deep voice:
https://youtu.be/locW-9S00VU
I love that Aramaic rendition of the Our Father. The first time I heard it about a year ago, it sent me on a tangent of searching out liturgical music in Aramaic.
I love the Psalm 23 in original Hebrew too. I don't know why I hadn't thought to search such things out. On my father's side, the ancestors are Covenanter Presbyterians. In the written family histories, they were very proud of several of the women who knew all the Psalms by heart.
I am grateful for AG Barr and his clarity. I am grateful that there are men like that fighting for us and this country, as it was meant to be.
Jules, thanks for sharing that. How lovely!
Christina, agreed re. Barr. and any other white hats out there who are fighting for this country.
One of conservatisms highest precepts is to always side with proven principles over power. I would hope lawyers would operate the same way. Somebody would need to prove to me that this is how Barr operates as well.
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