Fish of Friday

Good day and love to you all and all you do.

I know it is fish on Friday and I do have a piece of writing which I will share with you, from St Gregory of Nazianzus. Gregory of Nazianzus was a 4th Century Archbishop of Constantinople. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. (I though have no idea what the patristic age is, but nevertheless find wisdom in his writing.)

First though. I do as an artist whom on this sunny morning have to tell you that I am glad to be able to share a painting, which last night I had to get out of bed to paint for us.  I had the idea whilst laying in bed and knew that just popping it in writing on paper would not be enough.

I would believe it amiss of me to risk the possibility of forgetting to post it on the blog. Not that is is great, nor is it insignificant. It is just what it is what is is, or can become for us!

  Other people or even ourselves will create mental boxes to try and put all that they perceive inside, in the attempt to create order and understanding in both their lives and their minds. They or even we, can at times see an inside and an outside. When the Berlin wall was broken down, it was not just the start of a sea change in human understanding, but of consciousness also. Well, thats my two pennyworth, for you to ponder or discard as you will. 
How can I mind what people think, when I know from experience that we some of us, through getting immersed in dark thoughts and feelings, can stand apart from this state and know we need to change.
Having changed we do not feel jealous of those whose lives have always been well ordered, gentle and kind. That, if they have done their best is what is best for us all. As I emerge as it seems I am doing from some past dark and oft violent times, then this will be the best for us all! 
"God", I may say, why dont you let me go back to the Philippines spiritually renewed as I am, to help the street children know Your love. To feed them and illuminate them in the light of Jesus Christ. 
He, replies; " I cannot be God and let you go off half-cocked and unprepared. Now you have given up on self, you must be patient and listen to my words and also listen to the silence. For all else will cloud your mind and distract you from the right path, my son."  So my brothers and sisters, I feel I have no alternative. Let go and let God is how the saying goes.                 

Microcosm and mediator

Wishing to form a single creature from the two levels of creation - from both invisible and visible nature - the Creator Logos fashioned man. Taking a body from the matter which he had previously created, and placing in it the breath of life that comes from himself, which Scripture terms the intelligent soul and the image of God (cf. Gen. 1.27; 2.7), he formed man as a second universe, great in his littleness. He set him on earth as a new kind of angel, adoring God with both aspects of his twofold being, overseer of the material creation and initiate into the spiritual creation; king of all upon earth, but subject to the King above; earthly yet heavenly; temporal yet immortal; visible yet spiritual; midway between majesty and lowliness; a single person, yet both spirit and flesh - spirit by grace, flesh because of his pride; spirit, that he may continue in existence and glorify his benefactor; flesh, that he may suffer, and through suffering may be reminded and chastened when he grows conceited because of his greatness; a living creature guided in this world by God`s providence, and then translate to another realm; and, as the culmination of the mystery, deified through his obedience to God. So God in his splendour has bound together soul and body; and, though he separates them at death, he will hereafter bind them together again in a yet more exalted way.
                                                  
                                                       ST GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS


                      This is all for today my brothers and sisters. I pray that that this day every moment we can be able, then we shall know that we are loved, we can be love and be loving in all our encounters.
     Hey,  take care out there. Your brother Peter.