12 STEP CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY SERIES.
I started this series in September 2018 and will continue with the series this year. If you have not read the first posts, click here to read. This series is based on the 12 Steps of AA and could have easily been called 12 Step Christian Anon programme. However, I prefer to think of it as a 12 Step guide to Catholic spirituality
It used to be fashionable to ask people if they believed in God. Many supposed that the Theory of Evolution disproved God's role as Creator of the World, while others reckoned that psychology could give us all we need for self understanding and motivation. During the last 30 yrs or so, theologians and scientists have grown considerably in their understanding of the mutual dependence of their disciplines.
Recent polls indicate that less and less people believe but at least in a Creator- God, then the question we need to ask is Who is your God?
When it comes to the question of God, there are, in the lasts analysis only 3 possible conceptions, but within each of these there is considerable variation.
1. Polytheism is belief in several more or less equal claimants of one;s devotion and service. These good might be conceived of as spiritual beings vying for power in the universe. Practically speaking, they may be as mundane as job, country, family, and even church if a person sets any of these up as primary objects of worship. Because polytheists purse several of these gods, they may become mentally fragmented as struggle to make sense of a universe that pulls them one way and then another.
2. Dualism is believe in two counter or complementary, principles. The Yin-Yan of Chinese cosmology and the good evil of Zoroastrianism and certain tangential Christian philosophies are cases in point. Real progress toward good is not hope for since there is no reason to believe good can last very long. These systems of thought breed fatalism and ethical stagnation- sometimes more so than certain polytheistic philosophises.
3. Monotheism is belief in one God or Power whose influence in creation is at least indirectly decisive. Monotheistic systems include some Eastern religions, Platonism and server other philosophies, and the Judeo- Christian-Islam tradition.
God's attributes vary widely among these belief systems, but all foster a unification of mind and personality and help focus the will toward primary set of life issues. certain ideal such as family, country or careers are primary motivating ideals in the lives of many, but it might be stretching the point at bit consider them secular forms of monotheism
With so many belief systems abound through cultural history, it is tempting to draw back in confusion and give up the struggle to know God at all. History shows quite clearly that religious beliefs have spawned some of the most dehumanising waves of malice, prejudice and ware ever evidence on the the Earth. Why indeed both the with the question of God. The answer to the question lies in the irrefutable fact that something within us years to understand the meaning of creation, life, work, birth, suffering and death. Our minds see the movement of life as a relationship between cause and effect, and so, we naturally ask ''From whence comes the ultimate cause of the effects we see about us''.
We all reach a point sometimes when we must ask the two essentially religious questions
1. If there is a God then what is God like?
2. What does God expect of human beings?
During the week we may wish to consider our answers to these questions as next week we examine Christian belief concerning Jesus of Nazareth.
During this week you may wish to continue working on step 1 in your journal. Remember that as we work through the process the first time around, we may not consider all our levels of selfishness. However as we become more attuned to the process, we start to recognise it in ourselves and in our behaviours and attitudes. The more we become attuned the more aware we become.
Some people liken this process to cleaning an object that has had no tender loving care for some time (eg silverware). We may give it a good clean and a lot of the tarnish and dullness is wiped away when we clean it. However when we clean it again with less junk on it, the more stubborn stains are able to worked on and are more likely to be shifted.
So let us keep moving forward when you are ready. if you need more time on Step 1, then do that. You know what feels rights for you. The other steps will be ready when you are ready to move on.
Today we start with Step 2: We Confess that Jesus Christ can lead us to the fullness of life.
It used to be fashionable to ask people if they believed in God. Many supposed that the Theory of Evolution disproved God's role as Creator of the World, while others reckoned that psychology could give us all we need for self understanding and motivation. During the last 30 yrs or so, theologians and scientists have grown considerably in their understanding of the mutual dependence of their disciplines.
Recent polls indicate that less and less people believe but at least in a Creator- God, then the question we need to ask is Who is your God?
When it comes to the question of God, there are, in the lasts analysis only 3 possible conceptions, but within each of these there is considerable variation.
1. Polytheism is belief in several more or less equal claimants of one;s devotion and service. These good might be conceived of as spiritual beings vying for power in the universe. Practically speaking, they may be as mundane as job, country, family, and even church if a person sets any of these up as primary objects of worship. Because polytheists purse several of these gods, they may become mentally fragmented as struggle to make sense of a universe that pulls them one way and then another.
2. Dualism is believe in two counter or complementary, principles. The Yin-Yan of Chinese cosmology and the good evil of Zoroastrianism and certain tangential Christian philosophies are cases in point. Real progress toward good is not hope for since there is no reason to believe good can last very long. These systems of thought breed fatalism and ethical stagnation- sometimes more so than certain polytheistic philosophises.
3. Monotheism is belief in one God or Power whose influence in creation is at least indirectly decisive. Monotheistic systems include some Eastern religions, Platonism and server other philosophies, and the Judeo- Christian-Islam tradition.
God's attributes vary widely among these belief systems, but all foster a unification of mind and personality and help focus the will toward primary set of life issues. certain ideal such as family, country or careers are primary motivating ideals in the lives of many, but it might be stretching the point at bit consider them secular forms of monotheism
With so many belief systems abound through cultural history, it is tempting to draw back in confusion and give up the struggle to know God at all. History shows quite clearly that religious beliefs have spawned some of the most dehumanising waves of malice, prejudice and ware ever evidence on the the Earth. Why indeed both the with the question of God. The answer to the question lies in the irrefutable fact that something within us years to understand the meaning of creation, life, work, birth, suffering and death. Our minds see the movement of life as a relationship between cause and effect, and so, we naturally ask ''From whence comes the ultimate cause of the effects we see about us''.
We all reach a point sometimes when we must ask the two essentially religious questions
1. If there is a God then what is God like?
2. What does God expect of human beings?
During the week we may wish to consider our answers to these questions as next week we examine Christian belief concerning Jesus of Nazareth.
During this week you may wish to continue working on step 1 in your journal. Remember that as we work through the process the first time around, we may not consider all our levels of selfishness. However as we become more attuned to the process, we start to recognise it in ourselves and in our behaviours and attitudes. The more we become attuned the more aware we become.
Some people liken this process to cleaning an object that has had no tender loving care for some time (eg silverware). We may give it a good clean and a lot of the tarnish and dullness is wiped away when we clean it. However when we clean it again with less junk on it, the more stubborn stains are able to worked on and are more likely to be shifted.
So let us keep moving forward when you are ready. if you need more time on Step 1, then do that. You know what feels rights for you. The other steps will be ready when you are ready to move on.
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