Tag Archives: paschal mystery
The Law of Three
Trinity: Part Two The Law of Three Thursday, May 16, 2019 Cynthia Bourgeault, one of our core faculty members and an Episcopal priest, has helped Christianity rediscover the powerful model of the “Law of Three.” This was originally developed by the Armenian-born spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff (1866–1949) who saw it comprising what he called… Continue Reading The Law of Three
Dying and Rising
Christ Means “Anointed” Dying and Rising Friday, April 12, 2019 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulcher at the rising… Continue Reading Dying and Rising
The Franciscan Vision
Joy and Hope The Franciscan Vision Monday, November 26, 2018 St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217–1274) took Francis and Clare’s practical lifestyle to the level of theology, philosophy, and worldview. Unlike many theologians of his time, Bonaventure paid little attention to fire and brimstone, sin, merit, justification, or atonement. His vision is positive, mystic, cosmic, intimately… Continue Reading The Franciscan Vision
Participation in the Incarnation
Eastern Christianity Participation in the Incarnation Friday, September 14, 2018 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. —Isaiah 60:1 George Maloney (1924–2005), a Catholic priest in the Russian Byzantine Rite with a doctorate in Eastern Christian spirituality, and I used to be on the same speaking… Continue Reading Participation in the Incarnation
The Law of Three
Creativity The Law of Three Tuesday, June 5, 2018 Today, Cynthia Bourgeault, a faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, explores the profound metaphysical Law of Three. Understanding and consciously participating in this principle can help us welcome new, surprising resolutions that free us from our usual binary and oppositional way of operating… Continue Reading The Law of Three
Christ Is the Template for Creation
Creation: Week 1 Christ Is the Template for Creation Thursday, February 15, 2018 The Franciscan philosopher and Doctor of the Church, St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217-1274) was an exemplary mystic because he so effectively pulled his brilliant mind down into his passionate heart. [1] In Bonaventure’s writings, you will find little or none of the… Continue Reading Christ Is the Template for Creation
The Mystery of Suffering
Jesus of Nazareth: Week 2 The Mystery of Suffering Wednesday, January 24, 2018 It is much easier to appreciate the glory of Jesus’ resurrection than his painful crucifixion. Yet, Mark’s Gospel, written around 65 to 70 AD, focuses on Jesus’ “suffering servanthood.” Christians believe that we are “saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus.”… Continue Reading The Mystery of Suffering
Paschal Mystery
Self-Emptying Paschal Mystery Thursday, December 14, 2017 Given our twin planetary crises of climate change and unjust financial distribution, what is needed is not more information but the will to move from belief to action, from denial to profound change at both personal and public levels. The religions of the world, countercultural in their assumption… Continue Reading Paschal Mystery
The Belly of the Whale
The Path of Descent The Belly of the Whale Tuesday, August 1, 2017 And so long as you do not know that to die is to become, you are just a wretched visitor on this dark earth. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [1] Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah… Continue Reading The Belly of the Whale
The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal
The Cross The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal Monday, April 24, 2017 I believe that the Mystery of the Cross is saying that the pattern of transformation is always death transformed. Death and life are two sides of one coin, and you cannot have one without the other. The theological term for this classic pattern… Continue Reading The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal
