Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy Tuesday ADD Irregulars, WSN Curators, Friends & Refugees, Early Birds & Later Dayers, Conversants & Lurkers, PHAM & Misfits, Dawn Patrol & Day Walkers, Seekers, Wanderers and Lost. In Cath-O-Landia we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the end of her life is it the belief of the ancient churches that the Mother of God was assumed body & soul into Heaven as the final gift of her sinless life.

The historicity of this is not testified to in scripture, but the ancient churches believed in more than was just testified to in the scriptures. Catholics and Orthodox believe that the Lord left us a community at Pentecost, not a book. The Book was given to the us by the Holy Spirit through the Apostolic church. The New Testament is revealed in its fulness by the end of the first century and ratify at the Council of Hippo in 393. Concurrent with that the same Spirit nurtures the seed of sacred tradition which is in need of constant trimming and reform so that it can remain faithful to what has been handed on. Finally that same Spirit blesses those in authority to shepherd the Church until the Master returns to conclude the Kingdom. That final element, the Magisterium of the Church, is the most subject to corruption and failing to live the faith that has been professed. Failure to hold shepherds accountable is the greatest of scandals in the church. No one should be given a pass on criminal activity or being called into accountability, that the Church failed to and often fails to police its own is a massive wound on the Body of Christ. Those three - The Word, Sacred Tradition and the Shepherds are supposed to keep on the path of redemption. It is far form perfect but it is what I believe has been handed on and entrusted to us. Obviously, others have different thoughts and opinions on it, and I am not interested in knocking other Disciples, life is too short and the culture is too toxic for Christians is quibble over professed beliefs and practices that different communities espouse as being most faithful to God. You profess joyfully and lovingly what you hold dear and afford me the same consideration and we are good.

On to the Gift from our morning prayers

From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians 1:16-2:10

In Christ Jesus God has given us a seat in the heavenly places

I have never stopped thanking God for you and recommending you in my prayers. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant you a spirit of wisdom and insight to know him clearly. May he enlighten your innermost vision that you may know the great hope to which he has called you, the wealth of his glorious heritage to be distributed among the members of the church, and the immeasurable scope of his power in us who believe. It is like the strength he showed in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in heaven, high above every principality, power, virtue, and domination, and every name that can be given in this age or in the age to come.

He has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him, thus exalted, head of the church, which is his body: the fullness of him who fills the universe in all its parts.

You were dead because of your sins and offenses, as you gave allegiance to the present age and to the prince of the air, that spirit who is even now at work among the rebellious. All of us were once of their company; we lived at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy, and so by nature deserved God’s wrath like the rest.

But God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens, that in the ages to come he might display the great wealth of his favor, manifested by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

I repeat, it is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it. We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance.

We are truly His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to the life of good deeds which God has prepared for us in advance.

I am ever hopeful that any seeking understanding, desiring to question and wrestle with the meaning or meaningless of life will arrive at the same threshold on the other side of finality. At that threshold is the Lover of our souls, acceptance of Him in the end, if what we Disciples believe is true, is a mandatory act for all of humanity. Some will be grateful that their life of discipleship had reached if fruitful destination, some will experience mercy for the first time and some will be hardened of heart and stiff of neck in opposition to the offer of mercy.

As said in the beginning, Cath-O-landia honors the Blessed Virgin Mary for her unique role in the story of redemption. Others may honor her today as well, I believe our Orthodox cousins do, but I can only testify to what I have known. Happy Feast Day Disciples, merry Tuesday to all!