Holystic Essential's
Holistic Spirituality
Here
I include what I believe is some essential information about
the spiritual life . Regardless of what religion you may
practice, I think there are certain aspects of spirituality which
apply to all.
I use the
name of Christ and use many Christian quotes, because I am
from a Christian background. If you are of a different
background or religion please think of the name of God as
Almighty, Creator, Source, Higher Power, or whatever other
name you may be accustomed to. After all, it is
my belief that Christ encompasses all religions, is for all people
of all religions, and in fact transcends religion itself.
Types of Christian Spirituality
Author Unknown
Within
the very large context of Christianity, a wisdom about
spirituality has developed through the ages. It has long been
recognized that different individuals are drawn to different ways
of responding to the two great commandments to love God above all
and one's neighbor as oneself. Some Catholic religious orders, for
example, seem to emphasize ministries appropriate for extraverted,
outgoing, sociable types; others attract more introverted,
introspective types. Neither is better or more valuable in the
overall life of the Church, however. All do emphasize the same
kinds of values and disciplines, only to different degrees.
In his work on Ignatian Spirituality and the Directed Retreat,
George Schemel, SJ has provided a helpful way of understanding
different types of Christian spirituality by identifying three
broad pathways in Christianity. I shall summarize them below, then
conclude with a few remarks about contemplative practice:
A. Monastic
Spirituality.
This is the highly structured and
contemplative-oriented lifestyle of those who live in monasteries:
Carthusians, Trappists, etc. Non-monks who live mostly solitary
lives that are structured to emphasize spiritual practice might
also be considered in this group. Their primary service to the
Church is through prayer, and they witness to the joy and peace of
the contemplative life through their writings and hospitality to
visitors.
B. Psychological-Contemplative Spirituality.
Includes
religious orders like the Carmelites and Dominicans, and also
Charismatics and anyone drawn to deep and regular prayer. This
spirituality might well be summarized by the Dominican idea of
"action proceeding from contemplation." Those who travel
this highway are more active in the world than monastic types.
C. Apostolic Spirituality.
Includes most lay people,
diocesan priests, Jesuits, Franciscans, and most of Protestantism.
Although prayer and spiritual disciplines are encouraged, equal
emphasis is given to finding God breaking through in the everyday
affairs of life. Very involved in what's going on in the world.
Service is emphasized.
Obviously,
contemplative disciplines would seem to be highly relevant to
people in the Monastic and Psychological-Contemplative pathways.
But what about the majority who travel the broad, Apostolic
pathway? These are generally more extraverted types; are
contemplative practices helpful to them as well?
Absolutely!
While the more introverted types seem more naturally drawn to
contemplative spirituality to attend to their inner life and find
God there, where their gaze is more naturally disposed, we need to
recognize that all extraverts have an introverted side as well.
For them, contemplative practice can help to round out their
spirituality, and deepen their sensitivity to finding God in all
things. Without giving at least minimal attention to these
practices, extraverts can get so caught up in the outer affairs of
life as to lose perspective--even Self! Contemplative practices
help one become more in touch with the True Self, and, hence, more
authentic in one’s involvements. They also enable better
discernment of the leadings of the Holy Spirit--a goal which every
Christian spirituality considers primary.
~ the Beatitudes ~
Jesus Pattern for a Happy Life
author unknown
When you begin to show ever so little willingness to find your light, offer that willingness to the Holy Spirit. Do it consciously, deliberately. Holy Spirit, I am willing to find my own light.; If that is scary, do it anyway. Your own light is for you. It is the Father's gift to you. You can trust it to bring you joy. You can be free to enjoy your own light. If you are willing, the Spirit will rush to show you his shining within your own spirit.
Liquori
Publications, Missouri 1981.
Our True
Spiritual Identity
A Dream
of the True Self
by Nancy
I
would like to share a spiritual experience that happened more than
ten years ago. This experience to me is like a
precious pearl in my spiritual walk. I am sharing it
because my relationship to the Christ is greater than any
spiritual experience He has given me. I am also sharing it with
you because it offers hope and meaning to everyone, not just
myself. I feel the experience is not just about my spiritual
walk but everyone's. Feel free to see yourself in the
experience!
At this time in my life, I had hit a very dark point. I was in a state of depression and very uncertain about what was going to come next.
One night, I had a dream. I dreamed that I was standing in the marketplace in the Old City of Jerusalem. The dream was so vivid, I can recall every detail, down to what I was wearing and what every piece of material looked and felt like. The dream was too vivid to be an ordinary dream.
Anyway,
in the dream I was in the third person, watching myself in
Jerusalem. Suddenly, I was watching myself looking at a
mysterious figure approaching down the street. This figure
was literally floating.
The
figure came closer and closer. I knew in my dream that
this figure was not human. I watched myself anxiously
watching this figure, trying to figure out who it was that was
approaching me. As it got closer, I could see
that it was the most beautiful, awesome being I had ever
seen! This being looked like an angel; her (I say
"her", but the being was androgynous) hair shone with a
light that glowed from within her long wavy hair. She
was wearing a beautiful yet simple gown made of gold with a thin
gold ribbon tied around her chest. This gown was so
unbelievably detailed, I still remember it to this
day. She was walking toward me like a
queen, her head held high with a holiness about her that was
incredible.
In
my dream, I strained up to see her face because she was so
tall. She came straight toward me, so close that I
finally could see her face, and I finally recog- nized who this
being was! IT WAS ME! I was SHOCKED! The
being seemed to walk right through me in my dream
I
was shocked when I woke up. What on earth could this
mean? Then, I started to learn from books about the
higher self. I now believe, ten years later, that this dream
was to show me that I have a higher self within me, the Christ
that lives in me, who is waiting to be drawn out into the
conscious level of my self. The point is, my
dear brothers and sisters, is that we ALL have this higher self,
the inner holy beautiful Christ living within us, waiting to be
drawn out into conscious reality.
Living In Eternity
They say that one often teaches what one needs to learn. I sometimes find this to be the case with me! Recently, I have been learning that if I want to get things done, I need to slow down. This may sound like a paradox, of course, but if you have read, "The Power of Now"*, by Eckhart Tolle, or books such as "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind", by Deepak Chopra, or are into quantum physics, or have read about the theory of relativity, you have an idea about what I am referring to. (However, I, for one, don't claim to understand quantum physics!)
My husband and I sometimes compare the sayings and proverbs that our mother's used to quote. There is much wisdom in some of those sayings. My mother used to say "Haste makes waste" . I have found this to be true of myself many times. On the other hand, I have found that when I slow down, relax, and take a deep breath , I am much more effective, more present, more conscientious.
So it's always now. Now isn't yesterday, nor is it tomorrow. When tomorrow comes it will still be now! I believe in immortality and eternity. I believe one can live in timelessness...in eternity... even now. I think we can learn to live in the spiritual realm, the kingdom, the higher dimensions. The Bible says that we have passed from death into life, and that we can have eternal life even "now" in this world. We can tap into the beauty and wonders of the spiritual realm, which is more real than the physical realm. We can step into the heavens... into the Light, where there is no time.
Many are even now "passing over" into this higher dimension, into timelessness. Many across the earth.. people like you and me... in great numbers. This is not too far fetched in my opinion. "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven", says the scriptures. This passing into the spiritual ream and into eternity... timelessness is in agreement with the Christian scriptures. However, some see this as a single event and happening in a different way ....a certain segment of the population going "up" into the air all at once which is called the rapture. (You know, those "Left Behind" books!)
I did an experiment a short "time" ago. I took several weeks and diligently practiced mindfulness, awareness, meditation, yoga, and just being aware that I am spirit and live in the spiritual realm as well as in the physical ream. . It is just as real. I tapped into a higher reality... I was living in a higher dimension... not idly passing away the time, but having quality time, tuning into and listening to the Holy Spirit, and as a result getting more things done than ever. I felt good. I allowed the Light, the Life, the Love to flow into me, and out. During this timelessness I became one with nature. I became one with the trees, the plants, and with the wildlife in our back country yard, including two young fawn. I looked into their eyes.. they into mine. They were not afraid.
Now, how do highly sensitive people fit into the scheme of things... into timelessness and eternity. Since HSPs generally are able to feel more and have a sensitive nervous system.. we can more easily "tune in", and feel the subtleties of the unseen realities. Many of us can see with our spiritual eyes, hear with our spiritual ears. This is why I encourage highly sensitive people (HSPs) (Many of whom I believe to be more highly evolved) to develop, believe in, and use their gifts of intuition, healing, and other spiritual gifts to get a "head start", and to help others to "cross over" also.
Yes, there will come a time when time will be no more. Time will stand still. Part of the good news in all of this and the bottom line is that you can slow down and smell the roses. you have all the "time" in the world. You have all eternity to do all you need to do... all you want to do.
Oct. 2003 Kathy
"Eternal
life is not a boringly endless recycling of the familiar but a
complete state of full existence that, due to the poverty of
language, might be provisionally expressed as present moment
NOW-ness."
~ Thaddeus J. Trenn
Jesus'; return ;">
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