It is a privilege to be the host for the Catholic Carnival 41. I’m taking this opportunity to group most of this weeks entries around a favorite theme of mine: Spirituality of the Body . As Catholics we believe in the Incarnation and the Resurrection of the Body. We have the Sacraments to give us outward signs – bodily signals – of grace. We ought to be reflecting on the relationships among mind, body, and spirit and yield to no other system of belief – Eastern or Western – in our understanding of the body. That said, lets see how the entries fit this theme.
First, we have two reflections on the body related issues that have dominated most of our ethical and moral reflections over the past thirty years – contraception and abortion.
Philothea Rose asks "Where does contraception fit into the Christian life? If we are to see our lives, and more specifically our marriages, as mirroring God's relationship with us, where would any allowance of contraception fit in?
Second, Jay writes an explanation of how contraception and abortion are tied together in Abortion and Contraception: One Evil, Two Names.
The next set of entries fit into a broader perspective of spirituality of the body.
Kate Cousino, writing in the spirit of St. Francis De Sales, considers what is modest and attractive in Why I don't like many jumpers..... As I read it, I was reminded of the aphorism from (I think) Mother Teresa: “Joy is the infallible sign of a Christian.”
David Skinner speculates on what his resurrected body will be like in Eternity with Love Handles. My reaction is that, when I get to the resurrection and finally have a mind and body that work together, I will promptly do all my Tae Kwon Do forms perfectly.
Andy Kosmowski looks at the readings for For the 17th Thursday in Ordinary Time and reflects that Christ has removed physical barriers to entering the temple. Only spiritual barriers remain.
Mitchell and Judith Hadley salute Lance Armstrong for his physical and moral courage. “Lance Armstrong is a hero to many for his courageous achievements, but there's a dark side to every hero, and in Lance Armstrong's case, the dark side battles against the Light of the world.” Check out Lancing Lance. There are many moral and spiritual lessons that we can learn better on the playing field than in the pew. There are also some lessons that we should reject.
Penitens may not have thought of it as a bodily issue, but we all experience the physical sensations of frustration and fear. I can’t! It’s too much! is a reflection on the help of God when we despair or are afraid.
Scott Warmka looks at a “Countercultural” Army - a family of nine children. They regularly deal with intersection of mind, body and spirit.
Dunstan Boyko reflects on one of Canada’s most physically repulsive crimes – that of Karl Homulka with some thoughts on Crime, Punishment and the Rule of St. Benedict, (scroll down to the July 26th entry). Crimes produce both physical and spiritual suffering. Dunstan’s reflections moved me to pray for all involved.
Closing the entries related to mind body issues, we find Rob giving some thoughts on messed up view of death in End of Life.
Kevin Miller gives us "I Have Accepted The Loss Of All Things And I Consider Them So Much Rubbish, That I May Gain Christ" Kevin suggests to us what last Sunday’s Gospel reading of the miracle of the loaves teaches us about placing God and his gifts first in our lives.
David Jones provides a valuable service giving links to Cardinal Ratzinger On Europe's Crisis of Culture. Here is a very important, major talk given by Pope Benedict XVI just prior to being elected as Pope. It has just been released in its entirety for the first time in English.
Quanta Narwenion gives us a quote from Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., on the great gift of sanctifying grace.
Lastly, and this is a bodily issue, one of being able to physically sense the presence of God through hearing, I offer Principles of Sound (system) Spirituality. This is a reflection on my visit to a parish that acts on the belief that God is present in the words of scripture as well as the Eucharist. Crying babies are not as much of a problem when the sound system works and lectors and cantors articulate.
How does one become part of this Catholic carnival? I cannot find a specific website for it. Thanks.
Posted by: Housewife | August 05, 2005 at 03:24 AM