despite being a philosophy major (AB & MA), i have to admit that it is only now that i got clarified about plato's allegory of the cave. thanks to youtube.
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| Plato (died 348/7) |
here is the link to an 8-minute animation c/o Churchill Films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dlmsULpgjI
i was initially interested in plato's theory of forms which was referred to by an author explaining carl jung's archetypes.
but, what struck me in this animation is the SUN, symbol of God himself! thus, my attachment here.
lesson:
human nature is unenlightened without light from revealed divine truth. nevertheless, God has implanted conscience in us as a radar to grope towards him, the light. so, even unevangelized peoples can find their way to heaven, given whatever means is available to them.
the theory of forms, i believe, supports religion and spirituality because of it's faith in the invisible, the non-material, the perfect, the eternal. amen. :-)
confirmation:
re: plato's forms and jung's archetypes and my citation of christ
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| carl jung (died 1961) |
"as far as i can judge from the documents of christian tradition, jesus christ was probably a definite human person, yet highly enveloped in archetypal projections, more so than other historical figures like buddha, confucius, lao-tse, pythagoras, etc. inasmuch as christ represents an archetypal image (he is of divine nature and thus the "son of god."
-- carl jung (letter to apul a. hilty) accessed from carljungdepthpsychology.blogspot.com/2013/10/jesus-christ-was-probably-definite.html
24 april 2016
5th sun of easter
john 13:34 "i give you a new commandment: love one another; just as i have loved you, you must love one another."
homily of fr boni chavez, our new parish priest:
story 1:
story 2:
(i've heard this several times from homilies, but it's worth repeating)
a cow, hen & pig were debating on who is the most useful of them:
cow: "i'm the most useful animal because i have to eat enough grass and drink enough water to be able to produce fresh milk for people to drink for breakfast."
hen: "i'm the most useful animal because i have to keep fit and healthy and well-rested to be able to lay down eggs daily for people to eat breakfast."
pig: (quiet, on the side; had to be asked by the cow & hen to participate) "oh, i'm the most useful animal because for people to have bacon on their breakfast table, i have to DIE!"
lesson: that's TOTAL COMMITMENT.
that's what god is asking of us. there is a big difference between divine and human love. it is divine love that is the ARCHETYPE that he wants everyone to follow. another word for it is "UNCONDITIONAL LOVE."
in rogerian counseling, that is what we provide the client.
no wonder, as the lay preacher said, "love is the most powerful healing power."
excerpted from commentary on luke 24:35-48 (post-resurrection appearance: jesus eats baked fish) by fr jhonathan letada, svd (the word in other words: bible diary 2016) [caps mine]:
"i facilitated a day of recollection with a group of second year students. one of the very touching moments with them was when they wrote their PERSONAL LOVE LETTER TO GOD.
i asked them to find a comfortable place for themselves. some went to the corners of the room. others stayed at their own seats. and there was one student who stayed under the table, i did not mind her until finally i approached her and to my surprise she was soberly crying. her tears slowly dropped on her activity sheet. accompanying her in silence, i felt her pain. she wanted to say something but she had difficulty uttering ever a single word. when she was ready, she disclosed spontaneously, 'miss ko na po and daddy't mommy ko. kelan ko po kaya sila makikita uli? bakit kailangan pa nilang maghiwalay?' then, she started sobbing."
my comment:
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| dr pau vitz |
this is part of my dissertation review of literature showing that parental experience has a direct relationship with relationship with god. ex: dr paul vitz's 1999 bk faith of the fatherless: the psychology of atheism.
source: blessed john henry newman (died 1890), cardinal, founder of the oratory in england, theologian. "sermons on subjects of the day," no. 10. "peace be with you," c/o dailygospel.org (31 march 2016, thursday of easter week)
a. divine intervention
>diagnosis
"As he makes the Church one, which, left to itself, would SEPARATE into many parts;
>treatment
so He makes the soul ONE, in spite of its various affections and faculties, and its contradictory aims."
>diagnosis
"As he gives peace to the multitude, who are NATURALLY IN DISCORD on with another,
>treatment
so does he give an ORDERLY government to the soul and set REASON and CONSCIENCE as SOVEREIGNS on the inferior parts of your nature.
b. human cooperation
"And let us be quit sure that the two operations [REASON & CONSCIENCE] of our Divine Comforter depend upon each other, and that while Christian do not seek after inward unity and peace in the world around them."
as the jewish boy turns 13, he becomes an adult -- a full-fledged member of the community, with the distinct privilege of publicly reading the torah! and participating in the prayers in the synagogue (in addition to having legal rights to enter into contracts including marriage and to take personal responsibility for one's moral actions).
now, while they are required to observe the 613 laws, in the tefilin (the box containing 4 scripture passages put on their head and left arm), only these are highlighted:
1. remember that yahweh, your god was the one who redeemed you from slavery in egypt. do this physically, but putting on head- and arm-bands as mnemonic devices!
2. keep him as your ONE and ONLY god; do not worship idols. otherwise, god's blessings upon you and the land will not be forthcoming.
3. pass this on to your children.
the four old testament passage are as follows:
1. Exodus 13:1-10 (Kadesh Li)
2. Exodus 13:11-16 (Ve-haya ki Yeviakha)
3. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Shema)
4. Deuteronomy 11:13-21 (Ve-haya Im Shamoa)
let me just quote the shema (remember), which i distinctly remember mentioned by fr. le frois, svd, our religion teacher in college who was a biblical scholar (with a doctorate in sacred scriptures!)
"Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I COMMAND you this day, shall be upon your heart, and teach them thoroughly to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your home, and when you walk in the road, and when you lie down, and when you get up. And tie them for a sign upon your hand, and let them be tied between your eyes. And write them on the door posts of your houses and on your gates."
so, why did i mention this here?
despite, the hundreds of laws to be observed, it is still the CORE. LOVE GOD....
the gospel passage for march 4, 2016, friday of the 3rd week of lent, was from mark 12:28-34 "the greatest commandment of all!"
mark 12:28 "...'which is the first of all the commandments?'
ANALYSIS:
>613 commandments of the law (composed of 248 precepts and 365 prohibitions)
this was the historical context of the question of the scribe who intelligently asked this question from the lord!
the question was asking for a ...
SYNTHESIS:
A. old testament
other historical attempts to synthesize the lord's teachings in the old testament were:
i. david = 11 commandments (Psalm 15:2-5)
1. lead a BLAMELESS way of life
2. always do what is right
3. speak the TRUTH from the HEART
4. do not use your tongue for slander
5. do not wrong to your fellow
6. do not discredit your neighbor
7. do not look with contempt on the reprobate
8. honor those who fear yahweh
9. stand by your PLEDGE AT ANY COST
10. do not ask interest on loans
11. do not be bribed to victimize the innocent
ii. isaiah = 6 commandments (isaiah 33:15)
1. act with INTEGRITY
2. speak SINCERELY
3. reject extortionate profit
4. wave away bribe from your HANDS
5. shut suggestions of murder out of your EARS
6. close your EYES against crime
iii. micah = 3 (michal 6:8)
1. act JUSTLY
2. LOVE tenderly
3. walk HUMBLY with your god
(my comment: 1 & 2 = love neighbor [1 = masculine / tough love, 2 = feminine / tender love], 3 = love god)
B. new testament
i. jesus = 2 (mark 12:29-31)
1. love god
"Love Yahweh your God with all your hear, with all your soul, with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
2. love neighbor
"...Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
concluding comment:
re: analysis and synthesis, this morning during my meditation time, the image of the wooden wheel again came:
ANALYSIS = movement away from the central idea (hub) to its component domains and specific items (spokes); CENTRIFUGAL force in physics
SYNTHESIS = movement away from the many details or facets (spokes) to the central idea/s (hub); CENTRIPETAL force in physics
acknowledgement: this centrifugal and centripetal force i got from my brother who is a priest in his homily on the feast of saints peter (the centripetal force of the catholic church because he shepherded the jews) and paul (the centrifugal force of the church because he was sent by the lord to be missionary to the non-jews or gentiles)
good friday
solemnity of the annunciation
25 march 2016
last march 9, when i met my good friend and support group buddy choncho after about a month of hiatus, among the things i told him was that i noticed (or more accurately, i was forced to) i started SYNTHESIZING my life principles (occasioned by my volunteering to give a retreat in a bicol seminary on sexuality and spirituality).
during my lowest moment in life, i started to enumerate my life principles as a way of making sense out of my brokenness and go give me a handle of pulling me out of the quagmire of life (oh, i only thought of that now as i was writing! actually, i thought initially of a two-inch metal tube planted at the bottom of a well to pull oneself out a pit like the one we had in our original house in bicol where my elder brother as a child went down to explore, but got frightened when the fish started to bit him and just went back using the metal tube he was anchored on!). and, i came up with 200+ slides!
trained in philosophy, i naturally incline towards KEY CONCEPTS that underlie my lectures which i call "LIFE PRINCIPLES." (again, i recall the first subject we teach in the phd program in guidance 301 epistemology of guidance! it is supposed to give the students an underlying or overarching handle or "lens" in categorizing different historical and philosophical trends as they go through the different subject areas of the discipline.
(these parenthetical remarks reflect what we call in dream interpretation and psychoanalysis as the "association" method. it's also part of my being OC = obsessive-compulsive. :-))
and so, as of the moment, i have reduced my so-called "life (and teaching & psychotherapy) principles" to a manageable six!
this blog is dedicated to those synthesized life principles. and the first one is: the SUPREMACY and CENTRALITY OF GOD!
enter choncho: he shared that fr. nil guillemette, sj commented on march 4 (friday, 3rd week of lent) precisely on the SYNTHESIS of the Lord's teachings.
(i am proud to say that i was able to influence chonch to also start reading the daily gospel and commentary using the bible diary which was started by the claretian missionaries in the philippines. incidentally, for this year, i am using the SVD or divine word missionaries version and he, the CMF or claretian version.)
(... to be continued in "synthesis of the lord's teachings 2)
