Extra “I AM” Prayers from the East and from Hildegard & Julian

We’ve got been meditating this week on the “I’m” sayings of Celtic prayer and poetry in addition to these of the Christ in John’s gospel with the intention to construct up the religious warrior in every of us as a godless fascism assaults our nation day by day on many fronts.  The “I’m” motif is discovered within the East in addition to the West. 

Within the Bhagavad Gita, we learn this litany of Divinity.

I’m the Father and Mom of the world.
In historical days, I established it.
I’m what wants be identified, what purifies.
Your means and aim, upholder, buddy, witness, dwelling, refuge, buddy.
The world’s origin, continuance and dissolution, abiding essence, seed.
I’m deathlessness and loss of life.
I’m all the world.
I’m the beginningless unborn, the Spirit of the world.
I’m the soul which dwells within the coronary heart of all issues.

Within the Gita we additionally discover the next poem:

O son of Kuni, I’m the style of water, the sunshine of the solar and the moon, the syllable om within the Vedic mantras; I’m the sound in ether and talent in man.
I’m the unique perfume of the earth, and I’m the warmth in hearth.
I’m the lifetime of all that lives and I’m the penances of all ascetics.
O son of Pritha, know that I’m the unique seed of all existences, the intelligence of the clever, and the powers of all highly effective males….
I’m, in a single sense, all the things, however I’m impartial.  I’m not underneath the modes of fabric nature, for they, quite the opposite, are inside me….
I give warmth, and I withhold and ship forth the rain.  I’m immortality, and I’m additionally loss of life personified.  Each spirit and matter are in me.

Hildegard of Bingen provides this “I’m” poem.

God says: I’m the day unto myself,
Not shaped by the solar, however fairly, forming the solar, igniting it.
I’m the understanding not understood, however fairly, permitting all
          understanding, illuminating it.
I’m the one whose reward echoes on excessive.
I adorn all of the earth.
I’m the breeze that nurtures all issues inexperienced.
I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits.
I’m led by the spirit to feed the purest streams.
I’m the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to snigger with
 the enjoyment of life.
I name forth tears, the aroma of holy work.

I’m the craving for good.

And Julian of Norwich provides her “I’m” poems.

Our Lord Jesus oftentimes stated:
‘This I’m.
This I’m.
I’m what you’re keen on.
I’m what you get pleasure from.
I’m what you serve.
I’m what you lengthy for.
I’m what you want.
I’m what you plan
I’m all that’s.

And once more:

God stated:
‘This I’m—the potential and goodness of the Fatherhood.
This I’m—the knowledge of the Motherhood.
This I’m—the sunshine and the grace that’s all love.
This I’m—the Trinity.
This I’m—the Unity.
I’m the sovereign goodness of all issues.
I’m what makes you’re keen on.
I’m what makes you lengthy and want.
This I’m—the infinite fulfilling of all wishes.

Tailored from Matthew Fox, One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from World Religion Traditions, pp. 174f., 180f.

See additionally: Fox, Julian of Norwich: Knowledge in a Time of Pandemic—and Past, pp. 100-107.

See additionally: Fox, Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint For Our Instances.

And Fox, Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ, pp. 51-84.

And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Reworking Evil in Soul and Society.

And Fox, “Non secular Warriorhood,” in Fox, One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from International Faiths, pp. 404-422.

Banner Picture: Cosmic oneness. Picture by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

Queries for Contemplation

Spend time meditating on a number of of the statements in a number of of those “I’m” poems.  For instance: “I’m what you serve.”  Dwell on that, be with that fact.  What depths does that meditation take you to?  Do you’re feeling stronger for the battles forward in combatting antichrist energies swirling round us?

Really useful Studying

One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from International Faiths

Matthew Fox calls on all of the world traditions for his or her knowledge and their inspiration in a piece that’s way over a listing of theological place papers however a brand new option to pray—to meditate in a world religious context on the knowledge all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes which might be foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all of the world religious traditions supply knowledge about every.“Studying One River, Many Wells is like coming into the wealthy silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you learn this textual content, you replicate, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Really no phrases can totally specific my respect and awe for this magnificent contribution to modern spirituality.” –Caroline Myss, creator of Anatomy of the Spirit

Julian of Norwich: Knowledge in a Time of Pandemic–and Past

Julian of Norwich lived by the dreadful bubonic plague that killed near 50% of Europeans. Being an anchoress, she ‘sheltered in place’ and developed a deep knowledge that she shared in her e book, Showings, which was the primary e book in English by a girl. A theologian means forward of her time, Julian develops a feminist understanding of God as mom on the coronary heart of nature’s goodness. Fox shares her teachings on this highly effective and well timed and galvanizing e book.
“What an completely magnificent e book. The work of Julian of Norwich, lovingly supported by the genius of Matthew Fox, is a roadmap into the guts of the eco-spiritual fact that each one life breathes collectively.”  –Caroline Myss
Now additionally out there as an audiobook HERE.

Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this superb lady and what we will be taught from her.
In an period when girls have been marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial determine. But so visionary was her perception that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for recommendation.
“This e book provides sturdy, sterling, and unvarnished proof that all the things – all the things – we ourselves turn into will have an effect on what girls after us might also turn into….This can be a really marvelous, helpful, profound, and artistic e book.” ~~ Andrew Harvey, creator of The Hope: A Information to Sacred Activism.

Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

Matthew Fox tells us that he had all the time shied away from utilizing the time period “Anti-Christ” as a result of it was so usually used to unfold management and concern. Nonetheless, given immediately’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables on this e book using the archetype for the reason for justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a second, for analyzing the archetype of the Antichrist, it’s now…Learn this e book with an open thoughts. Good and evil are actual forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, creator of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For speedy entry to Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. 
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white photos, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. 
To obtain a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for speedy obtain.

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Reworking Evil in Soul and Society

Visionary theologian and best-selling creator Matthew Fox provides a brand new theology of evil that essentially adjustments the standard notion of fine and evil and factors the best way to a extra enlightened remedy of ourselves, each other, and all of nature. In evaluating the Japanese custom of the 7 chakras to the Western custom of the 7 capital sins, Fox permits us to assume creatively about our capability for private and institutional evil and what we will do about them. 
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a greater imaginative and prescient and depth of notion far past the grasp of anyone single science.  A breath-taking evaluation.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, creator of Quantum Theology: Non secular Implications of the New Physics