August 02, 2008
Stuff counts....
George Weigel, from his excellent book Letters to a Young Catholic
...We've spoken before about the bedrock Catholic conviction that stuff counts. Chesterton fervently believed that, although it took him until age fifty-two to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Thus, even in his pre-Catholic years, GKC was an ardent defender of the sacramental imagination—the core Catholic conviction that God saves and sanctifies the world through the materials of the world. You've probably heard it said the Catholicism is uneasy in the world, that Catholicism demeans the world and the flesh. Don't believe it for a second.
Catholicism takes the world, and the things of the world, far more seriously than those who like to think of themselves as worldly. Water salt and oil are the tangibles by which sanctifying grace is conferred in the sacrament of baptism; bread and wine are the materials through which Christ gives his body and blood to his people in the sacrament of the Eucharist; in the sacrament of matrimony, the consummation of marital love completes the vows exchanged at a Catholic couple's wedding; oil brings healing in the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, as it conveys the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation. None of this happens by Harry Potter-like wizardry, but because the world was sacramentally configured by God "in the beginning.".....The ordinary stuff of the world is the material God uses to bring us into communion with the truly extraordinary—with God himself.
The ancient enemy of this sacramental imagination is what we might call the gnostic imagination. Gnosticism, one of the first Christian heresies, is remarkably resilient, even protean. It crops up time and again, generation after generation, in slightly different guises and disguises: from the Manichees who once seduced Augustine, through the medieval Albigensians and Cathari, and down to the present. Whenever and however it appears, thought, gnosticism teaches the same seductive and devastating message: stuff doesn't count; the material world is a distraction (even a wicked distraction); what counts is the gnosis, the arcane knowledge, that lifts the elect, the elite, out of the grubbiness of the quotidian. Gnosticism can't handle the Incarnation—the truth that God enters the world in the person of his Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, to redeem and sanctify us in our humanity, not to fetch us out of it. And God does that because, as in the beginning, God understands that his creation is good, even very good (Genesis 1:31)....
Posted by John Weidner at August 2, 2008 10:05 PM
SHWOO SOULTIONS, NEED BUSINESS INVESTMENT,HELP SUPPORT
DEAR RESPECTEFUL ONE:
I WRITE HEARTFUL ALL IN ONE BLOG:
DEAR RESPECTED ONE;
REALLY IAM CANFUSED FINACIAL MENTAL , HUNGRRY WITH JOB,WORK ,MONEY
WHAT I DOO?
NOWAY WEAR I GOO WHAT DOO ,I NEED SOME ADVICE ALLSO.
SEE THIS BAD SUTUATION NOW I NEED THROO MY DEBT 40,000KD LOSSE IN BUSINESS MY LAIFE.
SO I MUST MAKE MONEY FOR MY DEBT AND MY FAMAILY
NOW IWANT TO GO INDIA FOR MY MOTHEAR 7YEARS COMPLEAT NOW ICANT GO INDIA, MY MOTHER ALLWAYS THINK ABOUT ME AND HOW LONG ISAY HER THIS MONTH I COME TO INDIA .
MENY WAYS I TRY TO GO INDIA BUT NOTHING DO ,
IN THIS TIME HO SAVE MY LAIFE IN THIS ALL PRABLEMS I NO NEED ANY THIG A SMALL HELP I WANT CLOSE MY SPONSERS 2,300KD AND
MY TICKET FAIR ,
ONLY THIS HELP ANY BODY TO SHWOO WAY FOR ME
THANK GOD
FIRST IWANT SEE MY MOTHER ,THEAN ALL AFTEAR
NOW WHAT I DOO? HOO IS SAVER ? THIS BAD SITUATIONS.WHAT IS SOLUTION.
SEE THIS BAD SITUATION NOW INEED THROO MY DEBT
40,000KD,NOW WHAT I DOO? IF I DOO IAM NOTHING AND NOT HAVEPLATFORM,HOO SAVE ME? HOO GIVE ME TO LIVE?NOW I DONT KNOW WHEAR I SERACH MY WAYS.
NOW THREEYEARSRLY ICANT GET ANY THING TO DOO MY SURGERUY ,AND HOW IGO INDIA ? HOW SEE MY FAMILY ,MAINLY MY MOTHER SO SAD FOR ME
THER IS NO WAY ,HOO GIVE SUPPORT,AND GET OUT OF THIS BADSITUATION ,I VERY THING CANDOO BUT MOST IMOPRTENT MONEY.WHEAN I RUN ALL GIVE ME SUPPOERT BUT WHEAN I DISABLED NO BODY CANT CARE MY TALENT,
LOSSE IN BUSINESS MY LAIFE SO I MUST MAKE MONEY FORMY DEBT AND MY FAMILY DIAGNOSIS:NON UNITED FRACTURE LEFT FERNUR NEC, IN POST OERATIVE PHASE UNOER GOING PHYSIOTHERYPHY. NEED NOW SURAUGERY ALLSO ,
IAM DISABILED INANDIAN 40 YEARS OLD IN KUWAIT IGET ACCIDENT IN MANPOWER OFFICE .ON 5.5.2005 MY SPONSER WHEN I GET FRUCTER HE CAME TO ME AND SAY FOR MY RESIDENCE PEMIT RENUEVAL SO HE SIN ON SOM PAPERS. THEN HE MAKE CAUSE ON ME HE WANTS 2,300kd .FROM ME, NOW I PUT LOWYER, BUT NOT COMPLET NOW THREEYEARS FINSH.ICANT GO INDIA ICONT WOLK ,I CONT GO HOSPETAL I CANT WALK NOW TWO TIMES OPERATIONS MY RESIDENCE PEMIT ALSO NOT HAVE NOW THREE YEARS . I CANT HAVE ANY WORK DO WHAT IS SULOTIONS ALL MY TIME GOON. I ASK MY SPONSER IF U WANTS MONEY FROM ME GIVE ANY WORK R ANY WAY SHWOO ME, HE CANT AGREE . MY HEALTH CANDITIONS R BAD . WHER I BRING MY ROOM RENTSFOOD,ACMIDETIONS,FIRST I GET COMPENSTION HO THROO ME HE PAY 2,300KD. BUT I PAY MY LOWYER FEE. AND HE MAKE ANTHER CAUSE, MY SPONSER AND ME NOW ALLSO IN COURT MY CAUSE. HAVE IAM EMTY.
I NEED SUPPORT AND HELP. SOLUTIONS FOR MY BAD SITUATIONS PLEACE SHWOOME WAY, ANY SUPPORTERS,HLEP R MONEY EARNIG WAYS R JOB ON ONLINE WAY IHAVE BUSINESS BUT IT ALL ARE STOPED ABOUT MY DISABLED AND NO HAVE INVESTMENT.
IF ANY INVESTOR ,SUPPORTER FOR MY BUSINESS ICAN SOLVEALLMY FROBLES.. THANQ DEAR SIR NOW I TRAY THREE YEARS, I GO FOR INDIA BUT NOT DO ANY THING IN THIS KUWAIT SO KINDLY SHWO WAY FOR ME .
MY SPONSER NOW ALSO PUT IN CAUSE IN COURTGET HELP ANND SUPPORT FOR MY DISAIBILED HANICAPED LIFE . HOW I CAN GO INDIA ,WHEAR I STRAT MY CAREYEAR BUSINESS, JOB R WOR AND WITHOUT IN VESTMENT HOW STRAT BUSSINES ALL MY STOPED BEFOR WORKS
IN THIS BADSUTUATIONS SHWOO RIGHT WAY AND SAVE IHIS DANGER POGTION KINDLY HELP AND SUPPORT.
MY BUSINESS:
i am representing a trading and contracting. based in kuwait and performing different kind ..... body) Hope you can help me,
ALL HAVE BUT NOT HAVE INVESTMENT. NOW IWANT INVESTMENT,OR WITHOUT INVESTMENT HOW TO EARN MONEY, YEAS IAM BIG FINANCIAL CRISS INEED SUPPORT FROM YOUBUT N BEFOURE ALL MY BUSINESS OR LOSS, NOW I WANT RIGHT AND GOOD WAY NOW IAM TRADIG, FOOD STUFF, NON BEVREGE, AND ALL TYPE IMPORT FOM WORLOD I PLAN. I HAVE ALLSO GROCERY MARKET BUT I WANT FROM YOURS PLAN GOOD EARRINGS IN SHORT TIME NICE INCOM PLAN. MAKE MONEY INVESTMENTS RE PAYMENTS SHOTRLY. CHOOSE ME RIGHT PLAN IN KUWAIT AND WORLD BUSINESS .
IAM NEED FOREIGN INVETOR,FRINED,AND I WANT FROEIGN MONEY
TRANSFER INVEST MENT IN INDIA, THROUGH KUWAIT,
I CAN PLANED THIS BUSINESS INVESTOR ALLSO. IF ANY FORRIEGINER NEED INVESTMENT TRANSFER OUER OTHER COUNTRIEES , I WILL DOO THIS BUSINESS WITH NO RISK.
NOW I NEED SOLVE ALL MY PRABLEMS.
SO THATS WHAY I CAN DOO WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY ANY JOB ORE WORK,
TOMAROO IAM NEW "I HAVE WHANT MUST BE THE GREATESTJOB IN THE KUWAIT,MY INDIA"
I THIS TWO OR TOTALY CHANGE MY ALL PROBLEMS SO YOU R MY CURRECT RUNERS MY SUCCESES LAIFE IBILVE .
SO KINDLY AND NOW I CANT SPEND MONEY SO GIVE RIHT WAY .
I NEED SUPPORT.
DER SIR NOW I TRY THREE YEARS I GO FOR INDIA BUT NOT DO ANY THING IN THIS
KUWAIT SO KINDLY SHWO ME WAY FOR ME . MY SPONSER NOW ALSO PUT
INCAUSE IN COURTGET HELP AND SUPPORT FOR MY DISAIBILED HANICAPED LIFE . HOW I CAN GO INDIA ,WHEAR I STRAT MY CAREYEAR BUSINESS, JOB R WOR AND WITHOUT IN VESTMENT HOW STRAT BUSSINES ALL MY STOPED BEFOR WORKS. IN THIS BADSUTUATIONS SHWOO RIGHT WAY AND SAVE IHIS DANGER POGTION KINDLY HELP AND SUPPORT.!
NOW I HAVE THIS BUSINES OPURTNITE: BUT NOT HAVE INVESTMENT
I am soliciting for a dependable individual who will
be able to handle multiple-tasks with whom I can transact a well profitable Business. Presently I have been assigned on a project to search for a product called (CARBOWX MULTIGEMCLEANSER-XP) The Carboxy Multigem Cleanser- xp is a new scientific chemical fluid substance manufactured in North Korea,is of lubricant mainly used in the geological laboratory for the purification of diamonds clarity treatment, its penetrate deep into diamond and vaporizes out black inclusion in
diamonds and other precious stones listed belo
NEED BUSINESSPARTNER, INVESTOR HELP. SUPPORT ER:IF ANY MY INVOSTER LIKE IN THIS OFER I WAIT. FOR HIS HELP.
HAVE SMALL GROCERY(BAKALA) THIS IS ONLY FOR DOO WHITH MY FRINED.
I WANT DOO TO OWNED WHOLESALE,RETAIL,ANDDIRECT- TO-COUNSUMER BUSINESS SELLING EVERYTHING FROM PERFUME TO
TELIVISION.
IMPORT&EXPORT WORLDWIDE
MAINLY MY GOL RICE, OIL, SUAGER, ALL INDIAN FOOD STUFF,
THIS IS VERY BIG ZEERO TO $1MILLION MORE BIGGEST SHARES FROM INTERNATIONAL. ITS ALL MY OFFERS BUT WHAT WE DOO UPTO YOU SIRIAMVEREY BAD SITUATIONS NOW THREE YEARS I SEARCH GENTELMAN KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS.OUR PARTENERSHIP (HAVE YOU EVER HAD BUSINESS THAT FAILD BECAUSE YOUR PARTENER TURNED OUT BE UNRELAIBLE
UNTYSWORTHY, IN COMPETNT)
SO SIR MONEY NOT IMORTENT MUST RELAIBLE,TRUSTWORTHY
IT IS BUSINESS IDEA ONLY SIR IF IWRITE ANY
THING WRANG SORRY. IF YOU CAN HELP AND SUPPORT ME I CAN HONSET, AND
THE
FRONT-END/BACK-END METHOD OF DOWBLING PROFITS EASLIY.
THANKIG YOU.
YOURS SENCERELY .
KOPPALAV@YAHOO.COM
