11/12/2023

St Damasus, whose feast day it is today, is the Pope who is largely responsible for the concept of the "Institutional Roman Catholic Church" thus growing  into the hierarchical organisation that it is now. In his pontificate, Latin became the official language of the Church and St Jerome became the translator into Latin of the mixture of texts that had been used for teaching and worship. Jesus' preaching and teaching by example the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit became a new "Law"  similar to the way the mystical wonder of  Moses' vision on Mt Sinai had become the "Law"of the Scribes and Pharisees. 

Jesus had condemned in no uncertain terms the prideful following of "The Law " of his day and replaced it with his Good News. His Church founded on St Peter had to be "Holy for I am holy", live as he did only for the good of others and spread herself by preaching and prayer as he had instructed all who had known him in Palestine. It was to become his spiritual body on earth for he was now with his Father.

St Damasus' pontificate began with serious murderous fighting among Church factions and this shameful triumph of sinful violence became the norm of the "Body of Christ on Earth" for many centuries. He was the Pope when Christianity was declared to be the State Religion. 

The Holy Spirit speaks through Isaiah in the first reading of today. God has always cared for his people but even inspired by prophets such as these and controlled by the Law of Moses the Jews of the Old Testament  lost touch with IAMIAM to the extent that the hypocritical religiosity, typified by the Pharisees, of Jesus' time on earth was wholeheartedly condemned by Jhim.

Palestine/Judea at the time of Jesus was the only place on earth that had a relationship with God guaranteed by revelation but it had been influenced by the "world", manmade civilization, in this case Hellenism for the previous 400 years. Even so, there were still many righteous people living then who joyfully accepted first John and then Jesus as messengers from God.

Jesus repeatedly told his disciples that his kingdom was not of this world. Less than four hundred tears later the Institutional Church became the state religion and continued to act as a political power for another fifteen hundred years.

We are indeed in need today for the return of Our Lord for we are obviously still misusing our freedom even as did Adam and Eve in the garden.

Dear Lord, I am alive by your Providence in 2023. I know that the world as it is today is not what your Will wants it to be.  It is your will that we should each of us live in your love and act as you showed us the Way. The example given to your faithful by sinful priests and prelates show no change from the world as known by you during your time on earth. Jews today are as stiff-necked as ever even though they no longer acknowledge you as IAMIAM and choose denial over worship. May Mary and your saints implore you to break into the carapace of sinful pride that protects sinful hearts from receiving the free gift of your Loving Mercy. May my soul and the souls of the faithful departed stay in your loving care and become undamaged by the world, the flesh and the devil for you are Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!