Physical suffering is often only part of the difficulty that a person faces during a traumatic event or life-threatening illness. There can also be emotional and mental anguish and spiritual distress or struggle. The last arises when a persons basic belief system is shaken, and it can take place whether or not they are religious. This means that during a major crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make sure that everyone is getting spiritual care.

People in spiritual distress often no longer believe the world is a safe place. They might lose hope and have a difficult time finding meaning and purpose in whats happening to them.

People in spiritual distress often no longer believe the world is a safe place. They might lose hope and have a difficult time finding meaning and purpose in whats happening to them. For a religious person, that often takes the form of losing faith in a loving and merciful God after witnessing a tragic event. But even those who dont pray to a higher power still usually have some belief in how the world works that gives them a sense of safety and security. Serious illness and tragic events can challenge these anchors and throw a person into turmoil.

Spiritual struggle is a key indicator of negative medical outcomes. A two-year study by the Duke University Medical Center found that religious struggle which refers to experiences of tension, strain and conflict about spiritual matters within oneself, with others or with God is a predictor of mortality in medically ill elderly patients. The study noted that although the magnitude of the effects associated with religious struggle was relatively small, from 6 percent to 10 percent increased risk of mortality, certain types of struggle had much higher correlations with death. For churchgoers, feeling alienated from or unloved by God, for instance, was linked with a 19 percent to 28 percent increase in risk of dying during the course of the study.

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Another study, this one by the Columbia University Medical Center, revealed that congestive heart failure patients who experience spiritual struggle also suffer from poorer physical health. The research described such struggle as reflecting negative attitudes toward God and a strained meaning system, and found it was linked to a higher number of nights subsequently hospitalized and marginally lower life satisfaction.

On the other hand, spiritual care in medical situations has been shown to help people in a variety of ways. It is now clear that meeting spiritual needs and supporting religious and spiritual coping can be a major contributor, not only to patient experience, but also to medical outcomes and cost savings, The Beryl Institute, an organization dedicated to improving the patient experience, found in a white paper. For example, they cite several studies that demonstrate having visits from a chaplain and ones spiritual needs met improves scores on patient experience and satisfaction measures.

In addition, those with chaplain help are more likely to die outside the hospital, as most people desire. According to a study by the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, this finding may be attributable to chaplains assistance to patients and families in making decisions about care at the end of life, perhaps by aligning their values and wishes with actual treatment plans.

While its true that Americans identify less and less with any organized faith and fewer are members of churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, etc., this flight from organized religion doesnt mean we should be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. As chaplains working in emergency, trauma and health care settings nationwide can attest, people in existential crisis need to make sense of whats happening to them and their loved ones whether they believe in God and participate in a religious tradition or not.

In fact, for the professional health care chaplain, caring for religious people and those who are not religious is not that different. In all cases, we start with trying to understand who the person we are caring for is. We ask them about their values and their beliefs. Then we stand with them in supporting those beliefs and using the strengths that they possess to cope with their illness and suffering or the suffering of their loved ones.

We rely on deep listening, nonjudgmental presence, compassion and an affirmation that the person is deserving of dignity and respect. Being with another in this way is not about being religious or not; its about being human. We do use religious ritual and prayer when thats whats meaningful to a particular person, but supporting meaning and hope is possible for everyone.

Finding the best way to do that for a particular person is part of what we professional chaplains are educated to do. We are trained to wade into the middle of human suffering, to recognize spiritual distress in our fellow humans, to promote healing even when there is no cure, and to affirm the value of life even in the face of certain death. This is what we mean by caring for the human spirit.

Of course, its also worth remembering that times of crisis can strengthen ones spiritual life. A Pew survey from April revealed that 24 percent of U.S. adults mainly those who are already religious said their religious faith has been strengthened due to the pandemic, while only 2 percent said its been weakened (47 percent said its remained the same).

During a major crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make sure that everyone is getting spiritual care.

While its difficult to generalize about this finding, chaplains often see people who have, in the midst of all of the suffering experienced by themselves and others, found the peace that comes from spiritual grounding in the face of tragedy. In the midst of this pandemic, we have all heard numerous stories of the heros who put themselves and their families at risk of sickness and death in order to care for others. This group includes front-line health care providers and first responders, of course, but also people like bus drivers and grocery clerks. Keying into the inspiration and community they provide can be powerful antidotes to the loss and despair that could otherwise overwhelm us, religious and nonreligious alike.

Eric Hall

Eric Hall is president and CEO of Health Care Chaplaincy Network Inc. and the Spiritual Care Association.

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The Covid-19 pandemic tests everyone's spiritual wellbeing, atheists and believers alike - NBC News

I Choose Me: One Womans Journey Back to SelfBy Brenda M Wood

PLEASANT HILL, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many defining moments in life can tarnish the love, and worth an individual has within themselves. In Brenda M Woods newly released autobiography, I Choose Me: One Womans Journey Back to Self, she takes readers through the difficult traumas she encountered throughout her life and how she was able to come out stronger and wiser through healing. Readers will get a glimpse into how the author triumphed through these challenging times and how they made her stronger.

I Choose Me will help individuals who are also going through life-altering times or know someone who is. Woods experiences will show readers that they are not alone and that other individuals can help with the healing process. She is an example of recovery through the personal strengths that got her through these devastating events.

By telling my past through I Choose Me, I hope readers can resonate with my words and experiences that help them move through their struggles and to know their self-worth, said Wood. I want my story to give others hope that it is possible to be faced with difficult situations and come out okay on the other side, stronger and wiser for having gone through these life-changing obstacles.

By the end of Woods memoir, readers will learn what it takes to find self-love and how they may not have control over everything in life, but it is vital to take total control over how to overcome and respond to the challenges life may present. I Choose Me illustrates that there is a blessing in every single life experience, and it is up to the reader to look for it.

I Choose Me: One Womans Journey Back to SelfBy Brenda M WoodISBN: 978-1-9822-4919-9 (softcover); 978-1-9822-4920-5 (eBook)Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the authorBrenda M Wood is a first-time author who recently published her memoir, I Choose Me: One Womans Journey Back to Self. After going through and triumphing over many devastating events in her life, Wood felt strongly guided by Spirit to tell her story. Her wish is that the readers can find something in her words that helps them move through their own struggles and to know their self-worth.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc. a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 877-407-4847 today.

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Author Shares Journey of Spiritual Discovery and Healing in New Book - GlobeNewswire

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Planting, tending crops, and harvesting is strenuous work fraught with dangers, ranging from chronic back ailments to cancer linked directly to ongoing exposure of agricultural chemicals. Workers families are often beset by alcoholism and domestic violence. Typically, the laborers have only a middle-school education. Minimal or no command of English limits their options for earning higher wages and securing a better life.

More than a quarter of the inhabitants of the town of Center, Colorado, live below the poverty line. Its located in south-central Colorados six-county rural agricultural San Luis Valley region noted for crops such as potatoes, lettuce, and barley. Nearly a quarter-century ago, Raymond A. Hurtado says the Lord called him to the area to reach those in need, not only with the gospel, but also with ministries designed to extend them a helping hand.

Their world of opportunity seems limited, and thats the struggle to understand opportunity is there if you go after it, says Hurtado, 50. He is the associate pastor who, with his 75-year-old dad, lead pastor Raymond J Hurtado, ministers at Monte Vista Assembly of God, 20 minutes from Center and part of the AGs Central District.

Both father, who received the call to preach in New Mexico while an adolescent shepherd, and son have themselves worked the fields and are intimately acquainted with the rugged life. Thats why they set out to provide opportunity to farmworkers to hear about the love of Jesus and compassionate care outreach.

Coming from these roots, you understand the struggle and needs, Raymond A. Hurtado says. It helps you identify with what people are going through.

It began with meeting the need for safe, affordable residences for migrant workers. As when Hurtado arrived, he found people living in ramshackle dwellings that typically lacked electricity and running water. The San Luis Valley Farm Worker Housing, which receives federal funding, is a community-based organization. Hurtado is its director.

The living conditions they had actually lent themselves to higher crime and violence, he says. I always felt if the conditions were better, the people would better themselves.

Anyone can access what the church offers in the community, including the Care and Share Food Bank, a bread ministry, a free clothing closet, and a rehabilitation ministry for those struggling with addictions to drugs or alcohol.

Residents are welcome to get their spiritual and other physical needs met in the church, Hurtado says, noting that clients of these outreaches and projects arent required to attend any service.

The church recently built a new worship center. Pre-COVID attendance averaged 130.

On the San Luis Valley Farm Worker Housing campus is a building used for the federal migrant education and the preschool program Operation HeadStart, a joint venture under the auspices of a local community college. In affiliation with the Salvation Army, Monte Vista AG also offers a rental assistance program. The church partners with the local public library to encourage parents to read to children and vice versa. Also, the farm worker housing program provides English as a second language instruction and help with homework.

Additionally, Monte Vista AG is part of the local migrant coalition of churches. Hurtado estimates that 550 people are served through Monte Vistas array of programs. Every ministry points to the goal of providing what people need to improve their lives.

We try to create avenues of opportunity, Hurtado says.

Carlos Ibarra and his wife, Lupe, immigrated to the area from Mexico as children. Ibarra grew up in a Christian home, but strayed from God. Today, with the help of the church under the leadership of the Hurtados, Ibarra and his family are walking once more with Christ.

The ministry in the congregation we have is very necessary, Ibarra says, adding that he is a disciple of lead pastor Raymond J. Hurtado. Hes unshakable in the path of following God.

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Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site | Reaping a Spiritual Harvest - AG News

The autumnal equinox marks the first day of autumn as summer sunshine gives way to red leaves and rain. This year, the equinox falls on Tuesday, September 22, which is a day when nighttime and daytime are roughly equal. Astronomically, on the day of the equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator and the days start to grow shorter.

Spiritually, there is also a lot happening during this time as the ebb and flow of energies shifts with the seasons.

According to Tanaaz of Forever Conscious, as Mother Nature prepares for the cold embrace of winter, so should we prepare to let go.

The spiritual expert said: "Now, as the leaves begin to fall and the weather gets cooler, Mother Nature begins preparing for a type of death, and we too may feel called to let things go.

"We may also feel a need to 'put things on ice' or to release our attachment to taking action and making decisions in order to see where things may flow on their own."

READ MORE:Equinox 2020: What causes the autumn equinox?

The word equinox comes from the Latin for equal night and this is often reflected in astrological forecasts for this time of the year.

Tanaaz said: "Even though our location will determine how we will experience these Equinox energies, on this day, all of us will experience this equality and balance between light and dark energies.

"The scales will be balanced and we will be able to experience the merging of these two energies to the point where we can feel them as one."

Astrologers, in particular, believe tomorrow's equinox is all about balance.

And that could offer a moment of clarity when you become one with yourself, nature, and those around you.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the equinox marks the start of winter while in the south, summer is about to make an appearance.

Many cultures worldwide celebrate this day and the start of a new season, drawing upon its spiritual and symbolic meaning.

The Romans, for instance, held the festival of Pomona, linked to the goddess Persephone in Greek mythology.

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Neopagans will spend this time celebrating Mabon, the second harvest and the creeping approach of winter.

The equinox is also linked to Japanese beliefs and falls during the Buddhist celebrations of Higan.

Another aspect of the equinox to consider is the longer nights from henceforth - spiritual and physical darkness.

While on the day of the equinox the two are in harmony, moving forward you will have to fight for every bit of sunlight.

This will continue until the day of the summer solstice in chilling December - the first day of winter after which the nights will grow shorter and days longer.

Danu Forest wrote in the 2004 book The Magic of the Autumn Equinox: "During the autumn and spring equinoxes, the Sun rises and sets at the midpoint between its furthest northern and southern positions, marking a seasonal shift between these two extremes.

"The Celts, skilled astronomical observers, noticed these points in the solar year as times of change, tidal shifts in the productivity of the Earth herself, which were of great spiritual and as well as practical significance."

And in Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch, author Ellen Dugan wrote: "The autumn equinox is the beginning to our most bewitching time of year, so let the magick of the wonderful season inspire you.

"Tip up your face to the golden autumn sunshine and be motivated by the energies and the sense of balance that is so prevalent at this time of the calendar year."

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Autumn equinox spiritual meaning: What is the meaning behind the autumnal equinox? - Express

It is customary to begin reciting Psalm 27 on the first day of Elul, one month before Rosh Hashanah, continuing through Sukkot (Feast of Booths). Like the sounding of the shofar (rams horn), this twice-daily practicemorning and nightis intended to help us reflect on our beliefs, questions, hopes, and fears as we prepare for a new year.

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When I revisit the psalm this year, I find myself drawn to verse 4:

One thing I ask of YHWH; this do I seek:to dwell in the house of YHWH all the days of my life,to behold the beauty of YHWH and to visit Gods abode.

As a person who finds the path of teshuvah, of turning and returning to self, other, and God, both daunting and absolutely necessary, the poets words of yearning feel truly resonant. My attraction to this snippet of text is enhanced by the interpretation of the 18th-century Hasidic sage Rabbi Yehiel Mikhel of Zlotchov. Why, asks Reb Yehiel Mikhel, does the psalmist need to say, this do I seek after already stating that he has a request of God? The rebbes (master) answer is that what appears to be a mere literary flourish is, in fact, a profound lesson on humility. By adding the seemingly extraneous phrase, the biblical poet is urging us to remember that even when we behold the beauty of YHWH or feel at home in Gods house, we must understand that the journey is not over.

The words this do I seek are intended to guard against spiritual arrogance and/or complacency. While it is important to acknowledge personal growth and the transformative power of religious experience, we human beings are limited, and therefore must continue searching, questioning, and contemplating, knowing that there is no end to the process. How could it be otherwise, when dealing with God and issues of ultimate concern; in the words of our Hasidic preacher, always be aware that there is a greater rung of understanding to be reached beyond our current level of comprehension.

This lesson was brought home for me with unusual force this past spring when co-teaching a course on the Psalms with a Catholic colleague for a diverse group of Jewish, Christian, and Unitarian Universalist graduate students and seminarians in the Boston area. The conversation only deepened when our regular weekly meetings were disrupted by the pandemic. While it took us all some time to find our Zoom footing, our explorations of these ancient prayer-poemswhich are full of raw emotionbecame more urgent.

Among the most meaningful and humbling experiences for me was our discussion of Psalm 27:4. Four interrelated questions animated our dialogue on this evocative text:

Listening to the broad range of responses from this diverse group of thoughtful and caring seekers was both grounding and inspiring. Our digital encounters became an heikhala holy abodein which to grapple with difficult personal, communal, and societal issues. When other aspects of my spiritual life felt weakened or even hallow, this weekly ritual felt increasingly important.

As I journey through Elul and prepare for the High Holy Days, I pray that we all have the resilience to continue the search for the sacred with honesty and openness, doing so in the companyby Zoom or in person when safewith supportive companions who remind us of the beauty and mystery of life. May we together contribute to the creation of a worldour shared sacred dwellingthat is inclusive, just, and sustainable.

This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here.MORE

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One Thing I Ask of YHWH: Humility and the Spiritual Search - jewishboston.com

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe four new priests with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP in the sacristy after the ordinations Mass, with the masks they wore during the service to meet COVID-safety precautions. PHOTO: Giovanni Portelli

It might have only been at a quarter capacity in terms of attendees, but St Marys Cathedral was overflowing with prayers and praise as the Archdiocese of Sydney welcomed four new priests on Saturday.

The cathedral bells peeled joyfully before the 11am Mass, amplifying the delight of those inside and the many more who were joining via live-stream.

The ordination to the priesthood of Fathers John Pham, Noel Custodio, Roberto Keryakos and Jonathan Vala was one for the history books. Originally scheduled to occur on 1 August, the ordination was postponed until 19 September in the expectation that COVID-19 restrictions would have eased to allow more of the ordinands family and friends to be present inside the cathedral for the ceremony.

However as the day drew near, it looked like the severe restrictions would remain in place, with multiple requests for an exemption to allow more than 100 people in the spacious cathedral rejected by health department officials.

An 11-hour change of heart and the granting of a three-hour exemption that would allow 300 attendees saw the ordinands making hurried, but excited, phone calls to family and friends with the good news that they could now attend the once-in-a-lifetime event in person.

These families and friends lined up outside the cathedral and waited patiently to register their names and contact details at the doors, and not even the compulsory masks they wore could conceal their wide grins and teary eyes.

Whatever the restrictions on numbers and activities, the four new priests were not going to delay their ordination any longer. Father John Pham said that he did not consider delaying again, because he believes that the timing was in Gods providence.

Why didnt it happen last year or at another time but during this time? Father Pham pondered. This abandonment to Gods providence was especially poignant for the young priest whose parents were unable to travel from Vietnam to be present due to pandemic restrictions.

you must help rebuild peoples confidence and trust, reawaken their hunger for that Eucharist and community they can only find at Mass Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP

They were, however, tuning in via the live-stream, as were many of Father Valas classmates and formators from the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and Father Roberto Keryakos maternal grandmother, who is in lockdown in a nursing home. Shell be with me virtually as much as she is spiritually, Father Keryakos said.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP had originally offered to celebrate four separate ordination ceremonies, so that each new priest could choose 100 guests to be in attendance.

However, the four were determined to stick together. They had begun the first year at the seminary together, and so naturally wanted to be ordained together as well.

It was just fitting that you get ordained next to your brothers, commented Father Noel Custodio, a sentiment that was echoed by each of them.

Although slightly modified to take into account social distancing requirements, the ordination ceremony lost nothing of its beauty.

The unusual nature of present circumstances was, however, a focal point for Archbishop Fishers homily, with the Archbishop encouraging the new priests to be a spiritual pandemic for the whole country.

Beyond COVID you must help rebuild peoples confidence and trust, reawaken their hunger for that Eucharist and community they can only find at Mass, and re-sacralise a culture increasingly profane, anxious or indignant, Archbishop Fisher exhorted the new priests.

Where health authorities act as if preserving life were all that matters and politicians talk as if the economy is the only other thing, you must stand for a richer conception of the good life: one that gives due importance also to family and friendship, truth and beauty, work and leisure, integrity and justice, above all to the sacred.

Offering words of gratitude on behalf of the newly ordained, Father Custodio thanked family and friends, acknowledging especially those who could not be there in person.

He thanked Archbishop Fisher for ordaining them, and for his fatherly care and example of preaching truth and love.

He also thanked Cardinal George Pell, who was described as a constant support and pillar of faith, seminary rectors and staff, teachers and professors for providing them with the environment to deepen their love for God and configure themselves more closely to Christ.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Archbishop Fisher reminded the congregants of the hope that surrounds the ordination of priests and alluded to the heavy restrictions that remain on religious practice during these times.

In a time of such anxiety and uncertainty about our future health and happiness, including our freedom to worship, its especially encouraging to have four new priests ready to spread a pandemic of faith and reason, beauty and goodness, hope and courage, love and mercy, he said.

The day after the ordination, the four new priests celebrated their Masses of Thanksgiving with family and friends in attendance.

The new priests will, for now, remain at the parishes where they have been serving as deacons.

Father Pham will have his first placement as a priest at the parish of St Marks, Drummoyne. Father Custodio will remain at Sydney Harbour North parishes, and Father Keryakos at All Saints, Liverpool.

Father Vala will return shortly to Rome to continue his studies and will have to spend two weeks in self-isolation upon arrival.

This is something Father Vala has already been through, as he experienced two weeks of hotel quarantine on arrival into Sydney for his ordination. He described the four-week isolation as absolutely worth it.

Whats four weeks of waiting patiently after seven years of seminary? he said.

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New priests will spark a 'spiritual pandemic' - The Catholic Weekly

Neighbors please be mindful of social distancing guidelines while you do your part to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. See the latest guidance from the CDC here.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

We are living in a time where challenges and uncertainty abound and many hold this time as the worst of times. However, there is another side to the coin of the present moment that offers an opportunity to awaken our spiritual strength, our inner power. It is a matter of personal choice to either stay in the chaos and fear or to awaken the third eye of spiritual awareness that enables us to see that time and nature are calling us back to our spiritual roots. You are invited to join us for this special online conversation and reflective experience on

"Being In The Now" - with special speakers - Judy Rodgers & Rita Cleary

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Special Online Event: Being In The Now - A Spiritual Perspective - Patch.com

When we first become a Christian, we are known as baby Christians because we are a new creation, a new believer in Christ. Then we grow in our faith, and we start to mature a little more day by day, month by month, year by year. The marks of maturity start to show up in our Christian walk. Things we used to worry about, we dont anymore.

We have placed them in his hands. God has shown us that He is faithful, time and time again. This doesnt mean that we wont have struggles or trials, but now we know how to deal with problems better. Why? We are conforming more and more into the image of Christ.

But there is someone who doesnt like the progress of our spiritual growth and maturity. We have an enemy who frowns on us and our spiritual journey to know God. His purpose is to hinder, stop, cause us to go down the wrong road so that we cant get to higher ground in Christ. He is a determined enemy, and the Bible speaks about him very often. The purpose of Satans existence is destruction. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He operates as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). He goes about the earth as a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour (I Peter 5:8).

There is a spiritual battle raging right now. It is constant. And you and I and every Christian have been enlisted to oppose the enemy. The good news is that you arent alone; others face the same foe. One of Satans tactics is to make you think that you are in a battle all by yourself. His plan is to feed lies to your mind, isolate you, and speak half-truths to you. We must be united as a team. We need to be sure that we fight our enemy and not each other.

Have you ever noticed that the Christian life is one of constant conflict? Why is it constant conflict? The enemy hates us. He loves to cause division. It is not you against me. It is not Republican against Democrat. It is not employer against employee. It is not my family against your family. Our war is not against other humans. Ephesians 6:12 says, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

This can be very discouraging. We hoped to move on to Heaven with ease, but we are locked in a battle with the devil. But I have good news. Each battle we face can be won! Jesus paid it all.

The book of Ephesians (see Ephesians 6:10-18) gives us several pictures of the church. The church is presented as a body, a temple, a mystery, a new man, a bride and a soldier. We as believers must get dressed for spiritual battle with our enemy, the devil. We must get ready to fight. Paul tells the church that we can bank on Gods unlimited resources of power. Gods power not only raised Jesus Christ from the dead, but also exalted Him to the position of absolute authority, far above any other powers. This is the power that we have on our side.

Paul tells the church to put on all of the pieces of armor that God provides for us so that we can resist the enemy and stand firm in our faith.

What does the armor of God consist of, and how do we use it? The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. How are we to be truthful? We are to be truthful about ourselves in dealing with sin, truthful with others, and most importantly, truthful with God. The belt holds most of the other pieces of armor in place. We must put truth on every day, the truth of Scripture and the knowledge of Gods Word.

The second piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness. We are not saved by our own righteousness, by what we do. In fact, the Bible says that no one is righteous, except for Jesus.

Once we are born again, Gods purpose is to produce righteousness in us. We need to have his righteousness, and others need to see His righteousness in me! It represents a holy character, a moral conduct. We do this by being obedient to the truth that we just put on. The breastplate protects the heart. The Christian soldier is vulnerable to discouragement when he/she compromises living by Gods standards. When we wear the breastplate, we do what the father wants us to do.

The third piece of armor is our feet fitted with the gospel of peace shoes of the Gospel. This reminds us to share the good news of Jesus wherever our feet take us. It brings an eagerness, and a willingness to go, bringing peace to others. We are able to share the victory and freedom we have in Christ with others. Be ready, be eager, be willing to go. And as long as we stand still in this battle, we are an easy target. Thats why we have to keep moving forward, sharing the peace of Jesus along the way.

The fourth piece of armor is the shield of faith. This is our first line of defense, the shield of faith. When the devil sends fiery darts our way, we can put up the shield of faith and stop them from bringing us harm. When we have faith, we can stand firm against the attacks from the enemy.

The fifth piece of armor is the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects our head, our thoughts. It enables us to have certainty and assurance of our salvation. When we grow weak or doubt, we can remember that we are his and he is ours. And finally, the last piece of the armor is the sword of the Spirit. This is the word of God, the Bible. This is our primary weapon for offense. We can use the Scriptures to fight the attacks of the devil. This is the weapon that Jesus used when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. The word of God has power over the enemy. Along with the Word of God, we have the secret weapon of prayer. This is where we communicate with God, and He communicates with us.

We are not weaponless or alone. God is with us, and He has given us the gift of our fellow believers to fight the fight of faith and battle the enemy as an army, together. We know that Satan is already defeated by the work of Jesus on the cross, and one day he will be thrown into the lake of fire as his punishment. We are on the winning side.

(From the Pulpit is a weekly sermon provided by the clergy members of the Weirton Ministerial Association.)

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From the Pulpit: God with us in time of spiritual warfare - The Daily Times

General News of Saturday, 19 September 2020

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com

play videoFounder of Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah

In the spiritual realm, there are three layers of decision making.

The base of that decision making-chain has the man regarded as the father of nations, Abraham serving as the head of a special place. Paradise is the name of the place and its community of saints and souls which have been judged by God to be righteous and deserving of a place of eternal happiness.

All key happenings on earth are decided in Paradise during meetings between Abraham and his community members

The people of Paradise are charged with deliberating over issues and making recommendations to a higher authority.

The Watchers is the authority that Paradise reports to. The Watchers are a special group of angels with the power to transform into human form and execute special tasks for God Almighty. The angels who appeared to Abraham and assured that Sarah was going to give birth are members of the special angels known as Watchers.

When Abraham and his paradise community make recommendations, they then present it to the Watchers. They also consider the decision, investigate it which sometimes include them coming onto the earth and making suggestions to God Almighty.

The Lord God Almighty has the final say on issues. If he accepts the recommendations of the Watchers and Paradise then that particular thing occurs but if he kicks against it, it does not happen.

But before the Lord God accepts a proposal, he consults the twenty-four elders and the seven spirits.

This is a detailed report by Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, founder of Glorious Word Power Ministries International on how the Heavens operate.

Why some prophecies happen and some do not

According to Owusu Bempah, at every level of the decision making process, a prophet or man of God could get a revelation.

If the revelation is at the Paradise level, it is subject to change. It is for this reason that genuine prophets always live caveats when making prophecies.

Owusu Bempah says usually before Lord God Almighty give final approval to something, he considers a lot of things which sometimes delay the thing from happening.

So if a man of God gets a prophecy which is at the Paradise or Watchers stage, the prophecy is likely to suffer delay or change because God could decide otherwise.

Why Owusu Bempah is explaining

The revered pastor has been compelled to explain himself due to misunderstanding over some prophecies he made.

A u-turn on his earlier claim that Donald Trump will win the America elections has led to people questioning his prophetic prowess.

Bempah explains that Abraham and Paradise people have recommended to Watchers that Trump should be made to lose the upcoming US elections because of his perceived racist status.

The Watchers have forwarded the decision to God Almighty and awaiting his decision.

If God approves it, Trump is a goner but God is holding on (according to Owusu Bempah) because he wants Trump to have a change of heart.

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Owusu Bempah gives detailed account of how things work in the spiritual realm - GhanaWeb

21 September 2020 CAROL ROUND

Grove, Oklahoma, USVia ASSIST News Service

Despite the abundance of material goods in Western societies,many remain spiritually empty. PICTURE: Krisztina Papp/Unsplash

Let me sleep a little longer! Sure, just a little more! And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armour" - Proverbs 6:10-11 (TLB).

In 2008, I went on my first mission trip with 19 others from our church to Rio Bravo, Mexico. It was also the first time Id been out of the country. However, I wasnt prepared for the abject poverty of the people we served on our trip.

A few weeks before leaving, our senior pastor met with the team to offer encouragement as well as mission guidelines. I still recall two things from that meeting: First, he said, Being flexible is important. Although we had plans for the five days wed be in Mexico, we needed to follow the Holy Spirits leading.

Second, because we were travelling to Mexico on our church bus, we could only take one medium suitcase apiece. My response? Define medium". While I said it jokingly, I was contemplating the size of my luggage at home.

After driving almost 1,000 miles, we arrived in Rio Bravo. We had several projects to complete, including the construction of a small casita for a family of five. The young couple with three girls under seven-years-old, were living in a makeshift dwelling smaller than my walk-in closet. No running water, no electricity, all five lived in the one-room abode.

Our group, ranging in age from 49 to 74, completed the concrete block house in three-and-a-half days. The familys new house consisted of two doors, three windows, and a loft where the children would sleep. Still no plumbing, no electricity, just a place for the five to lay their heads at night.

As the construction took shape, the young mothers face radiated excitement. With the finished product, the looks on the faces of the family said it all. It was their mansion. Smiles graced the face of the parents. The children played on the concrete floor of their new home, a step-up from the dirt floor in their previous dwelling. What we take for granted was a luxury for them.

Upon returning home, I realised while unpacking my luggage, that much of what Id packed wasnt a necessity. Remembering the poverty we experienced on our mission, I was struck with how blessed we are in this country. Even the poorest of the poor in America have a safety net with programs, both government and through charitable organisations. That isnt the case in other countries.

On other mission trips overseas, Ive come to realise how much we take our blessings for granted. We turn on the tap and water flows. We flip a switch and light illuminates a room. Many of us have at least two cars in the garage.

The poor we met had few material blessings, but they have something sorely lacking in America today. Assisting with Vacation Bible School in these less fortunate areas made me aware of the spiritual poverty in our country. The children and adults enthusiastically participated in VBS. Each day, they brought more children with them. They sat quietly while we shared stories of Jesus with them. Simple things, like making crafts and playing with bubbles, brought smiles and giggles. Missing were the trappings of an affluent society.

The abundance of material goods in America cannot fill the needs of the soul. Weve become trapped by our desires for the latest and greatest gadgets. Our focus is on the external instead of the eternal. In I John 2:15-16, the apostle writes Do not love the world, or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.

If youve been on this earth more than 60 years, like I have, youve witnessed a revolution of change. A Gallup blog post, dated August, 2019, listed 10 major social changes in the 50 years since Woodstock. Number one on the list was the waning of religious attachment. Two Gallup polls, one in 1965 and a second in 1978, showed a sharp decline in what they termed religiosity". The percentage of Americans saying religion was important to them fell from 70 per cent to 52 per cent. In the last 15 years, church attendance has dropped even more precipitously.

Martin Luther King, Jr, once said: When we look at modern man, we have to face the fact...that modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit, which stands in glaring contrast to his scientific and technological abundance; Weve learned to fly the air like birds, weve learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we havent learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters...

Could this account for the decline in civility and intolerance in society? Have we, in our pride, forgotten how much we need God?

~ http://www.carolaround.com

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This Life: Spiritual poverty is the real problem - Sight Magazine

Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair James E. "Trey" Trainor III insisted that the separation of church and state is a "fallacy" while describing November's election as a "spiritual war" in multiple recent interviews.

Trainor, a devout Catholic and an appointee of President Donald Trump, made the comments in two recent interviews with Religion News Service (RNS) and Church Militant, a right-wing Catholic news outlet.

"What we see going on around the country is complete anarchy in places where the rule of law has been completely abrogated," Trainor told RNS. "So it is a spiritual war in that it is striking at the underlying foundations of our constitutional republic. It's getting rid of the Christian moral principles that are the basis of the foundation of the country."

Republican Trainor was nominated by Trump last year and his position with the FEC was confirmed by the Senate in May. He had previously worked as lawyer for Trump's 2016 campaign. The agency that regulates election finance has been stalled since the July resignation of former Commissioner Caroline Hunter, also a Republican, which left it without the quorum required to legally vote on actions.

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In Trainor's recent interviews, he claimed that Trump had nullified the Johnson Amendment to the IRS tax code, which prohibits religious groups from "participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office" or risk losing their tax exempt status. Although Trump did issue an order directing the Treasury Department to be lenient in enforcing the law, he lacks the Constitutional authority to revoke it by executive order.

Trainor blasted Catholic bishops for admonishing a priest who appeared in a viral video claiming that Democrats "cannot be Catholic" and would "face the fires of hell" if they do not repent, telling Church Militant "I don't think a bishop has the right to tell a priest that they can't come out and speak." He described the presidential election as "a battle between good and evil." Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic.

When speaking to RNS, Trainor claimed that comments from President John Adams meant that the Constitution was written for Christians only. His comments may have been based on a 1798 letter from Adams that said it was written for "a moral and religious people" but did not specify Christianity. President Thomas Jefferson also wrote a letter indicating that a "wall of separation" does exist between church and state. The Treaty of Tripoli, which has legal significance beyond both of the letters, also includes language that suggests there is separation.

"Regarding the separation of church and state, rather than misquoting John Adams' Oct. 11, 1798, letter to the Massachusetts Militia, a better measure of the founders' views can be taken from the Senate's ratifying and President Adams' signing, the year before, of the Treaty with Tripoli, which stated that 'the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,'" Trainor's Democratic colleague, FEC Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, told RNS.

Newsweek reached out to the FEC for comment.

Continued here:

FEC Chair Says There's No Separation of Church and State, Calls 2020 Election a 'Spiritual War' - Newsweek

Rome Newsroom, Sep 17, 2020 / 07:00 am MT (CNA).- An Italian archbishop has opened the cause for beatification of a Capuchin friar and spiritual son of St. Padre Pio.

Br. Modestino da Pietrelcina, born Damiano Fucci, died on Aug. 14, 2011, at the age of 94, with a reputation of holiness, Archbishop Franco Moscone of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo said in his declaration opening the friars cause, signed in late July.

Damiano was born in 1917 in Pietrelcina,the southern Italian town that was alsoPadre Pios birthplace. Padre Pio knew Damianos family, because he grew up knowing Damianos mother, who was his neighbor.

When Padre Pio returned to Pietrelcina as a young man from 1908 to 1916 for health reasons, he would sometimes watch over Damianos older brother, Antonio, while the childs parents worked in the fields.

In 1940, Damiano went to find the man he had heard so much about at the monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo. After Damiano made a confession, the stigmatic priest encouraged the 23-year-old Damiano to walk straight and gave him his blessing.

The opening of Br. Modestinos cause marks the start of what is known as the diocesan phase of the cause. Those who knew Br. Modestino and havesignificant recollections or documents about him areinvited to share it with the archdiocese.

The archdiocese will collect as much information as possible about Br. Modestinos life and any evidence of his sanctity, which it will then present to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.

When Br. Modestino died in 2011, a newsletter from the provincial minister noted his life of prayer, calling it his daily bread.

Him sitting in front of the tabernacle for hours was the visible sign of a familiarity with God. This friendship with the Lord made him increasingly sensitive to the needs of his brothers, it said.

The Capuchin friar was also welcoming to pilgrims, listening to them and their sufferings, the newsletter noted.

He often repeated that his life was offered for sinners and in every circumstance he helped those he met on his way to cross the threshold of the confessional to ask Gods forgiveness, it said.

Damiano first felt a calling to a religious vocation while doing his military service in Rome.

He again visited Padre Pio and told him that he felt called to join the Benedictines. Padre Pio told him it was not his calling to join the Order of St. Benedict. He added that the young man could go to Rome if he wanted, but predicted that a very ugly disaster would happen to him there. (Three years later, Padre Pios prediction came true when the Benedictine abbot and a brother were killed by robbers.)

So Damiano stayed in San Giovanni Rotondo and eventually joined the Capuchin order, taking the name Br. Modestino. On hearingthis news, Padre Pio said, countryman, do not make me look bad!

But laterPadre Pio also encouraged him, saying: Br. Modestino, dont worry.I will always be near you and the gaze of St. Francis, from heaven, will always be upon you.

After Padre Pios death in 1968, Br. Modestino became the communitys porter, where he would assure visitors of his prayers for his countrymans intercession.

In 2005, Modestino published a short autobiography, Io... Testimonie del Padre, with memories of Padre Pio.

One of the stories he toldwas about his fathers death. Padre Pio revealed to him that his father was in purgatory after he died. With permission, Modestino returned to his hometown to tell his family and friends to pray and to offer every sacrifice for a single intention: the salvation of the soul of his father.

A few months later, Padre Pio communicated to Br. Modestino through another friar that his father had entered heaven.

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Beatification cause opened for spiritual son of Padre Pio - Catholic News Agency

Serenity. If I look for it, really look for it, I can find it.

Everything passes, nothing remains. Understand this, loosen your grip and fine serenity.

--Surya Das, Buddhist poet, activist and author

Serenity. If I look for it, really look for it, I can find it.

Freshly sliced summer tomatoes and chilled mozzarella cheese, with a vinaigrette drizzle. Sweet corn, the kind that peaks in flavor and abundance just about now. And a cheeseburger, hot off the grill, pink and juicy, medium rare, just how I like it. The company as well, my Mom and brother, the three of us sharing a meal and conversation and connection on the last Thursday night of the last unofficial weekend of summer, a balmy night, peepers still peeping away as background music.

Then on my drive back home, there was a beautiful pink and red sunset too, those colors pushing up against a backdrop of dark clouds, the contrast so stark, the light so soft. It was the kind of dusk that somehow brings a day to a fitting end, with quiet and natural beauty.

And when I got home, Japanese baseball on the TV thats brought me joy this summer and so to end a really good day I watched the Orix Buffalos take on the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. I only caught the ninth inning, but it was a tight game and even though I could not understand the commentary, it was still baseball, baseball with a live crowd in the seats, actually cheering. Something I have so missed in this odd summer, a summer that for the first time in so long, I didnt attend a game.

That was my serene Thursday evening.

Serenity: times in this life, when this life, just feels good somehow, even perfect in its presentation, there, right there for the taking and the enjoying but only if I am fully present to whatever graceful moment the universe is giving to me. If I do not pay attention, if I let the weight of my anxieties take me away from whatever is right in front of me, I wont find that peace of mind. Wont know serenity.

One of my favorite prayers and one of the most popular of well-known prayers is the Serenity Prayer, attributed to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. It begins, God grant me the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things can, and the wisdom to know the difference. On my really good days, when I actually realize all the simple blessings of this life, even in the midst of all the brokenness, I actually get to that serene place. A state of mind where I am able to see just what I do have ultimate and final control over my attitude towards everything and that which I do not have control over.

Just about everything else.

Acceptance does not mean I capitulate to the sharper edges of life, edges we are all experiencing right now in this year that has been a collective train wreck in so many ways. COVID. The election. The economy. The struggle for racial justice. How the church I serve will survive in the midst of the pandemic. The winter months looming ahead, long and cold months where I might have to return to inside isolation.

In the largest sense I do not have control over these happenings. And when I forget this truth: when I brood and am filled with worry and watch the news obsessively and grow dark in my view of the world, and become cynical or even worse, apathetic in the face of life, well there goes my serenity. Being centered in myself and God. Trusting somehow that this too shall pass and that 2020 will give way to better days.

Yes, I, all of us: we can and must do our parts in each of these places where we actually do have some personal control. We can be careful about COVID for ourselves and loved ones and neighbors and even strangers. Vote and be active civically. Work for a country where we are reconciled as brothers and sisters, regardless of race. I can do the best I can as a pastor. You can do the best in whatever your work is. We all can start planning now for how we will spiritually and emotionally survive what may be a very long winter.

But finally, I also have to cede ultimate control power these events, over all of life itself, to a power much greater than me, and trust that this power is working through all things for the good. In those rare times when I actually get to such a state of mind and heart and soul: thats when I find serenity. And perhaps, thats when you can find serenity too.

Serenity: not just in the more dramatic or obvious moments or of life but even more so in the basic and good gifts of life. Like a backyard barbecue with the people you love on an otherwise nondescript and unremarkable September Thursday evening.

That is good enough for me. That is where I find some serenity.

And so, in the days ahead, these crazy and unprecedented and wild days, may you seek, may you find and may you know serenity too.

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (http://pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org.

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SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: Find your serenity in these crazy days - Wicked Local Georgetown

Do you consider yourself an artist? Most people would answer that question with a resounding NO. And if you saw my sketching efforts, well, you would probably join me in a big laugh. But lets rethink this for a moment because, especially during these times of immense suffering, loss and division, let us consider spiritual artistry -- and paint with broader brush strokes.

Regardless of our different faith traditions, we can gaze upon the vistas of creation and marvel at the creativity and artistry that surrounds us. We can also acknowledge that, however we come into this creation, we are the expressions of the Artist of All. Some say we are created in his (or her) image. As offspring of this Artist, we carry that creativity in our DNA -- to be manifested in a way that is reflective of our individual gifts.

These are the thoughts that came to me in meditation on the day of remembrance for September 11. A day when, in our memories of horrific pain and unspeakable tragedy, images crowd our thoughts. Images of colors and shapes and sounds that invite us to look deeper at ourselves and our world.

All of us, I believe, are spiritual artists, creating images that resonate throughout our communities. With what mediums do we paint and sketch? With what instrumentals is the air filled? Do we only use the dim shades of shadows or the melancholy minor keys or do we open up our world with creations of light and color? Are our orchestrations staccato or giocoso? Do we diligently dig into the marble to release the hard truth and the beauty of creation?

Every action is an artistic expression and an unveiling of who we are. Each word paints a visual picture of the glory and goodness that is possible. Each prayer sketches a poetic profile. Even as we might not consider ourselves artists, our ability to create is embedded in our cells. It is, perhaps, that ability that we have not yet fully tapped.

It seems as if now is the time to awaken the artist within. Now is the time for spiritual artistry to lead us out of the shadows where we have been safely hidden and cross the thresholds into the openness of creation.

Spiritual artists, like others, see with more than eyes, understand with more than intellect and hear with more than ears. They feel with more than touch. In spiritual artistry the inner view, the contemplative thought and the soulful sounds and textures bring us into a deeper relationship with the Divine. We live in the reality of the interconnectedness of all.

It is time to awaken our artist within and, graced with new tools, delight the world as we honor the Artist of All Creation.

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington creates artistic celebrations that honor all of lifes passages for people of all traditions and beliefs. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com.

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Faith matters: Awaken the spiritual artist within | Lifestyle - thereporteronline.com

New Delhi:International Day of Peace is celebrated on 21 September every year to promote peace amongst nations and people. It was established in 1981 by the United Nations with the hope that the children of tomorrow will inherit a better world. Heartfulness Institute in partnership with United Nations Information Centre, Global Citizens India, Give India, Spirit of Humanity Forum, the Fetzer Institute, Sewa International, Gandhi Foundation and many more, will bring humanity together through a guided meditation session to experience and promote peace. There will be two virtual events: Celebrate Peace at 8 p.m. local time, followed by Create Peace, the synchronized guided meditation at 9 p.m. local time on International Day of Peace:http://heartfulness.org/peaceday.

The Celebrate Peace event will be broadcasted in over 100 countries and translated into over 24 languages via online streaming platform partners. Similar virtual events organized by the Heartfulness Institute, such as the International Day of Yoga, have been viewed by over 22 million people, and the upcoming event is poised to reach over 40 million people.

Daaji, the Guide of Heartfulness said,At Heartfulness, we will be transmitting on that day throughout the 24 hours. And if you would like to join us in meditation, simply close your eyes and tune into with your innermost corner, where you find love in your heart. We will all be meditating together, for peace, harmony and serenity to engulf this planet.

BK Sister Shivani, a teacher from the Brahma Kumaris spiritual movement said,Its time to heal the planet and love is the energy which is a healing energy. So when we all come together for our love for the planet, for our love for each other, and for our love for humanity, and together we create peace, we are going to take that first step towards healing our world.

Deepak Chopra, well-known author and speaker, said, Bring the presence of peace wherever you go, and if you do that the people around you will feel peaceful not by what you say, not by what you do, even, but just by your presence.

Shekhar Kapur, noted director and actor, will steer the conversations between the renowned proponents of inner peace, includingDaaji, Javier Zanetti, Deepak Chopra, BK Sister Shivani, Sharon Salzberg, as well as Bruce Lipton, Amandine Roche, Bob Boisture, Thomas dAnsembourg, Marta Bassino and Michela Moioli. Renowned musicians who have volunteered their time for peace, will also be part of the event.

Confirmed partners include the United Nations Information Centre, the Fetzer Institute, Knauf Armstrong, Global Ecovillage Network, Amazoncare, ICSI, Red FM, the Spirit of Humanity Forum, Global Citizen India, Give India, Football for Peace, Education for Peace, Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace, MIT World Peace University, Lovely University, International Cities of Peace, and more.

The Heartfulness network will be supporting Communities of Peace around the world leading up to the main day, by holding online events from 5 September 2020. To participate in your local activities in India, please call 1-800-121-3492 or send an email to[emailprotected].

21 September is a great occasion to come together to create peace to help safeguard and preserve all life on our planet. Please join to Create and Celebrate Peace.

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Leaders in Peace Building, Science, Mindfulness and Spirituality to Transmit the Experience of Peace to 40 Million People Across the Globe on...

The Uttar Pradesh government plans to develop an eco-tourism spot that could provide a perfect place for people looking for a spiritual sojourn. The government has decided to develop the Bhagwati Van along the Ganga, in Kasganj district, as a centre for spiritual tourism.

The Bhagwati Van is a man-made forest which is unique in more ways than one. The forest has been raised over 316 hectares of land, which has been reclaimed by the state government from encroachers. A total of 3.5 lakh trees, of more than 250 species, have been planted here.

Divisional forest officer (DFO), Kasganj, Diwaker Kumar Vashisht said, "We had been meeting villagers and convincing them since October last year to remove the encroachments. After the villagers agreed to vacate the land, we formed a local 'samiti' of villagers. It was all done without any public agitation."

The forest, which has its base in Puranic scriptures, is at Datlana Khaam village and has been declared as a Ganga 'gram'."It has Soronji 'teerth' and devotees from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other states come to this shrine," said Vashisht.

The entire reclaimed land is divided into three parts. The forest raised at the spot has trees planted in specific formations to create 'vatikas' (gardens) mentioned in religious scriptures.

"We planted over two lakh trees in Mahavan forest, which is one of the three parts and has species like Sheesham and Khair that are naturally found along the Ganga. The other part is 'Shreevan', which has connection with 'Arth Ganga' under the central government's Namami Gange project. This has species which will be economically beneficial to farmers. We had promised farmers that we would help them increase their income through this plantation," he said.

The third is 'Tapovan' which has 51,000 trees and Vyas and Vidur 'kutirs'. At present, the forest is being managed by the forest department but later local groups of villagers may look after it.

The 'Dhanvantari Vatika' has 75 types of medicinal plants and herbs. The 'Nakshatra Vatika' has 27 tree varieties, planted in specific positions to represent 27 'nakshatras' (planets).

The 'Navgrah Vatika', planted to manage planetary influences, is also a part of it. 'Harishankari', has trees like 'peepal, pakad and bargad' planted together. The three tree varieties represent the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. 'Panchvati', the garden of five tree varieties mentioned in the Ramayana, also finds place here.

- With inputs from IANS

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350km from Lucknow, 'Bhagwati Van' to be the spiritual tourism hub in UP - Knocksense

Sultan Hanfareh Ali Mirah, who was enthroned as the spiritual chief of the Afar people on November 2011, died at the age of 74. The Sultan was a member of the most powerful family group in Afar, and the son of Sultan Ali Mirah, who reigned from 1944 to 1975.

The Sultan was about to mark the 9th anniversary of his enthronement as the spiritual leader of Afar on Nomvember 10, a position held partly in exile and as a target of castigation by the EPRDF regime. In March 2016, the spiritual leader left Ethiopia after escaping, he told Le Monde, six attempted assassinations by bullets and poisoning. In the interview with the French paper, he had expressed his support for the revolt led by the Oromos and Amharas against the TPLF dominated regime. He returned to Ethiopia on August 2018 after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office.

Mirahs father, Sultan Ali Mirah was a revered figure and one of the leading players in Ethiopian and regional politics for four decades. With the overthrow of Haile Selassie in late 1974, Ali Mirah soon became a target of the military leaders because of his alliance with the Emperor and his semi-autonomy. On 3 June 1975, the sultan fled to Djibouti and formed the ALF that declared an armed struggle against the Derg. Mirah along with his father fought in the guerrilla war against Mengistu Haile Mariam under the wing the ALF and later joined forces with the EPRDF collation, which came to power in 1991. When the new Afar region was set up in 1992, Mirah joined his father as an administrator of the Afar region set up in 1992 and later served as president of the Afar regional State (1995-96). He had been the leader of a faction of the Afar regional Front since 1996. He also served as ambassador of Ethiopia to Kuwait.

The Alf suffered from an internal dispute between Habib Ali Mirah, who was at loggerheads with the Meles Zenawi regime, and his pro-EPRDF brother Hanfraeh Ali Mirah, who became president of the Afar Region. In April 1995 Hanfareh was suspended by his father, Sultan Ali Mirah, as ALF chair in response to electoral dissension within the Front.

This article is published under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. Please cite Ethiopia Observer prominently and link clearly to the original article if you republish. If you have any queries, please contact us at ethiopiaobserver@protonmail.com. Check individual images for licensing details.

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Sultan Hanfareh Ali Mirah, the spiritual chief of the Afars, passed away - ethiopiaobserver.com

EDITORIAL: Religious liberty is Americas first freedom, and as such it cant be jettisoned without legitimate cause during this trying time of pandemic.

Free the Mass thats the rallying cry that was broadcast in mid-September by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, as he marshaled his flock in opposition to the unjust restrictions against celebration of Catholicisms central sacrament that his citys mayor has imposed.

Archbishop Cordileones action was triggered by the continued failure of Mayor London Breed to grant fair treatment to the worship of local Catholics and other religious believers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the revised restrictions she communicated in September. While the mayors new provisions provided some relief from the extraordinarily harsh conditions in place in San Francisco for the previous several months which permitted only outdoor Masses with a maximum of 12 people participating the new limits will still have a cap of 50 people outdoors and 25 people indoors for religious services and a limit of one person at a time for private prayer within churches.

Meanwhile, much less restrictive policies apply to venues such as public parks, retail stores, indoor gyms, hair and nail salons and even massage parlors, as Archbishop Cordileone noted in a Sept. 13 memo to his priests outlining the Free the Mass initiative.

San Francisco is the most restrictive county in the entire country when it comes to public worship, but the state of California is not much better, with its limit of 100 people for an indoor worship service, he wrote. This is an overreach of the government into the life of the Church and an infringement of our right to worship as protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

San Franciscos shepherd also called attention to his previous efforts to work with city officials behind the scenes to implement sound public-health policies at Catholic churches and to communicate the positive outcome of the implementation of such measures nationwide by the U.S. bishops.

As three infectious disease specialists who reviewed the data of the more than 1 million public Masses that have taken place over the last 14 weeks put it, The Good News: For Catholic churches following these guidelines, no outbreaks of COVID-19 have been linked to church attendance, Archbishop Cordileone pointed out. Opening windows, sanitizing properly, closing off every other pew, socially distancing and the other protocols we developed work.

But all of this effort has been largely disregarded by Mayor Breed, the archbishop said, and believers, in consequence, continue to be singled out for uniquely punitive treatment.

The archbishop requested a three-pronged public response to San Franciscos egregiously unjust city policies with respect to religious assembly. He asked his pastors to invite their parishioners to sign a petition at FreeTheMass.com calling on Mayor Breed to lift the unfair restrictions; to encourage participation in a Sept. 20 Eucharistic procession to the U.N. Plaza adjacent to San Franciscos City Hall, marching while wearing masks and social distancing and bearing 100 banners declaring, We Are Essential: Free the Mass! and afterward processing to San Franciscos cathedral to celebrate multiple outdoor Masses there; and subsequently to display the Free the Mass banners on their churches in order to manifest an ongoing public witness to the issues importance.

At our demonstration, we will not be asking for special treatment, Archbishop Cordileone explained in a commentary published Sept. 17 by The Washington Post. We just dont want religious worshippers singled out for unfavorable treatment relative to people participating in activities with comparable risk profiles. All we are seeking is access to worship in our own churches, following reasonable safety protocols the same freedoms now extended to customers of nail salons, massage services and gyms. Its only fair, its only compassionate, and, unlike with these other activities, its what the First Amendment demands.

The severity of the problems Catholics have experienced in getting back to worship may be more acute in San Francisco than anywhere else in the nation, but unjustified restrictions unfortunately have been the norm in many other locations.

So Archbishop Cordileones call to spiritual arms, requesting Catholics to push back publicly in a respectful yet firm manner, can serve as a common assembly point for U.S. Catholics across the nation. Wherever authorities are wrongfully suppressing their right to celebrate Mass and engage in other necessary public expressions of their Catholic faith, they should be ready to push back in the same way, in line with Americas constitutional and legislative guarantees of religious freedom.

Religious liberty is Americas first freedom, and as such it cant be jettisoned without legitimate cause during this trying time of pandemic. It merits every bit as much acknowledgement in public-health policies as the right of public assembly, which San Francisco, like other U.S. cities, has scrupulously respected in the case of the ongoing public protests against racism even though those protests, unlike Catholic religious services, have routinely failed to observe local mandates regarding social distancing and the wearing of masks.

Theres no dispute that the restrictions on worship are exacting a serious toll on Catholics. A survey of U.S. bishops regarding the effect of pandemic policies, conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, reported that celebration of the sacraments and of sacramental preparation was very much affected in a substantial majority of dioceses. The survey of bishops also reported a significant negative effect on the morale of their clergy and lay staff, as well as the morale of the bishops themselves.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, has outlined the spiritual harm stemming from the coronavirus-related locking down of religious worship in a recent article, published in the National Catholic Bioethics Centers Ethics & Medics journal, and he elaborates on these concerns in this issues In Person interview.

While there has been an unceasing stream of dire warnings from political leaders and public-health officials about the physical dangers associated with the virus, we have heard very few warnings about moral hazards that can kill the soul, he commented in his article. Some, for example, have said that access to liquor, cannabis, casinos, and abortion is essential, but going to church and access to the sacraments are not.

This downplaying of worship fails to acknowledge that, grave though the physical risks can be, they are no justification for depriving Catholics and other Americans of the spiritual sustenance they need and deserve particularly given how diligent Catholic churches have been in conforming with public-health requirements, even when those have been unjust.

Physical health is important, but the highest good is eternal life, Bishop Paprocki explained at the conclusion of his article. The free exercise of religion and access to the means of salvation established by Christ through the Church must have priority in the moral and legal order.

Those are words for all of Americas faithful to ponder, pray over and act upon, as needed.

Originally posted here:

Free the Mass! A Call to Spiritual Arms for the Right to Worship - National Catholic Register

In the words of novelist Jorge Luis Borges: All things have been given to us for a purpose and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.

Artist Antonio Mifsud creates sacred narratives out of tablets of clay, his fingers teasing out figures from the inert material and develops narrative drama into his high-relief (altorilievo) friezes. The monochromatic earthiness imbues these sculptural works with a beguiling timelessness. At other times, Mifsud decides to breathe colour into the fissures and cracks, thus enriching the composition with chromatic rhythm.

Mifsud owes his academic grounding to his tutor, Alfred Camilleri Cauchi, who induced in him a love for the sacred art genre. The Catholic Maltese upbringing, the obligatory after-school lessons in catechism, and a simple life that centred around the village church activities also contributed to his pronounced inclination towards a sacred art that defines the artist.

The anecdotal quality woven into the narrative along the years provides the artist with the liberty to interpret and thus recreate a personal context for a biblical episode or its apocryphal version.

Sacred art is one that makes use of other genres to tell a story.

A glance at the work of past masters shows a proficiency in landscape, still life and portraiture. A roaring sea, a dramatic cloudy sky or a foggy winters sunset adds drama and volume to the episode as it enfolds if it has nature as its backdrop. A still life of food on a table or a floral one symbolising some saintly virtue enhances the pictorial narration if the context requires the stillness and sobriety of a room, rendered through contrasts in the theatrical play of light, shadow and contemplative silence, Mifsud says.

He adds that other factors can contribute to a work of sacred art, such as the materials used.

High relief integrates painting and sculpture

The materials used can also direct you towards a certain path. Painting and papier-mch (kartapesta) act in their idiosyncratic way, while bronze, marble and limestone offer other possibilities that can be alternatively developed but which can also prompt you towards the same result.

In his eight-station Via Crucis for the Mater Dei chapel in Msida, Mifsud breaks with tradition and offers an original and modern take on the centuries-old tradition that compartmentalised the account of the Passion of Christ into 14 tableaux.

He metamorphoses Christs death and resurrection in his Risen Crucifix for the Archbishops Seminary school at Tal-Virt, the colour-adding drama as the body of Christ is released from the heavy darkness of death into the golden glory that shines with eternal life and hope.

Mifsud is synonymous with high relief but admits that he was initially unaware that this would become his defining mode of expression.

With hindsight, I realise that my inclination towards relief was part of a natural process and it was more of a case of the technique choosing me rather than vice-versa. My inclination can be described as a two-way communication. A Lorenzo Ghiberti door exerts an attraction and draws my undivided attention, he notes.

The artist, who mentions the celebrated sculptor Antonio Sciortino, Giuseppe Briffa, Willie Apap and Anton Inglott, apart from Camilleri Cauchi, among his major influences, suggests that his original and initial predilection for painting could explain his preference towards altorilievo.

High relief integrates painting and sculpture, thus offering me more possibilities as I employ the idiosyncrasies of both. Although I occasionally produce three-dimensional sculptures, I feel that I express myself more eloquently through high relief. Many consider this to be my forte and my fingerprint, Mifsud remarks.

Melchiorre Caf was the first major Maltese artist to employ this technique, treading in the footsteps of such giants as Donatello, Ghiberti and Michelangelo. Although having strong roots in classical antiquity, sculptural relief was modernised by 20th-century artists like Pericle Fazzini, Francesco Messina, Emilio Greco, Giacomo Manz and even Lucio Fontana.

His landscapes, which are very expressionist and which nod towards geometrical abstraction, contrast with the traditional approach of his sculptural work. He occasionally needs these releases from the restraint and discipline that go into his reliefs.

The constituent elements of the landscape are abstracted as their chromatic spiritual and non-representational equivalents. His wet-on-wet technique in oils elicits spontaneity in handling the medium, imbuing the finished work with the freshness of a watercolour, capturing the transient atmospheric moods effectively.

The sacred themes are not limited only to Mifsuds sculpture. An example of this is his Annunciation, which is the main altarpiece for the Lunziata chapel in the limits of Rabat. By using a diptych format, he separates the terrestrial from the divine. However, the vibrant colour palette that is common throughout integrates the whole composition into one cohesive story of hope and salvation.

Mifsud claims that his profession as a nurse working at Mater Dei Hospital plays second fiddle to his being an artist.

I was first and foremost an artist much before I decided to pursue the nursing profession. I feel that my academic education in art provided me with the knowledge of technique and materials and with the tools to learn from my mistakes, he says. He chose nursing as his parents were rightfully concerned that he could not make a living as a full-time artist although they never discouraged him to pursue his dreams.

Nursing provides job security as otherwise his future would have been jeopardised; eking a living just out of art only is extremely hard in our country.

The nursing course furnishes students with a very good knowledge of human anatomy. This obviously increased the dexterity in my sculpture as regards musculature and the proportions of the human figure, he points out.

Besides this, a nurse deals with complex situations of human drama, of life and death situations, trying ones utmost to save lives.

Acknowledging the fact that notwithstanding ones best efforts, not all lives can be saved is a humbling experience that we nurses have to face in every moment of our working life. It is a fulfilling profession but one that is very hard and taxing. I guess these experiences are packed away and stored mentally and I must admit that, at times, they resurface years later in my art.

So is art a necessary therapeutic tool? Mifsud believes that one could look at it that way.

Nursing is not a joke, there is the necessity to psychologically unburden when back home. Art provides the necessary solitude and soul-searching that is balmy and redeems me to enjoy life with my wife and three children.

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A Maltese artists quest for the spiritual - Times of Malta

Regular and longtime readers of this space have probably figured out by now there is at least one thing in my life I am passionate about.

Spirituality.

Admittedly, this term can be confusing for many, and create all kinds of misunderstandings. When the question arises whether someone is spiritual or religious, many people see it in dualistic terms like you must be one or the other, but you cant be both.

This is just not true.

In fact, after reading about and studying spirituality for 25 years, I would propose that before religion comes into ones life, one is already, by birthright, a spiritual person.

Although it has been attributed to various people over the years, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is credited with originating this statement: We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

This implies, that just by being born, each human is a spiritual being. Indeed, some would include in that spiritual being category, all living things animals, plants, trees

Before I sat down at the keyboard this week, I looked up the term spirituality to try to get a grasp on a generally accepted definition of what it means to be spiritual.

There are, of course, many factors that go into determining this, but probably the most basic answer is this, which appeared when I googled the word. This definition is from Oxford Languages:

the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

I might elaborate on that just a bit, to say that spirituality is an effort to find meaning, in ones own life, in others lives, in the world around them, and in the events that take place in their lives.

Another description of what it means to be a spiritual person came from an article on HuffPost in 2015. This one is more detailed than the above definition, but overall (and as in anything, there are exceptions), this definition better encapsulates what it means to be spiritual in these days in which we live:

Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and others. A spiritual person cares about people, animals and the planet. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind person.

Now, in reading this definition, we can see that it does not preclude spiritual people from also being religious. For some people, they dont have a spiritual awakening for years, even though they have practiced a religion for their entire life. In fact, most world religions, in one way or another, teach the highest priority of human life is to be loving to yourself and others.

As we all know, not all religious peoples lives reflect this, however. In fact, sadly, religions can be divisive, when seen as the be all and end all of existence.

Anyway, the reason I decided to write about this topic this week, is because I was thinking about 2020 and what an unusually, pardon my language, hellish year it has been. Honestly, humanity has been blindsided this year in more ways than we ever thought possible, at least in modern times. At least that is how it seems to those of us living it out. Now.

And I know for almost everyone scratch that everyone, adjusting to these new realities has been mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually challenging scratch that word challenging exhausting.

I know and have heard of many people with heightened anxiety and other mental health issues that are directly related to the extreme uncertainty we live with now.

Each day we awaken, we wonder what life is going to throw at us today.

It cannot possibly get any worse than it is already, we think.

But then it does.

So as someone who is passionate about spirituality, I look at it this way:

In many ways, there is not a lot we can do hands-on, at least not immediately, to resolve the circumstances we find ourselves in. Many of them, especially those more medically related, take time to research and find solutions to.

Others which are more systemically related with deep, thick, sprawling roots must be addressed with much dialogue and mutual respect. No easy answers here.

At the foundation of all these attempts to find a solution, however, is the need for each one of us to tap into that spiritual side of us, that is our birthright.

For months, millions of people have been at home, afraid to go out into public; many of them elderly with few family or friends to check on them.

Others have watched helplessly as nearly 200,000 Americans have succumbed to Covid-19, or complications from the virus. They have watched as dear family and friends have died painful, awful deaths, alone in a hospital room, without anyone even being able to physically touch their skin, or say goodbye. They have grieved their losses relatively alone, without the human support they so desperately need.

Hostilities related to all kinds of situations have boiled up and exploded in recent months, and only seem to be getting worse with each passing day.

As I write this today, I do so without, GOD FORBID, any intention of stirring up yet another political debate. Life is not all about politics. It is about so much more than that.

That is where this idea of spirituality comes in.

I believe that these terrible months we have all endured, if looked at in a positive light, have been an opportunity for every single one of us to get in touch with that spiritual side with which we were born.

That doesnt mean necessarily going to church. Many people cant go to church right now.

It is something more basic than that.

It is getting in touch with a loving Reality that undergirds all the pain and alienation so many of us feel from life, from each other, from ourselves

It is sitting still, quiet, and reaching out to that loving Reality to try to find out more about that Reality, and to find some way to make sense of it all.

Not that we will make sense of it all.

I have found in my life that when we go looking for answers as to why something happened, we might as well be beating our heads against a wall.

We just cannot be assured we will get an answer as to why something happened.

But

We can find meaning in it.often after much time has elapsed.

We can find ways to get grounded in this loving Reality that is eternal the beginning and the end of all things.

We can find ways to acknowledge that we are not isolated beingswe are connected to one another in ways we cannot imagine or explain.

And what happens to one of us, impacts the rest of us.

We can find ways to be the spiritual beings we are.those whose highest priority is to be loving to ourselves and others.those who care about people, animals and the planet.those who know that we are all One, and consciously attempt to honor this Oneness.

those who are kind

SPIRIT MATTERSis a weekly column that examines spirituality in The Times' readership area. Contact Jerrilyn Zavada at jzblue33@yahoo.com to share how you engage your spirit in your life and in your community.

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SPIRIT MATTERS: In matters of the spirit, spirituality matters - LaSalle News Tribune