April 7, 2018, Planetary North MW, Malkut Sepheroth
Saturday, Blue Resonant Storm, Kin 59, 2nd Chakra
The Importance of the Body
Here is a teaching by Fr. Richard Rohr who is talking about the importance of the body. So many spiritual teachings seem to leave out the physical body that I am always happy when someone sends me a teaching that includes the body. (See article below.)
In Verse 57 of The Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas by Tai Malachi, there is a teaching about “the Day of Reckoning” or “The Rapture.” This paragraph is on page 172-173. “What is the Day of Reckoning? It is a radical transformation and transition in consciousness, a crossing over, as it were, from one state of consciousness to another, whether manifesting in an individual or on a collective level. Of this holy day, the Master has said ‘Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.”
Such is the nature of advent of supernal consciousness. Those who are open and ready to receive it will be taken up by it and embody it and it will transform every level of consciousness, even the physical body. Those who are not open and ready to receive it will not be taken up and transformed by it, but will, in effect, be passed over by the divine presence and left behind in the former state of being. Thus we understand by the “Day of Reckoning” the day of our death and transition from this life a crucial time of transition in the collective human consciousness and the advent of supernal and messianic consciousness on earth.”
I feel that the transfiguration on the mountaintop that Jesus demonstrated to some of his disciples showed the importance of the physical body. Moses, Elijah and Jesus all were there transfigured and even though the disciples fainted, Sophian Gnosticism claims that Mary Magdalene was there and stayed awake. I mention this because to me it’s a beautiful meditation of seeing supernal light actually come into the Lord and Elijah and Moses. I feel it’s very similar to the spiritual practices that we do in inviting the presence of the Lord into our bodies.
From our article on the sister site labeled Highest Energies Traveling.
In order to experience our own original Adam-Eve Kadman self, Tau Malachai’s “Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas,” on page 69, tells us how to enter into such a mystical union. This is the experience of uniting with Yeshua Messiah. In verse 56 on page 169, is more information on the necessity of this experience. In Tau Malachi and Siobhan Houston’s book, “Gnostic Healing,” in Appendix VII, “Union With The Living Yeshua – The Risen Christ,” page 153 – 156, is the practice of union with the living Messiah, Yeshua. In Appendix VIII, “Union with The Holy Bride-St. Mary Magdalene,” is the practice of uniting with St. Mary Magdalene, the Kallah Messiah, the Divine Feminine, in union with Yeshua Messiah. First we practice allowing Yeshua Messiah to become liquid light and come down into us. Thus he is within us. Then after a few weeks, we become liquid light and go up into Yeshua, thus he is surrounding us. We can practice with Mary Magdalene and /or Metatron, the Archangel. Metatron is on page 73 of the Gnostic Healing book.
Body and Soul
by, Fr. Richard Rohr
The Thankful Poor (detail), by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1894. Private collection.
I think my brilliant history and liturgy professor, Fr. Larry Landini, OFM, may have given the best explanation for why so many Christians seem to be ashamed and afraid of the body. In 1969, on the last day of four years studying church history, Fr. Larry offered these final words to us as he was backing out of the classroom: “Just remember, on the practical level, the Christian Church was much more influenced by Plato than it was by Jesus.” He left us laughing but also stunned and sad, because four years of honest church history had told us how true this actually was.
For Plato, body and soul were incompatible enemies; matter and spirit were at deep odds with one another. But for Jesus, there is no animosity between body and soul. In fact, this is the heart of Jesus’ healing message and of his incarnation itself. Jesus, in whom “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14), was fully human, even as he was fully divine, with both body and spirit operating as one. Jesus even returned to the “flesh” after the Resurrection; so, flesh cannot be bad, as it is the ongoing hiding place of God.
In the Apostles’ Creed, which goes back to the second century, we say, “I believe in the resurrection of the body.” I want to first point out what it is not saying and yet what most people hear. The creed does not say we believe in the resurrection of the spirit or the soul! Of course it doesn’t, because the soul cannot die. We are asserting that human embodiment has an eternal character to it. (Read all of 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul tries to communicate this in endlessly mysterious ways.)
Christianity makes a daring and broad affirmation: God is redeeming matter and spirit, the whole of creation. The Bible speaks of the “new heavens and the new earth” and the descent of the “new Jerusalem from the heavens” to “live among us” (Revelation 21:1-3). This physical universe and our own physicality are somehow going to share in the Eternal Mystery. Your body participates in the very mystery of salvation. In fact, it is the new and lasting temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and throughout Paul’s letters).
Many Christians falsely assumed that if they could “die” to their body, their spirit would for some reason miraculously arise. Often the opposite was the case. After centuries of body rejection, and the lack of any positive body theology, the West is now trapped in substance addiction, obesity, anorexia, bulimia, plastic surgery, and an obsession with appearance and preserving these bodies. Our poor bodies, which Jesus actually affirmed, have become the receptacles of so much negativity and obsession.
The pendulum has now swung in the opposite direction, and the fervor for gyms and salons makes one think these are the new cathedrals of worship. The body is rightly reasserting its goodness and importance. Can’t we somehow seek both body and spirit together?
When Christianity is in any way anti-body, it is not authentic Christianity. The incarnation tells us that body and spirit must fully operate and be respected as one. Yes, Fr. Larry, our Platonic Christianity is now feeling the backlash against our one-sided teaching.
Gratitude to Fr. Richard Rohr, Franciscan Mysticism, CAC.ORG
