Two Rivers, the Mystic Union

"There are two rivers that encircle the whole of life; the two touch and renew each other, without ever co-mingling or confusing..." D.H. Lawrence, A Propos of Lady Chatterley's Lover

When Will I See You Again

by Babyface

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When can my heart beat again

When does the pain ever end

When do the tears stop from running over

When does you'll get over it begin

I hear what you're saying

But I swear that it's not making sense

So when can I see you

When can I see you again

When can my heart beat again

When can I see you again

When can I breathe once again

The great 20th century English wordsmith and thinker,   
D.H. Lawrence, had many things to bring forth to his readers. Some conveniently have reduced him to the word, sex. However the writer, in his own words, shows that he is more thoughtful and more searching than any facile pre-determination borne by others.

In his little book, an essay of 63 pages, Lawrence writes in 1931, two years after his Lady Chatterley's Lover was published in Europe, at a time when bootleg copies began to appear elsewhere, that he was aware there was a storm prompted by its appearance; many places banned the story as obscene.
Here the Author, Lawrence checks in:
"As David was mad for Bathsheba [in the Bible]... But when a woman's sex has lost its dynamic call, and in a sense is dead or static, then the woman wants to attract men... she exposes her flesh more and more... men are repelled by her, but socially thrilled... a chic declaration of independence, it is modern, free, popular because it is strictly a-sexual or anti-sexual... They want the counterfeit, mental substitution... The very men who encourage women to be the most daring, complain most bitterly of the sexlessness of women... Man is often willing to be deceived-- for a time-- even by nothingness...
The point is when women are alive, quivering, helplessly attractive, they will cover themselves, drape themselves with clothes gracefully... While sex is a power in itself, women try all disguises and men flaunt... 
The Catholic Church, especially in the south [southern Europe], is neither anti-sexual, like the northern churches, nor a-sexual like Mr. Bernard Shaw and such social thinkers. The Catholic Church recognizes sex, and makes it marriage, a sacrament based on the sexual communion... The man is a potential creator, law-giver, father and husband... lives full and satisfied...
The Catholic Church does not spend its time reminding people that there is no marrying nor giving in heaven. So that sexual lure is not deadly to the Church. Much more deadly is the flippancy, "freedom," cynicism, irreverence... in the dangerous, vulgar form of atheism. Naturally the Church is against it. The Chief Priest of Europe knows more about sex... because he knows more about the essential nature of the human being..."
-- A Propos of Lady Chatterley's Lover

Divorce and the Church

"The tradition of the Church has understood the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole of human sexuality."    
-- The Catholic Catechism, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'

Kryie Eleison

version by Mr. Mister

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Recently in the news the Roman Catholic Pontiff Francis is again making waves on the internet as a result of statements he has made. The latest on the dissolution of marriage front, as divorce attorneys like to call it, is the Pope's statement that a large percentage of Roman Catholic marriages are invalid--yes, invalid!

What does that mean? It means several things and that possibly a lot of people can get a divorce and start over again. But doesn't everyone know that Roman Catholics can't get a divorce, not so simple you say?
 But this topic makes more sense if one understands that in the Catholic view, an invalid marriage is one which from the very beginning, something was lacking that was necessary for this relationship to be called a marriage.
 She, the Church, does not expect the Body of Christ to be taken advantage of, abused or otherwise grossly mistreated in the name of marriage, thus divorce is indeed possible for some reasons, but not for what is viewed as self-centered, petty reasons of the ego: he dresses like a slob, she talks too much, we don't like the same movies or vacation spots, he snores, etc.

So some marriages may indeed be invalid. The general criteria is that a marriage is not valid or is null when the partners do not enter into the marriage of their own free will; that one or both partners refuse to support or abandon the marriage; that one or both partners refuse to freely accept what children might be born of the marriage; that there is insanity, or other physical inability to freely contract the marriage such as age, drug abuse, alcoholism or drunkenness; if one or both partners enter into the marriage without the intent or belief of its permanence, all are examples of cause for a Roman Catholic to divorce within the Church. Any one of these reasons support the claim of marital nullity. You see, they are specific and limited.

So exactly what did Pope Francis say? A Simple Mind is unable to confirm any recent statements via the Vatican web page or any major Catholic news outlet such as Catholic News Service regarding this point. However the Pontiff has convened a meeting scheduled to take place in Rome in October of this year. From that meeting there is likely to be much more about divorce  along with other family life issues.

The Breath of Dawn

no confessions

I loved you before I knew your name
The first time I saw you
What be your name
Earnestly I wished to know

your voice like music
speaking first shyly
and then, later
slyly
softly humming a tune
bright

Eyes, liquid darkness
passing over me

like the sun, your smile
shines
kisses on my face
Sweetly, the moon
regards the sun
brilliant

lights
obscure lights
illumine

a touch
takes hold
time unfolds

days go by
all remains
All Rights Reserved 2008

Some thoughts about confession. Many hear confession and think law, think church, think oh-no. For some time the title of this poem did not click with me. I found the words and the meaning of the poem not consonant with its title. Seems like a "confession," but no, it's not. I recently read in Flannigan's book about transformations. She discusses the difference between apology and confession. The big difference according to her is that a confession is disclosure of something previously secret that another party would not or could not have had any knowledge of prior to disclosure. Makes sense.

On the other hand, an apology is acknowledgment of some 'no, not-good'  that both parties are aware of which directly affects their ongoing interactions. Love isn't a secret when both parties are in on it. This poem is not an apology nor a confession. When we approach the confessional in some church, the intent there is to bring light into our darker spaces, to open up breathing room, to free ourselves from the dark, deep burdens we carry, and to replace those weights with a new sense of self, and a renewed connection to the Spirit and the Creator. That's a confession, and it has a place in love, the breath of dawn.