"St. Catherine of Siena, 2007" by Patricia Brintle Canvas Wall Art
What with the Republican convention spreading lies and demeaning folks left and right, I needed a little help. Thankfully here came St. Catherine to remind us that this is marathon not a sprint so we need to suit up for the long haul.
Ann: St. Catherine?
St Catherine; Cathy, yes, I asked Anita* to get in touch with you. I can see the little dark specks buzzing around your head inviting you to crawl into a hole with chocolate and a book. While I have no problem with this approach, I would like to suggest that this is not your only alternative.
Inside your head there is a little chemical factory that works to keep your equilibrium balanced. When you feel the slide coming on, I would suggest that you feed yourself, not chocolate or sweets, but protein, fat, good carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, and greens of one sort or another. Then take your body out for a spin, and, if possible, sweat out some of these little critters.
I am a proponent of this program because I suffered with depression all my life and basically starved myself to death because I could see no alternative to daily darkness.
I know now that I ignored my body, I considered it the enemy. I starved it and tried to deny its needs and even its existence. I do not want that for you.
Your inclination for sugar, caffeine, and chocolate make short term chemical sense as they can provided an initial uplift, but the after-effects can produce a crash worse that the light warning signals of a period of sadness.
We have bodies for a reason. They teach us nurture, caring, and connectedness to the earth. We cannot succeed in our mission for this planet by creating circumstances where our bodies are labeled enemy number one. We succeed when we integrate and balance body, mind, and spirit.
In my day, there were such rigid lines between church and non-church, religion and heresy, man and woman, that balance was not seen as even a desirable goal. It was all out war between the two extremes.
The coup de grace and evidence of the lunacy of this system was my own canonization, I who had destroyed my body in the name of the Church and the god it supposedly served. Because of this useless sacrifice, while living I was considered a faithful daughter of the Church, and the old boys club there was delighted to celebrate my subservience to tradition in my religious practices such that they allowed me to utilize my negotiating talents on their behalf. Otherwise, I would have been just another self-denying sister who was cut off from the world except in our approved roles of prayer and handmaidens to the male hierarchy of the church.
Some have been able to challenge the doctrinaire approach to worship and service. Hildegarde of Bingen was one who learned how to use her enormous talents to create power, haven, and service by and on behalf of women religious and those in the communities they served. But she paid a tremendous price for her fidelity to her mission in illness and conflict with Church fathers.
Again, I say I don't want this for you. Many today still carry some of the scars handed down from this tradition, and those scars can create vulnerability to melancholia and physical illness. Do not let this happen. Take an active and nurturing approach to your body and to your role in wherever your life has led you.
These outworn concepts may still lurk around challenging corners in a world where darkness waits for any opportunity for intrusion, but they will not get a toehold if you hold steady in your care of your body and spirit as instruments of the Lord.
I wish I could be with you today to offer my support to the openings that the planet is experiencing, traumatic though they may be. I know what it is to live in dark times, and I know what it is to be certain that light is coming. Be assured that I will be with you in spirit.
Ann: Thank you, Cathy, for your kindness** in walking with us.
August 26, 2020
*Anita Sacco. See "Recommended Channelers" under "Resources" tab.
Anita can be contacted for purchase of obtaining the recipe for her protection spray or readings at https://www.etsy.com/shop/FairyTaleEnd.
**And thank you, Jane, for reminding us to use this powerful phrase in creating the world we want to see.
I never thought about it before but could a very devote person in her time do Gods work outside the church or did you have to serve the church? What a powerful testimony here from St Catherine, about the male leadership. I wonder if she loves the new Pope?
Thank you, Lenora for your inspiring message, and Jane, for always making us think. You guys keep me going! Blessings to all.
Dear Ann
I have read Saint Catherine’s message several times in the fat past few days and it has hit home in such a profound way its hard to know where to begin in integrating this information and how to put its wisdom into practice!
I can concur that the church has exerted an equally as powerful an influence as society when it comes to how we see and treat our bodies
Most probably for lifetimes...
May God help us throughout this shift to choose empowerment over victimhood including making peace with our bodies in every thought word and deed!!!
You are more than welcome Ann. I wonder if Cathy can shed light on the fact that since we have free choice and free will, if we can decide when we just would rather have the right to let nature take its course in fighting off say, cancer for instance. If you’ve witnessed the depression cancer patients experienced, sweating out each round of scans and biopsies, having stared death in the face and then here comes the second or third round. Even if you have insurance and financial savvy you can experience bankruptcy, with thousands of dollars per month for expensive drugs and therapies. Is it alright to refuse treatments if that decision resonates with you emotionally and philosophically, a…