7/4/23

I wrote my own version of the Apostle's and Nicene creeds respectively:

I believe in God, the ground of being;
and in Christ Jesus, light of the world,
who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mary,
who lived amongst the poor, the disinherited, and the dispossessed,
who preached the liberating love of God, fed the hungry, healed the sick, and restored communities,
who under state oppression was executed and buried,
on the third day he rose again from the dead,
ascended to heaven,
returning to the One,
and whose example and teachings continue to guide and inspire us;
and in the Holy Spirit,
the universal church,
the remission of sins,
the communion of the saints,
the liberation of mind and body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

And:

I believe in God, the ground of being, the sustainer of all things,
and in Jesus Christ, child of God, light of the world,
who was suffused with the holy spirit, born of the blessed Mary, lived amongst the poor, the disinherited, and the dispossessed, preached the liberating love of God,
fed the hungry, healed the sick, and loved all of humanity,
suffered under state violence, was executed, died, and was buried,
he descended into Hades and broke open its doors; on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into Deathlessness, and is one with God, the source of all being;
and whose example and teachings continue to guide and inspire us.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the liberation of mind and body, and life everlasting. Amen.

I mainly did it because I wanted to create something that reflected my faith and understanding better and utilized more universal language.

7/2/23

I had one of the most moving and profound religious experiences of my life today. I went to Spirit of Grace and a retired Catholic priest who, perhaps unfairly, gives me weird vibes was presiding. But during the homily, given by Director Vinci, and the rather inclusive liturgy of the Eucharist, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time, if ever. Between their words and my own internal reaching towards the infinite, I honestly felt like God was actually there with me/us in that moment and it gave me waves of chills and an overwhelming feeling that completely washed over me. Usually I might be moved by a homily or service, but I don't ever feel something profound taking place. Certainly not like that. It may have just been a psychophysical reaction, but it was an amazing experience. I didn't write down anything in the moment, so the precise theme and words allude me now, but for a brief moment, I felt the presence of God and it literally moved me to tears.