In one of my essays in late '21 or early '22 I wrote, fairly spontaneously, that "man gave us Covid-19; God gave us omicron." If you also search Igor Chudov's fine substack from around the same period, you'll find his discussion of, and links to, science-smarties who think omicron must have been synthesized and released by some group of scientists, perhaps ones linked to the posited Big Conspiracy, perhaps ones combatting it. i seem to remember Eugyppius also speculating in that direction. For it just did everything we most needed at the time, as you indicate. Call it the lab-origin hypothesis about omicron, and there really seemed to be some signs, as far as I can judge, that this could be the case. However, that trail seems to have gone cold, and no new evidence has emerged which I am aware of to support that thesis. And in any case, you're right that omicron had all the characteristics of a gift from God--to the possible objection that it has nonetheless killed some, one can say that it seems that most of the (few) who sucuumb these days to one of its variants have suffered immune-system damage from the vaxxes. Anyhow, as you also say, little gratitude-driven thinking, grateful to either nature or God, came about due to its emergence.
A "white-hat" scientist released omicron. That's the rumor. But it isn't a rumor - the grand "white-hat" is God and he released it. Thank you Lord for caring about us, because we don't care about ourselves.
Didn't have to look up Epiphany, having belonged to a liturgical (former Congregational) church. But that was a while ago, and it did help to hear again what it represents.
It's interesting if you go through one full year of the traditional Catholic calendar to see how many feasts there are and why they are celebrated. There was a reason for them and they really do "keep your eye on the prize." Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. Yet another thing to ponder - the reason for family and why society wants to destroy the family.
I may have mentioned that I left the church twice, for long spans of time, over issues relating to the way churches behave. I strayed very far off course in my wanderings away, and required not one but two divine interventions to bring me back. The second time I landed in an apostate modernist/progressive liturgical church that went through their calendar each year (simpler than yours), reading the readings, decorating the altar with the colors, and barely believing in God, let alone in Jesus as God. It was confusing and rather bizarre, but it was also rather close to what I myself believed when I arrived there.
What they taught was not particularly helpful. It was the liturgy itself that became my guide. God used it that way. It included Advent, Epiphany, Lent (including Ash Wednesday), Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. Some Sundays had special names, like Trinity Sunday (and Reformation Sunday, but never mind that).
The next two churches were non-liturgical, but the one I belong to now I would call "semi". They observe Advent and Lent (no Ash Wednesday), without heavy emphasis, and that's it. Still, I'm glad to see those rather than nothing.
I never resolved all of my issues with churches. Instead, I learned to center around Bible teaching itself, and to tolerate church peculiarities (and worse) rather than forsaking assembling with others. That's rather surprising considering some of the things I used to believe, but that is where it all has led. I really hope God had something to do with that. Everything to do with it.
Thank you for writing about your journey. Someday I should write a post about mine, which also included divine interventions - namely a long "dark night of the soul." As you say, churches are not perfect because they are led by people. None of us are perfect. I left my last church because of covid insanity.
"Instead, I learned to center around Bible teaching itself, and to tolerate church peculiarities (and worse) rather than forsaking assembling with others. "
Covid insanity can be especially hard to tolerate. I left my previous two churches for reasons related to it, although the details are nuanced. I attribute a considerable part of that to the number of confused/deceived/coerced medical workers in them, respected as authorities and sending the wrong messages. I run into those people at my present church but avoid having run-ins with them. We have conversations, in which I learn more about their world.
In this later part of my life, since my second return, it takes a divine intervention to get me to LEAVE a church. There have been four so far, and now covid insanity has made it nearly impossible to keep personal connections with the people I knew there. I'm sad, but such are the times in which we are living.
I learn so much from reading your posts especially about important historical events in Jesus's life. Like the celebration of Epiphany and the event of Circumcision. These are new celebrations for me as I was raised in a Congrational Bible church. My paternal grandmother was Lutheran and my Fraternal grandmother was Methodist so I really never considered myself a Protestant as I identified as a Christian. I once belonged to a prayer group of Catholic women and loved the experience. Thank you for sharing your religious life and your prayers that are humbling and inspiring. May God bless you and Pug in this new year!!
Thank you Charlotte so much for reading and your wonderful comments. I learn so much from you as well. I assume most people's eyes glaze over when I talk about Catholic "things" such as feast days, etc. But that's ok. My eyes glazed over too and I've been a Catholic my entire life, although a lapsed Catholic for most of it. The history of the Church is really the history of the world in a microcosm. At least that is what I've found. God Bless you Charlotte and your family!
15“If you love me, you will keep[f] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."
Amen Perplexity - such a beautiful passage. I'm going to place that on my computer screen to bolster me when I feel frustrated with this world and it's inability to see the truth.
In one of my essays in late '21 or early '22 I wrote, fairly spontaneously, that "man gave us Covid-19; God gave us omicron." If you also search Igor Chudov's fine substack from around the same period, you'll find his discussion of, and links to, science-smarties who think omicron must have been synthesized and released by some group of scientists, perhaps ones linked to the posited Big Conspiracy, perhaps ones combatting it. i seem to remember Eugyppius also speculating in that direction. For it just did everything we most needed at the time, as you indicate. Call it the lab-origin hypothesis about omicron, and there really seemed to be some signs, as far as I can judge, that this could be the case. However, that trail seems to have gone cold, and no new evidence has emerged which I am aware of to support that thesis. And in any case, you're right that omicron had all the characteristics of a gift from God--to the possible objection that it has nonetheless killed some, one can say that it seems that most of the (few) who sucuumb these days to one of its variants have suffered immune-system damage from the vaxxes. Anyhow, as you also say, little gratitude-driven thinking, grateful to either nature or God, came about due to its emergence.
A "white-hat" scientist released omicron. That's the rumor. But it isn't a rumor - the grand "white-hat" is God and he released it. Thank you Lord for caring about us, because we don't care about ourselves.
Didn't have to look up Epiphany, having belonged to a liturgical (former Congregational) church. But that was a while ago, and it did help to hear again what it represents.
It's interesting if you go through one full year of the traditional Catholic calendar to see how many feasts there are and why they are celebrated. There was a reason for them and they really do "keep your eye on the prize." Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. Yet another thing to ponder - the reason for family and why society wants to destroy the family.
I may have mentioned that I left the church twice, for long spans of time, over issues relating to the way churches behave. I strayed very far off course in my wanderings away, and required not one but two divine interventions to bring me back. The second time I landed in an apostate modernist/progressive liturgical church that went through their calendar each year (simpler than yours), reading the readings, decorating the altar with the colors, and barely believing in God, let alone in Jesus as God. It was confusing and rather bizarre, but it was also rather close to what I myself believed when I arrived there.
What they taught was not particularly helpful. It was the liturgy itself that became my guide. God used it that way. It included Advent, Epiphany, Lent (including Ash Wednesday), Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. Some Sundays had special names, like Trinity Sunday (and Reformation Sunday, but never mind that).
The next two churches were non-liturgical, but the one I belong to now I would call "semi". They observe Advent and Lent (no Ash Wednesday), without heavy emphasis, and that's it. Still, I'm glad to see those rather than nothing.
I never resolved all of my issues with churches. Instead, I learned to center around Bible teaching itself, and to tolerate church peculiarities (and worse) rather than forsaking assembling with others. That's rather surprising considering some of the things I used to believe, but that is where it all has led. I really hope God had something to do with that. Everything to do with it.
Thank you for writing about your journey. Someday I should write a post about mine, which also included divine interventions - namely a long "dark night of the soul." As you say, churches are not perfect because they are led by people. None of us are perfect. I left my last church because of covid insanity.
"Instead, I learned to center around Bible teaching itself, and to tolerate church peculiarities (and worse) rather than forsaking assembling with others. "
This is me too.
Covid insanity can be especially hard to tolerate. I left my previous two churches for reasons related to it, although the details are nuanced. I attribute a considerable part of that to the number of confused/deceived/coerced medical workers in them, respected as authorities and sending the wrong messages. I run into those people at my present church but avoid having run-ins with them. We have conversations, in which I learn more about their world.
In this later part of my life, since my second return, it takes a divine intervention to get me to LEAVE a church. There have been four so far, and now covid insanity has made it nearly impossible to keep personal connections with the people I knew there. I'm sad, but such are the times in which we are living.
I learn so much from reading your posts especially about important historical events in Jesus's life. Like the celebration of Epiphany and the event of Circumcision. These are new celebrations for me as I was raised in a Congrational Bible church. My paternal grandmother was Lutheran and my Fraternal grandmother was Methodist so I really never considered myself a Protestant as I identified as a Christian. I once belonged to a prayer group of Catholic women and loved the experience. Thank you for sharing your religious life and your prayers that are humbling and inspiring. May God bless you and Pug in this new year!!
Thank you Charlotte so much for reading and your wonderful comments. I learn so much from you as well. I assume most people's eyes glaze over when I talk about Catholic "things" such as feast days, etc. But that's ok. My eyes glazed over too and I've been a Catholic my entire life, although a lapsed Catholic for most of it. The history of the Church is really the history of the world in a microcosm. At least that is what I've found. God Bless you Charlotte and your family!
Sadly, no surprise.
So few will listen, when God speaks.
"John 14:
15“If you love me, you will keep[f] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."
Amen Perplexity - such a beautiful passage. I'm going to place that on my computer screen to bolster me when I feel frustrated with this world and it's inability to see the truth.