Mr. Ring

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JoshIndustries/mr-ring

New Website

Greetings, I would like to invite all readers of my blog to check out my website focusing on the First Millenium after Christ.https://sites.google.com/view/firstthosandyears?usp=sharing May the Light of Lights and King of Kings be with you always.

The First Millenium Start

There were other empires in Eur-Asia when Constintinethe Great moved the capitol of Rome to the East.The Persians were the principal antogonists to Rome. Egypt was the breadbasket of the Roman Empire (Eastern and Western), and would have made a perfect new breadbasket for the prodgeny of Alexander the Great and Darius the Great's daughter and thier respective courts. The two great emipires waged war for hundreds of years. The costs ( not just finicial) of which caused the begining of the collapse of Rome some 800 years after ceasation of final blows and implentation of treaty, and the fall of Persia. The first thousand years of the Mediterrian region Anno Domini, until the non-arabian conquests of Qureshi Tribe, must be include a discussion and the effects of the almost 700 year off and on Roman-Persian Wars. Monarchies in the East were non-heriditary for a time, ruled by certain falimlies for a time won by deceit, murder, or merit during times; if there is any monarchal system through Time that showed mutli-facetthed sussecion techniques,the Eastern Empire definately ranks high.

First Vieo Poduced

This is a video I made about the Basilica of Saint Vitalius, whose church was built in Ravenna after the Romans retook Northern Italy from the Arian Ostrogoths.

A New Website Made by Your's Truly

Sorry for all the redirects, the interwebs can be real stupid Hahahahahahaha Now the link option for blogger isnt working. Please copy and paste thelink below for the content ( I have four connecting pages, and serveral videos, including one I made,lol. Google and GoDaddy are making this sooo freaking difficult. But great Thank you so much for going through all this, and Kind regards. Copy and paste into your browser, and you'll be there! :) https://sites.google.com/view/enjoyandprosper?usp=sharing

The Fall of The Carolingians -Part I

Good morning, 

Charlemagne died in 814. His only son to make it into adulthood was Loius the Pious, who Charlemagne tasked with governing Aquataine. In 813, Charlemagne, through no action of the Papacy, crowned Loius Co-Empereror. Louis the Pious had three children, one of whom was by Judith, his second wife. This was Charles the Bald; Charles the Bald's older half brothers were Loithar I and Loius the German. Louis the Pious decided that his father's empire ( Charlemagne ) would be split among his 3 sons. Charlemagne the Bald would have West Francia, Lothar I would have the central regions encompassing ( from South to North) The Kingdom of Italy, Provence, Burgundy, and the North Sea coast. Loithar, out of Loius the Pious' issue was given the title Emperor and again " King of Italy." The two titles for a thousand went hand-in-hand, as an individual who was "King of Italy" could easily lay claim to "Emeperor" by virtue of his title " King of Italy." The Treaty of Verdun formally governed these things. The kingdom that Charlemagne conquered was preserved - despite Lious the Pious' wishes- in whole and ruled one of his heirs until Guy of Spoletto recieved the Imeperatus Augustus in the 891 ( See below). 

Loius the Pious' children did not see eye to and unfortunately fought hand to hand over whether or not to break up Charlemagne's lands. Lothar I wanted no part of splitting them. Many clerics of Alcuin's thought process agreed: they viewed the Charlegmagne's empire as the vehicle through which notions of Roman concepts of order and " Symphonia."

 Louis II, upon his father's Lothair's I death, recieved with a co-ruler the title's King of Italy and Emperor. He died in 875, and the title's of " King of Italy" and Emperor went to his uncle, Charles the Bald, at the behest of Pope John VIII. Loius the German, Charles' brother, invaded Italy in hopes to seize the crown, but was not able. Charles the Bald died two years later. The crown next went to Charles the Fat, Charles the Bald's nephew, son of Louis the German. 

Time to breath, lol! The remmenants and dispersment of Charlemagne's Empire to the rise of Odo's grandson Hugh Capet is some of the most complex history ever.

The Apostle to the North

In the 6th Century, Saint Columbanus did much to iniate the conversion of the Franks, which was fueled by the baptism of Clovis in the 4th. Saint Boniface continued this missionary work with the Germans. These two greats did not talk with the Saxons ( whose  conversion process was discussed yesterday) nor with the Nordic people. Credit cannot be given enough to the monastics for this growth. In the 9th Century ( 800s), Christianity reached these groups, primarily through the work of Saint Ansgar. Ansgar, whose mother died early in his life, was sent to the monastary of the venerable Corbie Abbey. Corbie was noted for its library and Scriptorum, and its abbot had the right to mint coins. The Abbey was closed under the dastardly French Revolution, and it's library moved. I am attaching a link to the life of Ansgar, as well as a picture of the still-standing abbey church. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansgar

de Capitulatio de Partibus Saxonae

Greetings, 

Many gloss of the First Millennium of Christian Europe in deference to a study of the High Middle Ages ( 1100-1300). The High Middle Ages were indeed glorious, as it saw the Christianization of Aristotle, as well as the re-implimentation in Western Europe of a proper understanding of The Sciences and The Arts. 

Charlemagne very well could have reunited East and West, as a marriage was sought between the first emperor of the West ( Charlemagne) and Irene, Empress of the East. The talks broke, as well they should have if authentic matrimonal love did not exist between the two. This is an aside. Charlemagne's efforts to defeat The Saxons (760s-804) also saw a forced conversion of that people to Christianity. This was codified in the "Capitulatio de Partibus Saxoniae." Saxons were to convert; if they did not, death was the consequence. Alcuin, the great monk and cleric of Charlemagne's court, strongly fought against this action when it came time to battle the Avars. This is all evidenced in Richard Fletcher's book concerning the conversion of Western Europe. 

Pope Benedict XVI noted the teachings of Christianity are suggestions. The freedom to act according to one's conscience not only amplifies the inherent dignity of each human because he/she is a human, but also is present in the very Paschal ( Greek for " saving") actions of Christ. In the Garden, He sweeted blood because He did not want to die. He made the choice: " Fiat voluntatas Tua," or " Thy will be done." Holy Alcuin, pray for us.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulatio_de_partibus_Saxoniae

Libri Carolini

Libri Carolini - Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libri_Carolini

The Iconoclast Contresversy cannot be overlooked for several reasons. Firstly, the Holy Doctrine that images can and should be venerated gives conclusion to the Eastern Orthodox view that all that is needed for full Divine Revelation to Man is contained within the Seven Eccumenical Councils. Secondly, the Iconoclast debate ( 700s-900s) laid the framework a for Ceasaro-Papist governance ( bamm Charlemagne was crowned Emporor of the West, and it started, lol) in Western Europe ( Cesaro-Papists viewed the Pope's role was to pray and the Emperor's role was to achieve The Church's Mission on Earth). The Eastern Roman Empire was always this way. #gobyzantinelife

The Libri Carolini was Charlemagne's response to Second Nicea ( where Saint  Theodora declared the above- mentioned Iconoclasm "anathema sit", lol."). In it, he said, " No", to Second Nicea and "No" to Rome, who had already agreed with Theodora in the East. This info is valuable because many who study European History today assume that, " Oh, Rome has always governed Western European Theology." No, the Franks quickly set up a life where they were to make their own doctrine, lol. And this actually congrues more with traditional teaching on the degree of power a bishop holds- he is seen as the " Corporate Sole" of The Diocese.

So, France in the 800s was fiercely Iconoclast. Rome was not. The Libri Carolini, according to Dr. John Rao, contain a lot of negative things about Greek-speaking Christians. This, is a beginning of the Great Schism, sadly. It was so, so not about The Filoque, I agrue. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_17?ie=UTF8&n=283155&k=a+love+life+lived+by+josh+hart&sprefix=A+Love+Life+Lived

Greetings Windows Live Viewers

 

I am a former Seminarian and candidate for Monastic Life at Subiaco Abbey. I invite you to check out my blog at  http://pistismysterion.blogspot.com/

May God bless you richly now and always.

Readings, Reflection, and link to Morning Prayer for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Podcast of today's readings ( just scroll down and click on Fe. 16):http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm

Watch a brief reflection on today's readings :http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm

Join me at 10:30 AM for Morning Prayer. It is shown on a Livestream channel linked below. Peace, :).
 

A Few Words, Ya'll!! :)

             The Feast of Corpus Christi aids in comprehension of the sacredness of the family, as all feasts, solemnities, prayers, actions, and sacraments should do.  This is because all these actions and mechanisms point to the life death and resurrection of Christ. Sacred Scripture and Tradition help us see how the official celebration of the Body and Blood of our Lord relates to the Holy Family. We begin with God saving his chosen ones in Egypt from Pharaoh.  Here the first Passover from death to life occurred; God asked his families to sacrifice one lamb. Focus here is given to what was done with the blood of the Passover lamb: it was placed on the doorposts of the houses of the children of Israel as an identifying mark. And in Jewish homes throughout the world today, too, the blood of the lamb is symbolically blessed and spiritually placed on doors.  

Blood scripturally symbolizes life; when the Israelites enslaved in Egypt placed blood on their doorposts, they placed life on their doorposts. In Judah, priests poured the blood of animals brought as thanksgiving offerings at the foot of the altar. Thus they remembered, thanked, and implored God to continue to give his life-giving grace. Here, in a study of the history of humanity’s salvation, we observe in the Temple the same life giving element, blood, that we observe protecting the homes of the Israelites whom participated in the first Passover.  God’s life giving grace is perhaps seen easily in the sanctuary. The same life-giving grace nourishing and protecting the Church and its Jewish brothers and sisters is the same grace nourishing and protecting our homes.   

Morning Prayer, Catholic style: Hit it up!

In the Benedictus, the sometimes, inexpressibly beautiful Morning Song of Christianity, Zechariah, mute for a substantial amount of time, bursts into words after hear God's Message from the Archangel Gabriel. In the hymn, Holy Mother Church sings with Zechariah about, his son, John the Baptist, and the great announcement of salvation to the many through the forgiveness of their sins. More poignantly, however, the Church is reminded and renewed in, through, and with "The dawn from on high", Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Another noteworthy event, or saying in the Canticle of Zechariah, taken from the opening chapters of Luke's Gospel, is the sentence, "He (God) promised to free us from our enemies." So, so more often that not, dear friends, those enemies are in the interior life of ourselves, rather than in other people or objects around us. God promised us interior freedom; the freedom and opportunity to cleanse ourselves, with the help of His grace, from those things that each human has inside himself or herself that blocks that particular person from a fruitful relationship with God.

Hand or Mouth

Receiving Communion via the hand or having the priest place the Consecrated Host directly on the tongue is, unfortunately, a controversial subject in the Roman Catholic Church ( in Eastern Catholic Rites all faithful receive the inctincted Eucharist -  the Consecrated Host dipped in the Precious Blood of Our Lord - in the mouth directly  from the priest or deacon via an extended spoon).
           The purpose here is to understand what actually happened at the Passover meal Our Lord shared with his Apostles, and secondly to point out that a discussion of that particular Passover meal occurs nowhere in the Gospel of John; when we look for a discussion of it in John, we look to John Ch. 6, which is a prefiguration of the last Passover meal Jesus (while in space and time) shared with His Apostles. Why I am I referring to the events Roman Catholics celebrate on Holy Thursday as a Passover meal rather than the Eucharist? Because the Supreme Sacrifice that is Jesus’ death, the only acceptable Sacrifice to the Father for Man's sins) reopened the gates of Heaven to the many and defeated Satan once and for all time occurred on Good Friday, not Holy Thursday.
          Let's look at the several actions of the Passover meal our Lord shared with His Apostles: the first one we want to look at for our purposes is that the Apostles with Our Lord reclined, not necessarily at tables like we know them today, but on low couches, and the table may have been several clothes, on the floor, placed on top of on another. They reclined by leaning back on their left elbows. This put the Beloved Disciple right at Our Lord's breast. Our Lord had already announced to the group that one of them would betray him. The Beloved Disciple intimately said to Jesus, because it was an intimate situation for all, "who is it." Jesus replied, it is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." (John 13)
         So, let's keep our close look at the setting and events. The twelve were reclined on their left elbows and shoulders, and the way that each would Jesus feed the disciple to his right was to lean over his left shoulder with the bread dipped in wine and place in it that disciples mouth, much as new husbands and wives do as they feed each other pieces of wedding cake at the reception as a great sign of intimacy and love.
      The Apostle at Jesus's right was Judas, and Jesus feed him in the above mentioned manner, looked back over his shoulder and said to Judas, "whatever you do, do quickly."
       How does this apply to the way in which Roman Catholics receive what is now Christ Crucified, because it is after Good Friday, 2013 years after the Supreme Sacrifice for man's fall from Grace? Well, the priest, while administering the Sacraments is in persona Christi, or in the person of Christ, standing in the place Our Lord. Those in formation for the Priesthood of Jesus Christ usually get used to handling the Body and Blood of Our Lord by receiving him in the hand, as I was instructed by my seminary professor while I was in formation. The Church, however, can not specifically order her faithful to receive the sacrament one particular way, nor would she want to do that. But perhaps the faithful are loosing a degree of that intimate relationship and love that Christ has for them and hopefully they return for Christ, by not receiving the Consecrated Host on the tongue, from the priest who at that moment, is standing in the place of Christ Himself.

A Royal Priesthood: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting: Three Critical El...

A Royal Priesthood: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting: Three Critical El...: A wonderful exercise I recommend for  adults and older adolescents is a reading of Romans Chapter 12 each day of Lent. It takes maybe f...

A Note on the Psalms

Hi...How are ya? May God's grace bless each and every person who is drawn to this blog. Today, I would like to offer an insight into the psalms, and hopefully it will be the cause of spiritural growth for us all.

The use of pronouns is everywhere in the psalms. Perphaps the prounoun "I" is used most often as in Psalm 3, begining at verse 4:

But you, LORD, are a shield around me;                         

my glory, you keep my head high.

With my own voice I will call out to the LORD,

and he will answer me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and I fall asleep,

I will wake up, for the LORD sustains me.

I do not fear, then, thousands of people

arrayed against me on every side.

Arise, LORD! Save me, my God!

For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes;

you break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation is from the LORD!

Yes, these terms apply to me, Josh. In fact the Psalms can be viewed in the first person through the eyes of David, or the Psalmist, through Our Lord's eyes, and through our own perspective (for example, the phrase "I will lie down and I will fall asleep, I will awake up for the LORD sustains me." refers to David's overwhelming doubt that he can beat his enemy in battle, but nonetheless the Lord sees him through to victory. In addition, it refers to Jesus cruxifiction and Ressurection, the paschal actions that opened once and for all the gates of Heaven to humanity. Or these lines can refer tp God's Grace protecting me through out the typical night, and Him allowing me to wake-up in the morning). 

These three significant outcomes of the Psalms occur whether or not we think about them. And they can all happen at the same time. My point in this blog is too put out and fourth signifigant implication of the use of the pronoun "I" or "me." It refers to the Church Herself, and oh how this can add to the greatness of praying the Psalms. For instance, the phrase "Arise, LORD! Save me, my God" is a cry of the Church! of all Her people!

The Holy Spirit unifes the Church and the connection between the pronoun "I" and Holy Mother Church emphises this truth.

God,
Send Your Spirit to pen our ears to hear
Your Word, Your Truth. May the saving acts
of Jesus Christ, Your son, our Lord bring us
to Everlasting Life, where You live and reign with
Him, and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen

A Prayer for the Living

Father Almighty,

My lips were made to praise you,
and my mind was made to contemplate you.
Today, make these organs function as you intended,
through Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 

Psalm 24: An Advent Hymm

Psalm 24's imagary is almost as striking lyrically as it's content meaningful.  The poet writes, " Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter." (Ps. 24:9)  This pslam suggests a fruitful spirtual life requires a continous cleaning of the fog that blocks us from intimacy with God. The gates here are our inward imaturities and self-seeking, worldly goals. A daily fight to open our hearts to Christ's Peace is a necessity, and there is no better time than Advent to recognize this fact. 

Alighty and Merciful God,

May no earthly undertaking hinder those 

who set out in haste to meet your Son. 
But may our learning of Heavenly wisdom

gain us admittance into His company.

Grant this through Christ, Our Lord,

who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

An Important Theological Note

In both the Eastern and Western Christian tradition, the priest or deacon kisses not only the Altar of God as he enters/exists the sanctuary, but kisses also the Word of God after he finishes reading the Gospel. These actions present a truth that God is present in not only in the Sacrements and the Asembly of the Faithful, but also in Sacred Scripture. May more individuals observe this fact and quicken to life in the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Front page of the Douay-Rheims text