*(work in progress)
A small path leads from the pastor's office in the church hall through a grassy area towards the entrance of the white country church. The church bells rang. The minister's cassock caught in his steps as he walked quickly through the doors, down the aisle and towards the pulpit. He looked out at the congregation. Seeing smiling and curious faces, he said 'Good Morning Everyone'.
WHAT!? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
Oh no! That was me! I could see myself from someplace outside and somehow from above. How did this happen? This minister was me. Thus, my reflection, 'From Cha Cha to Chaplaincy' began. When I look back at my life, it didn't surprise me to 'see' where I ended up, but to the astonishment of many, it was not on the dance floor.
So, as I draft and craft my history, I came to think that many people may be dancing in my shoes, and can relate to aspects of my story. Dancing with the Divine, my partnership with Spirit and feeling the rhythms of a cosmic life is the sweetest dance I have done so far. The authentic nature of the calling beats guides me deeper into self and Self.
From Cha Cha to Chaplaincy.
In the beginning...
Baptism
They say, I was baptized twice: Once for real and the second time for show. In those days, it was not allowed by the Catholic Church to photograph a Holy Sacrament. I wonder if cameras had been invented during the days of the Egyptian Pharaohs, would the High Priest forbid the use of cameras...after all, there are carved pictures and paintings of Sacred moments and Rites of Passage found in our ancient archaeological sites...things that make you go hmmm!
But, back to my 'first and second' baptism. Fr. Joe was the priest that baptized me. He was a childhood friend of my mom and dad, along with my God-parents. In 1957, they were all adults, in their early to mid twenties. They were ripe and ready for the working adult world and acting as responsible members of the community. But, they still carried excitement like children at heart. The day I was baptized was the same day Fr. Joe was Ordained into the Catholic Priesthood. His friendship with my parents was such that he left his ordination celebration and baptized me 'twice'. I can imagine how exciting it was for Fr. Joe, my parents and God-parents, as these 5 young adults were stepping onto new ground in all the ways that was asked of them that day.
When I was a teenager, I was given a 'baby box'. The box contained things from my childhood. In it was a baby book where my folks documented anything new and monumental from hair growth and eye color to favorite things I played with or things I did. Also in the box were a few papers and pictures I had drawn, tests from elementary school and report cards; things too precious to throw away, but not worthy of permanent wall display. Also, in the box, was a blue and white onesee, (very cute and stylish!), the satin shoes I wore (or maybe I should say - the ones that were put on my feet) for my 'first and second' baptism and my baptism shawl. The shoes and shawl I still have.
The shoes rest in a small box covered with silver paper and a clear lid. They are tiny, shapeless and tinged yellowish with age. They do not appear to be 'everyday shoes'. They are 'fancy shoes', shoes that foretell the future.Who knew where these tiny shoes would lead me?
The shawl has always been draped over the back of a chair in every place I have lived. I have looked at the shawl just about everyday since I got the baby box as a teenager. The shawl always had some type of energy around it. It carried a feeling that I did not think about as something that was odd or unusual. It was 'just my Baptism shawl' - just a part of my past but something natural to have around. At least I felt that way.
As a young boy and into my teen years, my physical and spiritual realities existed simultaneously, rarely separate. I did not see or feel the difference between the two mindsets. In my physical existence, the shawl felt silky and soft. I had imagined how easy it was to allow this soft material to cuddle my infant body. Not scratchy, not heavy, not loose, not tight - just right. In my spiritual reality, the baptism shawl was my sacred skin, my protective blanket. The fabric held the blessings from Fr. Joe and the wishes and promises of my parents and God-parents. Some of these blessings, wishes and promises were spoken out loud in Catholic ritual. But I am sure much of what was wished for, promised and blessed were unspoken words from the 5 people who stood in attendance, to honor my new born life.
I see my shawl as a sacred object that holds some of emotional history from my past. It is a psychic link to my early life. It carries threads of intention in the weave, not only woven by the shawl maker with it's beautiful patterns and knots, but as a tapestry started by Fr. Joe, my mom and dad and God-parents for me to continue to weave and knot in whatever way I may choose to do so. And so life begins for me, with a weave of the spiritual and the physical, beautifully crafted in my Sacred Cloak. What will my tapestry look like?
....to be continued.....
....to be continued.....
* This is a work in progress, an experiment and personal reflection. Any whole or part of this is not to be copied. Blog address may be shared in lieu of copying. Thanks for honoring.
