This can be a weekly abstract of the earlier week’s Every day Meditations. Three of them are penned by Matthew Fox (MF), and three by Gianluigi Gugliermetto (GG). On Monday, we will even proceed to supply a video educating by Matthew.
August 11, 2025: World Lion Day 2025 (MF)
World Lion Day was August tenth, and Matthew believes lions are worthy of being celebrated. Lions symbolize the Aristocracy, magnificence, grace, however they will also be fierce and terrifying. Matthew had a quite profound expertise whereas current at Joanna Macy’s deathbed. Whereas standing there, he invoked many holy beings: the Buddha, the lineage of Dalai Lamas, Thich Nhat Hanh, St. Francis, and Hildegard. When he acquired to Hildegard, Joanna rose from her mattress with a shout. Intuitively, Matthew added, “Hildegard, a lion….” Then he informed Joanna that she was one, too. In each Joanna and Hildegard, there was a deep power and goal that will not be deterred. The lioness is an emblem of the Magna Mater, the Nice Mom.* Absolutely Joanna and Hildegard have been concerning the Magna Mater as effectively.
August 12, 2025: Evil on the Rise and on the Desk: A Name for Lion Power (MF)
In yesterday’s DM, Matthew referred to Hildegard of Bingen as a lion. For this reason: She didn’t mince phrases, even when speaking to emperors, popes, abbots and archbishops. Matthew shares 50 of them in his e-book, Hildegard of Bingen’s Guide of Divine Works plus Letters and Songs. She informed the emperor he was “toddler and a madman.” She mentioned that the grasping have been “snakelike” and “hellish.” We’d like this type of brave lion vitality as we speak as we struggle the nice evil afoot in our world.
August 13, 2025: Flaming Torches and Flickering Lights (GG)
Within the warmth of the summer season, GG typically retreats to his furnished basement with a view to do his work. Whereas there, he discovered that he couldn’t cease pondering of the folks in Gaza, dwelling in scorching warmth, working from one place to a different with a view to get meals to outlive, with out clear water to drink, and hoping to not be killed within the course of. It has been calculated that the extent of destruction in Gaza surpasses many instances that brought on by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many distinguished Jewish and Israeli intellectuals have mentioned that Israel is killing itself whereas committing essentially the most horrific crimes. Ariel Toaff, professor emeritus of historical past on the Bar-Ilan College in Israel, wrote just a few days in the past: I’m not going to speak of the ethical picture of Israel, as a result of it has been lengthy misplaced. Gaza may grow to be the tomb not of Netanyahu and his loopy followers, however ours. And we did nothing to cease him. We’re, in reality, his accomplices. The best but merciless punishment will attain us ultimately. The useless in Gaza, the ladies and the kids, will run after us with their flaming torches proper to the gates of hell.
August 14, 2025: Consciousness of Tragedy (GG)
Tragedy is a robust collective archetype that, when it takes maintain of a gaggle of individuals, could be very onerous to budge. Evil people who find themselves eager on making the most of others will exploit any weak point and lead that group towards destruction. In a tragedy, earlier than the ultimate disaster, there are principally frightened individuals who strive to determine the right way to get out of the lure, however concern hampers their potential. That’s why the assistance from outsiders who’re compassionate folks might be very precious. Within the early 1900’s, many Zionists earnestly believed they have been going to create a brand new society free from persecution and oppression. Most of them had not a clue concerning the colonial and racist nature of this mission. Right this moment, as all the time, our job as ethical and religious folks is that of taking sides in opposition to injustice.
August 15, 2025: The Position of Disgrace (GG)
As we replicate on the state of the world, we can’t assist however deal with the scenario of Donald Trump. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have asserted that his phrases and behaviors clearly and unmistakably present that he suffers from malignant Narcissistic Character Dysfunction (NPD). Narcissists repress emotions of guilt and disgrace and as a substitute mission them outwards in a determined effort to free themselves from them. The query, after all, is how was such a damaged man allowed to realize a lot energy? GG’s buddy, Fr. Richard Rubin, factors to the dynamics of disgrace and guilt, and the way Christianity may very well be understood as an try and “carry the disgrace” (the inappropriate form of disgrace) from folks’s hearts. Dying on a cross in Roman instances was a shameful dying, however GG is satisfied that early Christians “appropriated” such disgrace. By consciously inserting “the crucified” as the inspiration of their neighborhood (see 1 Corinthians 1), they proclaimed that essentially the most humiliated are literally greater than worthy.
The Gaza Horror and Israel’s & America’s Decline in Morality
Israel shouldn’t be as we speak the nation it was in 1961, when Adolf Eichmann, typically referred to as the “architect of the Closing Resolution,” was captured, despite all of the horrors that he perpetrated, there have been components of humanity in the way in which he was handled. However there’s NO humanity current in the way in which Israel is treating the residents of Gaza—avenging the killing of 1,250 Jews by killing 64,000 Palestinians. The oppressed have grow to be the oppressors. And the US is complicit. Not solely Donald Trump however President Biden, too, didn’t verify Netanyahu’s revenge in Gaza in any significant means. It’s our responsibility, as folks of conscience, to talk up.
Really useful Studying
Hildegard of Bingen’s Guide of Divine Works: With Letters and Songs
Right this moment there are numerous web sites and Hildegard teams that remember and honor Hildegard’s teachings, philosophy, artwork, and music. Creator Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this wonderful girl and what we are able to study from her. In an period when ladies have been marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial determine. But so visionary was her perception that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for recommendation. A sixteenth century follower of Martin Luther referred to as her “the primary Protestant” due to her appeals to reform the church. As a author, composer, thinker, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, healer, artist, feminist, and pupil of science, Hildegard was a pioneer in lots of fields in her day.
Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election
Matthew Fox tells us that he had all the time shied away from utilizing the time period “Anti-Christ” as a result of it was so typically used to unfold management and concern. Nonetheless, given as we speak’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables on this e-book using the archetype for the reason for justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a second, for analyzing the archetype of the Antichrist, it’s now…Learn this e-book with an open thoughts. Good and evil are actual forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, writer of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For rapid entry to Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE.
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white photos, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.
To obtain a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for rapid obtain.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Remodeling Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling writer Matthew Fox provides a brand new theology of evil that basically modifications the normal notion of fine and evil and factors the way in which to a extra enlightened therapy of ourselves, each other, and all of nature. In evaluating the Jap custom of the 7 chakras to the Western custom of the 7 capital sins, Fox permits us to suppose creatively about our capability for private and institutional evil and what we are able to do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a greater imaginative and prescient and depth of notion far past the grasp of anybody single science. A breath-taking evaluation.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, writer of Quantum Theology: Non secular Implications of the New Physics
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Consciousness with Social Justice
In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the that means and follow of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the longer term that guarantees private, social, and international therapeutic, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, main the way in which towards a gentler and extra ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate exercise.
“Effectively price our deepest consideration…Places compassion into its correct focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register
Unique Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox lays out an entire new course for Christianity—a course that’s in reality very historical and really grounded in Jewish pondering (the truth that Jesus was a Jew is usually uncared for by Christian theology): the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an prolonged and deeply developed means.
“Unique Blessing makes obtainable to the Christian world and to the human neighborhood a radical treatment for all darkish and derogatory views of the pure world wherever these might have originated.” –Thomas Berry, writer, The Dream of the Earth; The Nice Work; co-author, The Universe Story
*See J.E. Cirlot, A Dictionary of Symbols, pp. 180-182.
Banner picture: “A pair of mating lions, female and male, noticed in Phinda Non-public Sport Reserve.” Picture by Fr Lawrence Lew, OP. Flickr.
