The Laughing Mystics: An unorthodox journey through the liturgical year

23rd Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now time. Lots of laughter as we tackle some very tough readings.

We ask ourselves (and you) this question: "What tempts me in my daily life? What is hard for me to renounce or let go of?"

 "If it is true that the ability to be puzzled is the beginningof wisdom, then this truth is a sad commentary on the wisdom of modern man. Whatever the merits of our high degree of literar...

22nd Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. We explore the Hebrew word for humility.

Excerpts quoted from this site. “How am I using the Divine gifts that have been given to me? Am I reaching my own potential for greatness?”

This sentiment is powerfully encapsulated in the Hebrew word for humility, anavah. While the English word humility originates from the Latin, humilis, meaning meekness or lowliness,  anavah stems from the w...

21st Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time.

We talk about the challenge of diversity and ask the question, “Who makes me uncomfortable?”

We explore the idea that we are all fugitives in a strange land and the integration of all parts in the Kingdom.

We talk about the power of discipline to create strength through practice.

Laura mentions her longing for a loving community and uses the Greek word agape.

We mention the author of ...

A juicy episode! We talk about the symbolism Jeremiah and the cistern. 

We mention the movement of an ancient Sicilian symbol and Celtic knots

We explore addiction to suffering and the danger of numbing out to the problems of the world, and "Midwest nice”

 Laura mentions alchemy and the stage of Calcinatio.

The Sunday Readings

Thank you for listening! Questions? Comments? Or bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like ...

19th Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now.

Lots of great people and resources named in this episode:

Laura mentions Jungian Marie Louise Von Franz several times.

Marci mentions Greek philosophy's focus on knowledge, justice, and the good. 

We talk about 3 books by Karen Armstrong.

 We mention mythologist Michael Meade, and poet Mary Oliver, and "Interior Castle" by Teresa of Avila.

Laura tells a story from Joseph Camp...

We talk about the Death Cafe movement.

Marci sings! We explore worry habits, choice, whirlpools, lessons in fairy tales, and the book, Teilhard de Chardin Seven Stages of Suffering.

Laura tells an old story of "Rabbi Hockum."

The Sunday Readings

Thank you for listening! Questions? Comments?

Please send to Laughing.Mystics@gmail.com

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 17th Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now time.

We talk about haggling with God and the power of the individual to save the world.

 We mention the relationship between the the exercises of St. Ignatius, and Jung's active imagination.

Marci offers several different versions of the Lord’s prayer.

Laura wanted to cut the vulnerable story she tells about her dad but she kept it in.

The Sunday Readings

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The 16th Sunday of the Kingdom of Heaven is Now.

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We dive deep into all three readings. Laura references the book " Abraham : the man and the symbol ; a Jungian interpretation of the biblical story."

What Laura forgot, "... the Sages also divided the functions of the angels’ mission int...

The 15th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now time.

Laura mentions another podcast, This Jungian Life.

She also mentions alchemy and this quote -"A fool who persists in his folly will eventually become wise"

-William Blake

Marci mentions a prayer from Thomas Merton and this bible quote.

Laura quotes from Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese

She also mentions her work teaching emotional intelligence.

We also talk about Matthew Fox and Th...

14th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now.

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We discuss the power of home. Laura mentions "nous," a concept she's heard from Ilia Delio. Heavy stuff.

"Pierre Teilhard de Chardin saw the emergence of a new type of person with computer technology, an evolution of consciousness that led to a new level of cosmic life, what he called the “noosphere” (from the Greek “nous” o...

In this episode Marci sings a song! We talk about miracles, doubt and faith.  

A joke from Joseph Campbell (also attributed to Thomas Merton!)

And another Campbell quote that made Marci laugh.  

Laura mentions the noncanonical Gnostic books featuring St. Peter. The Apocalypse of Peter, Letter of Peter to Philip and Apocryphon of James (among others).

We mention The Last Temptation of Christ film

And Laura tells the story behind her no-b...

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Marci shares some of her research on Julian of Norwich.

Laura struggles in this episode. We confess: some of the material (latter third) was added later.

Lots of poetry in this episode, including a section from Blessing the Bread by Lynn Unger, Marci's poem, Learning Slowly, and Laura’s poem, Take One...

Marci talks about her use of different pronouns for God.

We reflect on what we learned during a recent talk from Ilia Delio.

We mention Teilhard de Chardin (as we often do) and the challenge of using words like “god” or “love."

 We discuss Jung's concept of “eros” and “logos." And Edinger's thoughts on endurance.

We talk about individualism and faith, and the book The Gift and The Serviceberry.

"Christ, as...

We talk about fire and wind and the sometimes unpredictable power of groups under the religious impulse.

We discuss the work and a video of Ilia Delio, outlining her inspirational message. And a juicy quote from her.

Laura  talks about her ecstatic experiences in prayer.

We  struggle with the second reading (Romans) and explore the meanings of the word “love.”

Marci suggests Mirabai Starr's book Wild Mercy.

 The Sunday Readings.

Than...

We talk about the problem of “always looking up.” Laura mentions Jungian James Hillman

 We talk about the the political and economic power of the church.

 Laura and Marci swim in the deep waters of Hebrews and Atonement theory.

[There is a] . . . continued and progressive divine incarnation. Thus man is received and integrated into the divine drama. He seems destined to play a decisive part in it; that is why he must receive the Holy...

We talk about controversies in the early church and today.  

Marci offers a great exercise for listening deeply to others.  

We explore following literal laws of the church vs. the law of love.

 We talk about Laura’s love of rocks and her gift of petoskey stones.  

Marci recommends "Ordinary Mysticism :Your Life as Sacred Ground" By Mirabai Starr

"Christ, as a particular concrete manifestation of the Holy Spirit, must die in order for ...

A thought-provoking and joyful discussion. 20% more laughter in this episode!

We talk about the apostle Barnabas and his Epistle, and the Gnostic Bible.

Also the conflict of opposites and quotes by Edward Edinger and Carl Jung

We explore the connotations of the word "glory" as well as the Jungian terms, inflation and conjunctio (from Jung's study of alchemy).

We reflect on brokenness and share more personal stories as p...

Laura and Marci talk about faith. Laura offers this quote by Carl Jung.

Also this quote, talking about the Apocalypse. Christ was the first attempt of the God-image to incarnate and transform itself. Now, the second time around, humanity as a whole and not just one person is going to be the subject of that process. God is going to incarnate in humanity as a whole....
Edward Edinger, from his book- Archetype of the Apocalypse.

Marci m...

A happy conversation. We talk about the change in consciousness within the early Christians. We explore the concept of the "Second Coming."

Marci reads this poem -

Antiphon for Divine Wisdom By Hildegard of Bingen, Translated By Barbara Newman

Sophia!

you of the whirling wings,

circling encompassing

energy of God:

you quicken the world in your clasp.

One wing soars in heaven

one wing sweeps the earth

and the third flies all aroun...