Franciszek C. Kulon

Have you ever noticed that the great masters often painted the angels as children? Here above we see the angels surrounding the mother, the woman, Mother Mary, or what can simply be viewed as the Goddess by many. The Goddess is a spirit as great as God, for there is only one God, one greatness of the Oneness of Being. The Goddess though represents a gentler, empathetic, and more compassionate God than the one found in the Old Testament.

Many times I have heard women say that if only they ruled the human heap we would not have more wars and I think of Margaret Thatcher. But then I agree, it’s the male ego and the male God that haunts everything from boardrooms to banks to the military, and even medicine is adulterated with the sickness of the egotistical macho man. Many women have caught this disease though they fool us pretty well with their smiles and skirts.

If you are one of those strange people who thinks mothering does not matter see the recent research that shows that a loving mother who kisses her child’s boo-boos is providing actual health benefits. New research indicates that can have a lasting effect on health by influencing a person’s risk for chronic inflammation, the immune reaction that is the body’s first line of defense against disease. Subjects who had a warm bond with mom expressed fewer genetic markers of inflammation, which over time can take a toll on the body. Genetic markers are molecules that indicate a gene is being actively turned into protein, in this case proteins that contribute to inflammation. The finding, published online May 18 in Molecular Psychiatry, fits with data indicating that close family ties can protect children from inflammation and disease.

In another recent study, published online April 29 in Psychological Science, researchers found that adolescent girls who reported having harsh family lives growing up—abusive, neglectful or violent—had increasing markers of inflammation during the 18-month study period compared with girls who came from more stable homes. Children are sensitive—extremely so—but they obviously don’t teach doctors and nurses about this. Negative early childhood experiences can actually reduce a person’s life span.

Behind every great man lies a great woman and behind her is her man who stands tall in every way. It is an interesting dance of power between strong men and women but in the end the man has to be the man and the woman the woman, though roles pass back and forth depending on circumstances. But when the two fires merge as equal complementary flames then heaven can be experienced right down here on planet earth.

This is my goddess and I do worship her as the Divine Mother of my children and even of my own heart and soul. It is rare to get a shot of her without her famous winning smile but this picture really captures her stunning beauty that is more than skin deep. From the moment I met her when she was quite young I noticed that she was someone with an especially beautiful being and I felt married to her in my soul long before our first kiss.

When I wrote about our Sanctuary Shrine for the Holy Mother Mary someone wrote me saying, “You have been so blessed. You must ask why? Why would God permit the Mother of the Christ to be experienced by you unless He has a purpose, a mission for you? The Mother of Jesus is the mother of all of us. She is not a goddess, only the most perfect human being God ever created.”

You will see in the essay about the shrine my expressions of feelings of direct connection between my wife and the coming of Mary into my life and this all gets rolled into some giant ball of wax in terms of my mission and purpose in this life. It also speaks of my blessedness of having not only the Goddess inspiring my life from above but also from the side of having the Goddess in physical form nurturing me every day of my life. My beloved wife has inspired me to a level of love I call Divine Romance, which is a level of passion and love that has no end.

Yes I just had to share her smile with you after mentioning it. You all should know that behind me is a great woman who knows everything about beauty and grace. She is more beautiful in her soul than I could hope to be. I might be more creative but where it counts in everyday life she wins the hand all the time. I certainly had a lot to learn about love and about becoming loving and beautiful myself to deserve such a woman. I count the decades and the seas of suffering that it took to learn about my own self-blindness—my ego that separated me from everything and everybody else.

Special Note: This post is my holiday gift to my readers and it’s a good time for everyone to recognize the common source of many of our traditions and holidays.

The New York Times printed today, “The transition from Roman paganism to Christianity, with its similar rites, took several centuries. With the Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in the fourth century, customs were quickly appropriated and refashioned, as the sun and God’s son became inextricably entwined. Thus, although the New Testament gives no indication of Christ’s actual birthday (early writers preferring a spring date), in 354 Pope Liberius declared it to have befallen on Dec. 25. The advantages of Christmas Day being celebrated then were obvious. As the Christian commentator Syrus wrote: “It was a custom of the pagans to celebrate on the same Dec. 25 the birthday of the sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity …. Accordingly, when the church authorities perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day.”

There are many ways to worship what is most high in this universe of ours and one of the greatest worships is found in the shaping of our own worth. The point of religion and worship is to somehow get oneself out of one’s own ego, out of one’s own sense of self or self-consciousness. There are many ways to do this but the ones that slowly transform our gross ego self into something a bit more refined are the ones we are looking for. Love is what this is all about.