sacramental

In 1830, the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, a French nun, and asked the sister to create what has come to be known as The Miraculous Medal, a sacramental that holds a special place in the heart of many Catholics.

The Miraculous Medal was originally called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception. Because of the numerous accounts of miracles by those who wore it, people began to call it the Miraculous Medal, and the name stuck. The medal is also called the Medal of Our Lady of Graces and is a visual reminder of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Find out more about The Miraculous Medal at https://miraculousmedal.org.

Maryann Ridini Spencer is host of The Mystical Rose Podcast.

Visit Maryann Ridini Spencer's Website.

For more on The Mystical Rose PODCAST.

In this episode, we jump off from the coronation of HM Charles III to explore the idea of broad sacramentality, of those moments and places God chooses to make himself manifest.

Things referenced:

Hans Boersma, Scripture As Real Presence.

S. T. Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834

Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSDZj_jh5cE

K. Albert Little from "The Cordial Catholic" Podcast interviews Eric about his book, "Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind." Together they discuss the seven sacraments and why a sacramental worldview is so necessary and so different from their evangelical background. Link to The Cordial Catholic: http://podcast.thecordialcatholic.com/

Eric asks Pat 5 questions mainly about philosophy that he has two minutes to respond to. Pat did not see the questions beforehand. Pat asks Eric 5 questions mainly about theology that Eric has never seen. He also has two minutes to respond to each question. Welcome to the two-minute drill!

Buy Eric's Book - "Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08992KQG8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

"Rooted in love, grounded in grace, and imbued with the reality of the Incarnation, the seven sacraments of God’s Holy Catholic Church are the supreme means by which union with God is achieved. The sacramental life is the life of the “veil torn” par excellence." (Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind)

My book, "Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind", is now available for purchase on Amazon! 

Link to my new book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08992KQG8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

What are sacraments? How are they different from symbols? Join Pat and I as we discuss the power of God at work in the sacraments, and my new book on the sacraments called, "Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind". 

Link to my new book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08992KQG8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

My new book, "Thoughts of a Sacramental Mind", comes out through Amazon on Monday, June 1, 2020! Nearly two years in the making, this book is finally going into the wild. Join me today as I give you the story of how and why I wrote this book. 

My illustrator, Rocio Ortiz, is very gifted and I certainly recommend her for the creative projects you may have. Here is her website:

https://www.rocioortiz.com/

Welcome to Episode 59. 

In this episode I have the honor of interviewing Bishop Rebecca Lee Pierce, she was recently consecrated a bishop within the Convergent Christian Communion at their recent General Assembly on February 16 of 2020.  Bishop Rebecca has graduate degrees in nursing administration, health service administration, and health law.  She has been a nurse, an educator, and an Air Force officer.  She is retired from a long career in nursing but is starting her new vocation as a bishop.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

Welcome to episode 56.  In this episode, I have the honor of interviewing Kathleen Ostlie.

Kathleen enjoys learning, writing, and speaking on a variety of esoteric topics; mainly dealing with the western esoteric tradition.  She is dedicated to the search and application of truth which has been central to her since childhood and is what inspired her to pursue external and personal education in Philosophy. She is a published poet and essay writer. Kathleen is also an artist, business marketer, freelance writer, counselor, tutor, and event/ retreat organizer.

She is in love with hermetic mystic Christianity with great respect and love for sacramentalism and the beauty in the roots of the Christian tradition. Kathleen has found a home within the Apostolic Johannite Church and is working the minor orders having recently been ordained a cleric. A core belief that influences her work is reconciliation, bringing people with different views together for civil conversation and learning experiences.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

Episode 53, in this episode I share with you a sermon I preached on November 9th, 2019 at the Annual Convocation of the Community of Saint George (The Young Rite). The scripture used for the sermon comes from the Book of 1st Samuel, chapter 28.  The story of the Witch of Endor. The occasion for the sermon was the ordination of two subdeacons – Tim Oliveri and Steve Avino. I think it’s an important message and I hope you enjoy it.  After the sermon, I share some final thoughts for 2019 as we move into the New Year.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and sponsored by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

In this auspicious episode 50, I will answer the question "What is the Independent Sacramental Movement?" This will be done by looking at the characteristics of the Movement:

• Independent.
• Sacramental.
• Apostolic.
• Diverse.
• United.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

Books Mentioned:

"The Many Paths of the Independent Sacramental Movement," by John Plummer.

“The Magic of Catholicism: Real Magic for Devout Catholics,” by Brother ADA.

“Who are the Independent Catholics? An introduction to the Independent and Old Catholic Churches," by John Mabry.

“Independent Sacramental Bishops: Ordination, Authority, Lineage, and Validity," by Rob Angus Jones.

“The Other Catholics: Remaking America’s Largest Religion,” by Julie Byrne.

This podcast is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite) and is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling.

In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Tim Olivieri.

Tim is postulant in the Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).  Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Tim encountered independent Catholicism for the first time while attending Catholic school just blocks away from St. Stanislaus Cathedral, the cathedral of the Polish National Catholic Church, in Scranton, PA. Tim came to know the jurisdiction and its many area parishes through friends and relatives of classmates. Growing up he felt a strong pull toward the priesthood and began actively exploring a vocation in the Roman Catholic Church during high school. Two major events caused him to reconsider that choice; the first was that his parish priest left the church to join the Episcopal Church. The second was that his diocesan vocation director left the priesthood entirely after only two years of ministry and in the middle of Tim's discernment process.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served most of his enlistment at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. Taking the time to explore the Greek Orthodox traditions of his mother and continuing to learn about the ISM through an early web directory. Shortly after receiving his honorable discharge from the Navy, he entered the seminary of the Oblates of St. Joseph, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in Asti, Italy by St. Joseph Marello. He left after two years and shortly after married his now-former spouse. Over the course of ten years, Tim left the church in favor of his spouse's Judaism before ultimately returning to Christianity and finding himself drawn to the ISM community and the Community of St. George in particular.

Tim is also a Master Mason affiliated with the Grand Lodge of New York and a companion of the Holy Royal Arch within the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in New York.

Tim has a bachelors and master’s in business management and works as a fundraising professional in higher education. He has a daughter, age 6, who is the light of his life and he lives in Ithaca, New York.

We talked about:

• Identity in the Independent Sacramental Movement.
• Polish National Catholic Church.
• Oblates of St. Joseph.
• Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Orthdox Church.
• His challenges and blessings within Formation to the priesthood.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

The Independent Sacramental Movement Database.

The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and sponsored by the Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Father Daniel Goldfarb.

Fr. Daniel (in ecclesia known as Venerable Father Mikha’el) is a former Buddhist priest of the Pure Land and Esoteric Schools of Buddhism and a current Gnostic and Independent Sacramental Priest within the Gnostic Catholic Union.  He has a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, is a Reiki Level 3 Master-Teacher and a Martial Arts Instructor and Studio Owner teaching Kemp Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan.  Fr. Daniel is a Master Mason as well as being involved with other hermetic and mystical orders.  His ministry focuses on personal spiritual cultivation through Gnostic Meditation, contemplation and prayer.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This episode is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite) and hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling.

In this episode, I have the honor of talking to Jennifer Olin-Hitt. While not specifically connected to the Independent Sacramental Movement she is here to talk about Spiritual Direction and the benefits of having a Spiritual Director.  

Jennifer began her journey as a professional spiritual guide in 1989 as a young seminarian. She earned a Masters of Divinity, served United Methodist churches, and then earned a Masters of Education in the counseling field. A certificate from the Haden Institute prepared her specifically for the one-on-one work of Spiritual Direction. This work with individuals is the joy of her life. When she is not seeing individuals for Spiritual Direction, she works as a mental health therapist for teens and their families. She continues to train and learn through the Spiritual Directors International. 

Links:

Jennifer's Spiritual Direction Page.

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

This is a special episode of Sacramental Whine: An Independent Sacramental Movement Podcast.  If you’re not familiar with the podcast, I’m David Oliver Kling your host, and I’m a Bishop within the Community of Saint George (which is part jurisdiction and part religious order within The Young Rite). 

Returning to the podcast is Bishop Bob McDonald, a bishop with the Liberal Catholic Union.  I interviewed Bishop McDonald, also known as Tau Meinrad, back in episode 17 and he wanted to return to the podcast, and I’m happy to have him back.   Check out episode 17 to learn more about him.

We talked about what do you do when the "ordination honeymoon" is over as well as "bishop burn-out."

We also talked about a new project, the United Conference of Apostolic Sacramental Bishops.  Several jurisdictions are involved in the UCASB including:

• The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite),
• The Liberal Catholic Union,
• The Society of Franciscan Workers,
• The Reformed Catholic Church,
• and The Anthem Network.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Father Brian Stanford of the Liberal Catholic Union.  Brian said to me, “I grew up in a Christian-ish household. My mother is a Christian and my father is an atheist. I never had religion foisted upon me and was encouraged to question and search. At the age of 14 I consciously entered the spiritual path when I discovered a copy of Donald Michael Kraig’s book “Modern Magick” and the Dammapada. I began experimenting with ceremonial magick and meditation.”

Over the following years, Brian spent time with Hare Krishnas, lived in a Zen temple, got addicted to heroin, went to prison, came out transformed.

He continued his spiritual Quest through chaos magick, Gnosticism and Vajrayana Buddhism.

Years of Buddhist meditation and Vajrayana practice resulted in an epiphany which ultimately led him into Christianity, the Divine Feminine through Mary, and the Independent Sacramental Movement.

After two years a Christian he found the Liberal Catholic Union and was recently ordained to the priesthood, having previously been ordained a deacon.

His focus is investigating and practicing esoteric strands of Christianity, learning various aspects of Independent Catholic practice and training in the martial arts. He lives in Ashville NC and is currently working to build a community of people who are interested in engaging with Christianity in new and alive ways.

You can find some of his writing at Seek the Mystery Blog.

We talked about several things including:

• His elevator speech.
• As a new priest, we discussed his thoughts on the priesthood and priestly formation.
• He describes what Gnosticism and Esoteric Christianity means to him.
• He is a student of the martial arts. He discusses his training and how it impacts his ministry.
• He talks about his greatest challenge within the Independent Sacramental Movement.
• And finally, he talks about his greatest blessing since he started following a Christian vocation to ministry.

This episode is sponsored in-part by Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.  Check it out!

This episode is produced by The Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).

In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing:

Bishop Fred Bower, also known as Tau Taliesin, is the bishop of New Hampshire for the Liberal Catholic Union and pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.  He was ordained a priest and then a bishop in the Liberal Catholic Rite in 1994. He is a professionally certified Achologist focusing on transformational Life Coaching and Neuro-linguistic Programming.   He is currently studying Transformation Storytelling and working on his certification as an end of life doula.

He has a diverse spiritual background. Having explored esoteric and Gnostic Christianity, Zen and Nichiren Buddhism, as well as Theosophy and Revival Druidry.  Fred is a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, also known as OBOD, where he finds a connection to the sacred through the power of myth and story.  He is an organizer of Silent Heron Seed Group, an OBOD affiliated contemplative Druidry group exploring the connection to the natural world through meditation and ritual.

In the episode, we talked about several things, including: 

• His elevator speech?
• How he integrates the spirituality found in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids into his understanding of Christianity. And he talks about what is the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
• He talks about his acceptance within Druidry while also being a Christian.
• His greatest challenge as a bishop within the Independent Sacramental Movement.
• And finally, we talk about his greatest blessing within ministry.

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.  This episode is sponsored in part by Convergent Streams, why?  Because I read it, and I love it and think you will love it too.  If you haven’t checked out Convergent Streams, I encourage you to do so.  Check it out at convergentstreams.org.  I like the print copy, but you can also get it in ebook format.

This Podcast is produced by the Community of Saint George (The Young Rite).