In a meditation, holiness came to mind.
The image was of Mother Mary, but as a pillar of light with a hint of an iridescent blue shawl. As she and I walked through a village, the appearance of bodies disappeared as the pillars of light inside each body began to shine with increasing brightness.
And that was it. As I pondered, two major and profound themes seemed clear.
First, the central figure was symbolically Mary. As I thought about ‘Why Mary? Why not Jesus or an angel?’ I began to consider my relationship to Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of God. Mary is revered as holy in the Catholic church (my religious tradition), and part of the doctrine is, she alone was born without original sin,. (Original sin is the “inheritance” of all descendants of Adam, who was guilty of disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). .
Original sin will have its own post, but, I think the imagery of Mary as the symbol of holiness was there for me to emphasize the true nature of every one is holiness. A Course in Miracles teaches our real Beingness is and always has been free from sin, that this perceived physical experience – “the fall,” “Original sin” — is an error, more akin to a frightening dream.
Second, Mary’s holiness, as light, is shining away the facades of a body, dissipating the images, revealing only the light of Son of God’s holiness. I personally struggle with Oneness, but the imagery of all as pure light and holiness, is a reference to which I can somewhat relate.
To see in a different way is a foundational element in A Course in Miracles. Focusing on the inner light is a real challenge to old beliefs, but, isn’t it all? 🙂