The Lost Tomb of Jesus Christ was on the Discovery channel the other night. Supposedly a Toronto film maker, Simcha Jacobovici (and producer James Cameron) found out about tombs that were covered up to make apartment houses in Jerusalem. The ossuaries, limestone bone boxes, found in the tombs that held the remains of the dead had names and symbols written on their sides. These ossuaries were found and shelved since 1980 with little or no attention. Families were usually buried together. This particular tomb had boxes with: Jesus the son of Joseph, other names of distinct men and women names who are said to be the siblings of Jesus, and Marianine of Magdalena who was portrayed in the drama documentary to be Mary Magdalene and suggested she and Jesus were a married couple.

"People are reluctant to think that you could come upon the Jesus family tomb," says James Tabor, a University of North Carolina professor of religious studies, "and yet Caiphas, the priest who had Jesus crucified, his tomb was found by a bulldozer south of Jerusalem a few years ago."
(this was confirmed true/which was unbelieveable in itself)

The show was inconclusive.

A couple of my reactions were:

WHAT!!!! Jesus had brothers and sisters? This was a non disputed issue in the documentary..apparantly something that has been proven and known but never taught to us Catholics. Would the Catholic Church keep secrets from their followers? I think they've made their own reputation in recent years regarding secrets. I am generally not 100% trust worthy of the whole corporation.

I cannot imagine that even the sneaky Catholic church and all of it's envelope collectors could keep the fact that Jesus had any children a secret. I feel that would be an impossible secret to keep unless they were all somehow killed before they continued the Holy lineage.

after the show there was a panel of "experts" to discuss the show:

I thought Ted Koppel was a bit much suggesting to this journalist that he slanted the movie or "suggested things" AS IF the news and the media NEVER EVER does that..he was right, the drama did ask questions and did suggest that if this and that were true than that would mean such and such was true...but for him to be so condescending to this man, who is raising questions lots of people do not want raised and I think he was respectful about it..to suggest this is a diversion from journalism was just unnerving to me.

There were a few anthropologists there that questioned the simplification of the anthropology research done in the movie. They questioned conclusions taken out of context. They questioned some of the editing. I think they had valid remarks.

The Catholic priest who was the President of the CAtholic University simply said his faith would not be questioned and this would all blow over in a couple of months. He seemed nice and all..but I really feel this is what is always done in the Catholic Church...they ignore answering direct questions with answers that say what they teach is perfect and therefore all of this is nonsense. I really feel like it is a bit of a cover up for some reason.

Of course, besides Jesus having known brothers and sisters (step brothers and sisters) the other opposing notion was that there was a box for Jesus' bones. HE Ascended into heaven body and soul. Catholics believe he was never buried but HIS Body and Soul floated up to Heaven. This is not a parable but a true belief of faith. I would not be so shattered if there were remains of Jesus there (it seemed the box was empty). I would be in awe of dustings of Jesus that could be kept as a treasure and maybe analyzed respectfully.

The other man on the panel who was Christian but I do not think Catholic said..if it were true "we would have to alter our teachings a bit"...he did not vehemently deny it or oppose it or ignore it. I thought he and the man who helped the journalist make the movie were the two calmest, best spoken panel members there...and made lots of sense.

There were lots of things that were proven..lots of coincidences.

I do have some trouble figuring out what is a story and what is supposedly fact. Maybe I should know but most Catholics I know do not KNOW exactly what is what. There is lots of confusion, lots of doubt and mistrust.

DO they purposely keep us in the dark?

Another recent finding, our pastor told us, The Catholic Church "does not take a position on capitol punishment". He, himself, does not believe in capitol punishment but the Catholic Church does not take a position. Well...hit me over the head with a frying pan...I always though the CC HAD a position that killing was wrong. I am not saying I think it IS wrong (capitol punishment)(I don't). I am saying that is what I thought they thought.

(I don't think it's wrong because I think crazy murderers should be stopped from killing other people...not really for revenge..some revenge, I guess, but, for some closure for the victims family, etc..but mostly to stop it from continuing)(also to stop others from following...sometimes capitol punishment deters others...doesn't it?)

and WHY are we all so afraid to ask and speak up...except the rebels and the crazies...I mean I am nice and calm and not a CRAZY but I have questions and I want answers and not lies or made up stories.

Many people all throughout life, not only regarding religion, either want to go as they have been without too much upset or they do not want to believe they were wrong and want to think they are right as they want to think or they just dont care enough to think about it... That goes for most important things in life like how we raise children, how we dress, how we speak, how we conduct our lives, how we act in public toward other people, how we treat strangers..most things..except of course, money..that is most thought about and pondered over...and everything seems to revolve around it.

I have a soft spot for the holocaust too..I mean, the Catholic Church stood by and WATCHED it happen, and did nothing to stop it!

....and I do not know if this is really a fact but something I read a couple of places like it was a fact (I am trying to find proof)..they took millions of dollars from Hitler...he was a devout Catholic! (I thought he was a Muslim) THEY TOOK MILLIONS OF DOLLARS??????
My stomach turns at the thought of this...can it be true?

even Mother Theresa, who I so admire...is said to have taken money from a convicted felon for the poor...now, is that true? is that right?

wonder why I am confused and always talking to myself?

On the other hand, I am in love with Jesus and that is never going to change. I do think it is quite possible that Mary had natural children with Joseph. They were husband and wife for crispy sake and as the Holiest of women, wouldn't GOd want to share some of her great Goodness? WHo would be a better example to mothers..now we all know that mothers of one child, especially boys, all think they have the Christ child. Sorry, I couldnt help that one. But really...that would not make her any less wonderful. I do think we are supposed to believe Mary lived and died a Virgin...so I would really like to know about all of this...

another thing that program mentioned that I believe is...at the time of Christ, there were women preachers (like priests)...Mary Magdalene was supposedly, for real, a respected preacher (the whole prostitute and fallen woman theme is really a mixed up, untrue story stemming from other women) but the CC never cleared that one up real good either. sooooooo...why can't women be priests today? or why can't SOME priests marry. It would help the severe shortage of priests...maybe there would be less abuse (no one can say there isn't a high percentage of incidences of abuse throughout the church)(and HOW about those secrets/lies/conscious ignorance and enabling)(mostly by men...I SHOULD ADD)(the nuns really are keeping their habits clean in that department)

soooo.
I think my faith is just fine...as far as believing in the most important issues. The church itself has never been totally in my side pocket if you know what I mean...and they keep making me shake my head...

Yes, journalists do sensationalize their reports a bit to sell papers, get viewers and stir up controversy. Sometimes, it is all about the selling and sometimes it makes people wonder, ask questions and want answers.

The film maker looked to me like he could not believe how it was all just being dismissed..he even said...all I am trying to do is open this up for discussion, to cause a stir, to have it looked into further. Does he have another reason for this stirring?

I, for one, am very confused.

this taken from an email from Kelly's WRiters HOuse

On a snowy such as today, one relies quite heavily on the telephone.
All the more reason to note that today, March 7th, marks the 131st
anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's patent for the machine that
has made much of the modern era possible.

While many of us remember Bell the inventor, some of his less
flattering personality traits are often glossed over, such as his
firm belief in eugenics, up to and including sterilization for what
he called a "defective variety of the human race".

Many of Bell's projects in eugenics focused on the deaf; along with
sterilization, he was an advocate of forbidding deaf persons to marry
one another, outlawing deaf teachers in deaf schools, and was quite
vocally opposed to the teaching of sign language. While the last two
views were mainstream at his time, the fact that Bell's own wife was
deaf makes one wonder about his empathetic gifts.

Not that Bell was alone among inventors in a certain kind of
callousness. Thomas Edison was famous for running alternating
current through animals in an attempt to prove that AC electricity
was more "unsafe" than DC electricity, which he invented. The most
famous instance of this was the case of Topsy the elephant, who
Edison electrocuted to death at Luna Park in 1903. Filmed by the
Edison company, it represents the first use of death by electrocution
in the United States.

A certain kind of fame reduces people to neat equations: Bell equals
telephone, Edison equals light bulb. Perhaps it is instructive, in
the wake of these instant reductions we learned in grade school, to
imagine the two inventors engaged in their favorite mutual practice:
investigating (and inventing) words of greeting. Edison liked
"hello", while Bell preferred "ahoy-hoy".

" I find the harder I work the more luck I seem to have." - Thomas Jefferson

A couple of weeks ago my 10 year old son said to me: "I have to ask you something. Can we take a talk?"

"Sure", I said.

"I am really worried about my future"!

"Why", I said?

With a serious concerned look on his face, he continued.

"Well I am worried about how I am going to be able to make it in the middle class. How am I going to be able to buy a nice house, and a new car and take care of G (his girlfriend whom he thinks he will marry) and ALL of our kids?" "We want a big family".

I tried to imitate his concerned look. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I wanted to do both.

"Well, first, stay in school, go to college and get an education that is in demand and you enjoy." I said.
"What is 'in demand'?", he said.

"That means when you are in college you pick what you want to study and can study any number of things but there will be companies and needs in the world..try to steer yourself in the direction of those needs so that way you will be a sought after college graduate and work will be plenty."

"Next, don't be lazy."

"Most importantly, be a person that is happy with very little. Hopefully you'll marry someone who is the same. That doesn't mean you can't have things, or you won't have that big beautiful house, but don't make THAT be what is most important because things are not so important..they don't sustain happiness."

"As I see you now, I see a little boy who certainly loves his toys and sweets and treats but I also see a kid who can sit in a car for hours and daydream, sleep, and think. I see a kid who does not need to be entertained or occupied by outings. I know you enjoy your quiet time, your time alone, and your own mind. I see a kid who loves to read and create pictures by drawing. I see a kid who notices the whiteness of the snow and the enriching warmness of the sun. You don't just say: 'it's hot', you say: 'doesn't that heat feel so good... almost like it gives you powers or something' (remember when you said that?), I notice you enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning and a cold glass of milk with your cookies and cold water when your thirsty. And, nice juicy burgers. I know you love to play because it feels good and you are not afraid to lose. I noticed you can appreciate being nice to girls and being good friends to the boys. You already have lots of best friends. You see your brothers as helpers and mentors and playmates and you watch what they do and how they do it and you try to figure it all out. And when you are told "no" you seem disappointed but get over it quickly. Try to stay the way you are now..always."

"Remember, happiness is found in the smallest of things, the briefest of moments. If you cherish and love and enjoy your family and have a rewarding career and job, you'll be perfectly happy in the middle class."

We both had a warm smile.

Little A picked up the remote and flipped on the TV and said, "Well, that's a relief!"

And I have been thinking about it ever since.

Listen

I used to play this game with my sons, mostly with my youngest.
He is my very aware child. He notices everything and seems to care about it all, too. He asks lots of questions and wonders and ponders and daydreams.

(He also plays way too many video games and watches too much TV, now)

There were days when we would sit together on the porch or in the car or at the beach. Maybe we had an hour or so together, alone, for whatever God given glorious reason. I always cherished time alone with each of my kids. I used to try to plan time alone with each child, each week, but, of course, that got away from me, too.

I remember and can almost feel how I felt when we played the game "close your eyes". We would both close our eyes and then take a few moments to take a few deep breaths and relax and just when we would stop feeling silly we would each take a turn saying one thing we heard. At first we heard airplanes, and car engines and horns, a door slamming and a dog barking. Once we were on a snow covered mountain sitting in the background of a hill waiting for the others to arrive. Eventually we heard birds flying by, tree leaves rustling in the wind, each other's breathing and our own heart beats. We'd even hear beautiful silence. We'd play until we couldn't come up with another single thing. We both remember the game fondly. It seemed to make those few moments, those limited times, very special. It showed us how the other senses become heightened when one is taken away. It brought about discussions of what it might feel like to be blind. We wondered how people lived without ever knowing what a song sounds like or how the ocean's waves are actually orchestrated by it's own special music. It helped us appreciate our own hearing and how that is really such a gift.

We took it to another level and challenged each other to listen to what was around us during our regular day and then let each other know our favorite sounds. Trickling water, rain, violins, the crack of a baseball on a bat, the sound of ice skates as you stop fast, the sizzle of frying garlic, a baby's giggling.

The sounds and awareness of lots of things that would flutter by us in our daily lives and maybe never be noticed if it wasn't for our ability to close our eyes and listen.

Try it.