A Dialogue with a Friend...

Yesterday's post initiated a dialogue... 
Below I print my friend's thoughts and add to it my thoughts...
I am sure it will stimulate your day...
Take care and may PEACE be with you...

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Armenian Churches... are ruined and abandoned in Turkey...

Hello, 

I'm glad to see you found the motivation to write so quickly. 

I agree that loneliness isn't healthy but some "me time" is vital to staying true to yourself. It allows you to refocus on what's important, reflect on what you've done right and what you've done wrong, and most importantly, how to improve. 

What is complicated topic is religion and I know enough people who live with religious values but don't practice any religion for some reason. I am a practicing Catholic and I enjoy going to church even though it is sad what I see when I go there. It's sad to see that in our Croatian church, there are very few youth, maybe 1-2% of the church with very few young families. The big majority, about 80% are seniors and it's just sad to see. Within the next decade or two, our church will no longer have enough people coming to cover their costs and will have to close down. This is a church built and paid for by the first Croatians who came decades ago who put their blood, sweat and tears into building a church for the Croatian community and those who's family built it all those decades ago can be seen crying at the sad state of not only our church, but youth and religion altogether. When there is a concert by a Croatian singer, they can pack a theatre or hall with 3000+ youth from 15-30 in hours but of those, maybe only 50 will go to church on the weekend. I like going to church because it gives me something to believe in and a set of rules/virtues to live by. More than that, every mass is an opportunity to just completely let go of everything bad that happened in the past week and start a new page. In the end, it's nice to start fresh even though it may be hard to let go of certain things. 

What I disagree with however is your suggestion that Christmas should be celebrated year-round. Christmas is one of the 2 biggest days on the Catholic calendar, and arguably the most important day of the year all around for most people. It's supposed to be special and you shouldn't overdo it. What really angers me is the social/economical aspect of Christmas and any holidays in general. As soon as thanksgiving passes, every commercial and advertisement is about Christmas and that's just disgraceful. Christmas has lost its true meaning for the majority of people and that's wrong. It was brought up by our priest in my youth group when somebody asked if we can sing a Christmas song a week before Christmas. He simply replied "Do you say happy birthday to your friend before his/her actual birthday? No, you don't and that's why you shouldn't celebrate Christ's birthday before the actual day either." And it's true and makes sense to me. Christmas should only be celebrated from the 25th onwards, which as per Croatian tradition, is celebrated until 3 Kings day on January 6th. 

Merry Armenian Christmas and enjoy it with your friends and family. 

***

    

Good Day,

It is wonderful to be in dialogue with you... It rejuvenates my critical thinking process and makes me think more...

I hope you noticed the distinction between "alone" and "lonely"... Alone does not imply lonely... I love to be alone, but I am never lonely for it... As the reference from Sartre insists, if one is bored while alone, then indeed there is a problem... Since it implies that the person does not know what to do with him/herself...

I am very glad that you like to be alone by yourself... I definitely comprehend it and absolutely share your sentiments on it... Each one of us need time and space by themselves... It will allow room for sorting things out and rearranging the matrix in us and above us...

As for Christmas... You misunderstood my thrust... I was not referring to materialistic celebrations... I hate them too... But rather, I was having fun with the idea of celebrating the spirit of Christmas year round... The spirit of PEACE and HARMONY among people... I am sure you will agree with this sentiment...

As being a "practicing Catholic" is Wonderful... I do not have any issues with that... Allow me to give a personal example... My daughter when she was younger, in her teens, she used to visit churches and sit there in quiet... meditate and enjoy the spiritual energy emanating from the icons and relics and painting... She loved the smell of the incense... She wanted to have no distractions from the crowd... She loved church services... But cherished the "alone" time, by herself during the week... She was spiritual and the Sunday crowd was a bit distracting... for her...

Armenian church in Jerusalem...

What I am attempting to convey is that attending Sunday services should not be the "practicing" qualifier... and I am sure you do not mean that...

Knowing you, when you were younger, I am sure you have scientific curiosity and an inquiring mind... and as such, the crowd should not define the enchanting Sunday mass at the church..., but I am very pleased that you attend services and practice your faith... That is wonderful...

I realize your concern about "empty" churches... I have been in pain since childhood about abandoned Armenian churches... When Turkey initiated the Armenian genocide the churches were abandoned... at times, set on fire... and at times, the Turkish soldiers herded the people into the church - women, children an old men, doused the church with gasoline and set the church on fire... Churches in the Middle East are empty and ruined because of the "Islamic State", while churches in the West are empty because of "materialistic enlightenment"... Spirituality has retreated and materialism has overwhelmed our Western Civilization and culture... 

I realize your indignation against spiritual bankruptcy... which follows the cultural decadence and materialist values...

The church rite is beautiful... I love the chants and incense... I love the mysticism of the mass and adhere to calendar... But I also love the caroling before Christmas... If you remember, I initiated caroling at our school with my students... I love that too... Caroling does not contradict the Christmas date, the 25th or... Caroling heralds the beauty of 25th and ushers in Christmas in more majesty... 

I love the church mysticism and traditions... I get a "high" when I listen to the mass and enchanted by the lit candles and the aroma of incense... and I also love the community celebrations... caroling and decorating the houses and Christmas trees... 

After all, Christmas tree is not just for the 25th... It is set before and it stays there till the "Three Kings Day"...

Spirituality is not, and should not be tied with dates... Spirituality should be all year round and 24/7... We will not be void of the Christmas spirit after "Three Kings Day"... and we should not...

The spirituality and mysticism have always fascinated me... I visited churches for Sunday services... But I attended church during the week to stay in the quiet atmosphere and inhale the spirituality coming from centuries of incense and candles and tradition...

I love the church... by herself and for herself...

Dear friend,

I love your devotion and I admire your dedication... 

Your "practicing Catholic" way is beautiful and wonderful... But also the person who does not "practice" the way you do is beautiful and wonderful as long as she/he upholds the spiritual sanctity of Christmas... That is, promotes PEACE and HARMONY among the people of our GLOBAL VILLAGE...

I indeed am enjoying your dialogue with me... 

Say hi to ALL the world... Soon I will begin writing about a wonderful men, a friend a teacher... He always insisted that "People are allowed..." He was never judgmental... and he was the chaplain in our school... He never judged people and I loved him for that...

We will still talk... We definitely will continue our dialogue... and I salute you on this Christmas Day... and I will remember you on yet another Christmas Day...

You are great... You are dedicated... You are indeed another miracle of Christmas...

Say hi to all and keep in touch... After all this dialogue is invigorating my spirits and stimulating my intellect...

2015 was the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide...

and here

Priests bless an icon commemorating the martyrs during the ceremony at Echmiadzin cathedral, in Armenia...