The Spirit of John the Baptist

Posted on by Ray Joseph Cormier

Four years ago, Kris, a former resident of Hotel De Ville Street staged the 1st John the Baptist Block Party. It was a wonderfully memorable event for all present thanks to his initiative and efforts. It was a gloriously beautiful Sunny Day. The Bread Crumbs, the B Boys who danced for our entertainment and their own free pleasure then, are being paid to perform at this year’s Official CanaDa Day Celebrations. They received their reward.

In May & June, the biggest manufacturing company in the National Capital District sent me to St. Jean Sur Richelieu south of Montreal a total of 8 times on  Direct Drive Courier jobs which is good work when you can get it.

Looking at my Life and the world through the Spiritual Prism of Faith in The Spirit of God, I took it as a sign it is Time for the 2nd John The Baptist Block Party.

This Time it is my pleasure to Host a Block Party for the residents of my street on the occasion of Quebec’s Fete Nationale, formerly known as Le Fete de St. Jean Bapitste, the forerunner to the new way of doing things in this world.

It may be a Divine experience for all who attend judging by the signs and anticipation expressed by those planning to attend, both residents and non-residents of the Street.

In my 69 years, I have lived on many Streets – from Montreal to Halifax, Moncton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Nanaimo on the Island, to Whitehorse in the Yukon, Pheonix, Arizona and Venice Beach, California. I feel more at home here than on any street before. I have found my Personal Pavilion of Peace on Hotel De Ville Street having come full circle.

The statistics of this Blog tell me as of this changing moment over 40,000 people from 159 Countries have read 1 article or more. Wherever you are in this world, if you have any friends in the Ottawa area with a talent who would be willing to get on stage and contribute an International Flavor to what appears to be shaping up to be the realization of the Spirit beyond the Letter, please send them this link and invite them to participate.

Our own resident DJ JC Boom and friend at one of his Professional gigs

The BBQ part of the Party for the residents and friends of Hotel De Ville St. was supposed to start at 4pm. That was delayed until 6 pm, when the rain lightened up somewhat and the protection for the expensive equipment was in place.

This is a small clip from my cell phone of the beginning of the party as a light rain fell. The Spirit only got better for those present. Just the fact 60 people showed up and braved the elements raining on an outdoor party is Testament to the Spirit that brought us together.  A sudden, heavy downpour at 10:30 pm brought everything to a necessary and immediate stop just as the Break Dancers were about to perform.

In the words of John The Baptist, “I indeed baptize you with water………………..” Matthew 3

THOUGHTS OF GOD

Posted on by Ray Joseph Cormier

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined to me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall Trust in the LORD.

Blessed is that man that makes the LORD his Trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order to You: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering You do not desire; my ears You have opened: You have not required burnt offering and sin offering .

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do Your will, O my God: yea, Your Law is within my heart.

I have preached Righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, You know that.
I have not hid Your Righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your Faithfulness and Your Salvation: I have not concealed Your Loving Kindness and Your Truth from the great congregation.

Don´t hold back Your tender Mercies from me, O LORD: let Your Loving Kindness and Your Truth continually Preserve me.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about: my sins have taken hold of me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say to me, Aha, aha.

Let all those that seek You Rejoice and be Glad in You: let such as Love Your Salvation say continually, The LORD be Magnified.

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks of me: You are my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalm 40 of David the King

THE TOWER OF BABEL & THE BEGINNING OF NATIONS

Posted on by Ray Joseph Cormier

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Go to, let us (plural) go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
So the LORD (singular) scattered them abroad from then upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from then did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Genesis 11

Human life was precarious 4300 years ago when the Babel story was recorded. The people did not have any central authority or government other than the family unit. There were no police to protect them from marauding bandits. There would have been no organized religions. With no clocks other than sunrise and sunset, life was a matter of survival from day to day.  I suppose many people worshiped the sun, the moon and the stars, and the Earth that produced sustenance from the dirt to support human life.
These days we treat the Earth and people like dirt, polluting the rivers, lakes and streams and even the oceans, all in the name of money, business, progress and jobs.

This Living Earth may be ready to cut off it´s life sustaining power and regurgitate us for destroying it.

And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward to your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.

Revelation 11:18

In my view, this 4300 year old Bible story speaks to both our history and our common future. Humanity has evolved.  Every Nation has its high towers as symbols of it´s economic prowess. We have reached the Heavens. Mankind has landed on the moon and sent satellites into deep space. We have come a long way.

On Earth, we are still divided by language, even within the same language, with competing interests and beggar thy neighbour attitudes, rather than having a common purpose for the Common Good of Mankind. If we continue to remain blind to all the signs of the times shouting Change!!! then as a species, we may not be worthy to continue much longer.

To this very Day the people babble on and babble on and not much is resolved!

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
For ALL NATIONS have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Revelation 18