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Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox 

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By Gianluigi Gugliermetto 

5/5/2025

Howard Zinn famously said: “Human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.”

Yes, our individual lives are shaped by our choosing values instead of cruelty and greed. We are not able to determine the end result of our collective actions, but we can remain firm in our everyday resolve to be the kind of person we have chosen to be. 

In my experience, most people who make such resolve in their teenage years stick to it throughout their lives, even though their “rectitude” — that is, their staying essentially upright  — might not be evident to all because it is mixed with imperfections of all 

“Howard Zinn, historian, in 2009.” Wikimedia Commons

kinds. We might even get the impression that humanity is made of very defective individuals, precisely because we expect perfection to be the mark of good persons. How many times do decent people say: “Hey, I’m no saint!” by which they mean “I am not perfect.” But this is essentially a mistake with regard to people and with regard to holiness.

A few years ago, Matthew offered us a novel definition of sainthood which remains very relevant. Fighting against the idea of perfection which has dominated the search for personal holiness in the Catholic tradition — but is also an engrained mental complex apart from religion — he explains how the ego quest for perfection is damaging to the individual and to society. Our life journeys inescapably leave scars, precisely because they are journeys. 

It is the same with the cosmos. The word itself means “order” but it does not imply “perfection.” Imperfection is not a sign of the absence of God. It is a sign that the ongoing creation is not an easy thing. We all bear scars from this rugged process.

“The Deadly Impact of the Pursuit of Perfection in Modern Society.” Inspire Bytes

But if holiness is not perfection, what is it then? And why should we look for such a thing? Matthew suggests that true holiness consists of cosmic hospitality. This means, on one side, to recognize our place as invited guests at the banquet of the divine creation. A banquet of rivers and lakes, of rain and sunshine, of rich earth and 

amazing flowers, of handsome trees and dancing fishes, of contemplative animals and of whistling winds. 

And, on the other side, it means becoming hospitable. That is, giving hospitality to all other creatures, says Matthew, echoing Hildegard of Bingen when she says: “I welcome all creatures of the world with grace.” But I would venture to say: hospitable to everything. This includes being hospitable to one’s own imperfections and scars, as well as to those of other human beings. 

This is obviously not an easier task than the traditional attempts at perfection, but it is healing rather than damaging. It heals relationships, primarily those inside ourselves. It operates horizontally as a widening of space in the soul and among souls, rather than vertically in a vain attempt at climbing yet another step on the ladder of perfection.

Our fundamental choice for values is enhanced, rather than diminished, by understanding holiness as cosmic hospitality. Compassion and kindness, in time, become a habit in treating others. Courage and sacrifice emerge naturally as life-giving solutions to particular situations when no other options are viable. Cosmic hospitality is costly on its own terms, but enhances the journey of each person who chooses it. Cosmic hospitality requires a deeper and deeper reverence for all that is and all that might be.

We should not let go of the quest for personal holiness, but transform it. Moving away from perfectionism. Remembering our original choice for the good. Resisting the waves of indifference and cruelty and thus playing our part in the unfolding cosmic process. 

“The Angel of the Gap – Kindness Saves Lives.” Authentic AI Music Videos

We might be scared about where the whole process is going but there are many of us, in every corner of the planet — I mean people but also animals and all kinds of beings — who are at their job of cosmic hospitality day after day. This is what matters.

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All quotes from Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, 112-116

See also Fox, Hildegard of Bingen, A Saint for Our Times

And Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion

And Fox, Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart

Banner image: “Halo.” Image by rpphotos, on Flickr.

Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field.

Queries for Contemplation

Where and when do I recognize in myself the impulse toward perfection?

Am I able to remember my “original goodness” as it reflects in my fundamental choice to be an upright person, as well as in my choice to become hospitable?

Recommended Reading

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality

Matthew Fox lays out a whole new direction for Christianity—a direction that is in fact very ancient and very grounded in Jewish thinking (the fact that Jesus was a Jew is often neglected by Christian theology): the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an extended and deeply developed way.
“Original Blessing makes available to the Christian world and to the human community a radical cure for all dark and derogatory views of the natural world wherever these may have originated.” –Thomas Berry, author, The Dream of the Earth; The Great Work; co-author, The Universe Story

Hildegard of Bingen, A Saint for Our Times: Unleashing Her Power in the 21st Century

Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this amazing woman and what we can learn from her.
In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice.
“This book gives strong, sterling, and unvarnished evidence that everything – everything – we ourselves become will affect what women after us may also become….This is a truly marvelous, useful, profound, and creative book.” ~~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism.

A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice

In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the meaning and practice of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate activity.
“Well worth our deepest consideration…Puts compassion into its proper focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register

Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart

Matthew Fox’s comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart’s sermons is a meeting of true prophets across centuries, resulting in a spirituality for the new millennium. The holiness of creation, the divine life in each person and the divine power of our creativity, our call to do justice and practice compassion–these are among Eckhart’s themes, brilliantly interpreted and explained for today’s reader.
“The most important book on mysticism in 500 years.”  — Madonna Kolbenschlag, author of Kissing Sleeping Beauty Goodbye.  

Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations

As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry.
“Our world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice. This revolutionary book does just that. Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations. Study and practice these teachings. Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” — Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth.

Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. 
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. 
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.

Matthew Fox comments on Pope Francis' legacy of environmentalism and support for migrants, amidst more controversial aspects of his papacy, KPFA Pacifica Evening News.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE

Join Matthew Fox in a new 6-month program of mystical wisdom for a new world: Activate your spiritual awakening with the mystics Say “yes” to life & the beauty, goodness & potential it offers Awaken your inner mystic & prophet for deeper awakening Nurture the life-giving qualities of your humanity By Application only - apply HERE Register for a free information session HERE

Join Matthew Fox and other guest speakers in a 6-week journey into Mysticism and The Great Mystics  (Matthew presents May 7 on "Dancing with the Divine: Creation Spirituality and The Mystics"), hosted by Creation Spirituality Communities Education.

Wednesdays, May 7-June 11, 4:00-6:00pm PT.

Register HERE.

Join Matthew Fox in a 6-Class Course: The Great Christian Mystics, exploring some of the richest and most inspiring mystic-prophets in the Christian lineage, including Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Thomas Aquinas, and Meister Eckhart. Open-ended course includes six modules of pre-recorded lessons, live community discussions, and live conversations with Matthew Fox. Starts Thursday, May 8; 10% off discount code: FOX-10

Register HERE.

Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book, Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life, in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat.

Thursday, May 15, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT.

Register HERE.

Join Matthew Fox as he offers a lecture and Q&A on “Navigating the Dark Night of Soul, Society, and Our Species,” hosted by the Jung Center of Buffalo, Friday, May 23, 4 pm PT.

Learn more HERE.

MONTHLY: Join Matthew Fox and Skylar Wilson of the Order of the Sacred Earth in a free virtual meeting for connection and networking with other mystic warriors. Last Tuesday of every month, 4:00-5:00pm PT. 
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665302478  
Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478

Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org  

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