Beauty and the Priest: Finding God in the New Age

I read the narrowly interpreted responses to Patrick's book, and the one favorable response. First, I would comment that the "my way or no way" mentality does little good for anyone, spiritual or mundane matters. Life is not an either/or proposition with exclusive rights of spiritual enlightenment or persuit of same limited to one religious expression. Now, the book: I read the book almost non-stop while on a business trip, after having it gifted to me by the author. I could hardly put the book down as I almost-gleefully experienced table-tapping, treks through the pyramids, spiritual expansion and growth along with Patrick. My own spiritual evolution also carried me from the tightly proscribed bounds of a certain religous dogma to the freedom of discovering who We Are in Spirit, and the responsibilities that go with that freedom. Patrick's life is one grand example of an old but true axiom: Do nothing, and nobody will comment or complain. Do something and you are a lightning rod for those that resent your individuality. Bravo to Patrick and his Beauty and his story.

I am one of the many people who meditates and prays for the reconciliation of Christianity and the proponents of the New Age. When I found 'Beauty and the Priest' by Patrick McNamara, I knew that there was real progress being made in this unfortunate schism. Reverend Patrick McNamara, a former Catholic priest simply seeks the Love of God, something he names Beauty, in every thing and every one. He finds it in so many ways and in so many people that he shows how the walls between people and belief systems are nothing more than illusions, that indeed what we assume seperates us one from the other is nothing more than just that self-fulfilling thought. He points out in his book that God's Love is not the domain of any one religion, belief system or way of living. He does this by sharing with us his firsthand experiences from his childhood, his time in seminary school and finally on a wonderful and surprising odyssey of exploration in alternative and unconventional approaches.I could not help but see the Beauty that this sincere and humble man sought in the very words he uses to convey his journey. His great sense of humor and his humility shines throughout the book as it does in the chapter on reincarnation:"When I was at Adele's house someone asked me if I, as a Catholic priest, believed in reincarnation. Right off the tongue rolled my answer, "No, not in this lifetime!"He not only is able to view age-old topics with joy and wit, but he also discusses with great insight these same topics. Regarding reincarnation, he points out that John The Baptist was asked if he was Elijah by the Elders, when Elijah was already dead. This implies that the Elders doing the questioning realized that we return to this earthly plane after death! He uses other Bible quotes to support the idea that reincarnation is not at all 'incorrect', even for a Catholic priest. Channelling is also handled as lovingly and simply as is so many other vital subjects.When Reverend Patrick goes to Teotihuacan, the pyramid complex in Mexico to retrace the steps of the Initiates, he brings more insights to the purpose of the Ritual held there by Incan priests than I have ever read by indigenous writers or anthropologists or New Age seekers. His journey is insightful and of great value as he addresses Jesus in the same way that the Initiates would speak to Quetzalcoatl.Perhaps the most amazing experience the author relates is the psychic surgery performed by Alex Orbito. There are photos of Rev. Patrick with Mr. Orbito's hands clearly submerged into his abdomen, pulling out a piece of dark-colored gunk that is described as 'negative energy'. In a time when the healing power of prayer is pointed out by authors like Larry Dossey and long distance psychic healing of illness is becoming a well-documented phenomenon, it is very believable to me that Mr. Orbito can literally place his hands into the body of his patient and pull illness out in the name of J