Lesson 37 – My holiness blesses the world.

Commentary (full lesson beneath commentary)

Jesus begins Lesson 37 by saying, “This idea contains the first glimmerings of your true function in the world, or why you are here.”  Some synonyms for “glimmer” are “flicker,” “glisten,” “glow,” and “shimmer.”  Glimmers of true function are quietly auspicious.

Our purpose is to see the world through our own holiness.  The ego dreamed up the world to destroy wholeness.  But the Holy Spirit uses what the ego made to restore our awareness of wholeness.  How beautiful, how relieving, how fulfilling, to know my purpose is to shift the attention from the false idea of littleness to our natural Magnificence.

“The path becomes quite different as one goes along.  Nor could all the magnificence, the grandeur of the scene, and the enormous opening vistas that rise to meet one as the journey continues, be foretold from the outset.  Yet even these, whose splendor reaches indescribable heights as one proceeds, fall short indeed of all that wait when the pathway ceases and time ends with it.” (M-19)

Purpose has nothing to do with human goals.  Holy purpose sees perfection and wholeness in everything, no matter how it looks from the human perspective.

An alternate title for Lesson 37 could be, “The end of sacrifice.”  When we move the attention to our holiness, we find it blesses our brother by asking nothing of him because when we see ourselves as whole we have no demands.  There is no payment or loss involved in holiness.  Holiness is complete.

When we allow the recognition of holiness to take hold of the mind, the world reflects God’s Love back to us.

We apply the idea to our outer world, our inner world, and to any problem people we encounter during the day.  We are told, “… if anyone seems to cause an adverse reaction in you” that it is especially important to offer that person the blessing of our holiness immediately.

Miracle principle 18 corresponds to this lesson nicely:  A miracle is a service.  It is the maximal service you can render to another.  It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself.  You recognize your own and your neighbor’s worth simultaneously.  We do this, not by preaching, but by denying the false concept of sacrifice, and, instead, being a living demonstration of wholeness.  The person cannot do it — only the mind aligned with Spirit can be guided to manifest through the body for as long as that is necessary, useful, and truly helpful.

Okay, let’s try it, because repetitions = mind training = shifts in perception (miracles):

My holiness blesses you, [name].
My holiness blesses this computer.
My holiness blesses this car.
My holiness especially blesses you, [name of person “causing” my adverse reaction]
My holiness blesses the world.

LESSON 37

My holiness blesses the world.

This idea contains the first glimmerings of your true function in the world, or why you are here.  Your purpose is to see the world through your own holiness.  Thus are you and the world blessed together.  No one loses; nothing is taken away from anyone; everyone gains through your holy vision.  It signifies the end of sacrifice because it offers everyone his full due.  And he is entitled to everything because it is his birthright as a Son of God.

There is no other way in which the idea of sacrifice can be removed from the world’s way of thinking.  Any other way of seeing will inevitably demand payment of someone or something.  As a result, the perceiver will lose.  Nor will he have any idea why he is losing.  Yet is his wholeness restored to his awareness through your vision.  Your holiness blesses him by asking nothing of him.  Those who see themselves as whole make no demands.

Your holiness is the salvation of the world.  It lets you teach the world that it is one with you, not by preaching to it, not by telling it anything, but merely by your quiet recognition that in your holiness are all things blessed along with you.

Today’s four longer exercise periods, each to involve three to five minutes of practice, begin with the repetition of the idea for today, followed by a minute or so of looking about you as you apply the idea to whatever you see:

My holiness blesses this chair.
My holiness blesses that window.
My holiness blesses this body.

Then close your eyes and apply the idea to any person who occurs to you, using his name and saying:

My holiness blesses you, [name].

You may continue the practice period with your eyes closed; you may open your eyes again and apply the idea for today to your outer world if you so desire; you may alternate between applying the idea to what you see around you and to those who are in your thoughts; or you may use any combination of these two phases of application that you prefer.  The practice period should conclude with a repetition of the idea with your eyes closed, and another, following immediately, with your eyes open.

The shorter exercises consist of repeating the idea as often as you can.  It is particularly helpful to apply it silently to anyone you meet, using his name as you do so.  It is essential to use the idea if anyone seems to cause an adverse reaction in you.  Offer him the blessing of your holiness immediately, that you may learn to keep it in your own awareness.

Let’s practice together!  Watch and listen to Amy reading each ACIM Lesson on Youtube.  Also, check out Workin’ the Workbook, Amy’s online class which supports the ACIM Workbook practice.