Visit with the Spiritual Da

The Da and the nothing had lunch the other day, and a two-hour talk fest of spiritual matters.

The Da says the Beatitudes are a portrait of Christ's interior life, unfolding into His exterior. So we went through the aspects: humility, meekness, purity of heart, mourning (weeping for the world), persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, poor in spirit....

Well, we stopped at that, for St. Luke simply says "the poor". We discuss how it is to be really poor, and is that so blessed? If one has the peace of God, then anything can be blessed, such as a horrific suffering and death as the nothing read was St. Francis de Sale's earthly end. But the nothing had wondered that very morning, driving to visit the Da, and it wondered about how it had been in such poverty of means: would the nothing have this peace if it weren't for the comforts? The heat, hermitage, food, gas, water, books, income for almsgiving--and antibiotics?

If the peace if of God, then peace is peace. Yet one must never lose sight of hell: keep your mind in hell and despair not! The physically poor suffer so very much.

He says he must live to be 100, and to keep trying to do a better job, for if he were to be before God, what could he say, what could he show for his priesthood? He is concerned the world is the way it is because he and the other priests have somehow not done their job. That if they had done a better job, people would be better Catholics, would know their faith, would know God. The world would not be as it is now. It is a sobering thought. Perhaps it is for all of us Catholics to wonder if we are doing our jobs for God--well, if at all.

We laugh over how God showed the nothing to remain, and pointed out to the nothing that there lurk little enemy sprouts here and there--sprouts to be plucked and love planted instead. But the Da stated that Christ did condemn evil whenever he saw it; Christ did not remain silent in the face of evil. So, one must be in prayer and take responsibility to know the faith, to also be humble in the approach of others, if matters must be clarified. Asking questions is a good way. Sometimes facts must be stated, though. Courage, courage.

We discussed St. Silouan's God-given directive: Keep your mind in hell, and despair not. The Da deemed it very good. Very good for humility and to weep for the world.

Is the football extravaganza a kind of hell? We discussed this some. The Da does like football, but he rather pokes around at it, and that led into a discussion of love of one's enemies. Were the Patriots his enemies? He prefers them to not win...said he'd clap if the quarterback fumbled. Why? He thinks they boast much on television and would like for them to be brought down a peg or two. Well, the nothing suggested this was wishing them ill, for what if God had some other plan for teaching them humility? What if they decided to pool all their winnings and give it to the Church? He smiled and said that was not likely, although he noted the quarterback's last name seemed of one who should be going to Mass!

He said he has no enemies, for he wishes no evil upon anyone. He prays for everyone's salvation. But he still has football preferences. So the nothing prods further: how about the Masons? Well, they wish ill for the Church, but he says he has nothing against the souls and prays for their salvation. And what about some of the sisters who he says would just as soon he not be there, for some hope to be priests themselves? Well, he says he is their friend, although they may disagree with him. He assumes they have been hurt at some point by men, by priests perhaps, in something said or a job not given. But he has nothing but understanding and good will.

Yes, we then mention the aspect of weeping for the world, and of having compassion and pity for those who choose other path, make choices that include vices. The nothing asks if the devil is sin itself--is it possible for a person to have become sin? Somehow that does not get answered.

He spoke of the desire of some to have titles, of how titles seem so very important--even among priests. He said that it used to be in earlier days, that priests sought after the title of "monsiegneur" as a sign of having done an exceptional job as a priest. He mused on why it is even today that people have such a need for titles. We noted that once a person has a title, it loses the opportunity to know what it is to be nothing, or at least to wade about the outskirts of nothingness. Titles never seem to go away, not even when the person dies, at least for those still alive who think of the person in terms of his title. We felt it rather a burden. Did the Da ever want to be a monsiegnor? No.

[It seems to the nothing, upon later reflection, that the only title a Christian should desire is that of a two-pronged title, such as Jesus received: King of the Jews. Some meant it in deprecation; but there was an underlying truth to His kingship. Jesus did not seek titles. One can understand with compassion why the saints did not desire acclaim or position.]

The Da says to keep working on love of enemies, for Lent. He returns the book by Jacob of Serug on the Blessed Virgin Mary. He says to cherish the peace that God has bestowed, for it is a great grace. The nothing realizes it has not been nearly thankful enough.

Does he want to read the book of St. Silouan? No, it seems too heavy. The nothing admits the Staretz has challenged, but the thoughts, simple, can run deep. The nothing admits the great books amassed, and that they seem to be not such attachments anymore. That is all right. We smile, for if the books are companions in God, fine; if looking out at the snow at Agnus Dei or where the da is, and we are in God, then fine. The Da prays his priestly blessing as the nothing kneels, then departs.

[Later, the nothing asks a Cathedral priest who is wondrously knowledgeable in theology and many matters, about the devil being sin itself. He clarifies: The devil (and all the devils for they are legion) is fixed in the state of hell, of being the enemy of God, by its choice. Thus, the devil is the enemy. Then would the souls in hell be our enemies? Yes, for they, too, are in a fixed state of sin, of having chosen to be the enemies of God. We may pity them, for they have souls; but they are now and forever in a fixed state of sin. So, the nothing does have enemies as do we all, but these only enemies are sin, are the devils, are the souls in hell who are in a fixed state of sin. We pity these "enemies" of God, who thus are our enemies. They are not our friends for they are frozen as not being friends of God....The Da had suggested, earlier, that who knows--perhaps the nothing has friends who are in hell? Shudder the thought; but we just do not know.]