The Felling of the Final Enemy

This is, of course, of human category. The Lord gave the nothing Catholic hermit the opportunity to talk with the last of a couple or so human enemies, and in so doing, the sharing helped remove the other person's resentment, to lower the guard. The nothing had nothing against this person, but the person has something against the nothing.

Enemies seem to arise due to envy. Archbishop Sheen had said that when women's passions go astray, envy is one of the three most common expressions of this. Possessiveness or need for possession is the other. Men tend to anger, lust and gluttony when the passions go awry.

Another conversation hoped to assist one who becomes very hurt and darkened, and the root is envy and possession. It has to do with other grandparents and their lives, their relationship with the grandchildren. The nothing Catholic hermit gave the Lenten messages received at Mass, over and over in this season of rending our hearts, of shriving ourselves, but prayer is perhaps the best help for this person who is stricken over and over with the hurt and darkness.

How do we mortals tend to place ourselves in these ruts? How do we get out? It seems if we weaken our worship of God, if we do not read and heed Scripture, if we do not avail ourselves of the Sacraments, if we choose certain other paths, then we end up in one or more of varying ruts. The nothing pondered in prayer the situations of a short time-span of conversations with others, and it became apparent that if Jesus is loved and desired above all else, then envy, resentment, and possession lose their ensnare-ability.

It isn't always a blatant stepping off into obvious evil and sin of the world. Seems as if there is a wide path so comfortable for just lumping along, dallying in the not-so-awful aspect of "world." It is the mediocre meanderings of so many. Yet it is not the path of holiness, where effort--especially heroic effort--is made for the virtues.

One person mentioned on-going therapy to deal with a problem. Perhaps that is why confession lines are not as long as they used to be, or some priests are not finding the dire necessity to develop their ability or make time for spiritual direction of souls. The secular psychologists have, for a fee, stepped in to hopefully help people try to climb out of the ruts. Self-help books are purchased as a hoped-for cure.

The lives of the saints, the spiritual direction available through writings of great and holy souls (and doctors--of the Church, some!) go unread. Reading the Bible and grappling with putting the teaching into practice defers to talk-show hosts' advice on this or that.

The nothing Catholic hermit continues to try to share what is read in these conversations with others. To the one, the nothing shared the frequent confession as the best therapy and life-altering, life-saving, and soul-cleansing and strengthening exercise ever. To the other, the nothing mentioned that we are to be servants of all, and to consider as St. Francis de Sales adopted as kind of rule: ask for nothing, refuse nothing. What is there to desire of the "world," anyway? But to desire God alone and to consider that it is He Who we will face at the end of our earthly existence, not grandchildren or talk show hosts or therapists.

As for the nothing Catholic hermits enemies, the real ones remain lurking within. The nothing has no human enemies, although there may be some stragglers out there from the past who do not like or love the nothing. But the nothing faces no human enemies on the current front lines.

The enemies are the vices which come in trickles, dripping evidence of spiritual work yet to be done. The opposing virtues are engaged, even if they are not easily identified. The nothing is going to stop buying more books and will read what it has. Temperance, modulation, self-control. And, then, if a gift is needed for another that is allowed. The nothing is going to make good on the pledge first off, and not hold back as means of a cushion. The nothing is not going to criticize but rather speak of Christ's way, and often through the lives of those who attained union with God: the saints.

It seems that in our age of celebrities and talk show gurus, people may respond to examples and words that other people, such as St. Gerlach, St. Francis de Sales, St. Silouan, spoke and how they lived, finishing up with the reality: Well, this is what Jesus said to do, of course! The saints help filter and then paint a picture of sinners-turned-saints by their lives of repentance and stepping forth in joyous holiness and love of Jesus!

The nothing a few weeks ago challenged the content of a homily, asking the source of some comments made. The nothing heard nothing for many days, but then the one e-mailed asking the nothing to edit the homilies. This has been a challenge for the nothing, but a growth experience. The nothing is learning to write of Catholic saints' lives as examples, hoping the one preaching might consider that in our Faith we have a wealth of real live people who were transformed as we can be transformed. It seems our souls yearn for these examples over and above the earthly examples of historical figures or denominational preachers of our time. We will see if the examples change.

But to get to KNOW Jesus--there is no substitute. We must seek to KNOW Him, love Him, serve Him. The Holy Spirit pours the spirit of God into our souls, and in God we find Love. In love we are made capable of knowing He Who is Love.