Hermits Must Travel Light

All should. Jesus says so in today's Gospel. Don't take extras of this or that, don't take extraneous, give the message, if others don't "get it", move on.

Nothing returned some poison not needed for the mole (assumed deceased from the first ridding out) and an excess tree stake. The young man at the returns desk says he is leaving in two weeks to teach English in Japan. He and nothing shared the excitement of this venture! He is saving up his summer earnings, having just graduated from college, and will take enough baggage to adapt and then experience what this next year will bring.

Japan. Reminded nothing of the newly planted Japanese Umbrella Pine, a variety that will remain at 3 or 4 feet. The close-up of the needles show the intense, spring green. To touch these two-inch or so needles is to be surprised by their flexibility.

In a hermit's climb up the holy mountain--and hopefully soon to take the jog and begin up the stairway to heaven--flexibility helps. A hermit must travel light. Just like Jesus says to His disciples. A hermit is His disciple, after all! Take just this, not that. Leave off this and that.

Sounds like we aren't to take along any sideways crosses! And if we encounter those who are encumbered with sideways crosses and do not comprehend our freely given messages of peace, freedom, and joy in the Lord, then step on in fresh spring-green to the next moment and with whatever and whoever the Lord fills that present moment.

The nothing Catholic hermit visited the spiritual da yesterday. What a rousing discussion of the recent insights. Praise be to God! The da brought out some books and read brief sections which he said augment the insights. He also brought up the three conversions of the spiritual life, and we were easily able to transition the transcending aspects of the sideways crosses and the stairway to heaven. Da says the stairway to heaven must be very steep, nearly vertical, and it corresponds to the unitive way. Yes.

We agree that sideways crosses don't fit on that stairway. So there is yet work to be done in hacking and burning sideways crosses, in not taking them along on this next elevation. He said he was already thinking of some of his sideways crosses. Nothing said they must be very subtle, for this venerable priest has no visible ones. He smiled and said they are in there, though.

Two persons to whom nothing Catholic hermit had communicated the message of sideways crosses, in one way or another, contacted the hermit. Both reported in differing ways, the same reaction to issues that had been addressed. One camouflaged the sideways cross that had been revealed--camouflaged it with excuses and explanations. Don't we do that so often with sideways crosses: try to make them seem as if they are valid and respectable, upright and functional?

The other reported a going back from whence they came. This is all right. Many are called, few are chosen, as is sometimes said. The path is narrow and few are they who are on it. This is not to say that this soul may return to the narrow path, the difficult climb. But it became too arduous for now, and the sideways crosses are not easily hacked and burned. Sometimes we camouflage them, other times we admit them but do not want quite yet to part with them.

It is all part of the experience. Another contact yesterday commented that nothing had not had difficulty in the past being direct. This is true; what has been the sideways cross is that nothing would then ruminate and fret about the reactions of others to the direct messages. Nothing has now dropped that sideways cross as well as has learned to not beleaguer the message--and then to move on when the message is not accepted. If the peace you have is offered and not accepted, let it return to you and go on to the next town.

What else can a hermit do but to let peace return and move on, when others are not ready to accept or cannot see what is being offered? Tangibles are not being offered--but glimpses of justice, peace and joy.

Peace is light.

Peace is light because peace illuminates. Peace also carries no blinding, burdensome sideways crosses. As the nothing said to the da, "Sideways crosses are definitely 'bad wood.'"

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. [Romans 14:17a]