Jesus said these Living Words, as well....
"But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world."
Sometimes it helps to just take the Word of God and mull sections. Yes, we can read what is written before and after and have an idea of the context; or we can also simply lift His Words that touch us deeply in some way, that make His Perfect Sense in our imperfect lives.
How can any of us ever think or say that God does not speak to us, relevantly, personally, and particularly to our daily circumstances?
It did not take long at all for this hermit to have browsed through the artistic yet very temporal mode of escape and pain reliever--the afore-blogpost-mentioned mild, British mystery videos. Flat on the mattress with knees raised under pillow and a medicated topical pain relieving patch on the upper back, this hermit is weary with pain but needing less distraction and more union with His Real Presence.
Looking out upon the landscape when the hermit rose painfully to get a cup of tea and more water, there is the diminutive, ornamental tree as well as the Peony that this hermit brought two years ago now, to this hermitage. These are Fr. Vincent's prayer tree and flower--that which he chose from the hermit's previous locale. With the reminder in sight of the two beauties, the hermit prayed for him doing his work in another continent, and under difficult conditions. His words, also, emailed recently to this hermit, suffering more than usual, came to mind.
All is meant in the flow of the Order of the Present Moment. He had reminded the hermit to always unite the painful sufferings with Jesus on His Cross. And so the hermit is doing so, right now. Sometimes the distractions from pain must cease, and the reality of intense pain can be deeply felt and embraced, and His Real Presence considered, and all this shift of daily life through added suffering, becomes a prayer and a loving embrace--both.
There is no room for panic in the moment of a loving embrace and no point in panic in the communion of prayer.
It is a matter of waiting now, and not waiting alone. The reality of His being here in this tiny cell of a room--unfinished and rough, mattress on the floor and amazingly comfortable in the cocoon simplicity: this hermit rests--hibernates--awaiting for the metamorphosis. Jesus is not alone; the Father is with Him. And we are not alone because He is here, with us, in us, and we are in Him.
So it is fine just now, to consider the peace that we might have in Him. And we can consider the troubles of the world. Even a rather bucolic and quaint British murder mystery with wrongs righted and justice served, and good winning over evil, touches upon the troubles of the world.
The troubles of the world, after all, comprise the embryo of the plot by which the fictionalized characters--the actors--ply their creative art in playing the roles of the one perpetrating evil, sometimes by a slip into temptation, and the others who conquer the evil and bring a temporary, temporal calm and temporal peace.
Yes, Jesus tells us the truth. In the world we will have troubles. (And we don't always know what troubles or when the troubles will befall us, or how we will get out of the troubles or if we will get out of them, or when, if when.)
Jesus tells us to take courage.
Why? Because He says He has conquered the world.
And this is very important for us to remember and to trust totally and fully. (We may need to pray for that courage and that trust. This hermit does, often enough, for just this morning in the wee hours when awakened with the unexpected recent added pain, courage was not taken. Concern crept in.)
He has conquered the world. What does this mean? Well, it is something to ponder and unravel, to discover what He means by this for each of us in our particular circumstances whether in temporal, physical pain, or not. What does Jesus mean spiritually--and temporally, too--by having conquered the world. Has He conquered the temporal world and all its troubles, and has He also conquered the spiritual world with its eternal heaven?
We each will find answers to whatever questions we may have, thinking about Jesus' Living Words. The mystery will unfold with truth, and with solutions as to how to proceed and when, such as now with the spiritual for there is never anything holding us from spiritual progress.
The temporal--well, the temporal can hold us back physically, mentally, emotionally and also can hinder our spirits if we let the troubles conquer us. If we do not follow Jesus' lead and trust that He is with us and we are with Him--in Him--then we will not be part of His having conquered the world, conquered the temporal troubles.
But if we watch this mystery play out, and we remain aware and in love and in faith, believing and trusting His Words--He is with us, we are not alone, we will have troubles in the world, but He has conquered the world--all will be well, all will be well. The temporal is only temporary, after all! What is the worst that can happen? What, really, is the worst when He has conquered the world?
Jesus provides the clues and the answers. It can be our unknowing yet of specific answers--temporal answers--that inhibit the courage. But spiritually and by the Spirit, we conquer the world, we will conquer the world. We have in Him, with Him, through Him, been given the Spirit of salvation and successful overcoming. Simply wait in His Living Words and Living Reality. Keep carrying whatever crosses step by step up the Stairway to Heaven.
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