Catholic Hermit: Praying Much, Working Hard

Am about ready for a bodily shut down, a day or two of back-pain induced bed rest.  But there is progress here at Te Deum House (hermitage).

The young helper will be here soon, and we will continue to drill necessary vent holes, two per section between roof joists.  These allow air flow between the roof and the insulation in the slanted, vaulted ceiling.  Without the air ventilation, a roof will loose its life quickly.

So it is with our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls.  Without the Breath of God, without the Holy Spirit, blowing us where as we must go, or filling us with His Real Presence, we will lose our spiritual lives quickly.  Our spiritual reserve and joy and the various other gifts of the Spirit will drain and deplete.

For this consecrated Catholic hermit, whose body is wearing down from the amount of manual labor this week, a couple of days of enforced bedrest will be a positive.  While not "fun" or painless, being nailed on the cross with Jesus Christ allows for a type of union at least in suffering; the insights and thoughts and prayers when required to be quite still, become rich and deep and wide.

The Holy Spirit has His will, being One in Three Persons.  God's will flows, and the Holy Spirit breathes into us new life.  This very much can happen for those who do not have chronic pain but who do not allow distractions and the world to clog the spiritual lungs, the spiritual passageways for the breath of God to flow within.

And what does air do for us in the tangible, physical sense?  It enlivens, it enriches our blood, carrying the necessary oxygen to all body parts, particularly the brain, and is pumped steadily by the heart.  All tissues, all substances (mostly water in our bodies), all organs and cells require oxygen.

So, too, our souls need the breath of God in order to function and live within His Real Presence.  And for His Real Presence to make His abode in us, our spiritual passageways must be kept open and unblocked.

Sometimes when working very hard, and when bodily weariness comes with it (and in this hermit, extra pain always comes with regularity, requiring a temporary series of days and nights of Sabbath rest), we can simply use some of the breath God gives us and call out a brief prayer:  Thank you, Jesus!  I love you, Jesus!  God grant success to the work of our hands!

God grant success to the work of our souls.  All for God, omnia pro Deo!

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another for Love Is God!