I realized yesterday that I have not written much of any good on my blog for quite awhile. My daily life has been more chronicled with the little dabblings of manual labor, of physical pain trials, of observations of this or that in the temporal, and in general of my dragging through a lot of temporal hassles and not so much with the best of spiritual, inspiring attitude! And then toss in laziness and lack of focus and discipline to make what I've shared perhaps not helpful other than readers can say with certainty: "There but for the grace of God, go I."
This weak and fumbling consecrated Catholic hermit can be an example to others by inspiring a desire to do far better than this nothing is doing and being to Jesus' All!
So I decided today to try to at least offer an idea, with an example, of a birthday novena I'm praying to write and offer for a dear friend and mentor who turned 90 a couple days ago. She has no temporal needs that some money or a tangible gift would fulfill, although last year I decided to participate in her prayers and mentoring of her granddaughter by sending donations from my roadside produce table as a contribution to a lunch out with her granddaughter upon her first visit back home from freshman year in college. The spiritual link came through monetarily sponsoring their lunch.
But this year it seemed that reaching 90 years of age should have something richer than money. It took a few weeks of mulling to receive the idea from the Holy Spirit. Take a 9th chapter a day of books and letters of the New Testament, read it, pray about it, ask for inspiration, and then write how my friend's life is reflected in and relates to what the Living Word states.
I had intended to begin with Romans and go through 9 of St. Paul's epistles, in order. But the very first day of the novena, the Gospel of John popped up when I looked at Scripture online. (My living circumstances are rough enough still that having my study Bible out and around is not prudent due to sawdust and drywall mud and whatever other construction crud.) Well, the 9th chapter of John happened to be just right for the first day, given what my friend was doing on that day, requiring her eyesight....
Regardless, yesterday I returned to the plan of Romans 9, and that worked out well; and today it is 1 Corinthians 9. Selfishly, what I am finding is that reading and writing and relating to my friend's life has set an improved tone for my own morning and day, with much to ponder. And I realize that much of my writing time is spent more in emails to individuals than in writing much of any good on my blog.
So today I am sharing what was emailed to my friend, although I am sure many if not all of you have birthday novena ideas for your friends that are a far sight better, and I'd love to hear about them from you, if you wish to share. At least this one is something from me to share with you that is not just of my own trials and whatever observations in my obscure life. Maybe some of the thoughts on 1 Corinthian 9 apply to your lives, also, as we are each and all called by Christ in one way or another, as apostles of Christ.
["Dear K.,]
Well, this one is interesting! I'm finding the spontaneity of relating to the 9's of progressive Letters and Books of New Testament, these written by St. Paul, to be fascinating.
So today I am praying and pondering how your life is reflected in these thoughts from a major apostle, even if he was a Paul-come-lately to the faith after persecuting Christians with the force of his previous convictions and adherence to the laws of men and the laws of righteousness rather than the law of God, the law of Love.
What a conversion experience he had! I figure you had one, too, at some point in your life, be it all at once or over time in awakenings along the way.
It is something to consider being called just as Paul was called, to be an apostle for Jesus. You are; we all are. We are called to be apostles and to preach the Gospel. It may be more in action and thought than in our actual words to a listening audience or to travel about preaching Christ and His Good News.
You were and are called as an apostle. You live it out and have, for you have been given a mission in life as an apostle of Christ, and it has evolved in each phase as they come and pass in the temporal and spiritual aspects of life lived.
You planted spiritual seeds in each of your children, perhaps especially in the spiritual bond with Laurie amidst her and your suffering together in her brief life on earth and in the years since of physical separation. The spiritual bond has grown all the more firm. You continue to sow spiritual seeds by your spiritual reading of Scripture and of the spiritual masters who left their writings of insights and wise counsel, as well as in the Living Word which guides your thoughts and works and heart and soul: the Gospel.
You planted spiritual seeds in the students you taught, whether or not they ever realized the seeds spiritual; they were and are, for spiritual seeds never stop growing or at least never lose the potential to grow within souls. Even right now, today, there may be some spiritual seed you planted in some child or adult along the path of life, who you touched with a word or prayer or smile or comforting look, and that seed may be growing in a spurt in this present moment.
This is a marvelous reality, and to think that today you will be planting more spiritual seeds, and tomorrow, and on and on throughout eternity.
And then there is the point of living and enduring all things so as to not place an obstacle to the Gospel of Christ. As St. Paul writes that those who preach the Gospel of Christ ought live the Gospel of Christ, it is also true that those of us who hear or read the Gospel of Christ ought live it, as well. And it is also true that preaching the Gospel of Christ extends beyond the notion of preaching as words spoken to others in a formal or even informal setting.
Preaching the Gospel is accomplished in thoughts, prayers, non-verbal actions, and even in attitude and demonstration of enduring all with patience and love and in retaining faith and hope no matter what obstacles are placed in our human lives. So that makes it all the more real that we should endure all so as to not place an obstacle in front of the Gospel, the good news, of Christ's life and reality as savior of all our souls and savior of the entire world.
You place no hindrance in front of Christ; this is obvious. Even when you may shake your head and think of any flaws that you may consider for yourself, the truth is that you have and do and will endure in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, and that you will never obstruct Christ's love and mercy for you or any other person in your life's encounters--be they yet on this earth or no longer here.
Enduring any suffering removes the chance of creating obstacles, and I guess that is the good work and effect of sufferings and enduring them. It is the living out of Christ's ultimate mission--is suffering and enduring suffering. That removes the obstacles to salvation for it binds us to Christ in ways that nothing much else can, for enduring is a type of proof of love and of accepting Christ's mercy and love.
Then as you share His mercy and love and shower it upon others, that is all the more preaching the Gospel of Christ.
You endure and share and "preach" willingly, as in the wisdom given you, you see there is no point in resisting. (Some, such as me, continue to tendency to resist and to thus create obstacles to Christ's gospel and hinder the example of love and mercy.) You have and are and will continue to fulfill your mission as an apostle of Christ, and you do so without expecting any return. (Paul uses the word recompense which is far more nuanced than return.)
Regardless the trials or the patience involved, you live willingly and love Christ and others willingly, tolerating the idiosyncrasies and even the flaws, with love as well as merciful humor as well as humility, for humor is a gift that helps oppose pride and humility seals the soul against pride.
As far as being all things to all, even St. Paul was not pleasing to some, nor was he appreciated nor heeded by all; but even he says if he can help just a few, that is good. Yet in your life, as far as I have observed, there is no one you have turned aside or caused to not appreciate.
You exude a peace and tranquility even if there may be some actions or persons whose ways run afoul of what is good, best, reasonable, or holy. With these, you endure and bear with them, for you so live out that sentiment you read of Thomas a Kempis to bear with others who have borne with you.
Anyway, dear K., while your humility is probably causing you to cringe with what I am writing which compares you with St. Paul as an apostle of Christ--you are an apostle of Christ, and your calling must not be negated even if you may think you are not. You are, and that is that. And the reality of it all will spur you on today and tomorrow and all the tomorrows throughout eternity, to continue the good work that Christ has begun in you and to which you have not refused Him.
And that is what I love so much about you, and why the Lord has attached me to you like a barnacle to a lovely and strong flagship as you. I can see and hear and read and observe the Gospel being "preached" by your life, and it incites a greater desire and encouragement that I ought to improve and to learn and strive to do better.
Thanks! God bless His Real Presence in you! Keep up the excellent preaching, Apostle K.!
(And I am sure everyone in your life is benefitting in similar ways as I am, and the humor of your 90th birthday driver's license photo is proof of the hardships you yet endure for the sake of the Gospel--maybe not quite the same as Paul being shipwrecked, but certainly could pass as perhaps looking like you were stoned with the stones hitting you in the face! Humor and humility tackle and take down pride!)
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