I am on a get-away. Been a year and a half since saw the eldest and spouse, and two grandchildren. They had given me a gift ticket a year ago Christmas, but surgery came in the way, and I had but another month to use it or lose it. So traveled on shortest flights possible, and am mostly in bed but strive to get up for evening with them. It is a blessing to see them even if an ordeal of pain, and not often.
Of anyone in my life, I try to focus on love and keeping loving bridges constructed with the three adult children. It is also very good for me to have reality check of what it is for real people in the real world, and how much responsibility, activities, and keeping up that people in the real world must contend with. I've not been in that world for going on 36, and at that, my inner life was other than with the contemplative mystic aspects with which I was born.
But it is a blessing to know and accept and love all that people in the active life must contend with. Not easy! Even with the high level of constant pain, my life is quite easy in comparison. All the more I pray for them and for all who must exist and tend to their families, careers, household maintenance, survival, and interactions with so many people in normal, active, daily lives!
Very good for a Catholic hermit--legal or illegal in the site and eyes of the Church--to be reminded and aware of what it is like for the bulk of humanity in these contemporary times. We must strive to love all and not judge, to love to learn to love, and to love all aspects, all circumstances, all persons and to have great compassion and understanding of all others.
So today's First Reading in Mass from the Letter of James, has meant a great deal to my inner core, my mind, heart, and soul. While the daughter and son-in-law work, and the grandchildren in school, then after school sport practices, my body needs the day in bed to manage pain, as the sitting required to get here and the sitting I do with evening meal with them, is something most difficult for my body, of course.
But I feel it very important to be part of their lives for these hours of these few days; to love God in Himself and to love others as He loves us, is what our lives are to be about--hermit or whatever vocations--lay, married, consecrated life of the Church or consecrated life of Christ, holy orders! Charity is of the first order, the primary place of Christians one and all.
"Beloved: Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace." ~ James 3:13-18
What if anything, are we, if not loving of God and loving of all others? As the adult daughter reminded yesterday, that she and her husband would have to work this week, and I would be "alone," I laughed and mentioned that I have lived "alone" for years and years now, and that the lower level guest room is very good for me, with the quiet and solitude for trying to get on top of the bodily pain, and so this is ideal, really. But I hear a grandchild home from school earlier than I thought, so will get the body up and mask pain, and pour out the love upon these dear souls, one and all!
God bless His Real Presence in us!
No comments:
Post a Comment