Catholic and God's Hermit: Seeking a Word

Upon awakening, the pain did not seem to immediately register but the world did, opening the eyes to daylight and the green of earth outside the window.  I did not want to be awakened to another day of suffering.  So I began to praise God.  That is my "technique" for countering my reaction to living with pain.  God understands fully; He knows my body, mind, heart, and soul in this world and out of this world.

Took the hours' past-due pain med, stood up, very weak, but went to kitchen:  coffee, oatmeal, back to bed to sip and eat reclining.  The usual routine, this, and added the magnesium, calcium, D, K, and B-12 vitamin supplements.  (I'm doing all temporally, physically possible that is blessedly available to try in building bodily energy so that I might get up, dress, and cope with this consistently higher level of pain.  I'm grateful to God for the many blessings given me in the temporal.  But I am utterly depleted physically.)

Text Dr. H. and express the temporal pain experience and of my losing ground in the physical.  For when up getting the coffee and oatmeal, my legs are weak.  The entire body feels as if having to push to just stay upright to do the simple motions of coffee machine and to cook the easy oatmeal.  It is the same every morning, but this one am even more weak in body.

I comment upon R., the man who last fall spoke on phone in three-way conversation including Dr. H. who knows this man.  R. had a miraculous relief from pain to a point of being "cured" as if through a focused breath "technique".  I'd listened last night to another lecture by Dr. Bernard McGinn, this one on the prayer life and advice of various mystics of earlier centuries.

McGinn, in his life-long study of Christian mysticism, points out that people can but prepare ourselves,   Develop a prayer life that usually begins with verbal, then mental or meditation on God; for Christians this includes aspects of Christ's life as well as the Trinity--the love of the Holy Spirit that binds Christ the Son with God the Father.  McGinn then comments upon prayer at some point becoming more of a contemplation of the Trinity-- a more wordless and imageless form of prayer.

The scholar and theologian emphasizes yet again in this particular lecture, that we cannot make experiences happen, that a mystic cannot make himself a mystic nor to have legitimate spiritual experiences occur.  Not everyone will be a mystic in that more extreme aspect.  He gives as example that many can play basketball but not all will have more talent, not be on the pro teams.  And he stresses there is no technique in particular that will make a person a mystic with mystical experiences.  Yet we all are to prepare our minds, hearts, and souls with the desire and openness to receiving God, to desiring union with God, and prayer is a means of preparation.  Prayer is our communication with God.

But God alone infuses the grace or graces.  He imparts graces through and of Himself and His Son Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  All we people can do is to prepare ourselves through love of the Trinity and through the exercise, if you will, of prayer.  And to pray constantly as St. Paul mentions in his epistles-- many of the early mystics explain is to have our intentions be that of always directed or focused in love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So prayer becomes our way of life, our existence, by means of intention as we cannot always practice or exercise prayer in conscious gradations:  verbal, mental, contemplation. 

Dr. H. texts about calling later today.  He says he might be able to offer some techniques to help with the pain or perhaps my sense of fatigue and inability to seemingly get up and function much at all.  I remind him that it is not a matter of techniques, all this situation. I add that two people could do the breathing techniques that R. did, but not have the result R. experienced and I assume is still experiencing the remission of physical pain. God allowed R's outcome due to God giving that grace, that miracle.  However, I text that we can discuss the topic of "techniques".  (Actually, it is mind, heart, and soul preparation, practice--that of prayer.)

Perhaps there will be good from discussing as I need feedback verbally, or so it seems.  I sent an email yesterday through chancellor to bishop regarding my understanding of the need for balance, a reassurance that I have a grasp of these matters of temporal and mystical "worlds" and describe what I mean, and of the necessity of being "grounded".  I emailed twice to the parish priest, further sharing some spiritual thoughts and understandings.  

By having written emails (including to try to express some of these thoughts to a quite elderly friend), I recognize I am feeling a need for discussion--but what I really could use right now is feedback with those who would have knowledge of or life purpose in such matters and topics.  Dr. H. is best for that, it currently seems, for the clerics are too busy to just "talk" or correspond.  I knew and know this, yet was unrealistic in reaching out.  Dr. H., while not a religious, does have mind and soul interest in such matters.  Also a major benefit is that he has known me for years, is innately wise, expeirenced, and has time and availability.

The very elderly friend I emailed is not interested even if Catholic, to have email nor spiritual discussion.  I know this; yet my need for discussion or feedback right now is so strong that I emailed the other day, regardless.  I know there will be no response of any spiritual matter or aspect.  I do know the person prays for me and has a spiritual life, of course, a prayer life and daily lectio divina (reading Scripture in personal, interactive-with-Holy Spirit,  meditative way). 

But when in a transition phase in particular, so much is being opened up by the Holy Spirit, in the mind, heart, and soul--one must go with whom God reasonably provides.  So Dr. H. it is!  He has always possessed prescient wisdom from the early years, and he has interest in God and spiritual matters; all this counts.  Plus, he is a gift of God.  

What I'm trying to point out for those readers who are seeking God, is that we take what and whom God provides when needed, and it may not always be a priest, bishop, or anyone ordained.  Go with God's flow.  I had even thought in recent days that I'd love to be able to contact Dr. Bernard McGinn for discussion and to ask some questions!  But I realize God has provided Dr. McGinn through his lectures online on various topics per Christian mysticism!

Sometimes, no matter the particulars or breadth of silence of solitude, we find a need to discuss with another, the matters of the mind, heart, and especially soul--which all do affect and interface with the body, temporal life.  I'm realizing I miss the late Spiritual Da who provided that occasional contact, for as one grows in the spiritual life, the contact does not need to be frequent.  

The soul weans away from such need for human discussion or as it was called by early desert hermits--seeking "a word" from a more progressed, wiser, older hermit.  The hermit needs a jump-start, so to speak--so travel miles to the hut or cave of an older hermit and once in the old one's presence, asks:  Father, give me a "word".  So it is similar in our day that we ask for some advice or counsel from a wise, spiritually attuned, other.  The "word" from the elder hermits would usually be brief--some wisdom or even a saying that the seeker then could take to ponder and meditate upon, and put into practice.

In my case, some has to do with the bodily pain, of course--which is complicating this current, major, transition phase.  I finally made the tangible effort to call the pain doctor and left message with his medical tech--essentially asking for a "word", as well!  I want to know if the neurosurgeon request went through and if they've had any feedback, for I've not received a call from the neurosurgeon's office in the three weeks or so since the pain doctor told me he was referring me for the intrathecal pump surgery.  So we ask for a "word" in temporal matters more often than what we'd recognize as similar to the "word" a spiritual, a holy God-seeker would ask on spiritual matters.

Mostly, we seek a "word" when we read Scripture, the Living Word, the Word of God, or often simply stated "the Word."  And for those well along the way, the path, in seeking Divine Union with God, when we read His "Word," we are reading at a depth or level of understanding in that the "Word" becomes God's speaking to us directly.  

The "Word" that Jesus gives me today is that He is sending the Advocate to help me--the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus has to leave the world in order for Him to send the Holy Spirit in His place.  Jesus could not live indefinitely as God-Man on earth, for His mission on earth was that of showing us the Way as we live on earth, and to die for our sins and salvation, and to show us the Way forward in our own dying physically and of our rising, but of the Way to God spiritually, also, while we are on earth.

I'd best stop writing which I'd prefer to do, and get up for the second cup of coffee, and then add the protein powder to the vitamin water, and simply get dressed so that I will be at least physically readied to try to perform some physical tasks that might help me distract the mind from physical pain as well as to being to strengthen muscles that are unused.  I must try.  I have no idea if this is "it" for me as far as being bed-ridden, but I must at least try to build some muscle and stamina.  I've been through prolonged phases of major transition before, but none have quite been like this.

I noticed in an old blog years ago that I was in a spiritual transition, and these transitions do tend to also involve the temporal aspects of body, also.  But then I'd written of calling the Spiritual Da, and he said, "You HAVE to pull out of this!"  He used to also say in minor transition phases that also affected the body, "Get out and back into the gardens!"  Manual labor, in other words, and especially for me, working with the plants and trees and earthly hummus, would help my body pull out, and through which there generally would be some sort of breakthrough within.

Also, as God Himself through the Love of Jesus Christ His Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit will give us a "Word" within our inner beings.  This level of receiving a Word from God Himself, is a grace.  But we do all we can of our own volition and tangible means and preparing ourselves to be open to receiving a "word" which is from God Himself, God alone, solus Deus--meant for ourselves but a "Word" to us within us, always is beneficial and rather universal in effect and helpfulness.

Dear God, the physical pain in this body is fatiguing and depleting to a point that I find myself not even breathing regularly, often, and definitely not deeply.  It is as if the body itself wants to shut down the breath in order to rise out of this temporal form of such physical heaviness and pain.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Hold onto, nourish always, Faith, Hope, and Love in God!

[The pain doctor's nurse called and gave a "word."  Others are experiencing increased pain due to weather.  The referral just went out to neurosurgeon a week ago and can take awhile before I might hear from that office.  Go out when there is sun and try to absorb the D from sun.  Try to do leg movement when up to get blood circulating.  "Hang in and hang on."  I'm reminded that seeking a word for temporal means is useful and helpful.]

Catholic Hermit: Good Reminder from Jesus

The physical body is struggling with pain--sprained ankle a couple weeks ago, better, now worse again.  One must persevere, must keep going.  Am tiling the upstairs' bathroom shower which is in part under a slanted ceiling.  I have two boxes of large subway tile remaining and will use all, then figure how much more will be required to complete the task.

A lad has been helping with some work.  He is younger brother of lad who helped three summers ago.  The first two or three days went well, but work ennui has set in.  I'm struggling to find tasks that he will enjoy and thus do a good job at it.  At this point of finishing up the hermitage, readying it for selling, the tasks that someone other can do involve yard work.  If I were not concerned with my dwindling finances, I could consider the boy's help as more an outreach on my part.  

But I do want to instill a work ethic, and I mentioned the other day when he obviously was unwilling to help me with getting dirt off weeds and tossing them in the wheelbarrow, that in future, he'd not likely find employers who will find other tasks that he might "enjoy."  We switched to another task that I thought he might like better, but I think he was plainly and simply tired.

In trying to demonstrate omnia pro Deo (all for God) as a point of work focus, or even to offer the work as intention for his dad who has been battling with gnarly cancer, I realize that persevering is not easy, and keeping focus all for God is not easy to embrace and live out in our lives.

In today's Gospel reading for Mass, I consider a linkage to the above, temporal "chatter" about persevering and trying to live our lives for Christ even in the most dull and tedious of earthly tasks.  It can be a matter of shifting the thought, such as I mentioned how I learned to love weeding by telling myself that I love it, by considering each weed as a sin I was removing by the roots and shaking off the good soil to continue on nourishing the earth and the virtues needing good soil to grow.  Also, weeding is excellent exercise--bending, stretching, pulling with hands in the warm soil and lungs breathing in the fresh air.  And, of course, there is the matter of ora et labora: pray and work!  Weeding is particularly meditative--even a doorway into contemplative prayer.

Jesus reminds us (John 15:26-16:4) that when and as we follow Him and remain in His love, and as He sends the Holy Spirit to fill us and teach us all truth, Who testifies as to Jesus being the Son of God--we, too, then will testify to Jesus, in truth.

And our living in Christ and testifying as to Who Christ Is--we will then be tested and tried.  Even those who think they are worshipping--genuinely believe they are in the right--will persecute followers of Christ, those who testify not only with words but in action, in spirit and truth and light.

We must persevere!  The devil will try to infiltrate and oppose even something as simple and small as trying to live omnia pro Deo, of pulling out weeds and whacking the soil from the roots, dumping the weeds on a burn pile.  It is the opposition to our hearts being in Christ that is the trigger point for evil to try to dissuade, interrupt, persecute, stop our progress of prayer and testifying in word and deed that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, our Savior!

Darkness does not like the light.

Jesus reminds us to not be surprised nor dismayed when the time comes (and it can occur repeatedly in various ways in our daily lives) that others will either attack in a sense of righteousness or indignation, or disbelief, or might fall away failing to grasp the power of our testifying as to Christ's truth in small and simple ways in our daily efforts.  

We must persevere!  We believe in Jesus Christ, and we follow Him.  We must not fall away but rather keep going, simply keep going.  Think on that which is above, remain in His love, use our body, heart, mind, and spirit to worship and adore Jesus in every breath and movement.  Remain in His love and take heart, be encouraged.  

Of course, a young lad might not yet grasp the significance of such perseverance and the depth of spiritual life involved in simple chores.  Thinking of how much money to be gained is a natural temptation, and the delight of a new job and being paid can wear off rather quickly--especially when the spiritual is not the basis of whatever we do.

Yet those who do grasp at whatever age (and I've had some young persons grasp, early on) that in some of the simplest or also hidden efforts we can be testifying to Christ in goodness and truth--are blessed in the process.  Others may scorn or worse.  We should persevere in testifying, all the same.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Remain in His Love!  Allow the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to inspire us to exude His truth and life in all we are and can be and do!

Catholic Hermit Shares Einstein Quote

Saw this and wished it were the reason for the obstacles I keep encountering.  I pray I have a great spirit, that the Holy Spirit is with me, filling me.  I so hope and pray for this, out of love of the Holy Spirit, of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

I hope and pray each of you dear readers is a great spirit, as well, filled full of the Holy Spirit today and always!

Have been praying and praying for a prayer mission, amidst having to remove grout from tiles that ended up drying several shades too light.  Of course.  At least I was able to get it out after spending a lot of God's gift of time trying to stain it slightly darker, which made it look not so great....

Then I was fortunately to be able to pop up some set larger tiles in little laundry area (under construction/renovation).  I set them but realized this morning that trying to combine some tiles that I hoped would blend in with some extra tiles that were not enough to do the full task, just don't look good aesthetically.  Got the dried mortar all scraped up. Fortunately I have some good-deal tile in pole barn that I picked up a couple years ago.  Not my first choice for the space, but plenty.  And as the Holy Spirit would provide, they fit in amazingly well so will have very few tile cuts.

Anyway, here is the Einstein quote.  I consider that the devil and his legions and minions are mediocre in mind and all other aspects.  The Light of the Holy Spirit and God-Is-Love dispels all darkness and mediocrity!  God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit: Interesting Development, God Provides!

Recently this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit has prayed about and considered having an email account associated with this blog.  The thought came that perhaps some of the blog readers (including those living in other countries) might have prayer requests or some other desire to communicate or share.

So I was praying about it and waiting for some answer from the Lord.  I mentioned the thought the other morning to an adult daughter who listened and contributed some thoughts.  I said that the sense I was getting from prayer was to remain with the intrigue and mystery of not knowing specifics, thus not having an email account.  

Rather, listening in the silence of solitude, somehow the Lord would let me know the specific prayer needs of the readers and viewers; and through the Holy Spirit, I would continue to sense and pray for each and all of you.

Also, I told the daughter that surely the Lord would bring, if He wills and desires, those who might have needs such as dream interpretation or prayer needs.  There are ways to be in touch already.

Just a few hours later, there came a request from someone who had come across something I'd said.  He has had some fascinating dreams that are significant, yet he is uncertain as to what they mean.  He has requested help in dream interpretation.

It was rather an amazing (to me, at least) direct answer to what had been my prayer and what I was sensing the Lord's direction and leanings.  Those who have genuine need, He will bring over the means of cyberspace--that is,  those readers and viewers who with this hermit, remain anonymous one to the other except in our known love and respect as members of the Body of Christ.  

We are not strangers as souls who are seeking union with His Real Presence and are not strangers to our shared existence as souls living as God's creation on His created earth!

The young man has sent a detailed description of a dream.  I am currently praying about it and asking the Holy Spirit to give insights.  All, of course, is if the Lord wills.  But an important aspect that I clarified with the young man when he first inquired and asked for some assistance with his dream, is that what I am to assist with in such matters is very much to teach others how to interpret their dreams, how to discern spirits, and even how to approach the time, effect, and suspension of our wills and bodies in what we all experience:  sleep.

When the spiritual father called several days ago, this Catholic hermit asked him what he thought of an insight given recently regarding "sleep."  He found it fascinating but true, and I will share the insight with you in a separate blog post.  It is rather simple, actually, but yes, it has made a difference in my approach to sleep; and it certainly excited the spiritual father who said he would now view and utilize sleep as gift in a different light and spiritual perspective.

God is so good to us!  And the Holy Spirit continues to give us insights and to teach us even as we become old and think we are well-seasoned in this earthly existence--only to surprise us with something we'd not considered before.  What His Real Presence (in whatever varied means) shows and teaches us, no matter how long we've slugged it out in daily (and nightly) life, is of benefit.  God provides!

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another, help one another, share with one another what God provides materially and spiritually.  God Is Love, and He loves each and every one of us!

Catholic Hermit Considers Two Types of Wisdom

Today in the Scriptural-prayer gift for the longtime friend, St. James writes about guarding the tongue and the two types of wisdom.  This friend is an exemplary Protestant who has guarded her tongue with holiness in never making negative comments in my presence regarding my conversion to Catholicism over 20 years ago.

So mostly I am reflecting upon wisdom today and am rather intrigued with James' comments on two kinds of wisdom.

"Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

He points in the next verses that this type of good wisdom comes from heaven, but there is another wisdom that is earthly and demonic.

"But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such 'wisdom' does not come from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

Then returning to the first kind of wisdom, the Apostle James further explains.

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

I am partially through writing to the friend about some examples in which I marveled at how she has tamed her tongue in many situations. This does not mean that she never speaks about other people.  Quite the contrary.  The last times we met in person, a few years ago, she shared some details of people in their lives, of their trials, and of needed prayers on their behalf.  The same type of details came in a Christmas letter and in a birthday note.

The details about their lives and their adult children's and friends' lives are mentioned with successes and changes, with gratitude and concerns.  There is nothing of envy or ambition in her heart nor in the intent with which she writes of their lives.  Her life is good--filled with love of God and love of others, filled with good deeds done lovingly with family, friends, and strangers alike.

But the communications about their own lives and those of others come from loving intentions.  Love, we can see, is always pivotal in our lives and in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and in all the virtues.  So we touch upon, once more, the Law of God, the Royal Law, the law of love of God above all things and love of others as ourselves.

So heavenly wisdom comes through not so often in "great" events.  Heavenly wisdom, perhaps surprisingly so, comes through in our daily thoughts, words, and actions.  If we are living and breathing according to the Law of God-Is-Love, what comes out of our minds and mouths and from our hands is going to be pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

Whenever there is any discrepancy or diversion from this wise and holy check-list of heavenly wisdom, we have as a result: disorder and evil practice.  If we find in our thoughts or emotions or deep in our souls any twinge of envy, of any type of selfish ambition, we know what issues forth out of us is not going to be heavenly wisdom and will not bear good fruit.  There will not be peace within us nor with others.

I think those who read this blog as well as this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit and most-of-all child of God with soul seeking union with His Love--we do know the difference.  The problem we might have is in discerning honestly, the truth of our minds, hearts, and spirits.  We have to dissect our intentions down to the core of whatever is motivating us to think, to speak, to act.

While the devil can deceive us, the farther along we come in knowing our souls, the better off in knowing--situation, feelings, and thoughts alike--if our being and intent is that of God's law of love or by or of any lesser motivation. Ultimately, when we have thought and said and done whatever it is we think, say, and do moment by moment, affirmation of heavenly wisdom versus the earthly, unspiritual, of the devil type comes from feeling and observing the harvest.

Is there peace and a harvest of righteousness?

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us remain in His love and love one another. Pray for the Holy Spirit's gift of heavenly wisdom.  Sow in peace!

Catholic Hermit Shares Message from Jesus

Does not seem often that Jesus speaks aloud, within, so clearly.  Or perhaps, in actuality, it is not often that this consecrated Catholic hermit is listening closely to His Real Presence.  So many distractions of the temporal world can interfere if not watchful, listening, waiting within the recesses of the mind, heart and soul.

So yesterday, after reading another homily of Pseudo-Macarius on detaching from the distractions of the "world" so that one can choose to think of God, be in God, the hermit thought-flashed its apologies that it struggles with  discipline and will to cut loose from the distractions.

Then the hermit broached in the interior conversation, the recent attempt to pray daily the novena prayer attributed to St. Bridget, one that is said to have been given her by Jesus to pray.  A friend had sent the brochure with the seven-paragraph prayer, each covering a different aspect of Jesus' life and Passion.  One is to pray the Our Father and a Hail Mary prior to praying the words of each paragraph.

This hermit go through four of the seven.  With each, there was an appreciation of the aspects of praying for forgiveness and to improve in areas of life such as giving up sins of the heart, sins of the spirit, sins of the body, and so forth.  But the hermit found itself re-reading and back-tracking sometimes mid-sentence.  Just could not keep the mind focused!  

Ah, the hermit decided to try again the next day, then the next.  And it was this failure to successfully read-pray through a lovely verbal-mental prayer, that this consecrated Catholic hermit bemoaned its guilt and lack of discipline.  How sorry!  Why was it that the hermit delighted in and had the will and discipline--even to cling to--these forms of prayers when it first converted to the Faith 21 years ago?  What has happened?  

In this vein of thought-flashing conversation with the Lord, the hermit proceeded to apologize and self-chastise.  Then through the silent din within of its conversation, the Lord spoke:

Just talk to Me.

Ah.  So simple, so pure, so loving, so honest, so understanding is His Real Presence!  Just talk to Me.

Perhaps He is pleased with the banter, after all, that the hermit puts forth in stream of consciousness, interior converse with God, with Mary, with various saints, angels, and souls known and unknown to the hermit who lived and died and live again in fullness of Light on the other side.

Just that morning, when the young helper and the hermit had a most difficult time unsticking a blade in a tool so we could change it, the hermit had interiorly prayed to the patron saint of tools, whoever that might be, to please help us.  Instantaneously, the blade mechanism dislodged, freeing the effort.
Prior, when we searched diligently for the blade we wanted to install, the hermit asked Little Child Jesus to help us find it, and prayed that aloud.  Lo and behold, the blade was found in an unlikely spot.  "Thank You, Child Jesus," the hermit cheered, but then a rude aside, "but why did You take so long?"  And then an immediate, "Sorry for being so rude, Jesus!  Thankful You helped us find it!"

The other day a friend's husband could not find a swimming pool leak.  His heart is doing poorly, and going under water, holding his breath, caused some frightening, bodily symptoms.  "We need to ask the Prophet Jonah to help your husband," suggested the hermit.  The thought had just popped to mind. Of course, it is the Holy Spirit Who pops these ideas to the fore.  We just have to snatch them out of thin air and put them to action.  "He certainly knows about underwater experiences.  Three days he was in the belly of the whale, and in reality is an archetype for Jesus' three days until resurrection.

Three days later, the friend emailed with much excitement.  That day, her husband surprised himself.  He found the leak after three days of underwater searching.   While he scoffed that it was in answer to requesting Jonah to help locate the leak, attributing it to another silly Catholic superstition (his wife is Catholic; he is not), he did say he appreciated the prayers, all the same.  That counts!  

His wife and this hermit thanked the Holy Spirit and the Prophet Jonah.  No doubts in our minds.

So the brochure of the prayers purported to be ones Jesus asked St. Bridget to pray and promote, remains on the floor here by the mattress in this fixer-upper, Te Deum Hermitage.  The hermit has decided to review the main points of each paragraph of worded prayers, to get the gist.  It has asked St. Bridget to please pray these verbal prayers on behalf of the hermit, as they are lovely prayers, and beautifully worded, but somehow the hermit cannot keep focus when reading them.

The hermit is going to just keep talking to Jesus, telling Him all, sharing all, asking all, loving all, and listening to all that Jesus has to say to the hermit, day in and night out.

"Just talk to Me," Jesus said.

That's good.  That's real.  That's profound.  That's the truth.  And that's simple enough for this tired out old hermit with work galore to try to tend to the prayer requests of others and to keep renovating this fixer upper it got itself into, to be able to pray with full and sincere body, mind, heart, and spirit.  Praise God!

Mark Knopfler,Chet Atkins,The Everly Brothers-Why Worry

On this day of Pentecost, have been asking the Holy Spirit to give the graces necessary to endure with faith.  This includes in very practical ways, such as managing the additional pain in the upper back and right shoulder muscles, and trying to keep working to whatever degree in making progress on the hermitage.  Somehow, this challenge is huge--and the praying imbeds in the efforts of body and mind, in attitude and spirit.

This song has been singing within while out in the back garden and orchard area, doing what little can be done using the right arm gingerly and with numerous ice pack breaks.  The mind has been worrying.  Is this what God wills and desires of this hermit?  The concerns arise, for it can be a battle of attitude and mind to make the body get up and begin whatever work project it can do.  The finances are a concern.  Raphael's not returning calls of which messages are left, asking if he will come and finish siding and porch, and help hang drywall.  

When the pain increases, the concerns rise, as well.  Should the hermit try to bail out now?  A relative and friend emailed, mentioning this, and expressing their thoughts that the body is trying to tell the hermit something, and that one needs to accept aging process.  Yet neither have seen the progress, nor do they realize the dire financial situation.  But also, they each have spouses and health and income and retirement pensions and savings, and houses paid for, and livable conditions.

Then the hermit considered they do not realize what it is like to have been rooked by some people in the purchase process, and that there really was no way out that is prudent, other than to try to work one's way out.  Fr. Vincent emailed conviction that the various concerns are going to pass, and that the main consideration is to persevere in faith, no matter what.

Yes, the hermit will try.  It did get up, got dressed, tried to stretch the upper back, used ice, headed out, and started to use the shovel and pruners, and the watering hose.  The efforts were modest; but they were efforts.  The hermit prayed the Lord's prayer, some Hail Mary's, the Glory Be while watering.  The hermit put its head down, and simply and sincerely asked Jesus to help to discern God's will.

And music of the song played in the head, and the words came to mind, and the Holy Spirit sang the beautiful tune, played the lovely instruments, offered the words to His beloved child. And the hermit child responded, "Thy will be done."  If the body goes completely, then that will be that.  But to wonder if every set back (crows have been plucking out the snow pea and cantaloupe seedlings and some other pest eating the strawberries, and rain not in the forecast!) is God saying time to give up, or the devil trying to create upset and worry--no.  Stop the back-and-forth.  

Why worry?  The Holy Spirit is here, now, within, a gift ever present.  The situation will unfold as God wills, by and by.  Why worry now?

God's Gift to Jesus

"Father, they are your gift to me"  (from John 17).

This line intrigues.  The sentiment amazes.  How can Jesus, knowing He is going to suffer and die a horrible death, plus having suffered people misunderstanding Him and persecuting--how can He consider us as gifts to Him from God the Father?

How are we "gifts"?  What are we to Jesus that He can possibly consider us as a gift to Him?

This hermit wonders.  It awoke early this morning, tired per usual, reaching for and chewing up an extra strength Excedrin, chewing a half a pain med, swallowing a prescription anti-inflammatory, rising to use the chamber pot and filling a glass with a vegetable and fruit pureed drink and water. Painful body and painful thoughts broke through, per usual, and the hermit considered that its life has been filled with suffering.  

Yet, the hermit offered a thought of praise to God and considered that even if not here, in over its head with heavy labor that it cannot do physically alone, what would be much different elsewhere? The life of suffering would remain; and would the hermit serve the Lord any better?

Well, perhaps.  This place--the temporal aspects of it--has been a demoralizing strain and a tremendous spiritual challenge, both.  Again, though, what would this body, mind, heart, and spirit be doing any differently in a clean and functional abode?  True, the body and mind would have more comforts and organization.  The mind would be free to be more creative artistically, perhaps, and to hopefully lift up others--have the energy to do so--in more tangible ways.

But what difference?  Even the desire to "do something" with one's life, to "do something" for God with one's life, oozes of attachments to temporal loves--temporal love of perceived success and purpose.  When, in reality, the body would yet require silence and solitude, and it would be constantly managing the physical suffering which affects the thoughts and emotions.

That is this hermit's doing something with its life and doing something for God.  As for "being," the temporal circumstances should not affect "being."  The mind and heart and spirit--the soul with its intellect and will--manage the "being" part of life.  And in this, the hermit figures it can be a gift, a more pleasant and delightful and worthwhile gift for His Real Presence--even though Jesus has not put any stipulations on His "gifts".

He tells the Father in the prayer, as written in John 17, that we are the Father's gift to Him.  My, oh my, what an uplifting and humbling consideration--that we are the Father's gift to Jesus, and Jesus views and accepts us as such.

Jesus did not say we are gifts to Him if we are pleasant or doing great things with our lives, or if we manage our temporal pain and suffering well.  He accepts us as we are.  Perhaps it is this tremendous, unconditional love of Jesus for us and His magnanimous consideration of us as "gifts" given Him by God the Father, that causes us, at least some of us, to want to be as good of gifts as humanly possible.

And that broaches the problem we face as humans.  We cannot be marvelous gifts by our own doing and efforts.  We seem only to become better the more we become dependent to the tiniest of details, upon His Real Presence: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, as gifts, He wants us to accept His love and His gift--bequeathed to us by Him--of peace.  He wants us to love Him and to be assured that He and the Father are One, and the Father loves us, and that He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us ever since His Ascension, following our misunderstanding, persecuting, and killing Him.

Yes, it is all quite a lot to absorb...Jesus acknowledging to the Father that we are God's gift to Him.

The reality of what Jesus says and how He views us as gifts, changes temporal suffering, insecurities, and stresses to try to do this or that in order to please others and to please Him, into a peacefulness that approaches sweet death and release.   The push and the concerns are on hold, if not off the list. This present moment, this day, this hermit will bask in Jesus's considering it as God's gift to Him.  

Catholic Hermit's Challenge Already Challenging

Yesterday a young friend with whom am reading (across the many miles) Pseudo-Dionysius' Complete Works, decided upon a shared challenge.  It is to pray and ask His Real Presence to begin removing our various attachments to temporal loves.  Our goal and hope is to be in His will and have His Perfect Love--not our own wills and our willful attachments to our own temporal loves, good as they might seem from human perspective.  

His Love, His Perfect Love, is perfect love and best.

This morning, awoke at 3 a.m. with the body filled in all limbs with burning, aching pain.  The body is worn out, and the mind struggles to cope with it.  The emotions are holding steady--by the grace of God alone!  It is taking all effort, now later in the morning, to make the body go outside, grab a shovel, and start either shoveling dirt from a pile of sod that has composted for two years or to begin digging around some fruit bushes and working in some fertilizing compost, and then making some "wells" around each to hold water as it is quite dry already despite a little rain the past two days.

Last evening, received an unexpected "message" from a young friend who stated she was in adoration and felt directed by the Lord to send a passage she had just read.  Thought it meant for this hermit at this very point in time.  

And of course, it is!  In fact, as the Holy Spirit works such matters out in our temporal daily lives, just that morning the hermit had been thinking of this young woman:  wife, and mother of three busy boys.  How on earth she had the energy to be late at night in an adoration chapel, astounds.  But then, there is the gentle reminder from the Paraclete that a body without constant pain and 32 years younger than this one, has a bit more energy.  (Thanks be to His Real Presence for such understanding of this hermit's immediate thoughts of regret that it is not "doing" more.)

And that leads right into, once again, the message the young woman felt the Holy Spirit instructing her to send.  Oh, it is so good and right!  You will see once you read it.  Just perfect and pertinent!

Well, what do you think?  The hermit has emailed the sender, asking who it is to whom the Lord spoke these words in 1987.  Always like to know because try to pray and connect with the person as well as His Real Presence; seems to help in the steeping process of what is so apropos to this hermit's challenge.

Already, the hermit realizes the challenge is on this morning:  Attachment to bed and rest when pain is a type of attachment--rather than to get the physical body moving about, working, making progress to improve His soil, seeds, and fruit shrubs...plus praying in silent abandonment to and in His will rather than thinking of burning pain in this hermit's self-will.

Lord, please keep removing whatever attachments to temporal loves in this servant soul of yours--attachments that are hindering it from remaining always in Your Love and from loving You and Your All with Your Perfect Love.

Catholic Hermit Tuckered Out, Yet God's

Today this consecrated Catholic hermit is living up to its moniker as "nothing"--as in doing nothing, or not much.  Yet even though we may feel or think we are doing not much of anything of value or importance, we exist in His Real Presence.  We remain.  Remaining in His Love are Words the Word of Life repeats often in the Gospel of John.

It is a very good command, piece of advice, admonition, or whatever we can attempt in trying to depict God's Words to us.  Truth, it seems, might be the best.  He speaks Truth:  Remain in My Love.

So this hermit is remaining in His Love today while otherwise not doing much of anything physical...other than breathing, thinking, writing, reading, drinking, eating, existing in this tiny cell of Te Deum Hermitage.

Just plum tuckered out, am.  For the last few days have been working the earth.  Some spots have quite a bit of sandy soil with small, gravelly stones.  There has been a dearth of rain other than some sprinkles, so the hose has been put to good use, and the well water is holding--well, rather well.

This morning did read the fifth homily of Pseudo-Macarius.  He continues to exhort, with lots of Scriptural backing, the good and the why and the wherefore of detaching from temporal loves in order to love God above all else and to, thus, remain in His Love.

A friend emailed, saying she found it a bit disturbing to read and understand because if people all detached from temporal loves, wouldn't it be rather an unloving and non-interactive existence?  So she was going to re-read the sermon.  Good!

There is such good in this sermon, such truth!  And, when reading it, one begins to experience the validity of the Scriptures and what Jesus means in His Words.  When we detach from our temporal attachments and loves, it is to attach to God's Love.  Thus, in His Love, remaining in His Love--the Father and Christ make their abode in us, and the Holy Spirit binds and flows the love, both and all.

So we love with His Real Presence's Love, not our temporal loves, not our temporal attempts at what we think might be love, and not with attachment to our or others temporal loves.

It seems very important for us to grasp this truth about loving God above all else and detaching from temporal loves.  There is nothing really wrong about it, or askew.  At first this hermit thought perhaps Pseudo-Macarius was going to explain that detaching from temporal love and attaching to God's love, was for those called to consecrated life or holy orders.  But no, Macarius is preaching the Living Word of God, and he cites Jesus, through and through.  This is for everyone:  Love God in Himself.

When we remain in His Love, when we love Him above all else and detach from the temporal loves that do indeed hinder us from His Love, then we lose our willfulness toward what we have attached ourselves to, in love, of the temporal--and we become at home and attached into the Love of His Real Presence.

Maybe it is kind of like a projector, and God projects His perfect love through us to all else, once we detach from trying to project our imperfect love of temporal persons and things and places.  Just let go, and remain in His Love.  Let His Love be the attachment.  Then all else will flow with perfect love, and we will lose our will into His perfect, loving will.

Consider how it might be to have His projection of His perfect Love reflecting in and through us, like light, casting love onto others, things, and places as if they are images on the screen of life past, present, and future.  How could we then find enemies repulsive?  How would we then have concern over our daily existences and temporal cares?  God's perfect love does not fear or worry; His Love is peace, wisdom, truth, goodness, beauty.  Remaining in His Love projects Him, not us.

Temporal loves hinder us because of attachment to self, self-love.  When we become His Love, the self dissolves into Him, and His is the love; He is the attachment--the only one we ever needed or need, forever.  His Love flows and fills, then, the spiritual, as well as overflows the temporal for as long as our temporal parts are in the temporal.

Perhaps there is a section to share from Pseudo-Macarius' 5th sermon out of 50.  Might share some bits of the treasure in another blog post.

God bless His Real Presence in us, and us in Him!  Let us love one another--through, with, and in Him.  Detach from our temporal loves, and attach to His Love.  Therein is perfect love and our freedom from all temporal hindrances.  In His perfect Love, the projection and perception change all.

What This Catholic Hermit So Desires!

These lines from Pseudo-Macarius's Third Homily (5th or early 6th c.) encapsulate what this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit and basic God-created soul desires:

"And the Lord has clothed them with the garments of the kingdom of unspeakable light, the garment of faith, hope, love, joy, peace, goodness, human warmth, and all the other divine and living garments of life, light, and ineffable tranquility.  The result is that, as God is love and joy and peace and kindness and goodness, so too the new man may become by grace."

Have been trying to turn over a new leaf.  Am ashamed of behavior of these past two years.  Too much negativity; darkness had entered in.  By the grace of God and being touched by the Holy Spirit and nudged by the guardian angel, Beth, am striving to be opened by His grace--opened like a shuttered window, stuck far too long.

The sun has been shining; and tonight, a full moon lights the darkness.

God bless His Real Presence IN us:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Dockers and Floaters: from Stairway to Heaven (Blog)

Understanding the Seekers: Schema of Dockers and Floaters

Envision a flowing river, wide enough that houses are built along at least one side. See docks in front of some or all of the houses, with land extending behind the buildings, then roads and towns off in the distance. Look at the river, and spot the rafts on them, wood log rafts or rubber rafts or plank rafts. They float along, headed downstream. 

On the rafts are people, one person usually, but sometimes two, or more if the raft is large. No motors; all is silent on this river except the sounds of nature or some quiet talk among the two or three or so together on the larger rafts. And there can be distance between the rafts; or they can be in sensible proximity.

Turn the gaze to the river's shoreline, the houses, the docks. See the home dwellers, finished with their career work for the day or weekend. Perhaps it is Sunday, and they are observing the Lord's day of rest. Perhaps not, but regardless the people are outside, drawn by what distinguishes their homes, and that is the river. 

The people on the river's bank, all along for miles and miles, notice the people on the rafts. They see while the rafts pass, one by one, their particular home and float down a ways, until the river bends or the view is too distant. The people on the rafts drift on by, slowly or rapidly, depending upon the current, based upon weather conditions and the river's concourse. The people on the rafts can see the home dwellers, their homes, their docks, their land, some woods, and the roads and towns off in the distance behind. Those on the rafts notice one after another, as they float downstream, those on the land.

Now consider what those on the land (some walking out to their docks for a better glimpse of ones on a raft) might wonder or think? What would you wonder or think, seeing a person (or two or three) on a raft, floating down the river? What are they doing? Where are they headed? Why would someone just float down a river on a raft?

What are the floaters thinking, as they float by and notice house after house and the people in them or outside, maybe more inside in our technological age, but always on land? Well, these people with their docks have houses, jobs, property to tend and earth to till, on-going contacts with society, cars to drive on the roads that lead to the towns. The floaters see the dockers and their effort, or at least some tangibles of their lives. But the dockers, those on the land with docks, might not comprehend what the floaters are doing or why they are doing it, for they float on by, alone or with a few, and then they float out of view.

On occasion the floaters float into the shore. Maybe they have  raft pole to change their course just enough to veer toward land. They dock if the docker is willing to have them, and most dockers are. After all, the floaters do need some practical provisions, and the dockers need and possess the practical provisions stored in their houses or have the transportation to go into the towns to purchase them, and have money to do so from their jobs. 

The floaters might need to fill up a water canteen or get some food grown on dockers' land or stored in the dockers' houses, although the floaters can also eat the fish of the river if they catch them, and can go to shore where there are no docks and homes, and forage for food along the river's edge and wooded areas.

The dockers are kind to share with these floaters, who they might not quite understand. They may develop thoughts of animosity for what the dockers could view as a waste of existence, as seen from the dockers' perspectives. Some dockers might want to know what it is like, floating on the river, and wonder what is the view upstream and downstream. 

The floaters are most appreciative for the dockers who help provide some practical aspects of their way of life. Young dockers might be intrigued by the floaters; old dockers may reflect on years of wishing they were floaters, but never could break away from land to try floating. Many dockers, at root level, consider the floaters a bit irresponsible and daft, and discourage the young from ever considering being a floater. It leads to...where? But staying on solid ground is secure and results in tangible productivity. 

Very few floaters, once they set off from river's edge (often from places where the river was but a stream) ever regret being floaters. Nor do they desire to be dockers, for they see dockers one after another, and the houses and land and roads and towns and cities beyond. It is all right for dockers, but floaters are floaters and must push off from the dock after a brief landing, and continue floating down stream.

Where do the floaters go? They follow the river and encounter whatever natural events occur on rivers. They never see too far what is coming, nor what is beyond the bend, but they have learned to follow the river's course, and eventually they find the river widening. Eventually the river will flow into the vast oceans, and at that point the floaters will need to either dock or put out to sea. 

By then, the floaters are adept at floating and not thrown off course by challenges requiring innovative adaptation. They may need to then live as dockers, but they would never become dockers, not really. And any dockers who may decide to float after years of docking, would need to go against solid ground, set off on a raft, and learn the ways of the floaters.

Dockers may not understand floaters, but floaters tend to understand dockers. It has to do with perspective, intuition and vision. Floaters have a broadened view. They not only see and experience the stream through river to ocean, upon shore and beyond, but they also see the dockers' land, dwellings, roads and beyond. They cannot see into the dwellings except at night, if curtains not drawn, but they sense the inside represents the outside. 

And while floaters come into shore when necessary, they do so briefly for they must continue to go with the flow. Floaters emanate from a dock, from some given point. They may have been born into a docker family but decided to become a floater from childhood intrigue of encountering floaters. Or they are born from birth waters, and seem never to be meant for land.

Floaters appreciate dockers for the good and practical. Dockers are salt of the earth. Dockers, too, have a perspective, and it is a practical, sensible, grounded perspective.

Maybe it has something to do with the thought that somehow, dockers very much know the ground beneath their feet; they stand on terra ferme. They work with what they know and touch, what is solid and firm. They know there is a Creator of all heaven and earth, and live with what they see, touch and know, here and now, with hope for heaven with practical assurance of its existence. 

Floaters seem to intuit what was before the here-and-now without being able to describe or define. They also are looking for what is to come, and living their lives while seeking. But they live on the water that flows above and between pieces solid ground, as well as falls from the skies. Their sense of God the Creator is perhaps experienced in more the grand scheme of things, but among others, in awareness of and appreciation of others. Dockers give floaters sustenance and solidity. Floaters give dockers variation and vision.

God created both dockers and floaters. They are inter- and intra-dependent, although some could argue that dockers really do not need floaters, that floaters simply add a touch of adventure and mystery. Perhaps floaters risk causing ire. It is said in Scripture that Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was sitting at His feet, not helping her with the tasks at hand. 

It may be presumed there are more dockers than floaters, just as there are more people with predominantly active lives than contemplative. Silly schemas like that of dockers and floaters, added to the numerous, sophisticated terms, analogies, constructs and comparisons that attempt to explain our human and spiritual variances, trying to live in the world and yet be not of it. No schema or theory is a pure replica for any set example of human and spiritual circumstance. 

Only Jesus Christ is the pure example, of God as Man, who was born, lived, suffered, died and resurrected. He is the only way to have full perspective and understanding, through love, as He comprehends all of life and all that is not.

But in and of life, perfectly exemplified in the life Jesus lived among the imperfect human dockers and floaters, there are individual factors, degrees and levels to any action and inaction due to the mystery of God and His creation of souls—created in His image and likeness—another mystery!

Discernment of Spirits, Phenomenon

When one receives a spiritual gift such as a locution or mystical scent (Jung refers to it as the pneuma of the Holy Spirit), it is well to discern the source and the meaning.

The first time this hermit experienced the odor of spiritual perfume (another way it is expressed), it followed the first corporeal vision of its deceased grandmother.  She appeared in the night as an actual body, dressed, younger than her age at earthly death, and gave a message from God.  The hermit (not then a hermit and not then a Catholic) did not know the terminology of such phenomenon nor the difference between an image-type vision (imaginary, they are called although quite actual and not of the common notion of imagination) or corporeal vision (when a body manifests on a corpus, very much present, visible, and as if could reach out and touch).

As for the strong profusion of perfumed scent that filled the room for several minutes following the grandmother's dissipation or disappearance, there accompanied the vision and resultant sense phenomenon, a tremendous peace within and all about the room.  The peace exuded close to the purest love this hermit experienced in ordinary life existence (does not reach the level of love experienced in the mystical state during Mass nor that of the death experience).

Yesterday morning, when the hermit experienced the spiritual perfume, it checked out any possible temporal possibilities for such a scent.  This was easily accomplished given the hermitage living conditions.  The walls are all but gutted, ceilings gutted, and rat nests removed, but there has not been yet bleach sprayed on other rat urine-soaked wood, nor are their toiletries unpacked that could have given off perfumed scent. The hermit itself had not the luxury of bathing for two weeks, and the body, clothing, and bedding certainly did not smell sweet.

A sense of peace accompanied the thoughts presented interiorly in the early morning prayers.  The day unfolded with more assurances from His Real Presence.  A trip to a physician of whom the daughter found on the internet, with good reviews, but who knows--resulted in a tremendous consolation.  Without expressing the financial situation, the doctor did a procedure that prevented cancerous growth, and charged shockingly little.  (The hermit then did express how much that meant and said why.)

Plus, what is more unusual, is that the night before this doctor appointment, an email came from a dear friend of 30 years ago.  He is 95, and he gave news of health trials he is undergoing.  The hermit had been holding him in prayer, even though this lovely soul would certainly be chosen by God to be conformed to His image and likeness through suffering. But imagine the shock when the hermit met this doctor, and he had the build, facial structure, features, gestures, voice, hair cut and glasses of the man not seen in person, in 25 years!  And the friend is as generous and Christian as this doctor, too.

The Lord was letting the hermit know through each touch of love from the beyond into the temporal, that He is with the hermit.  The hermit must persevere (although the temporal is not guaranteed a temporal success); the hermit must remain here for now; the hermit must keep at the efforts spiritually, prayerfully, and physically.

___________________

The locution of a few weeks ago regarding worship with the hermit monks, was tested this past Sunday.  "Not for you" proved to be from the Holy Spirit.  This hermit went to their small chapel, and waited for the service with a handful of other people.  Many externals provided answers to the test of that locution.  While the externals certainly meant something to those of that tradition, there were little warning signs for this hermit that truly, this was "not for you." 

Fifteen or so minutes into the service, with the hermit monks remaining behind some doors but chanting, and the hermit toward the back of the small chapel, it also knew the mystical state that occurs at all Masses of the Catholic Church, was not going to transpire any more than it does not in Protestant or Evangelical services.  Not that not having the mystical state is a concern of this hermit, it has proven over time to be a sign from His Real Presence, for this hermit.

Regardless the various details of discernment in the externals present or of the interior sense, was able to quietly slip away and return to Te Deum Hermitage, and accept that for whatever the Lord's reasons, "not for you" was what He meant regarding active involvement in another worship tradition.  (And this is not to say that the Lord did not approve of that form for those who feel called to it.  In His house there are many mansions, and He has gone ahead and prepared a room for each of us.)

__________________

This is a cursory glance at discernment of spirits and phenomenon.  Of course, it takes experience with experiences, prayer, and also, each time, a healthy dose of doubt-until-tested stance.  The devil can be quite tricky; but the bulk of spiritual masters who achieved holiness in this life and left their classic writings as guidelines, all concur that a general proof of the Spirit is His peace that passeth all understanding.  One can also review a spiritual experience with one's spiritual director, who presumably is experienced with such matters, personally.

Those who fear spiritual experiences, such as various priests or bishops this hermit has encountered, tend to brush off such events and warn (often misdirecting John of the Cross' writings on the topic) to ignore all spiritual experiences.  If they add to that advice, to "stay grounded," this latter is excellent and ought to rule one's reactions.  

However, John of the Cross in his explanatory writings of his trilogy of poetry (Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, Living Flame of Love) advised not being caught up in phenomenon when the senses are being purged; however later in his writings, he explains that, of course, spiritual phenomenon provides a repertoire, and is a means for God to inform and to guide the soul who has passed through other stages.  

Obviously, the saints, the mystics, popes, priests, and pilgrims, and their various advisers did not disregard their spiritual experiences, or we'd not have any writings from them, and they would not have followed God's locutions to them, nor those of the Virgin Mary.  We would not have the miraculous medal, nor the Dialogues of Jesus to St. Catherine of Siena, nor reforms of various religious orders, nor the Divine Mercy chaplet, etc.  But these experiences need to be discerned and tested, and His Real Presence is not offended when we do.  For one thing, learning to discern mystical phenomenon is a way in which the soul is strengthened and gains experience in the spiritual journey.

This hermit's purpose is not to teach others the detailed specifics of how to discern spirits but to share through its experiences, snippets of example and outcomes.  There are books written on the topics, but to read the lives of saints and mystics is also a good way to learn how they learned.  Plus, we can help one another.  This hermit gets specific when people write or call, asking for discernment help in their spiritual experiences.

_______________

Oh, that reminds....  A friend emailed asking if she interpreted a dream properly, or if she was missing something.  We have been working on her dream interpretation abilities, and she had the dream "nailed," as is said nowadays.  She wasn't sure if the man in the dream telling her some things was St. Francis de Sales or Dom Lorenzo Scupoli.  

This hermit forgot to ask for description of the man; but truly, if one does not know, it does not matter who, although sometimes it helps with our understanding of the message or reason for their being the messenger.  And, if God wants us to know who, as important in some aspect of the message or our spiritual journey, He will let us know at some point, definitively who is the messenger.

In any spiritual experiences, we ought thank His Real Presence, of which the Holy Spirit sends messages through various means, including souls on the other side.  Then, one can also thank whatever soul it may have been, or both or many.  They understand.  As we progress in discerning spirits, less and less does His Real Presence need to have a soul manifest itself, or our angel manifest corporally; we learn the finer nuances of inner sensing:  sight, smell, hearing, touching and tasting.  

There is so much that could be written regarding if the phenomenon is not of His Real Presence, but one can thank His Real Presence regardless.  If not of God, then the devil will shrink from our acknowledging God and ignoring the devil.  And God will not let a sincere and God-loving, fearing soul remain fooled for long.  A sincere and God-love, fearing soul will discern the spirits, even if there are mistakes along the way.  Yes, His Real Presence teaches those who love Him through many means both spiritually and temporally.



As always:  God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another, and remain in His Love!


Note:  It seems that many or most bishops and priests in our time period do not have the time to be spent in reading the actual details, such as the breadth of John of the Cross' words, or some of the older books written by those who did have time to become specialists in the mystical and spiritual life.  It is a sign of our more complex times and the many administrative tasks priests and bishops must now tend.) 

The good news is that there is nothing at all stopping any of us from reading and learning.  This hermit developed a solid library by locating online and in used book sellers, many of the titles that Archbishop Tanquerey lists in his seminal writing (used to be required reading for seminarians in the earlier part of 20th c.):  Treatise on the Spiritual Life.  It is in print, paperback, through Tan Publishing, or used to be.  Some hardbound copies can be located online, used.)

More on Signal Graces

As an update on the heat pump demise, after several calls, the heat pump installer did call back.  It took driving a distance, explaining to a kindly person the difficulty, and that person calling and also leaving a message to at least please call and advise on next steps possible.  Is there someone else to contact to help figure out the problem?  Emphasize:  Old hermit with pain very cold.  Just need a response.

He thinks the circuit board is probably "blown."  He thinks there was a power surge yesterday, early afternoon.  That could be a here-and-now cause.  (The spiritual aspect is yet another, and to this hermit is the important cause with a resultant effect and desire.)  

The man is away in civilization and will not be in this area for a few days, and then will need to order a new circuit board.  Is there a space heater available? Yes.  The hermit can remain in this one upper room with the space heater, sock hat, wool jacket, wool socks, and under the covers.  An occasional trek downstairs into the very cold suffices for water and tidbits to bring back upstairs to eat.  Not much food is necessary while being sedentary.

Praise God for an answer and a next step in a few days, to make progress on a very tangible but wonderful need:  heat in the cold.  Ah, if an early desert father or mother, could simply build a fire to keep warm. (Fire-building is in itself not a simple effort, but indeed it is more convenient and do-able than relying upon electronic heat pumps.  But there is no legal leeway to build a fire in a hermitage today that would not result in major damages to the structure, the fire and police departments involved, insurance company investigation, and an arrest and fine for having caused a fire....)

The day has dragged and much time seems wasted, for the mind has wanted to do some tasks.  The body is too ill with pain from the cold to be able to perform those tasks.  What is the signal grace, then?  It is to cease the thoughts of manual labor or even of driving back into civilization for more insulation.  Too worn out; too cold; too late in day to attempt other than remaining in bed, praying.

_______________

Since signal graces are on the mind, the thoughts turn to signal graces of the past.

There was the time when praying in the first parish after conversion to Catholicism.  Lying on back on pew in empty church (had to do that to keep back from too much pain), was praying and praising without words.  An insight came.  It was that while we pray for priests, we also ought praise God for the priests who are holy and outstanding.  It was deeper, more profound an insight, though.  More of how immensely pleased is God when a priest truly loves Him and truly desires holiness, and does all to be the instrument of God that God desires of priests.  

And even so, the insight was far more penetrating, the joy of God's pleasure so intensely expressed with the message and insight, that out the left side of the hermit's head came a tremendous flash of light and massive sound.  It emanated outside, and the hermit sat up out of the contemplative mode (for the thoughts had gone so deeply into His Real Presence's view of such priests' souls, that the mind was not aware any longer...until the bang and flash of light).

Shortly after, an assistant priest came into the church and looked about, checked the lights and sound system.  No power.  Then he noticed the hermit alone in the darkness, and asked if had seen the light and heard the bang?  The entire church and rectory's power had been blown, a transformer just outside and to the left had exploded.  

The impact of the thoughts at the time, although too deep to adequately express, are ever with this hermit.  The immensity of God's love and pleasure in the souls of priests who love Him to such a high essence as to live their lives in great holiness--and of that for any soul, but so magnified in His pleasure are the good and holy priests.

When in high school, the now-hermit was reading a book at a friend's house, waiting for her to return from a date.  Her parents were away, and they wanted a friend to spend the night with their daughter rather than leave her alone.  All of a sudden, while deep into the book (The Cherry Orchard by Ibsen), a radio blared from upstairs.

Ah, it must be the new clock-radio the friend mentioned purchasing for going off to college in a few months.  So, went upstairs, but instead of some new radio, it was an old radio in a back bathroom.  It was not just turned on a little, but was turned on full volume, and there were voices speaking.  Just turned it off, still thinking it must be a clock radio with a timer set.

The friend returned, and this now-hermit commented what a jolt when their clock radio turned on.  What?  That radio was not a clock radio; her clock radio was packed in its box, unopened and unused.  The friend mentioned they had had some odd occurrences connected with that bathroom; but over years hence of paranormal experiences, this hermit has learned to discern that they all have a message or meaning that emanates from His Real Presence, even if the allowance of dark forces to be the enactors.  All the signal graces come from God, as He is Creator of all good and the ruler over all good and evil.

This hermit has had doors open and footsteps into houses that signal someone has died, and usually who that someone is.  There have been rushes of air in an otherwise still room--signal grace to pray for someone, and often accompanied by a vision of a scene, assisting in the prayer focus.  There have been "knockings" coming from a wall, and usually if the hermit is reclined, coming from the wall opposite the crown of the head.  This is an action of the Holy Spirit.  The knock is loud and sharp, and it most often can be likened to an exclamation point upon whatever the hermit was praying.  What to do?  Praise God and continue praying more upon that particular point.

Sometimes the signal graces can involve movement of objects, but this is not as common.  Once when bed-ridden with severe pain, the now-hermit fell asleep, praying.  The next morning, beside the bed, was neatly piled the papers copied a week before, from some research done in a university library, on the Holy Spirit. The hermit had forgotten about these papers in the midst of such pain, but what was the message?  Read them!  And, much was gained on knowledge of the Holy Spirit.  Praise His Real Presence!

Years ago, a couple days prior to the back surgeries, the children had been jetted back to be with their grandparents, as the surgery was going to require time in hospital.  The pain became so severe that this now-hermit could not rest, so crawled out into the family room and lay on the floor, weeping from the pain itself.  Then, in the dark, lights started to flash to the right of the hermit's body.  Turning its head, the lights repeated themselves in a pattern.  If they had not repeated themselves three distinct times, one could dismiss it as some 2 a.m. car lights (although no road near enough for car lights to be visible, anyway).  The lights three times flashed in luminous order, making the sign of the cross each time.  

The signal grace was God's way of reassuring that all would be well.  Yes, all would be well.  He is near. He would be with the now-hermit and her children, and her parents caring for the children, and the surgeon and nurses.  The lights signaled peace and love.  What was particularly stunning was that the lights made the sign of the cross, and the hermit was not then a Catholic, and as a Protestant had never made a sign of the cross.  It was not part of the Protestant culture.

These are but a few of many signal graces, too many to recount.  Signal graces are not creed-exclusive, nor of certain religious groups or only for certain souls.  Yet they do require us to recognize them, to not discount or brush them off or ascribe to coincidence.  The signal graces' purposes all run in a universal continuum:  His Real Presence teaching, messaging, signaling, exhorting, reminding, reaching in, being with us.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Let us love one another, little children!  Remain in His Love!