Catholic Hermit Shares Wise Advice from Dionysius

Such sound and wise advice of Pseudo-Dionysius from two of his letters:

"This is what you will do if you trust me.  You will cease from the denunciation of others and you will speak about truth in such a manner that everything you say will be irrefutable."

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"In my view, good men are satisfied to know and to proclaim as well as they can the truth itself as it really is.  As soon as anything has been manifested for what it assuredly is by the norm of truth and has been spotlessly established, anything else, anything even with the semblance of truth, will be refuted as alien to and unlike reality, as specious rather than authentic.  

"It is therefore superfluous for someone expounding the truth to enter into dispute with this one or that one, for each says that his own bit of money is the real thing when in face what he has may be a counterfeit copy of some part of the truth.  And if you refute this one, then another one and, again, someone else will eagerly argue about it.

"Once an argument has been properly established because of its own truth, once it stands firm and unrefuted against the counter-arguments of all others, then everything which is not completely in harmony with this will automatically be overthrown by the direct unshakable presence of truth.  

"This, I believe, is a sound principle and therefore I have never wished to embark on controversies with Greeks or with any others.  It is enough for me first to know about the truth and then to speak appropriately of what I know.  And may God grant me this."

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In our times, the denunciation of others has become rampant with the assistance of social media and the relative obscurity people begin to believe we have, hovering behind our technology screens.  Then it is but a short side-step to denouncing others in the few verbal conversations, whereas much of our communication (and temptation to denounce others) is done through texting, email, and online posting, and chat.

Dionysius makes an invaluable point (that we ought take to heart and put into action) to speak about truth as established truth.  Truth, then, is always truth and stands against those who try to argue against what always going to remain truth, no matter who argues or what is the content of their contentions.

Thus, it is pointless to involve ourselves in controversies of which others become entangled.  Seek the truth, know about it, and then speak appropriately, meaningfully, of what we know is truth.  And pray that God gives us the ability to know truth and speak it.

Of course, there will always be those who still desire argumentation, debate, denunciation, and it can become personal and tinged with anger.  Especially when argumentation takes a personal and negative tone, this is a sure sign that the person's argument is flawed.  Truth stands unmoved, unchanged, when challenged by what is not fully truth.

Dionysius mentions a man who reviles him and calls him a "parricide" [murderer of one's kinsmen].  The man angered accused Dionysius of unholy use of aspects in Greek culture and belief in order to attack those beliefs.  Rather, Dionysius considered the truth of God and divine reverence, and that the Greeks were making unholy use of godly things to attack God and the wisdom of God.

We can surely find examples in our own lives, cultures, societies to help us see the futility in arguing against what is truth which is well established and documented, and ultimately is manifested by and in God Himself: Truth.

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

Catholic Hermit Shares Some Lights from Pseudo-Macarius and -Dionysius

In preface, an explanation of the construct of Pseudo-Macarius' intent of the word perfect Christian:

Macarius is not using the world perfect Christian to mean that such have become confirmed in grace and no longer need to be attentive to the sinful roots within them.  It means that such have advanced through long years of asceticism and inner attentiveness to the evil within and live more habitually in the contemplative union with the indwelling Trinity, a state that is always in process of greater growth, that encourages a hunger all the more to enter into the spiritual combat and never yield to sloth."

Now, to share what resonates with this Catholic hermit of Macarius' spiritual insights, gifted soul that he was circa 5th century and throughout the centuries vis a vis his homilies.

"Perfect Christians, who are considered worthy to reach a degree of perfection and to come close to the King, are continually dedicated to the cross of Christ.  Just like the anointing in the times of the prophets was considered absolutely a most precious thing, since kings and prophets were anointed, so also now spiritual persons, who are anointed with a heavenly anointing, become Christians by grace, so that they too become kings and prophets of heavenly mysteries.  Indeed, these are the sons and lords and gods, bound and held captive, plunged deeply, crucified and consecrated.  

"For the anointing with oil, a thing which came from a material plant, a visible tree, had so great a power that those who were anointed obtained a dignity beyond questioning (for ti was decreed that they were thus made kings).  Davide was anointed and immediately was exposed to persecutions and afflictions, and after the seventh year was he made king.

"How much more do all who have been anointed in mind and the interior man with the sanctifying and joy-giving, heavenly and spiritual 'oil of gladness' (Heb 1:9), receive the sign of that kingdom of imperishable and eternal power, namely 'the pledge of the Spirit.' (2 Cor 5:5), the Holy Spirit and the Paraclete?  Understand by the Paraclete, the one who consoles and pours out joy upon all who are heavily burdened."

Turning to the writings of Dionysius, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit can grasp why the writings of this holy and sanctified man, also circa 5th c., influenced St. John of the Cross.  Dionysius was inspired to introduce the three ways of the spiritual life.  While his triad is termed the purification, the illumination, and the perfected, John of the Cross did not verge far in labeling the three ways of spiritual progression the purgative, the intuitive, and the unitive.

But Dionysius writes extensively of hierarchies, taking us from the temporal and tangible profoundly into the spiritual and mystical.  He casts out into the deep; he climbs the stairway to heaven and takes the reader with him, if they so wish to stretch their hearts and minds to what he is trying to impart.  

One wonders if Macarius and Dionysius had access to one or the others writings in their time period on earth.  For Dionysius writes of the threefold division of every hierarchy of God's creation:  inanimate, plants, animals, humans, celestial, and the sacred Godhead.  He explains further.

"...in our sacred tradition every hierarchy is divided in three.  There are the most reverend sacraments.  There are those, inspired by God, who understand and purvey them.  And there are those who are sacredly initiated into these.

"Now the most holy hierarchy among the beings of heaven possesses the native sacramental power of a most completely immaterial conception of God and of things divine.  It is their lot to be as like God and as imitative of God as is possible. These first beings around God lead others and with their light guide them toward this sacred perfection.  To the sacred orders farther down the scale they generously bestow, in proportion to their capacity, the knowledge of the workings of God, knowledge forever made available as a gift to themselves by that divinity which is absolute perfection and which is the source of wisdom for the divinely intelligent beings.  The ranks coming in succession to these premier beings are sacredly lifted up by their mediation to enlightenment in the sacred workings of the divinity. They form the orders of initiates and they are named as such.

"In succession to this heavenly and transcendent hierarchy the divinity extends its most sacred gifts into our domain and, in the words of Scripture, it deals with us as though we were 'babes.'  It bestowed on us in the hierarchy of the Law.  It veiled truth with obscure imagery. It employed the palest copies of originals.  It resorted to dense enigmas and to symbolism whose meaning is discerned with the maximum difficulty.  To avoid harm it granted only as much light as suited the weak eyes looking up to it. In this hierarchy of the Law the 'sacrament' consisted of an uplifting to worship in spirit...."

Dionysius continues on, explaining each level of spirit, of souls, and of their work and efforts in the divine power of the process of lifting up to God, of initiating the initiates with what they can understand, and then the next level of souls illuminating them (as they were illuminated and lifted up, as well, by God's grace and light), and then the sacred souls strive to perfect the illuminated, drawing them up likewise to sanctification, to become sacred, to union with the Divine.

This is enough to ponder, here.  Let our hearts and minds and souls consider these insights, and be open to whatever understanding and light the Holy Spirit wishes to impart in us.  At least let us realize that we are called to rise beyond the point of initiation, beyond the level of purification, and onto being illuminated, and then pray for the grace and sheer love and desire of God to be drawn up into that amount of perfection of which Macarius also writes and explains, so that His Real Presence, the Trinity, will make His abode in us, filling us with His will and divinity.

This may be too sublime for us to continue to attempt verbal description.  So this nothing Catholic hermit will cease attempting to express what these bright light souls of earlier centuries--enlightened and perfected Christians--can teach us of what the Holy Spirit has taught them of the loving and divine ascent...through Him, with Him, in Him forever.

Catholic Hermit: More on Consecration

Pseudo-Dionysius (whose writings greatly influenced the thoughts of John of the Cross and numerous other saints and mystics who read the 5th century writings) has this to say about consecration.

"For it is on Jesus himself, our most divine altar, that there is achieved the divine consecration of intelligent beings.  In him, as scripture says, 'we have access' to consecration and are mystically offered as a holocaust.  So let us behold with transcending eye that divine altar where sanctifying consecrations are performed, itself being consecrated by the most divine ointment.  For it is the most holy Jesus who consecrates himself for us.  [Note: Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18]  It is he who grants us the fullness of his own consecration and who arranges to offer generously to us, as children of God, whatever is consecrated on him."

Dionysius continually lifts the thoughts and insights to the heights of spiritual grasping and reality.  Perhaps this aspect is what influenced John of the Cross to his mystical understanding and writings.  Dionysius always moves through the temporal, beyond the tangible, yet moves transcendently as if through layers until the soul is elevated and is imbued with holiness that comes through his consecration.  The soul is led to grasp Scripture and the Church and the desire for union with Christ at spiritual and mystical realities of Christ's truths.

Consecration is far more than, and beyond, a temporal, tangible act--at least the consecration that seems to matter most to Christ, for our souls.

[Note: "through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:2).]

"for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 3:1)

Catholic Hermit Needed This!

God provides!  It has been a very rough couple of days.  With the reality that Raphael is not going to be helping with finishing some heavier type work here, and not having anyone human around to help, came a text from someone beloved but by choice (not the hermit's), estranged.

The text applied pressure, and the hermit emailed back, expressing it is doing the best it can, working as hard as it can, and praying for God's will regarding the living situation, the property, still unsalable.

But the good Catholic deputy returned a message, and he is willing to stop by sometime to help the hermit carry in some "greenboard" so the hermit can begin drywalling the downstairs bathroom.  (In the meantime, the hermit has been hard at work in the heat of desert exile--outside and in--trying to keep gardens watered, spreading mulch, building a barrier for bird netting to protect the strawberries!)

The deputy had other news.  The hermit somehow said it before he shared; touch of God's grace. "How did you know?"  Well....  Anyway, he and his wonderful family are moving.  Why?  They want to be able to go to a valid Catholic parish.  Their priest spiritual director from afar insisted they must not attend the one in this far-off area.  Why?  The Mass is not licit.  The priest is psychologically unhealthy and unwilling to pour himself into the glorious work the priesthood imputes.  The parishioners are uninterested in spiritual growth.  Ah, so also the hermit had experienced the same and was told by its director to stay clear.  Sad to have it validated by another who is selling his home for the sole purpose of providing valid worship and Catholic instruction for himself and his family.

The text from the beloved family member came later in the day, after a marvelous phone conversation with the hermit's spiritual father.  Isn't it uncanny how so often God gives us some huge uplift just prior to a tough trial laid out before us?  God knows best!  So the text came [how the hermit wished it could do as the person would like but cannot, must not], and then the hermit emailed some thoughts and realities.  An invitation, also, was extended that if the beloved person would visit and lend some physical help with tasks needing a second set of hands, the hermitage could progress, and then it could be finished, sold, and the hermit and the other would be free of the property agreement.

No response.  No help is coming.  The option was offered; the choice is made.  The estrangement continues.  The hermit became discouraged--and not aided by the heat of this desert exile, nor the manual labor with increasing pain.  So, the hermit got up early and headed to get a load of mulch. What else to do but keep putting one foot in front of the other?  Hope to sell some veggies out by the road.  Borrowed a table a week ago when visited the daughter's family overnight, in civilization.  Ah--and was blessed with a hot shower!

First one in over six weeks.  (The hermit considers how on earth did those early hermits manage if no fresh creeks nearby?  Not in the desert!  At least this hermit can spit-bathe at the sink.  But, this is something:  The cleansing sweat when out working the soil, removes whatever toxins, evidently.  There is no noticeable odor.  Water, watermelon, cucumbers--help the cleanse from inner to outer.  It's really not so awful, after all.)

Still, the hermit's spirit was downcast with the reminder of the painful, estranged relationship.  Hope was evaporating.  The emotions weakened to near-tears.  Then the hermit picked up a book it had not finished reading--Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works.  The marked spot where left off, produced this marvelous message. Before commencing reading, the hermit prayed that Dionysius or whoever he was and is, would speak through his insights from God given him those 15 or more centuries ago.

"One cannot exist in contradictory realities at one and the same time, and whoever enters into communion with the One, cannot proceed to live a divided life, especially if he hopes for a real participation in the One.  He must be firmly opposed to whatever may sunder this communion.  

"All this is sacredly suggested by the symbolic tradition which strips the postulant of his former life, deprives him of the very last attractions of this world, stands him naked and barefoot to face westward and renounce with outstretched hands all dealings with the darkness of evil, and everything in his past which signifies difference, and makes him exhale, as it were, and renounce utterly whatever is opposed to the conformity to God.

"Strengthened thus and made free he is turned to face eastward and he is told that having abandoned evil he may in perfect purity endure and look up to the divine Light.  With these, his sacred vows of complete inclination toward the One, the tradition receives him who has become one-like out of a love for the truth."

[The aunt from far away then called with a couple ideas for the hermit--plus lots of encouragement.   (She is an incredibly strong woman, strong soul, honed by a wallop of suffering years ago.) No, do not cave to the pressure of the beloved family member.  Yes, it does seem that the content of the text and all about it, caused upset, confusion, much sorrow in the estrangement.  But another painful reality is that even if the hermit capitulated, causing itself to be even more vulnerable to the world, the relationship with this beloved one would unlikely improve.  All that has been and continues to be is now the choice of the beloved person.  The hermit can only keep praying, working, and hoping to make little bits of progress in the efforts.]

The hermit then paused and prayed, reading what Dionysius had to share.  The insights became the prayer.  At a point, the hermit found itself taking deep breaths and exhaling from it's inner being and through the lungs:  the "dealings with the darkness of evil, and everything of [the hermit's] past which signifies difference, and whatever else [God only knows the full extent of it] is opposed to the [hermit's] conformity to God."

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us exhale whatever keeps us from remaining in His love and being conformed to God!

Catholic Hermit Ponders Pseudo-Dionysius' Mystical Advice

Marvelous how His Real Presence gives us what we need, when we are needful and ready to receive.
From the works of Pseudo-Dionysius, The Mystical Theology....

"...my advice to you as you look for a sight to the mysterious things, is to leave behind you everything perceived and understood, everything perceptible and understandable, all that is not and all that is, and with your understanding laid aside, to strive upward as much as you can toward union with him who is beyond all being and knowledge.  

"By an undivided and absolute abandonment of yourself and everything, shedding all and freed from all, you will be uplifted to the ray of the divine shadow which is above everything that is."

And then this bit of advice is so apropos, as well!

"But see to it that none of this comes to the hearing of the uniformed, that is to say to those caught up with the things of the world, who imagine that there is nothing beyond instances of individual being and who think that by their own intellectual resources they can have a direct knowledge of him who has made the shadows his hiding place.  

"And if initiation to the divine is beyond such people, what is to be said of those others, still more uniformed, who describe the transcendent Cause of all things in terms derived from the lowest orders of being, and who claim that it is in no way superior to the godless, multiformed shapes they have made?  What has actually to be said about the Cause of everything is this.  

"Since it is the Cause of all beings, we should posit and ascribe to it all the affirmations we make in regard to beings, and more appropriately, we should negate all these affirmations, since it surpasses all being.  Now we should not conclude that the negations are simply the opposites of the affirmations, but rather that the cause of all is considerably prior to this, beyond privations, beyond every denial, beyond every assurance."

There is more, not much more, but perhaps for another time.  He shares more of God and our ascension into Him, our assumption, our subsummation--perhaps this is the way to describe, without being able to ever describe our union with God.

Catholic Hermits Correspond

Here is another sample of correspondence written from this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit to a priest the hermit met and with whom had spiritual friendship in this country, before his return to Nigeria.  He emailed in response to this particular correspondence, that he found the content to be a helpful, positive reflection.  Some friends have suggested that this hermit's letters may be the better of writing genre; but that does not presume that the letters are that good to begin with!  However, perhaps this piece of a Catholic hermit's correspondence will be helpful for someone who happens upon this blog post.  

Correspondence (written in the silence of solitude, one soul to other souls) is an example of what some Catholic hermits "do"--for some readers have sought input into what it is that Catholic hermits do in their daily lives.  Spiritual correspondence is a part of this Catholic hermit's vocational life-being and life-doing.  The content, for better or worse, is always regarding some spiritual, Scriptural, and hopefully insightful thought from His Real Presence, shared with whoever is receiving.

[Dear Fr. V...,]
"I did pray for Nigeria off and on yesterday, too.  I noticed in a news article that Boko Haram massacred many people in pre-election rampage in Nigeria, yesterday or the day before.  May the Lord use all my suffering for the people of Nigeria!  I have read some of Pseudo-Dionysius' writings on God as the good and on evil.  So I know that these people who do evil things, or when we have evil in any of us to whatever degree (such as I have, too), that evil is not a being, but it comes when we have a lack (to any degree of lacking) of the good.  

"God created us, and He is good and creates only good.  So when any of us fails or has a lack of some level of good, even if small, that is evil.  Some people falter greatly or have a great lack of good, thus seem more evil.  But it is good for me to remember that the persons themselves are created by God and thus are created as good beings. Same with creatures and all that God has created.  Lucifer was created as good but chose to falter from the great potential of good that God desires and wills.

"So I thought about the ways in which I choose to falter from the good that God desires of me, and also to consider what degree of good does He desire of me, what height of good is expected or are we given the graces to attain?  The degrees of 'perfection' from our human perspectives vary, for some are given more graces and more is expected, than others.  

"Some beings are created with more earthly anomalies than others, and thus the degree of the good to which some should attain might be different than that of others.  God knows and ordains, each to his or her degree of good that ought be reached.   When we falter or lack any degree of good, it is an evil.  Something like that, anyway.  I do a poor job of explaining what makes so much sense when I read it.

"But it does explain some Scriptures, and it is good to reflect for myself and ask, 'Am I achieving the good and performing God's works to the level and degree to which He has made it quite possible for me to achieve?  Am I striving for perfection in good, or am I allowing lack and faltering?'

"I do realize that I allow much lack and falter in the good when the pain takes over, for somehow I am letting it at least try to take over and allow the darkest of thoughts.  Those are not good.  It does seem, though, at some point, when the mind is derailed by that kind of pain which is so powerful to reduce us to not being able to think, and weakens the gift of free will, we truly are naked and helpless in the Hands of God.  It seems like that, anyway; and thus we have to hope and trust that He will protect us from ourselves.

"God bless His Real Presence!  May we always be in His Real Presence and keep as much good in us and clear out as much lack of good, so that He has much welcome and space in the abode of our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls."

Catholic Hermit: Longing for the Things of God While Stuck in Muck

In reflecting upon Pseudo-Dionysius' writings on The Divine Names, particularly the name of "Righteousness, " the question arises:  Do we quest after the things of God, seek after His Beautiful?

Part One:  The Muck

Last week was topsy-turvy here at Te Deum Hermitage. Monday of the Easter Octave began with hope of making great progress for making the old place more livable and with the financial need to have it salable, as well.  Raphael had contacted Jorge, a wonderful man he knows; and along with Jorge, he sent Francisco, one of his workers, to help this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit with some heavier tasks.

The first day went very well, with much accomplished even if the tasks were matters that the hermit could do alone with God.  But why not gladly accept the treat of these men getting some aspects finished far faster and probably better so that work on the stairway could commence?  

By Monday afternoon, Jorge, Francisco, and the hermit tore out the existing--too shallow, too step, too narrow--stairs and loaded the truck with the debris.  (The hermit and Francisco had a few months ago already built the landing that will allow a shorter run of stairs to the landing, then a turn to but three final steps to the second floor.)

Tuesday started off with exultant hope.  Jorge helped the hermit replace an outdoor spigot with some valves.  Yes, the nothing hermit could have done it by studying YouTube videos, as this particular spigot is more complex a contraption; but again, what a treat to have someone right here: show, tell, and help.  Then Jorge proceeded to cut out the upper floor enough for the three steps to go from landing to top.  The hermit gave some dimensions, and also that for another bit of construction needed.

It seemed to take him quite awhile, and Francisco was his cut-the-lumber helper.  The work was not accurate. Ascribe it to hermit-to-Jorge miscommunication of where the stairs need to extend.  Granted, the hermit was worn out from the day before with pain level higher than thinking-best.  

Yet charitably it was best and right to take the blame for the error.  The morning's work had to be torn out and done over. That is fair enough.  Then the three 2x12"x12' stringer boards were marked for the stair risers and treads, and that took some figuring and explaining, as stairs can be a very tricky endeavor.

Jorge was insistent he does stairs "all the time."  Indeed, he did have the tools and discussed options, but we disagreed on some aspects of process.  He became insistent to do it his way, and the hermit relented.  Why not--as long as the end result is good?  But the hermit noticed a growing "macho" attitude: he preferred the hermit not check the work in progress.  All right, the hermit decided to give benefit of doubt despite increasing inklings of doubt.

But when the stringer boards were off 1 3/4," and Jorge insisted on adding another piece of plywood to raise the landing, what to do?  He was so adamant; the hermit relented, yet again.  As long as the end result is good....  It did not realize the use of too many nails whapping from the nail gun rather than screws (which are to be used--not nails--for securing sub-flooring) until too late.  But about then they packed up for the day.

On Wednesday morning, the hermit detected the muck thickening.  Jorge and Francisco chatted increasingly in their native tongue and seemed less sure of how to "jimmy" the stair stringer boards so that they'd be level, and how to make up for variances in riser heights....  

While the nothing Catholic hermit does not speak Spanish, it does know some words; the lengthy conversations increasingly were not work-related.  When the hermit offered to help in some way, hoping to progress them out of the extended chatting to their paid work, Jorge became abrupt and dismissive.

The hermit retreated to do other work, including a dump run during the men's longish lunch break, and unloaded another 500 lbs. of debris....  It did so by the grace of God, help from its angel, a prayer for strength, a wrist brace, and leveraging the boards off the end of Precious Blood (the hermit's used pick-up truck.)  

Upon return, Jorge had installed the stairs in a manner that is not code.  A call to Craig at the lumber yard informed that the technique used was "old school", but maybe would be passable if all else done correctly.  But all else was not done so...not at all.

However, the nothing Catholic hermit kept silent its polite plan to make some additional support corrections, later.   We must work forward.  ("Beggars cannot be choosers" the hermit's late dad used to say, and about then the hermit felt much the beggar.)  

Jorge was readying to build the final three steps from landing on up. Francisco was standing about, so the hermit asked his help for five minutes or so, to carry from the pole barn the 12' ceiling boards.  When we finished that short task, what a surprise:  Jorge would not answer the hermit's calling his name, had his truck loaded up and declared to Francisco they were leaving.  Francisco knew nothing of leaving, but he did what Jorge said.

Oh, my.  So the hermit paid them their wages.  The hermit asked one final favor:  Could they please lift the last heavy, 2x12"x12' board onto the saw horses so the hermit could cut the final stringers for the upper three steps?  Jorge decided he did not have to leave right away, after all, as how could the old hermit possibly build stairs?  

So they proceeded to measure and cut.  The measurements were not exact, although Francisco's cuts are indeed beautiful and precise.  But without accurate riser and tread markings, what good are precisely cut but inaccurate stairs?

And on top of that, Jorge's twice-done opening for the upper stairs was still not correct.  He admitted the error, and the hermit commented how difficult the work for anyone;  it would need to be redone, and the hermit would do it.   But Jorge used what discourse left in trying to convince the hermit to instead build angle steps.  Of course, angle steps were not a viable remedy for the disastrous, two previous attempts at properly building the steps.  However, the hermit was done with debating and instead thought within, how marvelous is God to have given Jorge another job so that he could not come back to this one.

The men left.  The hermit kept the parting on good terms despite the disastrous two of the three days and the costs involved.  Then the hermit more carefully inspected the stairs.  The little 2x4" board upon which Jorge had insisted on hanging the stringer boards, besides not being code to hang stairs, was also cracked at one end; and only one screw was driven in to secure each stringer board.  And he had Francisco notch out the stringer boards, top and bottom, to fit over 2x4's:  Not good--compromises structural strength.

Next the hermit took a tape measure to each step.  The men had altered the top and bottom too much; steps are to be within 1/16th- to 1/8th-inch of each other, for safety's sake.   The human mind adapts to stair height quickly, and if some steps are off in height, the mind does not adjust and falls occur.  [Ah, the applications of all this to the soul and spiritual life!]  Plus, the hermit noticed they had wedged shims under the stair stringers, and jimmied yet another 2x4-- but not flush--so that, too, needed correcting.  Yet, it was all fixable, and time and energy is God's, not ours, gifted to us.

Too much detail--but we get the picture.  The nothing Catholic hermit called Raphael to ask him to come and give a second opinion, for the hermit had serious stair concerns.  He could not come until Friday or Saturday.  The next morning, yet more problems with the stairs were noted; the hermit contacted Craig at the lumber yard--excellent contractor with years and years of experience.  He said the stairs are not passable and best to start over.

The hermit had to cut out the too-many nails used, and piece-by-piece undo all that had been done wrongly. It pried out the twice-wronged upper floor cut out area.  Angle-steps cannot be used for that particular landing; sloped ceiling would have a person hunching down in order to step up and make the turn!  

And by the time all was removed, some of the notched sections of the stringer boards had cracked off--another reason why the 2x4"x12' support boards must be glued and screwed in along the notched edges of stair stringers.  Jorge had insisted the support boards not at all necessary and that he knew best.

The hermit called Raphael and said no need to come by to check the stairs.  They were removed.  The hermit was heading over to civilization to buy more lumber--will try it again.  Please, do not tell Jorge; the hermit had moved on and was putting the disaster of the last couple of days' work behind.  But it wanted to let Raphael know that Jorge and the hermit had communication problems, and that Jorge evidently knew how to do deck stairs, but that these interior ones, perhaps not, or not very well.

But Raphael did tell Jorge, and Jorge later called and had in upset driven over to the place of hermit exile, and had left his three days of pay under a board by the compound miter saw. No, the hermit insisted he should have his pay and was putting the problem behind, and that stairs are tricky, and that even the best contractors often have to re-do them.  But Jorge argued again and felt he did them correctly, but that he was leaving the money.  Oh my!

The next day, Raphael was upset, too, and defended one aspect  of Jorge's ways of installing stairs, and hurtfully insisted that he also needed to make Francisco return his pay, also.  No, no, no!  The muck was growing out of mucked proportion! 

They worked three days and were paid for three days.  One and a half or more of the days ran amuck, and a lot had to do with too much pride, perhaps, as well as an attitude of insistence on not consulting with nor doing as the hermit had asked.  The hermit, not a trained carpenter, had at least spent hours studying how to measure and build stairs and sought out and listened to several men, quite successful in years of stair-building.  (The proper metal stair hanging brackets were offered to Jorge, the construction adhesive, the support lumber, the exact measurements all given.)  The hermit did not want money back.  Why also debate that?  Justice is that the men were paid for their days of work.  We all make mistakes.  The hermit wanted to move on and get the stairs built--while perfection not humanly possible--better than the first mucked attempt.

(These stairs are the Stairway to Heaven, after all.)

By yesterday, the nothing consecrated Catholic hermit realized it was unlikely going to have further hired help from the skilled Raphael and his good men.  (Jorge was not of his work team, but is his friend; and Raphael did not witness the mess of matters here, either.)  And true, the hermit could have (should have?) kept its mouth shut and not complained of the poor workmanship to Raphael.  Yes, should have called Jorge, but did not have his phone number.  

Even Jorge chastised the hermit--said should have asked Raphael for his phone number.  True!  Did not think of that. Will try to handle such matters better next time, as there will always be muck in daily life until no longer on earth. 

Craig at the lumberyard had a different view of the mucky situation.  A person paying work to be done should expect to have the stairs done as accurately as humanly possible (which was far more possible than what occurred) and to have them hung properly and safely.  He said despite what some workers think of their own ways of carpentry, these stairs were not done properly.  There is a reason why strong, metal stair brackets are created, code, and sold.  He emphasized to the hermit:  Stay the course.

More costly new lumber was loaded onto the truck.  But how could the hermit be able to lift the heavy, fresh, stringer planks off the truck?  The nothing Catholic hermit had an inspiration from His Real Presence.  Back up the truck in a spot just so; the hermit could leverage off each of the three, heavy 2"x12"x12' boards.  Use the ground to bear the weight of one end of the board while getting under and walking the other end over to the porch, letting the porch bear the weight of that end.  Then go to the end on the ground, lift up, and slide it onto the porch.  Set up the saw horses off the end of the porch, and leverage the boards one at a time onto the sawhorses to do the cuts.  Thanks, God!

However, the nothing Catholic hermit did not have much practice with using the circular (Skilsaw).  And it discovered, too late, the saw had been on clearance because it was for left-handed folks.  The hermit is right-handed.  Only thing to do is to try a nothing hermit's best, pray for God's mercy upon this stuck-in-the-muck sinner, ask St. Joseph and Jesus to lend carpenter graces, ask Mary to dispense virtue graces, and ask its guardian angel to help with physical strength.

By the time the hermit marked and sawed into the third board, the notched cuts were amazingly clean.  In all the stringer board tread and riser cuts, the measurements were within 1/16th an inch; and they fit cleanly against the ledger of the landing at the correct mark.  There are some slight over-cuts into the inner portion of the notch; this is not advisable but may be minor enough and acceptable. Craig will be consulted tomorrow.  If the hermit must get more lumber and try again, so be it.  It is a miracle that the hermit could make the cuts and lift the boards at all! 

How on earth the hermit will be able to get the 4'x12' heavy pieces of drywall into the hermitage, and how it will get one piece lifted up on top of the lower one to drywall the stairwell, only God truly knows.  The stairs cannot be completed until the drywall is up, despite the wrong-ordered process Jorge had used--and despite the hermit's asking otherwise.  That had also been torn out.  Just start fresh.

So all this stuff of temporal life detritus depicts being stuck in the muck.  The mess of relationships, insulting a man who did try his best but did not succeed in passable work--all the gurgling, stressful, gooey upset for everyone involved in these types of life scenarios: Muck!  Now the hermit also has to figure out how to get the money to Jorge that Jorge truly did earn--at least a day and a half's worth of decent work.  The hermit was and is just fine with him having it all; none of this will the hermit miss or worry about on its deathbed. 

Part Two:  Longing for and Finding the Things of God

How can that which is actually not even all that bad or serious in daily, earthly muck-stuck, possibly become a yearning after the things of God and questing for God's Beautiful?

The answer came while working on the third stringer board--in the exacting measuring and marking phase.  As the nothing consecrated Catholic hermit touched the fresh fir of the thick, long, wood plank, all of a sudden it realized it was touching God's Beautiful.  

The hermit reflected upon a recent phone conversation with a young spiritual friend, with whom it is reading Pseudo-Dionysius' Collected Works.  This is exactly how we can long for the things of God and quest for God's created beautiful while stuck in the muck of our daily, earthly lives.

She does it while changing diapers and wiping tears from toddlers faces, while breaking up sibling tiffs, while cooking meal after meal with little time for feet up in the last month of a pregnancy.  The hermit does it while touching wood and praying for healing of damaged pride in someone who wanted to go the course on his own rather than collaborate with another or to try a better way.  

Beauty is in the faces and minds and souls of people, as well as in the wood of trees and in water mixed with dirt.  The things of God are of and in the good and beautiful of His created creatures and creation.  

The things of God are in the electric current that flows through a circular saw and a jigsaw, the energy that flows through our bodies to lift boards and cut them, the prayers thought for those we've offended even when we did not mean to, the winds that blow the sawdust from boards so that eyes can see and hands can guide a power saw straight on the mark, the rain sprinkles that forced a hermit to take rest from labor and to ponder His omnipotence.

We can long for the things of God amidst the deepest, thickest, stinkiest muck of which we may find ourselves at any given moment--or for month or years.  The color and consistency of the muck might change, but we frankly are mired in it, physically, temporally, while we are living on this earth.  

The longing for the things of God and seeking His Beautiful, however, is so very possible as He desires to pour out his endless power into us.  All we have to do is yearn, long, seek after the things of God and His Beautiful, with all our minds, hearts and spirit--despite being stuck in whatever temporal muck.

And then the muck becomes not muck, but rather is viewed, touched, and experienced as simply the beauty of the earth He creates, the water He creates, the situations He allows and offers in just the right degree of measure, in due time and proper place--all ordered to what He knows in advance is His perfect provision for each one of us.  When we grasp this reality, the potential of His grace and power, we are as well off with our feet stuck in the muck as all else of us is truly in His Beautiful.

After awhile, we embrace the good of it all.  All muck and the things of muck are temporary here, anyway.  A viable sign of our longing for and finding the things of God while being stuck in the muck, can be as simple as shifting the amount of verbal and mental space the muck takes in our minds and lives.  All that muck-minding can be far less or nothing compared to the amount of soul-freedom that we can think, express, and exude by our longing for and finding that which comprises God and His Beautiful.

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

Catholic Hermits Read

Yes, consecrated Catholic hermits read, in addition to the Living Word of God (Scripture), other writings that teach and uplift the body, mind, heart, and spirit.  In just this small selection from Pseudo-Dionysius, much benefit comes at all levels, temporal and spiritual.  His Real Presence speaks through others--those who are through, with, and in Him and of whom He chooses what inspirations to be put ink to paper, or in our times, finger to keyboard.

The following is a selection from The Divine Names (Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works).

"...I praise the super-powerful God for being omnipotent, blessed, the sole and mighty ruler, as sovereign in the reign of eternity.  He has in no way fallen from being.  Rather, in His transcendent power He is above all things and has advance possession of all things.  He it is who has granted  the power to be everything.  This gift of existence comes through the unstinted out-pouring of His overwhelming power."

"Again, the title 'Righteousness' is given to God because He assigns what is appropriate to all things; He distributes their due proportion, beauty, rank, arrangement, their proper and fitting place and order, according to a most just and righteous determination.  He is cause of their individual activity.  It is the righteousness of God which orders everything, setting boundaries, keeping things distinct and unconfused, giving each thing what it inherently deserved....What they really should know is that the righteousness of God is truly righteousness in that it gives the appropriate and deserved qualities to everything and that it preserves the nature of each being in its due order and power.

"Someone might say that it is not a characteristic of righteousness to leave pious men without some help when they are oppressed by the wicked.  To this the answer must be that if those whom you describe as pious are actually lovers of things basely sought on earth, then they have certainly fallen away from the yearning for God.  

"Would they not be closer to the virtues of the angels if, in their longing for the things of God, they shed their attachment to material things and bravely trained themselves for this in their quest for the beautiful?  It would be very much more in keeping with righteousness if God were to refrain from undermining the courage of the noblest ones through giving them material goods, if He were to give help to them when anyone tried to corrupt them, if He strengthened them in their admirable and firm steadiness, and if He gave them whatever befits their calling."

If one reads aloud and slowly the above words and thoughts, they seep into the understanding and intellect.  It is all truth.  And it is appropriate and applicable to each of us in whatever our God-given calling--single or married, consecrated, or holy orders.

Yet it is something to ask ourselves, if in our various callings:  Do we place more longing for the temporal aspects of the calling, than in a quest and yearning for the beautiful, for God?  And that question may be asked consciously or subconsciously in the Order of the Present Moment, in any given moment.  

Regardless the answer, which is quite individual and personal and can change in our shifts in and out of righteousness, we have God's assurance that when we are confounded by our trials and seeming lack of or distraction by material things as well as oppressive persons and situations--God is most certainly and righteously strengthening us, and gives us the qualities that each of us need for our individual natures and at the right time and with the perfect amount of power. 

It is good to rest in these truths of righteousness, and to pray for and in His righteousness' sake.  If we do find ourselves beset by temporal clashes and obstacles with people and situations, including within our own selves (which can be the worst form of chaos), then we can know for sure that we have lost our way, lost our yearning for God, and are too attached to material things.

Then it is high time we immediately detach from what hinders us of attachment, and that can be thoughts in the mind--concerns and upsets of a material and human nature--and return to training our intellects and wills for the sole and soulful delight in seeking the beautiful in which God is truth, beauty, and goodness.

And it can be quite the interesting and blessed exercise to yearn for God with all our body, mind, heart, and spirit--and to thank Him for the outpouring of His omnipotence into our beings, from His Being.  We are given the power necessary to quest for His Beautiful in our daily lives, and to find His Beautiful moment by moment, and return to righteousness in Him, when we falter back to our earthly attachments.  We can know by His powerful truth, that we are given exactly as we need according to His perfect and eternal knowing, power, and presence.

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

Some Human Hands on the Way

Pain has been horribly high, yet.  Went to clinic due to having kidney symptoms.  Thankfully was not--just a new way the pain was radiating to simulate the perfect kidney infection storm.

Barely able to function as far as accomplishing manual labor. One obstacle occurs after another. Raphael did not come as he'd said, to help unload the truck of some thin but heavy siding (Hardie-Plank).  Had to try to unload, one 12' length at a time and broke two.  They are very thin and wobbly. Called Craig at lumberyard, and he had a wonderful tip:  Use a long 1x4" plank underneath each siding board, and carry into the pole barn that way.  Used his advice and carried in the other 30 boards, thankfully without breakage and aided by the wrist brace to give support to a permanently stretched-out ligament.  The siding and the wrist need support.

Yes, support makes all the difference.

Later this afternoon this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit will have visitors for a couple or three hours.  They do not like to come here; the work is frustrating; they have any number of things they'd rather do and often times must do.  But they are coming because the nothing needs some support.  Need another set of hands.  Need some help making progress, being pushed some, motivated, to move through the pain to the other side of it as much as possible.  

Need someone to shove down on an ABS pipe from under the kitchen sink, as the hermit pushes up on the pipe from in the crawlspace--within the 3-4 second time span before the ABS pipe glue sets permanently.  That is not much time when coordinating with another, with a floor between us and tight quarters for the work.

Also need someone to hold the main drain pipe that goes down into the ground and to the septic tank. This consecrated Catholic hermit tried to saw the opened pipe (had to remove the original stack of drain pipes going down as am re-doing the hermitage plumbing to make it all code). The pipe wobbled so much, that the hermit could not get a good draw with the saw blade; the pipe wobbled so much that the concern is it will crack or break off under the soil line.  So even the pipe needs support.

Friends across the miles have been praying much, and their prayers are appreciated.  This pain siege has been a whopper. It continues somewhat, affecting focus, thoughts, and especially emotions.  Pain can do all kinds of things to a person's body, mind, heart, and spirit.  It is a powerful force.

Pain works.  Just consider Jesus on the Cross being Crucified and saving our souls for all eternity. Well, those souls who love and follow His Truth, Way, and Life are redeemed.  And we just never know if we are or are not, until we face our individual judgments, face-to-face (with whatever that actually will translate in visuals or some other sensing) with His Real Presence.

Yesterday was finally able to read some more in Pseudo-Dionysius.  It is the chapter on God as the Good, and what constitutes evil.  It is fascinating, Scripture soaked, inspired, and is the truth.  But the introductions to this volume are written by three different scholars who write about Pseudo-Dionysius (whoever he was; they don't really know for sure) and his writings.  Each scholar covers a period of Christian history and include an assessment of how the people of those time periods (including clerics and scholars) viewed and assimilated Dionysius' writings.

For the most part, those who tend toward the more concrete comprehension could not grasp the thoughts.  Those who were more of the mystical, such as John of the Cross, Tauler, Eckardt, and too many others to mention (and not just of the Middle Ages but prior and after) had their lives altered and uplifted by the writings.  And sometimes the writings would be refuted.  Martin Luther studied Pseudo-Dionysius' writings and grasped in the earlier years of his priestly formation, but he later dismissed them when he changed his views and allegiance theologically.  Some Cistercians as well as other notable religious, read but not always supported the writings.

So we have support again, as well as its opposite, a lack of support.  What that boils down to is that some people can grasp thoughts at more esoteric levels, and others cannot. Some like certain activities, and some do not.  Some enjoy certain books, and some do not.  The reasons for the support or lack therein of certain ways of life, thoughts, beliefs, interests, and so forth, is due to personality, intelligence, temperament style, and even somewhat cultural belief and political disposition.

In a previous post in a different blog [orderofthepresentmoment.blogspot.com], this hermit wrote of a paradigm which explains basic differences, calling it a difference between the dockers and the floaters.  Because that paradigm was given as an inspiring insight, His Real Presence teaching this nothing Catholic hermit why there is conflict at times, or misunderstanding, or totally differing perceptions when it seems such ought be unnecessary, it just seems to be natural and to make sense of these matters.

It is important to understand why some can grasp what might be called loftier thoughts or less tangible ideas, and others respond to concrete and temporal thoughts and ideas.  These may be truths being expressed, all the same, yet those requiring concretism do not at all gravitate or understand the other ways of expressing.  

Such was the case of the older spiritual friend who started to read the first few pages of Pseudo-Dionysius and said it seemed like mush to her--could not latch on and drink it down.  But the other spiritual friend read the first chapter and admitted that while it stretched the brain cells that had otherwise succumbed often to diaper changing and settling toddler-squabbles, it lifted her up and beyond and at the same time, made total, beautiful sense.  With the former mentioned friend--The Imitation of Christ made sense and salves the spiritual palate. With the latter friend, Pseudo-Dionysius reads like fine wine on the order of the wine Jesus created at the Wedding Feast of Cana.  

Thankfully, the nothing Consecrated Catholic hermit enjoys and digests both, but it's inclinations are to the expression of truths and thoughts of God that tend to float and take this body, mind, heart, and spirit with them, like incense prayers wafting up--or deeply in--to His Real Presence.  So we each have our "tastes" and ways in which we are best able to grasp and understand matters of soul and matters of His Real Presence Who Is Love and abides in us and us in Him.  

Yes, when we are primed and performing God's works for the Good to which we have been graced, to fall short in any degree is what constitutes evil.  Evil itself is not a being, for all beings are created by God and are thus created as good. Evil is some lack of good but never is there a total lack of good in a being, for beings are created by God.  There will always be that aspect of good in a being.  Well, for another post, perhaps, this sip of Pseudo-Dionysius' inspired writings.

But regardless of our temperament styles, personalities, intellects, cultural and political bent--support is necessary, one for another.  Even a most solitary Consecrated Catholic Hermit needs a helping hand as well as support--even to be respected and loved...but not due to any self-notion its own worthiness.  Quite the opposite, for it is nothing compared to God's All.  Yet a nothing anything can be respected and loved simply because it is a created being of God, imperfect and falling short of the good God desires of it, many times over. Any created being or thing of God ought to be respected and loved due to God's creating it.

And that is why we should respect and love all of God's created souls and creatures and earth and life as His, as well as to respect and love Him above all.