Hermit Reflects on Letter to the Hebrews

The Book of Hebrews

Reflections written as tribute to a consistently scepter-holding priest ~ by this joyful hermit....

Christmas 2015

Chapter 1

After Jesus’ earthly sin bearing, dying death, He exists as all-sustaining Word as one with God.  In these days, our present moments now, God is speaking to us.  He speaks through Jesus, the Word, the Living Word.  God created the universe and all aspects of existence through Jesus Whom He calls His Son and Heir of all fathomable and unfathomable things. 

The Living Word, the Word made flesh—Jesus—sustains all by His Word.  This is love of God in Himself and God Is Love.  The Word who sustains all, accomplished purification from sins by the Word-made-flesh bearing all sin and being crucified with all sin expiated, once, for all.

After Jesus’ earthly sin bearing, dying death, He exists as all-sustaining Word as One with Love Is God. The Word is filled with and reflecting His Glory: light reflecting refulgent light reflecting refulgent light infinitely, forever and ever. He is in His Glory, the Word inheriting a name that is perfection, more excellent than beings of light named angels.

Higher than the angels, God placed the Word and called Him “Son.”  He asked all the angels to worship Him.  He gave the angels their purpose: be winds and fiery flames of ministry.  Of His Son, the Living Word, God gave Him the scepter of righteousness in God’s Kingdom, for the Son loves justice and hates wickedness.  God anointed His Son with oil of joy above all lesser joys.

All that God creates—of heaven and earth—are perishable.  People, things, earth, wind, rain, fire—all age in time, dissipate, depart.  God takes all tangible creation and changes all tangible creation, no matter what it is, who it is, where it is.  But God-Is-Love and His Living Word never change and exist forever.

All things temporal change.  Bodies, circumstances, places, thoughts, emotions, attitudes, actions change.  Even vocations change.  And souls change.  Yet of all things and aspects in time and temporal  that change, only living souls and angels created by God exist eternally.  They exist and continue to be influenced, reformed, commissioned by the Living Word-God-Love—infinitely, in God, without end.

Do the souls that sin has deadened, exist infinitely dead? It seems so, for even a soul that is deadened with sin exists dead, is nothing.

God speaks to souls in these days, now, and anoints souls with oil of joy.  He calls them Sons, and gives them scepters of righteousness in His kingdom on earth—that kingdom of proclaiming God’s righteousness, of loving justice, of hating evil.  They are a little lower than the angels, these anointed souls, made to be ministers of the Living Word’s Words.  

These Sons are to think, speak, live Truth, Beauty, Goodness; the Way and the Life; to be a reflection of the refulgence of Light; to accept the scepter of righteousness and stand in life on earth to the right of the Word at the right of God in heaven.

These earthly Sons who are anointed with all celebrated joy of oil of gladness who accept the righteous scepter and who live and think and speak and do as the Living Word, exist in God.  Their souls change as does reflected light, increasing intensity, reflecting and refracting, metamorphosing truth and goodness and love, beautifully, sincerely, as generous as is justice pure and love perfect. Their souls exist infinitely as light and love, worshiping as voice of God speaking to us through His Son, as His Living Word.

These are the earthly priests of God, created a little less than the angels—yet whom He calls as ministers of reflections of the refulgence of His glory.  They are His Sons, and of them God is father, and they are called sons.  Their earthly presence will perish, but if their souls (as all souls) carry to the earthly end the scepter of righteousness in His truth, beauty, goodness, light, and love—they will remain, and they will be the same in God, the lights of many souls fed by these priests redounding in the splendor of His mighty word, vivified in the refulgence of His glory, forever and ever.

For those anointed with the joyful oil of gladness, yet weaken in hatred of evil, who lose grip on the scepter of righteousness, who trade justice for temporal prestige, power, position—what is their fate as earthly priests of God?  When the bodies decay and the soul yet exists, is the existence death, that of nothingness?  Do souls that are deadened by sins on earth, exist as dead nothings infinitely, or is there merely nothing, and thus no existence, ever more?

We wonder that surely the angels and all ministering spirits sent to serve, are to do and have done so “for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.”  And surely, those of earth who ask for and accept in joyful celebrations the anointing of the oil of gladness, will be as ministering spirits even if for a portion of their time that has end, lesser beings than the angels but with souls.  Even if they have not grown old with the scepter of righteousness yet clasped in their hands, surely there will be some light remaining to carry their souls into infinite momentum, of inherited salvation, some taste of His portion and cup.

And for all souls wearing the garments of genders on this earth, may we all be open to whatever anointing of oil of gladness that has been given us, that we strive to hold with these ministering priests of earth, the scepter of righteousness. May we help them hold onto love of justice and hatred of evil, as all our souls are vulnerable to weakness.  When it is time for each of our bodies to perish, may our souls be sifted and become magnifying light, changed and luminous, all existing infinitely together, light within Light.

God gift eternal love.

Why a Mystery?

Awoke in what is becoming typical break-through pain.  Had attempted, last evening, one small bit of activity--very minor and minimal--a task, on yard upkeep.  It was obviously too much for the severe muscle problem in upper back.  Due to the level of pain and inability to do much of anything using that area of back and the right arm, the muscle is perhaps torn, not sprained.  Or is it the pain and solitude playing upon the mind, heart, and spirit?

Have been pondering why the recent viewing of light, British mystery.  And also why the disinterest and detachment from current news of this temporal world?

It has to do with phases of the mind, heart, and soul--and also very much the body.  Did a small bit of research; the internet is excellent for that.  Had already figured that the Lord was answering the prayer to detach this hermit from temporal loves and to be increasingly attached to His Love--and thus love in His Love, all His Creatures and Creation.

As to why the viewing of the gentle (some are tense and more violent) British mystery videos, the hermit already knew it was using them as a form of detaching from higher levels of physical pain.  The mindless aspects and somewhat predictable outcomes of justice prevailing in the end, were soothing when the mind is besieged trying to manage severe pain.  Often enough, the music and lilting British accents and the bucolic scenery of English countryside and more gentle and restrained characters, lulled the hermit into dozing.

Current news clips do not do that; they are not soothing, and often enough it is just one crime or outrage or wrong-doing after another.  One knows without watching, what one is to pray for in the world.  The categories are obvious, and the events repeat themselves, horrible as they are and disastrous, and the magnitude of human suffering from evils perpetrated or untruths and maneuvering, of man's inhumanity to man, of the decline of morality and religious freedom, of poverty--the realities are known.  Prayers are needed and offered.

Mysteries--fictionalized--offer an opiate and an escape.  There is a control over a situation but second- or third-hand, from outside observation.  Wrongs are righted.  Clues are presented, and the mind is engaged in some degree or other, or does not have to be; the show begins and ends within a brief period of temporal time.  Justice prevails.  Themes of man's minds and souls are unveiled--themes of all mankind since the beginning, since the Garden of Eden.  Good vs. Evil and choices to be made--and man overcoming the evil, the wrongs, the lacking of good turning to increase in good, for the time being.

There is a linkage between a mystery and God in the Mass.  The other day, resting on this mattress and trying to cope with the pain and have a break from asking God some questions about how to proceed with so much work needing to be done here and the body incapacitated and for who knows how long--noticed a program that involved the paranormal but yet a mystery.  However, it was tense and unnerving, and justice was not served in the end. That one did not at all lead this hermit's body, mind, heart or spirit in any upward movement toward God--not even in any way the hermit can usually bring some holy good out of most incidents or situations.

But when in the research on why people are drawn to mysteries, the point was made that they can be a simple escape and a type of opiate, that made sense as to the recent inclusion of some of the gentler forms of the mystery, in the hermit's daily life.  

Yesterday was able to read another homily of Pseudo-Macarius, but the severe pain in upper back vies for mental space, and the result was rather exhausting--yet there is assurance when reading spiritually beneficial material, that the conclusion will always be uplifting even if the mind cannot grasp much content.  Any of the content of a solidly spiritual book, and the writings of ascertained holy persons, is going to be an increase in the good.

When the body is 22 hours or more in prone position, and trying to manage pain, and praying for guidance, and trying to be quieted to listen to His Real Presence, relief to the suffering is most welcome and helpful.  We must latch onto what God provides even if it seems not what would lead us into His Love and upward spiraling.  Some aspects might surprise us, and with a little thought and asking, and listening, and a little research (consulting others who have background in various topics), we get answers to something as simple as why does a person enjoy or benefit from a mystery?

However, this phase is also temporary for this hermit.  Upon waking at 3 a.m. this time, it was the reading of His Living Word that soothed even if the pain is such that the mind cannot cling to the Words themselves.  The soul is able to cling to the Word Himself.  It feels reassured and good that the mind has read the Word, and there are bits that remain conscious, such as that of being consecrated.  Jesus speaks of being consecrated.  St. Paul talks of perseverance.  More than that, in detail or comprehension, the mind escapes and now is listening to the chirping birds as dawn breaks.

God bless His Real Presence in us, and us in Him!  Let us love with His love, one another.  Praise Him for the healing of our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits--in all ways that He chooses, for differing situations and in the passing away of this world, our world in the temporal, and for the permanence of existing in His Love for eternity.

Catholic Hermits: Obedience Professed, Obedience Learned from Suffering

Each and every Christian is called to obedience.  While those in the Catholic Church who are called by God, and accept His call, to the Consecrated Life of the Church, everyone who is a Christian is called to follow Jesus Christ.  The following Scripture from Hebrews--the second reading of this Fifth Sunday of Lent--helps us grasp the means and ways of obedience and to whom we ought obey.

From Hebrews 5:7-9:

"In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh,
He offered prayers and supplications 
with loud cries and tears to the 
One Who was able to save Him from death, 
and He was heard because of His reverence.
Son though He was, 
He learned obedience from what He suffered; 
and when He was made perfect, 
He became the source of eternal salvation 
for all who obey Him."

From what death do we beseech God in cries and tears?  Is it physical, bodily death?  Was that the death from which His Son prayed to be saved?  Or was it from eternal death, or the death of His Divine Soul?  Was it from the death that the world offers?  And He was heard by the Father--the One Who could save Him--because of His reverence.  This seems key: Reverence.

What is "reverence"?  The word "revere" appeared in the 14th century.  It means to feel or show a profound awe, respect and even love; to honor, such as the divine.  The Latin is re + vereri:  to fear, to respect.

How did Jesus learn obedience?  He learned obedience through suffering.  And it followed that when he was made perfect, he was made the source of salvation to all who obeyed Him, as well. Does this mean that we, also, learn obedience through suffering, and that it follows that through obedience from suffering, comes perfection in Christ when we follow Him and obey Him?  

This is much to grasp, and it is beyond description by words, just as we cannot adequately describe His Real Presence other than to know the effect and the affect, through knowing Jesus--no matter how many descriptors used in the Old and New Testaments, no matter the theology, poetry, artistry, and mystery of dreams, visions, and locutions.

In considering the profession of the evangelical counsels [chastity, poverty, obedience)] by which a Catholic hermit enters the state of Consecrated Life in the Church (although not always publicly professed), the canons, or laws, of the Catholic Church, state the following regarding obedience:

Canon 601. Obedience

Obedience, following Christ, obedient even unto death, obliges submission of one's will to lawful Superiors, acting in the place of God when they command according to the constitutions.  

There may be a list of what can be required. E.g.ministries that can be required.  There isn't a formula, but it should be clear and written for clarity.

The obedience stated in canon law is to that of following Christ.  One must be obedient even if faced with death.  Next, this obedience in following Christ, per canon law, then legally or morally binds [oblige] the will of the one consecrated, to lawful Superiors who act in God's place when they command according to the constitutions of the Church.

CL601 begs prayerful consideration.  There are specific conditions imbedded within it, requiring wise discretion in order for the obedience to be binding to a Superior in the church.  It requires further defining by law, who and what is a Superior, and it requires discerning if that Superior is acting in God's place--if their commands are according to the constitutions.  This latter also begs a prayerful, careful reading and knowledge of the Constitutions of the Catholic Church.

But the primary obedience in this canon is given to Christ, to following Christ, obedient even unto death.  The profundity of following Christ can take a Christian lifetime to prayerfully grasp and practice.  From Scripture--the Living Word of God--we learn that when Christ was in the flesh, He learned obedience through suffering.

Following Christ may be learned and effected by living the Gospels.  The Gospels remain the perfect Rule of Life for hermits--indeed, for any Christians regardless of state of life in the Church--hierarchy and laity, consecrated or not.

Learning obedience through suffering includes all forms of suffering: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.  Following Christ, being obedient unto death, can include bodily death from this earthly life as well as death to the temporal "world" in some aspect of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. This type of death is often termed "spiritual detachment" or "holy indifference."  The worlds "spiritual" and "holy" are key in being linked with "detachment" and "indifference."

It would seem, then, that the Living Word of God in Scriptures, is the ultimate and never-failing law of God in fulfilling a professed vow of obedience.  The church law adds to God's Word but does require discernment of the several conditions that do need to be met in order for one's will to be obliged in submission to a Superior--who must be lawful, acting in God's place, and whose commands are in accordance with the Institutes of the Church.

Even so, if each condition of a lawful Superior seem met, no one but God really knows or can judge if the one submitting his or her will to the lawful Superior and/or the Superior himself, are meeting the conditions, or to what degree or ideal.  Mortals--even the seemingly holiest of hermits (or anyone) and the wisest and most reverent of those in Holy Orders--are not foolproof in knowing and judging our souls and conditions.  Only the One Who saves us from death can do so: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

The individual soul may have some idea, depending upon his or her truthfulness and degree of spiritual progression, in knowing self and knowing God.  The individual soul's Superior by church law may have some idea--even a very good idea--depending upon various observed and inspired aspects.  But no one, mortal, lawful superior nor the most approved, seemingly holiest of individual souls can know for sure.

The seemingly simple freedom of the Christian call in Scripture--the Living Word of God--to following Jesus Christ, requires discernment and wise discretion as well.  The conditions of a soul in following Christ--obedient even unto death--are deep and wide.  No one but the One Who saves us from death knows or can judge if the Gospel tenets are being met, to what degree or ideal.  

It comes down to the reality of striving, to the best of our human abilities, acts of our free will, and by whatever undeserved but mercifully given divine graces of God, that we are able to follow Christ.  As to whatever degree of obedience, learning it through suffering, and to whatever progression being in Christ toward our soul's perfection, we will not have consistent, complete perfection during our earthly, mortal pilgrimages.  

Obedience learned from what is suffered...and when He was made perfect...He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. 

God bless His Real Presence in us, and our presence in Him. Let us love dearly one another as we love Christ and He loves us--little children--for we are in this life together.  Remain in His Love!

Two Scriptures, the Living Word, Today's Mass: Epiphany!

Two Scriptures leapt into the mind and heart today.  Upon waking, read the daily Mass Scriptures.  St. Paul in Ephesians and St. John in the Gospel.

St. Paul gives the lovely exhortation that Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity took as her motto, as her battle cry through the end of her young life.  Excerpt from Ephesians 1:  "...set our hope in Christ that we might live for the praise of His glory."

What St. John wrote in the Gospel of John 1 is pertinent to the on-going acceptance of this nothing's path and calling.  "...and His own did not accept Him."

We must keep a sense of humor mixed in with the anguish of the world and all of us trying to exist in varying degrees of awareness of ourselves, and of our purpose for existence.  And yet for those of us who desire something other, and are aware of His Real Presence, we must keep our sights on Christ, on His life and also on His death, hanging on the cross, and then His resurrection.  

Oddly enough, the verse of the rock singer Ricky Nelson floated into the mind yesterday.  "Garden Party":  You can't please everybody so you've got to please yourself.  The truth of matters is that we won't be able to please other people, nor they us, not deep down in, nor all the time, for we are inadequate of ourselves and increasingly pathetic when given over to the world.  The reality and truth is, in order to endure with our fellow man, and more intimately, with our family and friends:  We've got to please God.

Yes, we've got to please God. 

And that takes prayer and praising and striving and loving and depending upon, upon His graces that we might be lights, be epiphanies of the praise of His glory.  Like the wise men and women who sought and seek and found and find His Real Presence (Father God of all, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Paraclete), we, too, must be wise in who and what we seek and find, that we might live for the praise of His glory.

Yes, we try to meet people where they are and show interest in their interests.  But as His Real Presence makes His Abode in us, and us in Him, we do become refractors of His Light.  No amount of masking can or should blot that Light.

Darkness is not going to ever like Light.  We must remain in His Love and let Him deal with the darkness.  We must set our hope on Jesus Christ-Light, that we might live for the praise of His glory. Our own may not accept us, not even our own in Catholic parishes or Protestant congregations, not among family members at any particular given time.  But some day, yes, we will be accepted into His glory, and our light which is His Light from the Abode He has made in us, will shine like the stars of the universe, and will help others to find the Christ born in the darkness, destined to be a great Light.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has made His Abode in us, and we are in Him.  Remain in His Love!  Praise Him!  Please Him!

Sharing Experinces: God Is So Real

"So have no fear of them; 
for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, 
and nothing secret that will not become known. 

What I say to you in the dark, 
tell in the light; 
and what you hear whispered, 
proclaim from the housetops. 

Do not fear those who kill the body 
but cannot kill the soul; 
rather fear him who can destroy 
both soul and body in hell. 

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? 
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground 
unperceived by your Father. 

And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 
So do not be afraid; 
you are of more value than many sparrows." 

These Words of Jesus fascinate and stir the mind and soul.  I recall years past when the Holy Spirit began to actively awaken my inner life to various spiritual experiences, drawing me closer to Jesus Christ and the Father.  I kept a journal, and sometimes I shared some dreams and visions with a close friend or two.  But I did not understand what was what, as far as putting labels to the phenomenon, and I did not have a repertoire of some of the personages and understanding what the messages may mean in the future.

Since two-thirds of my life thus far was lived as a Protestant Christian, I can compare and contrast the understanding to the recent "third" of my life as a Catholic Christian.

God called me into the Catholic Church, bit by bit, over the course of ten years.  He utilized a couple of colleagues, another doctoral student in the psychology studies, references in some books.  He then began utilizing visions, both corporeal and image visions, as well as locutions and dreams.  He utilized (and still does) all these tools at His disposal and creation, plus He utilizes His Living Word, worship, prayer, and temporal world situations and experiences.

As a Protestant, sharing how God works in our lives seemed to be more acceptable in some ways.  However, perhaps some of what I shared with a friend or two seemed odd to them.  I do recall one who hummed "The Twilight Zone" theme song; and a woman, when I shared in an adult Sunday school class a dream involving a soul on the other side, came to my house with concern that I was a necromancer who consulted the dead.  However, over all, we shared freely our love of Christ and how He actively, directly and indirectly interacted in our lives and souls.

As a Catholic, I learned that seemingly people do not share their spiritual lives but rather are counseled to not tell anyone anything.  However, I find it contradictory when I and others--even some priests--read various books which are extremely helpful and inspiring and are filled with that person's spiritual experiences and what God taught them, and how He made Himself so real to them in their daily lives.  Obviously, the person writing the book or the person writing about the person's spiritual life, shared in detail how God worked in their lives.  

Sometimes I read of persons in the past century or so, doing so "only" out of obedience to a priest or superior who ordered them to share.  But most often, they wrote or others wrote what the person told them, as a call to do so from God. Perhaps it was a result of grasping His Living Word and realizing that such sharing helps and inspires others of us who are striving to do God's will, to love Him as Himself and others in Him.

However, some experiences, and maybe most, I did not share so openly.  I had to learn how to suggest to someone to see a doctor, if I was shown an illness or something life-threatening.  Then I had to learn how to accept if the person did not accept the suggestion and died.  I also had to learn how to cope if I was shown something but did not say anything, and rather prayed.  If the person died, then I had to deal with wondering if I had had the courage to say something to warn him or her.

It took learning to listen and discern, such as if I was told "He does not have long to live!"  In that case, I discerned it was a statement of fact.  However, as it turned out, had I said something to the person, there would have been ample time for surgery to remove a blood clot.  I still feel bad about that one, but I lacked courage and was too selfish, knowing if the man complained to Rev. Msgr., I would have been chastised.  And if I got the showing wrong--oh my.  

For already in the case of a young priest who was preyed upon by a thrice-divorced woman, the Rev. Msgr. told me to only pray.  But the Bishop told me to write to him and pray, so I wrote, and I reminded the young priest of how he was shown to me in a crowd when a stranger to me and a seminarian.  He was at a parish ice cream social, one among a crowd of 200 or more.  He distinctively stood out--and no, was not wearing black nor a clerical collar.  

I reminded him, and I also shared a vision I was shown of how the devil was tempting him through the woman, and that otherwise he had quite a calling ahead of him.  (This was after he became a priest.)  But he left and married.  I have no idea how his life is going, but he gave up when he had been truly anointed by the Holy Spirit.  I will never forget that waking vision, and having him stand out as anointed, in the crowd.

Continued in next post....