Christian Catholic Hermit Mystic: On Love of God over Obsession with Temporal

 

Paul the Apostle repeats the impact of God's Law, the Law of Love.  Jesus so teaches this law, that it is hard to fathom how we can so easily draw away and become confused in the temporal aspects of the temporal human's existence.  One must constantly pray to live God's Law of Love with every moment of thought, emotion, spirit and soul--in some ways leaving the temporal body behind while learning to love others as God loves, yet while asking of our bodies to heed that of God's law of love.

If we read something  that is confused in length and purpose, the intent becomes that of twisting threads of temporal mind and emotions into knots of more temporally created confusion.  Then that which we read (or attempted to read) is not of God's love, but rather that of the temporal love of self, that of creating yet more temporal confusion of laws created by humankind to further elevate the self.

If when trying to exist in other than Christ's simple teachings--and this ca be of those who twist God's law of love into laws of temporally confused words of more power, prestige, privilege, possession and politicization of self, including trying to garner more like-selves as followers of such human-made laws, the simplicity of God Is Love is lost to that person or of what comes out of such a person's temporalized view of the numinous love of God.

To love others as oneself presupposes one's self is in Christ, in God, in the Holy Spirit.  This is the every-moment assessment of self that is so necessary.  To love as God loves, one must be in God.  To love as Christ loves, one must be in Christ.  To love as the Holy Spirit loves, one must be a vessel of the Holy Spirit.  To be consumed with the temporal world--even the temporal world of humankind's temporalization of the Church by the human-created laws which involve yet more temporalization of one's existence in what is a temporalized church--then God's Law of Love is lost to those temporal humans.  

This includes the path of life upon which God sets each of us, in whatever format that may be expressed in words.  Those who are so temporal as to not be able to envision a life lived in the Love of the Holy Trinity are not of those of temporal nor spiritual association.  The temporalization of Christ's Church, including the living according to laws created by humankind even if thinking is for Christ's Church, is to have lost the only "law" necessary, and that is that of the love of God and love of others as God loves.

A vocation is not a temporal law.  A vocation of God's calling, ordaining, and consecrating has to do with God and the soul of the person to whom God calls, ordains, and consecrates to Himself in His "law" of Love of God, and love of others through, with, and in God's Love.

Thus, this is all rather simple, is it not?  Christ built His Church upon the law of God's love.  Love God above all else, love others as God loves, which is loving through, with, and in God's Love.  The primary initial and eternal task is to love, to love to learn to love God.  Be draw into His Real Presence in love, not be drawn into temporalized laws of humankind's temporal creation.

A former priest, now an eremite, has asked regarding his leaving the one call to enter into another.  It is simply a matter of God's Law of Love.  God led him out of the one vocation and into the other, despite initial despair of wondering if he had too hastily left the one of which increasingly are temporal laws involving protocols to take leave and then more temporal laws in order to return if even feasible. Then God gave to the man priest, God's way of Love, and of love of the poor and hungry, and love of the God-created earth and seeds.  Then came from God to the man, also the eremitic path, free of temporal laws; for if one is led by God to follow His simple love call to the desert, this may be the desert of the poor whose need is that of food to sustain them. 

The God-called soul thus entered into God's call of a vocation into the desert of God's leading and providing.  God called, God consecrated this former priest as one of His hermits.  The man in God's love has since helped the poor and hungry in a land of which the poor are being taught to sustain the earth and grow their own food which is good for their bodies--but which also is very good for the renewability of the beloved soil of the earth that God created.  

All is well now with that soul, now a priest forever, more of the Order of Melchizedek than of temporal church laws, and an eremite in the desert of life, yet in the fullness of love of God and love of others as God loves.  He exists in the depths of the Law of Love Is God without temporal-created-by-humankind- laws of temporal words which create more temporal questions needing more temporal unraveling, than ever does require of God's Law of Love.

Be at peace within and without, in God's Law.  The Law of God Is Love.  Ponder, embrace, think, feel, and live in the Trinity of God's Love.  It is quite simple.  Breath by breath, consider what is God's love in each action, thought, feeling, and of what one's soul and spirit contains.  Obsession with the laws of humankind's temporally constructed laws of the temporal (even of the temporalized church), or freedom in the simplicity and eternal fecundity of God's Law of Love.  Love God above all else and love others as God loves--even more so than one can love oneself (for love of self is rooted in God's love of each of us).

This is truly simple, is it not? 

Reference, Letter to the Romans 13: 8;  

"Brothers and sisters:  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."

[Attempted to read some lengthy, online writings of obsessions with the temporal.  I was left needing relief for the eyes and stomach, the mind, heart, and soul.  I write the above as a reminder to self and any others.  Obsesssion with the temporal laws created by humankind (including for the church) is not in kind with God's law of Love.  Pray God, keep us on the path of God's Law of Love.  There is the Law of Love in Christ with Christ as Head of His Church; there is the Law of Love for those who are in Christ, in God, and in the Holy Spirit who comprise the Body of Christ: the Church.  Temporal laws created by temporalized humankind are not God's Law of Love.  Temporalized laws create more questions, problems, divisions, and chaos--not peace nor love of God above all things, not love of others as God loves, not as love of the self as loved by God.  Stay clear of such; protect my soul.]

Catholic Hermit: The Silence of Solitude

As I alternatively write of variety of spiritual and temporal thoughts and occurrences in the life of  days unfolding in this my consecrated Catholic hermit existence, the current exercise is to better grasp and further instill within me what the Church sets forth for hermits.   I turn once more to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which brings me to a hermit's means of achieving a life devoted to praise of God and salvation of the world...through previously pondered means, now to... the silence of solitude.

Let's refresh with section 920 in The Catechism. We read past 915 and 916, of note in describing the Evangelical Counsels so crucial to the hermit's profession, and come to the section titled: "Eremitic Life."  Offered below is the exact wording of section 915; I have emboldened the silence of solitude, the point of present pondering.

"920.  Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits 'devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance.'"

Much of excellence has been written of silence, of solitude, and of the silence of solitude.  As a consecrated Catholic hermit, I've read various books on such topics--excellent writings of monks, priests, hermits, spiritual masters.  There are essays to be found online as well as within texts, such as writings of the desert fathers and mothers.  We can find statements on the eremitical need and even virtue, of silence and solitude, in the Scriptures. (I will attempt in separate post, a list of books in my personal library.  Very rough pain yet again today; how difficult it is to endure standing upright by bookcases to jot down titles--yet I'll try to do so even if tomorrow.)

Within the writings and the reality of the silence of solitude, we consider both exterior and interior of silence and of solitude.  Think on the truth that in our existences, we can be silent ourselves and experience silence around us, in external way.  

We can keep our voices silent, the environment in which we are at the moment or where we live can be without noise to greater or lesser degrees.  (Even if we silence ourselves as much as humanly possible, there is still noise around us--hum of earth, heart beating and blood coursing through bodily vessels, breath's inhale and exhale, breeze rustling nature, insect winging.

Solitude may be considered, likewise, as exterior and interior "positions" or "potentialities."  External solitude examples include the physical, the temporal, of a body, creature, or some types of things being alone, not having other persons, creature or types of things around, in vicinity.  We or someone or something other, is solitary in a way that is observed, seen, known.

On the other hand, interior silence and solitude have to do with our inner senses and inner essences, our inner dispositions whether or not we are consciously aware of our silence or our solitude.  This interior silence and solitude may occur despite external noise and despite other persons, creatures, or things visibly around us.  When we are in interior silence and interior solitude, what is intangible and non-temporal may or may not be silently or invisibly known to us.

Yet for a hermit, our silence is through, with, and in God; our solitude is through, with, and in God.  The experience of a silent, solitary soul uniting with the immensity of the seemingly silent omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God creates the ultimate in the silence of solitude.

Consider the prophet Ezekiel seeking God in the silence of solitude.  He listened with exterior and interior senses, he stood alone at the mouth of the cave.  When he became silent and removed from the presence of all around him, then it was he "heard" God; he became aware of God alone, solus Deus.

We may be aware in our conscious practicing or of positioning ourselves in the silence of solitude.  Over time in living the silence of solitude, we may not be consciously aware.  Or we may come to the experience of such a silent, solitary union with breath and voice of God and the reality of His presence in us or us in Him, that we are unknowing of such profound silence of solitude.

This brings to the fore the reality of the silence of solitude being a progression.  I consider the title of the filmed documentary, first time within a Carthusian charterhouse for such exposure:  Into Great Silence.  The title is not "In" Great Silence but rather "Into" Great Silence.  The silence of solitude involves movement and growth, of evolving silence, evolving solitude, and together a flow of one with the other and of one into the other.

The silence of solitude has not only the flow of progression, but there may be an ebb of progression--a receding or lessening of silence, solitude and the silence of solitude.  This ebb of the silence of solitude can occur off and on in the days, weeks, months, and years of a hermit's vocation and life.  There are situations and phases in which an eremitic might have more noise and less silence; the hermit's solitude may be intruded upon.  

The ebbing of silence of solitude can occur due to the hermit's own choices--a slippage in the hermit's vocational striving in stricter separation from the world in the silence of solitude.  God can allow challenges to the hermit's silence of solitude of which the hermit must respond in one way or other. 

The ebbing may be due to God's allowing (different than challenging) of unavoidable situations such as a hermit's health declining, permanent or temporary change in circumstance or locale.  In more rare situations God's will may be for the hermit (usually via director, priest, bishop, superior) to accept a shift in the living out of the hermit's vocation.  (St. Bruno and St. Colette are each examples of God's desiring, asking, willing such a change in these hermits' vocations.)

For it is God who leads us into silence and solitude; God is the One who keeps us in the embrace of silence and solitude. Thus we become one with God's own silence, in His own solitude, as much as our beings can comprehend and fathom the silence of solitude of God in Himself.  God wills the degree and the flow (and of what God-deigned ebb) of our silence of solitude within His silence of solitude.  We become God's own in His silence and of His solitude.

There are other more practical and indicative aspects of silence, solitude, and of the silence of solitude.  We do well to ponder suffering's silence, suffering's solitude, suffering's silence of solitude in actual, temporal aspects as well as in the reality of Christ's suffering in the silence of solitude.

We may take some moments or more to consider personality types and silence and of solitude.  Consider the marvelous ways in which God brings about the glory of silence of solitude in a person whose personality or learned socialization was that of highly interactive, social, and generously, purposely, interactively involved in a life in the world among many people.  Yet he can call such a person to His will and purposes as an eremitic in the life of His Church; and while the personality instilled by God in that person, that soul,  God effects all the graces necessary to mold the hermit to His desires in ways that mystify.

As God is love, the consideration of the hermit's increasing, holy formation within the silence of solitude ought also include that of the place of charity in silence, charity in solitude, and charity in the silence of solitude.  A hermit must discern when charity calls for the hermit to speak and to be presently, actively available to another or others.  This is particularly important in the hermit's relationships and possible vocation prior to being called by God to enter the eremitic life in the Church.  Charity must reign amidst practical and spiritual parameters, yet the silence of solitude is best broken when charity is the reason and purpose:  God is love.  

Yet charity also informs the hermit when the silence of solitude is threatened beyond what is necessary, holy, and of God's will in the various situations a hermit encounters throughout the vocation.  God in His mercy understands when a hermit ebbs too far or frequently from the silence of solitude; but the hermit must remain within God's heart of silence of solitude, even when called out of the silence of solitude for charitable reasons and purposes.  The ebb, even if brief, must be returned to the flow into great and greater silence of solitude.

These thoughts are my own, in this present moment of a deeper, more intense than ever before, silence of solitude in the reform of my lived, for better or worse, eremitic vocation of 20 years.  In self-examen on this very topic of a hermit's silence of solitude, I know the areas in which I feel or think I need less silence or less solitude.  I'm considering the role of internet, even if noiseless, or silently reading an article or a tangible book, in regard to what is silent noise, what is or is not solitude.  

When I watch such as the documentary Athos the other day, or last night watched a most intriguing film based on a true life couple of which the theme that of Christlike charity to lead one's enemy to a holy death--I can grasp that in a way, the persons in the film become company of sorts.  They enter into the solitude of my hermitage, of my external and internal senses as guests who speak with exterior voices and enter into the interior silence of my mind, heart, and soul.

In doing some internet searches of contemporary hermits in the life of the Church--Catholic and Orthodox--I find the degrees of each hermit of their progression in the silence of solitude.  There is no judgment on my part, nor should there be on anyone's part.  We hermits are in progress yet while in situ; God is our ultimate superior to Whom we have utter and full obedience; Jesus is our beloved savior, spouse, mentor ; the Holy Spirit is our guide and instructor.  At least, again, these are my thoughts.  

There are times in a hermit's vocational progression as well as in the make up of the hermit's on-going temporal and spiritual circumstances that cause the unique and individualized aspects that God knows, allows, and understands.  Yet we hermits still must strive in the progression, in faith and hope in God toward perfection in what God wills of us within our vocations, our lives in this world, and our eventual union in Him for eternity.

The silence of solitude is a spoke in the wheel of a hermit's journey.  The wheel rotates and propels this vehicle of vocation called the eremitic life in the consecrated life of the Church.  We hermits, as other followers of Christ, are consecrated by God and consecrated in Christ; we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.  And specifically as hermits, we are living out, to varying degrees and holiness, our lives in His Real Presence, yet one in the vast Body of Christ, His Church.

God bless His Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit: Consecration That Matters

Have been pondering being "consecrated" in and by Jesus Christ and also in the life of His Church.  What Jesus says about consecration is of interest, thus.  Also, an experience 20 years ago the 19th of June, came to mind a few days ago, on that date.  Consecration that matters, matters to this human, this Christian, this Catholic Christian, this hermit, this soul, this child of God.

Jesus said, as written in the Living Word of God, cited in John 17:

"Consecrate them in the truth.  
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth."

Perhaps, later, will share of the experience in which Jesus consecrated this hermit years ago, consecrated its heart.  Recently, though, have not been writing as much on these posts, and wonder if what is shared, if of help to others.  Maybe, maybe not--but will try to write out what occurred when Jesus consecrated this hermit's heart.  It takes a certain energy to write it out, to share it, and sharing may or may not uplift or increase others' faith.

Regardless, dear readers and spiritual brothers and sisters:  God bless His Real Presence in us!

Whom God Has Consecrated

The following incident in the life of Jesus Christ, and His words and His accuser's reaction, hits the nail on the head.

From John 10:31-42:

"Jesus answered them,
'Is it not written in your law, I said, 'You are gods'"?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and the Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, "I am the Son of God"?
If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.'"

How appropriate!  What an answer!

Notice the words:  whom the Father has consecrated.  Apply this situation and Jesus' answer to that of today's church and its accumulated laws as well as their interpretation.  Consider all in relationship to those who discern a call to live a life devoted to and intimate with God, attempting to follow Jesus more closely, with professing obedience to Him, poverty of spirit and worldly tangibles, and chastity in order to step in His footsteps of a chaste and celibate life.

In today's church, this profession distinguishes the consecrated life.  Plus, we must consider the performance of the Father's works.  What are the Father's works?  Are they not the lived efforts and resultant signs of a life lived in beauty, truth, and goodness?  Are the Father's works His will lived out in our own lives, daily, in imitation of Jesus' earthly life and fulfilling God's commandments--highlighted by lived example by Jesus Christ?

By what means and reality is a person consecrated?  Who consecrates a hermit, for example?  Is it a human being who consecrates a hermit?  Is it a church law that consecrates a hermit?  Is it the person him- or herself who consecrates him- or herself?

It is none of these.  God consecrates those whom He calls.  And the consecration is distinguished and validated by the works that the consecrated one performs.

Does the consecrated hermit (or consecrated virgin, widow, religious, member of secular institute or society of apostolic life) perform works in accordance with God the Father?  Are the works inconsistent with the teachings and life example of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father?  Are the works performed  inconsistent with the commandments of God--the pinnacle being to love the Lord your God with all your strength, all your mind, all your heart and soul--and to love your neighbor as yourself?

Yesterday received a short note from the spiritual father, written and mailed from far away.  Or, is it that he writes to a consecrated Catholic hermit who is far away?  There is that reality of perspective, always. And perspective, if only of self, can confuse and hinder our works.  If that perspective is of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit, then love will illuminate our works.

This hermit then called him.  It shared some of its recent thoughts as well as the physical struggles.  It shared the considerations of the temporal Catholic church--what some term the secular church--and the sorrow and concerns therein.  As in the time of Jesus and the religion of His upbringing, the temple laws had accumulated over hundreds of years.  And there were people who became intent upon these laws as well as distracted by them to the point of using them to test other people and to judge other people.  

And also, then, they used the laws as a means of meting out consequences if they decided that these other people were not living the laws according to their interpretations of the laws. And the interpretation of these laws included not only the temporal aspects but the spiritual, theological aspects, as well.

The hermit shared with the spiritual father, some of the recent considerations and being judged by others according to their interpretations of the temporal Catholic Church's laws, specifically regarding consecration of those who received calls by God and professed according to those laws, and were striving to live in accordance with the professed avowal, a life of intimacy and with determination and desire in living out a closer, purposeful following of Jesus Christ.  

The hermit made the comment that just as in Jesus' time and life, the laws have seemingly caused division and temptation for some to fall into the wrong kind of judging of others even to the point of writing that others have blasphemed, or will face the torments of hell, or that they have made false claims regarding being consecrated.

The spiritual father responded that Christianity has been lost in such cases, and that this hermit is not dealing with people acting as Christians, as followers of Jesus.  "Where is the charity?" he asked.  "What are their motives for trying to demean others and publicly detract them, and judge and declare them to not be consecrated?"

No one really has the answers to his questions.  Perhaps when and if we act like those questioning Jesus and preparing to stone Him, do not question their own motives nor have answers for themselves.  But they think they have the answers regarding others, even the Son of God.  And in honesty, we can change the pronoun to "we":  We think we have the answers regarding others.  Often enough, we slip into the similar judging.  There were many Jews ready to stone Jesus for what they judged and concluded was His blasphemy.  In their eyes and minds, He was not the one who God consecrated and sent into the world.

This nothing hermit told the spiritual father how it grieves for the problems that canon laws have obviously created in the Church today and perhaps in past centuries.  It noted the inconsistencies of interpretation, the hypocrisies, the personal conflicts that arise as a result, and the temptation to use the laws as a means to elevate oneself over others, or at minimum the distraction that the focus by some upon the laws causes in our losing the pearl of great price.  

The hermit mentioned the Catholic high school as reported in the news, of which the school administrators are requiring the girls to bring in photographs of the dresses they plan to wear to the school prom (dance) so that they may be approved.  The consequences of not wearing an approved dress is to be turned away from the dance upon arrival.  

There are obstacles that the new rule is already facing.  Parents and students alike are in division over it.  The school is merely trying to enforce the moral decency so that dresses are in keeping with a standard of modesty, in line with chastity.  But it is becoming a nightmare of strife.  The process is taking time and focus away from other aspects of education.  People are essentially picking up stones, readying to throw them at the administrators and at each other.  What if a girl takes in a photo of a dress she'd like to wear, and by the time it is approved, the store has sold the dress?  

This and several other tangible problems are popping up.  What difficulties will those trying to enforce the rule encounter, the night of the prom, trying to match photos of approved dresses with what the girls are actually wearing?  And, what if those making the decisions to approve or disapprove, in the offset have different values in judging, or from one day to the next have personally different feelings regarding what dress passes and what does not?  It can happen. We are but contrary and fallible humans.

So we see just in this example, the trouble with human laws, even if the intentions are good in wanting to stop what are or could be abuses and inconsistencies with Christian values.  But it seems, as in the larger example and "picture", that the solution resides within each of us:  Are we performing the works of God?  Are we living the commandments?  Can we or others believe in the works themselves, or are the works gone awry, counter to Jesus' teachings and life, counter to God's commandments?  In the situation above, if the parents and the girls themselves, live in accordance with God, there will not be the problem of dressing immodestly.  But the problem remains that not all who say they are following Christ, are; or they may not be following consistently or in truth, beauty, and goodness.

There has been a loss of the humble and sincere following in Christ's footsteps, of trying with each step each day and night, to place our feet into the imprints of His feet, exactly as he stepped out His life on earth.  There has been a loss of focusing on His teachings, His laws of love, obedience to God's will, of poverty to our tendency to pride and lust and selfishness, His laws of living in purity of body, mind, heart, and spirit.

Who consecrates us--any of us?  Who confirms us as Christians?  How do we know we are consecrated?  How do we know we are Christians?  

We (and others) will know by our works.  If we do not believe that God consecrates us and that God is in us and we are in God, we and others will know by our works.  Works that are in keeping with Christ's teachings and the commandments of God--and of these love is the greatest--are the proof of the fulfillment of God's laws.

Yes, they (and we) will know that we are Christians by our love, by our love....  It is God Who consecrates us, not laws, not even laws created by church leaders.  They might write out what seems to be the consensus of how hermits have lived, based upon the holy prophet eremites cited in Scripture and noted by their works, and the life-traits and spirituality of holy hermits in the past two thousand years, evidenced by performing God's works.  But it is God Who consecrates, and it His commands and His Son's life example that form the benchmark of what is the performance of God's works.

God bless His Real Presence, and may our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits be Christ-open and Christ-worthy abodes of His indwelling.  Love one another, and remain in His Love!