Catholic Hermit: Faith Working Through Love

This nothing consecrated Catholic hermit has been struggling with pain lately, due to weather shifts mostly.  The pressure shifts of weather changes can occur within hours, leaving the bodily pain fluctuating.  It is quite a challenge to "simply keep going."

I noted the Scriptures of Galatians 2 from a week ago in daily Mass first reading.  I particularly love the reminder that in Jesus Christ, those trying to be justified by law are separated from Christ and fallen from grace.  It is only in faith working through love that we are in Christ.  Only faith working through love counts for anything.

Galatians 2

"You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;
you have fallen from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love."

To me, this seems quite significant, particularly when I ponder the structure of the temporal Catholic world, the secular aspects of the Church.  I have been following with much prayer, the current political dilemma in this country (United States of America) with our coming presidential election.  The corruption in the current government is deeper and broader than I would have imagined to be real.  Yet, real it is.  Truth has been coming out, bit by bit.

The corruption includes the media, and when truth is not dispensed or is masked by main communication channels, systems of order and governance begin to collapse.  I have considered the political scene of so much human clawing for power, prestige, and position--greed, pride, control over others--in conjunction with any organized group be it in industry or religious bodies.

We humans do tend to lean into temptations.  It is not so easy to resist the known, the temporal, the comforts of physical security and also supremacy over others.  It is the animal instinct for some to want to rise above others, to rule the roost, so to speak--to take the prey from the claws of other beasts.

So, too, is often the human instinct to find a sense of security in laws made by humans.  Somehow it brings--falsely, though--a feeling that there are boundaries and structure that will provide stability and formulaic assurance for survival and success.

But only faith working through love counts for anything....  It is the ability to grasp God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to grasp love of the unseen--to have faith in the spiritual law of God, the law of love, by which we will endure in this world and through eternity.

In the past few days, even more hardships and problems have surfaced in my efforts to keep working on this hermitage.  It is beyond belief, at times, that so many things could go wrong; but then I factor in that I am not made for this world, and the interactions in dealing with the temporal are simply confirmations that this is not my natural place.

To get my mind and emotions beyond the temporal wrongs and mistakes, the temporal problems that continue to unfold surrounding kitchen cabinets that evolved from one simple lie and wrong-doing of one employee--the financial strain and physical stress of rough living conditions can tempt to deplete the body and soul.

Then I am reminded to pray for increased faith. I pray for those who make what seem to be blatant errors, yet to also factor in that I have continued to offer suffering for various concerns and souls in the world.  Faith lets me know that I will face a backlash from such offerings of my suffering.  The devil of un-love beats back.  My reaction must strive for love, working with faith through love.

This is not easy when the bodily pain increases.  Yet if I consider this as a good thing, a sure result of offering suffering as prayer for good, then I know that what I offered and am praying for is hitting a nerve in the universe.  What can I expect but some backlash and increased suffering?  This is a matter of the spiritual realm, far from the temporal machinations of men and women who exist gripped in battles for power.

And this includes those who desire temporal power within religious bodies, not just the secular organizations.  Somehow, we within the Church must strive for faith working through love, while keeping our eyes open to the realities of some falling to temptation to retain power through man-made laws which can take precedence in their minds over faith and love.  These laws often enough derived from good intentions, but they seem to come down to certain personalities needing this type of structure rather than those able to float in the unseens and unknowns of faith, as well as the intangibles of what-is-love.  God-Is-Love.

Regardless, today I must try to get this tangible body up off the mattress on the floor, and pray my way through the day.  I must try to keep the right elbow functional as it is strained from last week's caulking and painting.  Today there is a respite in tough weather conditions; I hope to paint a final coat on the lower portion of back of hermitage. 

I will pray to keep in perspective that the disasters of yesterday's aborted countertop install and more battles with Lowe's now to get the sink replaced and order yet another cabinet that needs to be taller for above the range--well, all that is merely the fodder of the temporal realm. If the Lord allows me the grace and miracle of being able to continue on until I can sell, I know to not get involved in that which will have me needing to interface with the temporal world as much as this adventure!

Pray for faith working through love!  Remain steadfast members of the Body of Christ, one with another in the vast Church, as those who have faith that works, shows itself, through love of God above all things and others as Jesus loves.

Catholic Hermit: Faith Critical

The Living Word always uplifts and sustains.  Follow it; believe; live it.  The fruit is always good, from the Living Word of God.

From Galatians, once more, there is wisdom regarding faith versus the "law."

I've been awakened three times in the night with much physical pain.  This desert is not positive for my body, with weather shifts causing pressures of some sort within and affecting the spine, causing pressure on damaged nerves, radiating pain throughout the body.

However, in faith, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit continues the life of prayer for so many people, so many souls, with trials and struggles beyond what my mere body sustains.  It is only pain; but faith in God Who Is Love--and faith in what Jesus and His apostles teach us through His Living Word--sustains us beyond anything else of our temporal existences.

I'm going to head out for errands, praying the body will have the stamina for driving to civilization. I am going to get an external "clean up".  I will do what I can to put others more at ease with my visage; I will try to protect them from adverse opinions for we are human and do have opinions regardless of how hard we may try not to form them.  

A hair cut is in the day ahead, we hope; and I will drive a farther distance to a young woman who over a year ago did a masterful job.  Doing this external act, on my part, is a sacrifice in sitting, added pain in driving, cost, and effort.  This hermit must blend in more, and outer appearances will help promote the blending.  It seems odd that a hermit must conform as an act of charity!  Ha ha!

But within my mind and heart, I will take these Living Words with me today.  Christ through the Spirit through St. Paul reminds me of the critical element of soul existence:  faith.

Earlier today, I emailed a young wife and mother who thankfully now is in therapy with a long-experienced clinical psychologist, on site, face-to-face.  It was past due, the need for professional help.  Much of her issues stem from being the eldest of a very large, Catholic family in which her mother plays a pivotal role in too much responsibility placed upon the woman when she was a child, and who instilled some aspects of Catholicism rather heavy-laden with adherence to "law"--and much of that interpreted and enforced through ample guilt, heaviness, fear, and foment.

I have had to remove myself to a great extent from a lot of communication for my role now with the young woman is that of encourager and uplifter, of injecting some humor and "lightness", to shift away from the previously serious conversations and reading materials.  She needs to turn to the doctor without asking me advice, for this time of delving into her past and then beginning the healing, rebuilding process, is necessary without another person adding "two bits".  

I've also suggested we not attempt reading some of the books--excellent but deep and intense--or of delving into serious topics if we even have an occasional phone visit.  Rather, that we breathe a word or two of the Living Word--a Word or two that uplifts, encourages, brings Light and Love to the sufferings that can make life seem burdensome.  Enough of that; later on, perhaps seriousness may be stimulating.  Now, not so much.  Let Jesus lift, soothe, and carry us with sweet simplicity.

I pray for all of us to reflect upon the beauty, truth, and goodness of sheer faith, of delight in light, in love, in sweetness, in laughter and positivity that comes from enjoying life regardless the trials that come for anyone of us, dotted in the landscape of our lives.  Jesus has provided for us redemption by faith.

"Scripture, which saw in advance that God 
would justify the Gentiles by faith,
foretold the good news to Abraham, saying,
'Through you shall all the nations be blessed.'
Consequently, those who have faith are blessed
along with Abraham who had faith.
For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse;
for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone
who does not persevere in doing all the things
written in the book of the law.'
And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear,
for the one who is righteous by faith will live."

Yes, that all of us be righteous by faith, and live--this is my prayer for all of us.