Catholic Hermit: Coming to Acceptance

Yes, this pained, consecrated, Catholic hermit is coming to acceptance of the Lord's trimming a couple of contacts.  Some who do not grasp the Lord working in my personal life experience and who are unfamiliar with how the phases of hermit life evolve and unfold over the years might easily come up with some worldly reason for the trimming off "the fat" of friendships.

I know from knowing the Lord and knowing myself and my spiritual life--how He handles me through the years when it is His will and His timing to prune His hermit mystic.  He's carved distractions that no longer need to be thus.  The one person has been trimmed back for awhile; the other is more recent and justifiable, I grasp, from the other person's standpoint and mine in a temporal friendship sense.  Spiritually, I understand whereas the other might not so much.  

The distraction simply had to be trimmed back; that's the best way to express it.  Even though the communication was texts, the content became unnecessary.  My prayers and my concern for the person and the person's spouse are summed in my love for them both and each.  The prayers and love suffice.

As for the other one trimmed back, the trimming was severe four months or so ago.  There was not so much growth occurring as a dyad; the other needed growth in ways that I did not.  I needed and need growth in the ways the other does not.  

When the Lord trims, He does so justly and purposefully.  The soul's response to being trimmed is that of acceptance, understanding, and gratitude.  When the trimming is perfect in timeliness, there is little grieving.  The souls are ready.  Even if one or the other does not understand or there is a disagreement by one who does not grasp the timeliness and need for the Lord's trimming out and away, at some point all will be understood by all.  Acceptance regardless our feelings during the process is the only response suitable in such a situation.  Accept and await what the Lord has next for us.

For a hermit, what is next is a filling in more of His Real Presence:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  For a lay person, what is next often means some other persons the Lord brings into the space left by the trimming.  When the situation involves both a hermit and a lay friend, and the lay friend is not Catholic, there might not be an awareness of why the Lord is trimming and separating the fat and gristle from the meat and bone of a friendship.

This trimming and separating does not mean the two will no longer appreciate even a friendship from childhood.  It just means that the Lord has something in addition or "other than" what was or a shift from "what is" to what He wills to be.  And while there is acceptance, there also is some sense of the transition.

While a person may not be anticipating or expecting the Lord's trimming, there can be a relief and an anticipation of the Lord's provision and guidance in what He wills for the extra space made as a result of trimming and separating of what no longer necessary or growing in benefit.  

I feel all right about it.  I am not surprised in a measured sense;  I get it, I appreciate it, I am open and willing for what of my mission and purpose in life and as a hermit, is to become in the space and time created by God.  

For certain, the Lord does not keep His beloved children stagnant be they linked for years even if of different faiths, vocations, temperaments, through sickness and difficult situations.  He does not allow us--bodies, minds, hearts, and souls--to remain stagnant or on a "plateau," resting, for long.  The present moments become past, and the future moments become present, over and over and over.

What does remain, however, if the person desires, is love.  And we know that love takes on varying forms, degrees, and purposes in any given relationship.  As a consecrated Catholic hermit, my vocation evolves and unfolds through, with, and in the praise of God and the salvation of the world.  And in my contemplating and praying for insights as to what is the praise of God--what does that mean from God's perspective--increasingly the insight constructs within my mind, heart, and soul of the linkage between the praise of God and the love of God.

My purpose as a consecrated Catholic hermit, in part, is to devote my life to the praise of God--to love God in Himself--and for the salvation of the world.  With the added space that remains after the Lord trimmed and separated of that which, to the space and time it filled up, I am opened up to His filling in, Himself, into that space.  When the timing and purpose is the Lord's, there is not regret nor misgiving; the transaction involving the trimming, is meant by God and understood as such.

The process is actually quite natural.  The acceptance is genuine and within, automatic and grace-filled.  It is as it is, as God allows and wills!  I am eager to explore in more depth, what the Church intends for her consecrated Catholic hermits in the desire for us to have a "stricter separation from the world."  

Certainly the trimming and separating out of aspects in loving (even long-time) friendships qualifies as a stricter separation from the world--the world of temporal relationships, temporal communications.  Prayer, always, remains among those persons whom we know, care about, love.  

Prayer is an act of loving communication with the Triune God; prayer includes all those we know and love in our lives as well as all people in the Body of Christ on this earth and in process to fullness of love and light as well as those in purity of heaven.  Prayer includes communication with God for all souls past, present, future.  Praise of God is also a form of communication with God--prayer that extends beyond words and into praise of God as love of God in Himself.

God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit: The Royal Law

Sometimes doesn't it seem as if His Real Presence truly knows exactly what we need?  Of course He does--but sometimes it seems so very real, so actual, so lived!

A long-time friend (Protestant) celebrated a birthday the other day.  We keep in touch with a birthday note and a Christmas letter.  Otherwise, the friendship rolls along, year after year, without knowing details of our lives other than the twice-yearly, usually brief, correspondence.  

Increasingly, it seems this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit is closer than ever to whoever comes to mind.  Thus, it seems as if there has been more personal contact than what is the temporal reality.  So I decided to call this friend on her birthday and ask for her email address; I wanted to do a Scriptural Prayer-Gift in honor of her life.  What book of the Bible would she like?

James.

So, each day I'm reading a chapter of James and reflecting upon the content of the verses.  I pray for insights from the Holy Spirit so as to email the friend, each day, in what ways the Word of God through James represents her life.

Today I read the second chapter of James in honor of this marvelous Christian friend.  Lo and behold, there it is again:  God's law of which St. Paul writes in Romans is the "fulfillment of the law" and above all other laws:  God's law of love.  Love God.  Love others.

Here it is, written by the Apostle James.  He calls God's law "the royal law."

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."

Then a few verses later in chapter two, he writes further regarding being judged by this law and describes it as the law that gives freedom.  In what way? With mercy--and James explains that  freedom occurs when mercy triumphs over judgment.

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.  Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

There is much more to the second chapter of James.  The Apostle demonstrates, also, that faith is revealed through what one enacts that demonstrates a lived faith.  If we say we have faith but do not live God's royal law, the law of love of others, then faith is not substantiated.  And consider the truth that mercy always wins, over judgment.  Be merciful to others.  Triumph in mercy.

When my spiritual father called this afternoon--and such a loving surprise--we discussed the seemingly recent, repetitive lessons from Scripture regarding the law and which law is supreme (and simply so) over all other laws:  God's law of love, the "royal law."

We can't go wrong if we adopt the royal law and if we live it.  Yes, if we truly love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be "doing right".

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another!  Let us embrace fully God's royal law and do right!

Catholic Hermit on Holy Friendships

Yesterday, a couple from afar visited this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit.  We had not seen each other for a couple of years and had not corresponded much--knowing we kept each other and families in our hearts of prayer.

While they were taking in the massive amount of work yet to be accomplished at Te Deum Hermitage, another person from afar called.  Such a surprise--and the hermit is to call this person back, but first ascertained if there were any urgent prayer requests.

An email arrived last evening from the young wife and mother with whom the hermit is now reading, across the miles, four books regarding St. Gemma Galgani.  When would be a good time to discuss the reading and other spiritual sharing?

Today the daughter called, needing to talk over some child-rearing issues and frustrations regarding her child.  The hermit promised added prayers for the situation as well as mentioned that mother and son could also pray together to help the focus turn to cooperation and respect.  Prayer silences, soothes, unites, and uplifts--always.

The Catholic hermit a bit ago sent an email to a hermit far away--one with whom once in a long while, there is inquiry as to how the eremitic vocation is faring for each.

Holy friendships are treasures in a hermit's life.  These may be friends the hermit has known for years or not known in person, ever.  They can be brief encounters, intermittent, or more in-depth--such as the holy friendships that include spiritual reading together, or occasional spiritual sharing and guidance emails or brief phone calls.

The encounters are not invasive or distracting.  The contact need not be frequent or lengthy.  The good is in being rooted in His Real Presence, in each party of the friendship striving to speak and to view and to encourage from the spiritual view, from what can be discerned from Scripture or other spiritual reading, that Jesus would desire or approve.

Holy friendships may also include non-temporal friendships.  This hermit has developed a holy friendship with Pseudo-Macarius, for example, which traverses centuries--but that does not matter.  The holy friendships very much include hermit mystics and hermit saints--alive in eternity of heaven and very much with this consecrated Catholic hermit, day and night.

The Three Persons in One God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the Blessed Mother, the apostles, saints, angels, priests, and fellow pilgrims in the Body of Christ--all are included in our holy friendships.

What is the hermit's responsibility as a holy friend?  It is to love, to pray with and for, to be available to the occasional need to discuss or meet, one with another (and this in person, on phone, in correspondence, or in reading their words, meditating and contemplative their holiness being shared in a mystical way).

In holy friendships, there is an understanding and respect that each person keeps with one another. There is a responsibility to cherish privacy and also to be honest in thoughts shared.  There is a consideration of not crossing boundaries of time and presence, always keeping in mind that a hermit's vocation is asterisked by silence of solitude, being hidden, living a life of prayer and praise and penance.  And, a hermit must respect the others' vocations to married or single life, working in the world, rearing families, and other obligations requiring time and attention.

But always, holy friendships are about love of one another, in His Real Presence--no matter how brief the friendship or if in this life or transcending the ages.

Today this hermit has felt a let-down, of sorts, after the great joy of time spent with the two beloved friends.  For one aspect of visitors, is that there is verbal conversation and aural, active listening involved.  The bulk of the hermit's time is spent in silence and solitude; the transition to other is active, requiring energy expended--perhaps most pointedly in sensitive listening.

With every joy there can be also a sorrow, such as realizing the beauty of holy souls and the time shared together, and that we never know if that blessed opportunity will come again.  In truly holy friendships, the effect of being together is as if never apart; and that effect does carry through in a sorrow turning again to joy when we grasp, then, that it doesn't matter if we personally are together again in this life.  

Of holy friendships, there is the assurance that we will always be in each others' hearts of prayer, united in His Real Presence of our shared faith, hope, and love, in our eternal bond as souls within the Body of Christ.

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