Catholic Hermit Learns from Jesus in John of the Cross

I am enamored all over again.  It does not take much--just re-reading after ten years, the introduction to The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross (Kieran Kavanaugh, translator, editor) can set me off on lessons to learn of love of God.

This section from the introduction, toward the end of it, helps me grasp what I've spent some emails trying to explain to a friend why I prefer not hearing about more of the situations in an unhealthy marriage of control situation that has gone on for years.  And, it helps me to know that even my grousing and putting a personal stop to a medical group's predatory and usurious form of clinical extortion is not worth the thought and emotion.

In the temporal realm, including very much the temporal Catholic church realm as opposed to the mystical or spiritual church realm--we see that relationships and the control factors in human beings are really the root of sin's unfolding.  We see that even if we people are not trying to control one another in some way, usually with our not being able to face that we do it overtly or covertly, consciously or subconsciously--if not controlling other people, we indeed then in some way try to control God.

The control of God is uncovered easily enough through any lack of faith in His total providence.  Our trying to control God comes when we attach some set or expected outcome or what we wish to see of our "hope".  It comes when we do not love God above all things; truly it does.  For then we are trying to control God by proxy:  We place people, places, things, situations and our desires above God.  We replace God with ourselves, even if that is hard for us to accept or see it is so.

I've spent a lot of time being diverted from loving God above all else, by getting caught up in my reactions to situations and persons.  I recently have realized just how emotionally and psychologically abusive we can be to one another in various ways; and part of the abuse and waste of it all is that we try to control others and try to control God.

Not worth expending our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits on fussing about who did or said this or that, or why, or drag out the situation.  Sometimes we must remove ourselves, shake dust from sandals and move on physically or more often, mentally and emotionally and especially spiritually.  

The spiritual reality and path is Jesus' way as truth and life.  We must strive to love God in Himself and to think of God above all else, and in that love of God, love will abide and abound and flow from us, as God loves.

The following are from the concluding paragraphs of the Collected Works' introduction.  They are simply stated, directly stated, and I also note how much it resonated with me to be reminded of an incident in John's life that demonstrates his devotion to the Living Word of God:  the Bible.  

The incident:  John's fellow friars tried to get him to join them when in Lisbon visiting, to go meet a famed stigmatic living there.  John refused to go and instead spent the day by the ocean, reading his Bible.  The others went off to visit the stigmatic, drawn by the phenomenon.

I have to admit, I asked myself if I'd have chosen  a day with my Bible or would I have gone to see the stigmatic?  And I sadly admit that I think I'd have trotted off to take in the unusual phenomenon of a stigmatic--and probably would have spent time and talk with the others, later, debating if real or deceptive phenomenon.

But back to John of the Cross:

''From his Bible and his nearness to God, John knew that loving confidence in Providence was the appropriate response to life's worries and anxieties.  He observed that when God, like a loving mother, wants to carry us, we kick and cry and insist on walking by ourselves, and get nowhere.  Some thought that since he was prior of a poor monastery he should show more concern about material needs.  They would have liked him to worry.  But his habit of seeing God in all things contributed, in fact, to an air of peace and calm.  

"This was his way, too, in persecution.  he saw the hand of God there and urged others not to speak uncharitably of his persecutors, but to think 'only that God ordains all.'  He wrote that trust in God should be so great that even if the whole world were to collapse one should not become disturbed.  Enduring things with equanimity reaps many blessings, he said, and helps a person in the middle of adversity to make an appropriate judgment and find the right option.  This total trust in God gave him peace in his final illness.  Being reminded of all he had suffered, he replied with these remarkable words: 'Padre, this is not the time to be thinking of that; it is by the merits of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that I hope to be saved.'"

While I suppose it is all right to take note of ourselves or others trying to control aspects of our lives in silly or also harmful ways, to give much inner space or emotional energy to the persons or situations is not having total trust in God. Rather, we place our trust in thoughts, or in emotions, or physical ills--or judgments or regrets or of desired conquests of persons, places, things, situations.

What I do want is for me to accept and recognize and be loyal in faithfulness and love to the reality that God controls all aspects of my life as well as eternal, infinite existence of the soul's being.  And that is love of God, that He loves so much as to love me and ordain all in me and around me, and that He does the same for all others and else.

Catholic Hermit: Lifted, and Lifting Up

Have made some apologies recently, regarding the past two years of dealing with the hardships--complaining and being negative far too often.  The Living Word of God has touched this hermit's lips--mind and heart.  It is praying for the abundance of faith, grace, and God's power to strengthen the will and start lifting up others as well as lifting up the soul to the things of God Above.

Today was spent praying about the fourth homily of Pseudo-Macarius while trying to beat the clock with rain in the forecast.  (And it is much-needed in this desert earth as well as desert eremitic exile.)

The fourth homily reminds the nothing consecrated Catholic hermit (and anyone who reads the inspired thoughts of Pseudo-Macarius) that there are choices to be made.  They boil down to staying more in the temporal world with temporal attachments and temporal loves, or committing to His Real Presence as a consecrated hermit ought to be doing, and attaching to His Real Presence, plain and simple.

There are details given, and examples, in the sermon.  The Scriptures are illuminated.  This hermit pondered quite a bit on the Scriptures Macarius cited, regarding how married couples are to love each other with great focus and single purpose in that faithful love to one another.  They are to cleave unto one another and separate out from parents ands siblings.  And, for the one who is called to God, who is espoused, betrothed, and desiring union with God, the love is to be focused on Him.

Macarius reminds what temporal attachments do to interfere with the goal of divine union.  The hermit has been considering similar thoughts lately--revisiting them, as they cycle through the spiritual life in the temporal, daily doings.  The country and world news has been a distraction lately. So this hermit is reducing the time spent listening to short video clips or reading articles.  Does it not truly know what to pray for in the world?

Of course, the hermit knows!  Pray for peace among peoples.  Pray for healing for the sick.  Pray for help and sustenance for the poor.  Pray for government officials.  Pray for all people.  Pray for their souls.  Pray for those who are oppressed and wounded.  Pray for those suffering from abuse and crime.  Pray for justice. Pray, pray, pray!  Pray for the Church!  Pray for people to turn to Christ as their Lord and Savior!  Pray for families.  Pray for friends.  Pray for strangers.  

And praise.  Pray praises for the rising and the setting of sun and people and all creatures and creation, day and night.  Pray praises for His Real Presence and all the angels and the saints.  Pray for the conversion of sinners and praise Him for His mercy and saving graces.  Praise Him for His providence, love, truth, goodness, and beauty.  Praise God for Who He Is.

In less than five minutes, the hermit can scan a news site online, if there is a need to find out anything specific.  Or to do so as a means of weaning off what has become a more time-consuming habit or a type of attachment that truly is not necessary--and is not  helpful, really, nor needful of a consecrated hermit whose life is to exist more on faith and prayer and listening to His Real Presence tell the hermit what He wants it to pray for and about.  Yes, just too much mental space was increasingly spent on state, country, and world events, people, crises, and the "talking heads" who have good points to make, but also tend to suck in a viewer.  It is about ratings and advertising money, too, we know.  

When there are certain aspects that may be more critical, such as before a major election discerning which politician should have a vote and which should not, the Lord asks the hermit to vote for one who is moral and a practicing Christian.  Now, that will take a little research, but it does not take long to sort out the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, when we have a lot of the clutter and noise cleaned out of our minds. 

Regardless, the hermit is already mostly weaned off the news.  It used to be cleared of such, and  how amazing the results because the Lord would let the hermit know in various ways, what the prayer needs of a locale, nation, or world, would be.  Someone might mention in passing or in a phone call.  Or, an insight would come in the stillness and silence.  Not sure how the hermit got sucked back into more dependence upon the news delivered by the networks, so to speak.  Yes, net-works, as is netting this fish into a kind of recreational news-user.  Even an hour spent is an hour gone.

And, most of all that did not lift up the hermit nor inspire the hermit to lift up others to His Real Presence.

This is just one example.  Pseudo-Macarius has reached in across the centuries and through the thin veil, and is helping this nothing consecrated Catholic Hermit renew its vigor for love of God above all things, step by step.

(And this is not to say that all hermits ought not dally with the daily news.  It is just that this hermit is given reason and a huge nudge to knock it off.  Pray for what His Real Presence tells it to pray for; and all that is actually rather obvious, anyway.)

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another!  Remain in His Love--and we will be lifted up and lift up others, and all shall be one in lifted-up-life in His Real Presence.

Catholic Hermit's Heart Best Here

Yet today in upper echelons of physical pain.  The mind and emotions were dipping into the past, having regrets for choices that seem to have not brought blessings from God to the Catholic hermit, nor to others close at heart.  Such dark thoughts, spurred by the devil who is adept at moving in on bodily pain to create upset--vied for inner space.  

This all-the-more-nothing-reduced-by-pain Catholic hermit finally recognized the tricks of the evil one and turned to Him Who strengthens the heart:  Jesus Christ, the Beloved Spouse.  The words across the centuries, inspired by His Real Presence and penned by a man named Thomas a Kempis, seem apt today.  This particular selection, where the hermit had last left off reading, sets straight the mind's path and leads straight to the heart of God's matters. 

The hermit remains downed in bed but not now downcast in spirit. Separating the sentences in the selection below, helps the eyes and mind slow the speed of reading for better absorption of holy wisdom.  Any cares and trials of life--the past, the present, and future unknowns--are answered in the clear light of words that release and lift from deceptive snares.

This Catholic Hermit's heart is best when turned to His Real Presence and reminded of that which is of most importance on earth and in heaven, in all our lives no matter what.  Read the following from The Imitation of Christ, Book Two, Chapter One: Meditation.  Discover for yourselves if your heart is best here, as well. 


The kingdom of God is within you,” says the Lord. 

Turn, then, to God with all your heart.

Forsake this wretched world and your soul shall find rest.

Learn to despise external things, to devote yourself to those that are within, and you will see the kingdom of God come unto you, that kingdom which is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, gifts not given to the impious.

Christ will come to you offering His consolation, if you prepare a fit dwelling for Him in your heart, whose beauty and glory, wherein He takes delight, are all from within. 

His visits with the  inward man are frequent, His communion sweet and full of consolation, His peace great, and His intimacy wonderful indeed.

Therefore, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom that He may come and dwell within you; He Himself says: “If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him.”

Give place, then, to Christ, but deny entrance to all others, for when you have Christ you are rich and He is sufficient for you.

He will provide for you.

He will supply your every want, so that you need not trust in frail, changeable men.

Christ remains forever, standing firmly with us to the end.

Do not place much confidence in weak and mortal man, helpful and friendly though he be; and do not grieve too much if he sometimes opposes and contradicts you.

Those who are with us today may be against us tomorrow, and vice versa, for men change with the wind.

Place all your trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love.

He will answer for you; He will do what is best for you.

You have here no lasting home.

You are a stranger and a pilgrim wherever you may be, and you shall have no rest until you are wholly united with Christ.

Why do you look about here when this is not the place of your repose?

Dwell rather upon heaven and give but a passing glance to all earthly things.

They all pass away, and you together with them.

Take care, then, that you do not cling to them lest you be entrapped and perish.

Fix your mind on the Most High, and pray unceasingly to Christ.

If you do not know how to meditate on heavenly things, direct your thoughts to Christ's passion and willingly behold His sacred wounds.
  
If you turn devoutly to the wounds and precious stigmata of Christ, you will find great comfort in suffering, you will mind but little the scorn of men, and you will easily bear their slanderous talk. 

When Christ was in the world, He was despised by men; in the hour of need He was forsaken by acquaintances and left by friends to the depths of scorn. 

He was willing to suffer and to be despised; do you dare to complain of anything? 

He had enemies and defamers; do you want everyone to be your friend, your benefactor? 

How can your patience be rewarded if no adversity test it? 

How can you be a friend of Christ if you are not willing to suffer any hardship? 

Suffer with Christ and for Christ if you wish to reign with Him. 

Had you but once entered into perfect communion with Jesus or tasted a little of His ardent love, you would care nothing at all for your own comfort or discomfort but would rejoice in the reproach you suffer; for love of Him makes a man despise himself. 

A man who is a lover of Jesus and of truth, a truly interior man who is free from uncontrolled affections, can turn to God at will and rise above himself to enjoy spiritual peace. 

He who tastes life as it really is, not as men say or think it is, is indeed wise with the wisdom of God rather than of men. 

He who learns to live the interior life and to take little account of outward things, does not seek special places or times to perform devout exercises. 

A spiritual man quickly recollects himself because he has never wasted his attention upon externals. 

No outside work, no business that cannot wait stands in his way. 

He adjusts himself to things as they happen. 

He whose disposition is well ordered cares nothing about the strange, perverse behavior of others, for a man is upset and distracted only in proportion as he engrosses himself in externals. 

If all were well with you, therefore, and if you were purified from all sin, everything would tend to your good and be to your profit. 

But because you are as yet neither entirely dead to self nor free from all earthly affection, there is much that often displeases and disturbs you. 

Nothing so mars and defiles the heart of man as impure attachment to created things. 

But if you refuse external consolation, you will be able to contemplate heavenly things and often to experience interior joy.

And His Own Did Not Accept Him

Have been pondering this verse from Scripture.  It is a good one, for it clearly expresses how it is when one is different from others, even family members.

There is a contradiction when some Christians die to the world, but somehow think or try to serve two masters.  Can we really live two lives successfully?  It all may depend upon the depth and degree of our calling from His Real Presence.  And that can often depend upon life circumstances, for He does seem to lay out a defined path if and when we give ourselves over to Him--and this, also, in varying degree and depth.

These variations among souls and their spiritual calling--and also their accepting the calling--can be a beautiful symphony.  Symphonies can also have clashing and strident tones, depending upon the compositions.

What seems so painful in accepting our calling, especially if a strong degree and depth of the spiritual, through, with, and in His Real Presence, is that those closest may not value or appreciate those called (or culled) out of the more temporal aspects of this beautiful, varied gift from God, the good of the world.

Many cannot appreciate nor value those different ones.  What they have to offer seems not pertinent to the daily life and functions of the temporal world, of society, of careers and active life, active interests.  The result of the more deeply spiritual, the more contemplative souls, with the more active and temporal--and this among Christians, too--is the lesser spiritual not seeing a purpose or value in the more spiritual.

Being critical is a gift when it assists in one's understanding of externals.  It is helpful in knowing ourselves and others.  But when criticism attacks the inner of who we are, particularly of a good aspect such as the spiritual, of the love-of-God essence of being, something dies in those who are criticized.  The spiritual soul who is criticized turns all the more to His Real Presence, for in Him there is acceptance by the One whose own did not accept Him.

Often, those who criticize the externals are simply discovering that there are aspects of the external, of the temporal, that can be or should be improved.  Or, there is a discovery that one is seeking more of something other, something greater, something divine:  God.  Thus, it is then best to leave off from what it is that stirs the critical observation and determine to love more those things "above".

When we find ourselves criticizing others or the temporal aspects that seemingly clash with that which is above, the divine--including the divine that is in all aspects of earth and people--it shows that we are growing beyond the temporal, in whatever way or degree.

But when we criticize a human for or of his essence, of his desire and love of God and how that is portrayed in his daily life and perspective--this is not love.  It is an inability to accept those who perhaps remind us of that which we may be resisting in our own souls for any number of reasons.  We are resisting becoming more spiritual ourselves.  We want the other to be where we think we are in seemingly temporal comfort zones.  We fear the unknown realms.  We don't want to feel alone.  We want to fit into the images of the world as created by people in society, of which many have contributed these images.

Criticizing due to not being comfortable with the spiritual essence and being of a soul, and the ways in which that soul perceives and is, severs the cord of a deep love that links souls to souls.  We must strive to keep criticism for temporal aspects that will help us or others grow.  We must resist criticizing the heart and soul of others, even if we do not realize our criticism is at those levels.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  For where His Real Presence makes His Abode in a soul is love. When a person is criticized beneath the surface, the criticism is criticizing Who Is within, God-Is-Love.   Little children, let us love one another!

Renunciation of the World

This topic will take more explanation, but this hermit is on that next phase, finally.  And with it are the typical temptations, memories, and painful reaching back into the world or thinking of what was or could be in the world, which the spiritual masters, and His Real Presence, teach about happening.

It is not easy, to be like Lot and not look back.  Let the dead bury the dead also comes to mind.

Regardless, even the word renunciation has good meaning, and yet it is not particularly easy for those who have accumulated much--not so much tangibly but in other aspects.

More, later.

Oh, some may wonder what site is so good as to counter and challenge this hermit's writing and spiritual journey.  Google Stillsong Hermitage, and that will take you to it.  Please, if it be your desire or inclination, join with the good person, who points out the flaws and failings, the wrongs and poor writing of this nothing Catholic hermit who writes this Catholic Hermit blog.  

Deserve all criticism, doubt, rebuke, refutation of anything this solitary hermit soul who is now renouncing the world, ought have.  God bless the other approved one, and any of you, for helping reveal all the bad in this nothing hermit, who is "me", in whatever is of "me."

"My" very Catholic friends grasp what is meant when this nothing Catholic hermit explains to them, that when it comes down to it, "I"  desire God more than Catholicism.  His Real Presence certainly understands what is meant.

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