Catholic Hermit: Wise Considerations from Sirach

Yesterday's first Mass reading from the Book of Sirach reminds me yet again as to what level of laws cover the basics as well as cover all other laws the human mind can imagine and set forth.  The more years and suffering this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit passes through, the simpler seem Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.  The simpler and more clear seem the choices to be made in every present moment.

Jesus highlighted the law of God, His greatest commandment, thus.  Love the Lord your God with all your body, mind, heart and spirit and love your neighbor as yourself.   The first section of this expression of God's ultimate law for us was in answer to a question Jesus had asked some people.  One person responded with this summation, and Jesus stated His pleasure in the simple accuracy stated.

In other portions of the Living Word, Jesus expresses the commandment by this thought: Love God above all things and love others as ourselves.   The following selection from Sirach assumes the commandments to be the Ten Commandments given Moses and imprinted on tablets that Moses later broke in frustration with the stubbornness and the people's generalized lack of acceptance, or at least the slippage into rebellion.

I find the options offered by Sirach are quite wise yet also common sense.  I used to remind myself that every thought and action I took is either a step/thought toward heaven or a step/thought toward hell.  Sirach mentions the choice compared to reaching for fire or water.  Then we are reminded further that it is a choice between life and death, good and evil.

Regardless how we remind ourselves of the choices we have each present moment, whether in action, thought, word--we will receive the circumstances and outcome--sooner or later--of whichever we choose.

Loving God above all else, loving Him in Himself, ensures that we will love others for God's love in us flows within to without and without to within.  Love begets love; and love will be the circumstance and outcome.  

The Ten Commandments provide us with more details of some of the life choices we may face; but what Jesus called the Greatest Commandment fulfills the law of God, the law of love, with overriding assurance.  Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is the exemplification of God's law, His Greatest Commandment, the law of God's love.

God's love is life, not death; good, not evil.  In honing ourselves to God's law, we may need more detailed examples.  However, I consider that perhaps we've approached the law of God with an increasingly complexity over the centuries, that is not necessary.  A singular guide we may adopt; there are many choices of a few words or a simple question we may ask ourselves while in God-Is-Love existence.

Whether it be thinking of literally reaching toward fire or water, or if we remind ourselves that the choice is ours--good or evil, life or death, heaven or hell--if we pray for Jesus Christ to be the love of our lives, if we accept God's love for us and fully give over our love in God in Himself, we will soon realize we are united with God in His Love.

Perhaps that is why Sirach states that if we trust in God, we will live.  The life we will live is that of life of soul, and that a soul remaining in Christ's love.  Choices will become easier, simpler.  Details will begin to surface of negative, past, not-good thoughts and actions we may wish to correct to the good.

The more we love God in Himself and choose His Life over our essentially deadened lives, the more obvious will be the situations and which choice we must make.  The choices will become increasingly fine-tuned, from the externals to the internals, and down to the details without and within.  

Thus Christ said His yoke is easy, His burden light.

When I consider how bogged I had become with trying to read and live out so many laws of minds, to learn and follow this and that law even within the church, I realize how burdened I'd become and how zealous in a forced way.  As to liturgical traditions, the law of God's love so consumes the soul that there is truly no conflict with whatever laws of minds are written or added.  It should not matter what the books of laws state in whatever detail, to the soul in love with God in Himself.  

This does not mean to do away with such laws.  But it is to grasp why Jesus said He came to fulfill the laws, to teach and live out a greater law, a law of love that assumes due to God's love, the living out of laws meant to help when people need specific example of life situations and which to choose, or the consequences if one chooses otherwise.

We could get into the role of the conscience within and its strength or weakness.  But I believe that the Lord is helping me grasp the overriding power of God's law of love--and the accessibility and trusting reality that loving God in Himself and accepting His love will seal the union of love with and in God that is the human's ultimate purpose and God's desire for us.

There are many choices I've made in life that were either not for the water, the good, the life or were rather default-type "choices."  In some I chose not to choose; I road along in the wake rather than choosing to crest the waves and ride in the God-stream.  At other times I chose unwisely and reached toward the fire, or at least accepted the fire, for my will has also been weak or undisciplined.

And to realize that loving God in Himself and thus love of others--well, the trust in His love providing love and living love through my soul is quite the relief!  I see I've chosen to make loving God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit harder than need be.

Please enjoy and benefit from this selection from Sirach 15.

"If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him."

Catholic Hermit: Law of God's Love

I continue to be intrigued and inspired by the Living Word of God.  Years ago, when confined to a hospital bed in my home for three months--my children quite young and my parents having come to care for us--I listened to audio tapes of the Bible.  My very favorite epistle was and remains the Letter to the Hebrews.  It spoke to me deeply then and does so now.

The following excerpt from Hebrews 10 brings forth, yet again, the reality of the laws of minds--even if these laws may be inspired by God.  Repeatedly in Scripture we are told that the laws of minds are limited and limiting in the temporal.  The law of God--the law of Love--is superior to all other laws.  The law of God's Love presumes and includes our desire for and willingness to do and be in God's will.

This nothing consecrated Catholic hermit, this morning, will ponder and rejoice in the reminder of that which is offered in love of God, not according to even the canon laws of the church--it is love of God in Himself and love of others that delights God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.  

It is the law of Love that God desires of us.  The reality of this is quite freeing and up-lifting.  Our souls rise in thanksgiving and praise, in love of God.

Yes, by this will, by doing God's will, we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Brothers and sisters:

Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,

and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect

those who come to worship by the same sacrifices

that they offer continually each year.

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,

burnt offerings and sin offerings,

you neither desired nor delighted in."

These are offered according to the law.

Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."

He takes away the first to establish the second.

By this "will," we have been consecrated

through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Another section of Scripture, from Psalm 40, further emphasizes the delight of the Lord is in obedience to and love of His will.  Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Father's will, to fulfill the law of God's love, to save our souls and to provide a living and eternal example for us to do likewise.

I recall years ago, not long after the car accident and my earthly spouse had decided being married to me was no longer wanted, I knelt in a church where my young children and I attended.  I repeated with my whole heart: Here I am, Lord; I have come to do your will.

Following this full offering by repeating the words of Christ, the Living Word of God--my life took a turn to a far more spiritual existence than what I ever could anticipate.  And this spiritual life included deep and real suffering.  But also, the Lord touched my life with His grace, with gifts and consolations.

Even now, however, I am weak.  I need the strong Christ-reminder of love of God and love of obedience to God's will, the love of Jesus Christ and desire for union with God-Is-Love.  I desire His love to rule my body, mind, heart, and spirit!  Nothing else seems to work out in this life nor to have meaning--if not for His will, His Love.

From Psalm 40, the words ring true and inspire me anew this morning when my body is filled with increased pain and weariness from interrupted sleep.  The purpose of my life--questioned in all the manual labor set before me in a temporal dwelling.  Is this God's will for me?

Ah, Love is His will; and thus yes, the manual labor for now is His will...as much as any temporal activity...as long as my full being is honed to loving Him above all things, desiring union in His Love, accepting all as an outflow of His Love.

I have waited, waited for the Lord,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
and then said I, "Behold, I come."
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.

So it was that from that day forth when I formally repeated the words of Jesus, I strove to be a living voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the here and now.  In and after the back-to-back back surgeries, loss of temporal career, loss of health insurance and financial stability, loss of pain-free body, loss of earthly spouse, loss of life as it had been--I became emboldened to speak of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Yet in the hardships and sufferings of increasing trials and persecutions, it seems that over time I lost the ardor of sweetness in His Love.  I complicate my life by mere neglect of how easily present is His Love, how easy to just be a soul existing in His delight and residing in His trusted love for me.

His trusted love is true for each of us!  God loves us!

When I get wrought up in temporal problems, disappointments, weariness and concerns of the body, mind, and emotions--I can return to the lap of His Love by simply repeating the Living Words of Jesus Christ:

Here I am, Lord; I have come to do your will!

His will is His Love.

I do not know how to explain this truth, but it is true.  God's will is His Love.