Catholic Hermit: Being Reminded of Holy Focus

St. Augustine, centuries ago, experienced quite the re-conversion and returned to Jesus Christ for salvation.  From that point onward in his life. Augustine kept his Holy Focus.

In an alternate Gospel reading for today's Mass, Matthew 22:23 seems clearly what I am to ponder in keeping a Holy Focus.

Jesus told His disciples after a series of woeful warnings to the scribes and Pharisees' hypocrisy and focus on externals even in religious laws and practices:

"...one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by Him who is seated on it."

The past couple of days this pained, consecrated Catholic hermit is transitioning from the mind attending to details in fine-tuning the hermitage, readying it for whoever is next to dwell here--to a major lessening of attention to requisite finishing work and into vast swaths of contemplative pondering.  And, with this freedom has come from the Holy Spirit several dire prayer intentions emailed, messaged, and phone-called, asking me to pray and in some cases also counsel those in great need.  

The Lord is with us, always, and we are through, with, and in Him!  Remain in His Love--Jesus asks this of us!  It is simple enough to comply; we give ourselves to Christ in thought, word, and deed by simply accepting His love and offering ours--which is actually His love in us--back to Him.

In that love for Christ and remaining in His Love, and His Love for us, it seems inconceivable that we could have other than love for our fellow humans, creatures, and all of God's creation.  However, we lose our Holy Focus rather easily, it seems.  

As in Jesus' time on earth, it can be lost through a type of obsession with power, prestige, position as well as with the laws of the times--and it did not take long for the laws developed in the early Church to increase over the centuries and to divert Holy Focus in some instances, or to become a distraction, hamstringing some to swear more by that which is not the throne of God and He Who Is seated on it.

I know how easy it can be to drift into lesser than Holy Focus.  We all are probably aware of having slipped into less than that which is love, light, and all things holy and which is of above.

This morning I received a call and am praying for a man, husband, and father to let go of resentments or whatever has gotten to him, so that he does not have a hatred for the family dog.  The dislike has grown over a couple of years, and the man keeps at it--wanting to get rid of the pet.  Granted, the little dog is not a highly intelligent breed and has a stubborn streak (does not obey commands impeccably), but he is a sweet little dog, easy to be around people, enjoys snoozing, and rather simple in needs and desires.

The caller and I discussed possible reasons for the man to have developed and maintained increasingly this dislike for the dog, and it will likely end with their giving the dog away--which is a sad end in some ways, although there will be any number of persons wanting this dog.  

But what is most sad about the situation besides the dog needing to adapt to new people and place, is that the man will not have learned to overcome his resentment and unnecessary dislike, nor will he be stopped in what is rather an obsession that has more taken over his mind and core than will ever be a problem for the little dog.

Where is the Holy Focus?  It is so far buried as to have nearly been forgotten by me, a Catholic hermit writing about it as an example of how easy it is for us to lose Holy Focus in our daily lives.  Perhaps it is a matter, also, of how easy an obsession and dislike can be planted like a tiny bacteria within and then grow into a massive infection that takes all thought, heart, and spirit to deal with that of rather external disease and dis-ease. both.

And to this point, dear readers, yes, people have brought it to my attention that there is yet someone out there who has continued now for ten years to seemingly be smitten and obsessed with detraction from any angle imaginable.  I am aware of it, I forgive the person, I do not resent in the least, but rather have compassion and commit to pathos and prayer.  

Some of you have thought the person "crazy", others say "shameful", "envious", and "sick".  I think not of any analysis, for does not trying to ascribe a label or reason to someone else's issues, just a means of the evil one to distract us from our Holy Focus in our daily lives and in the heart of our very souls?

Just as with the man who has developed an obsession and dislike of the little pet dog (of whom I consider to be one of the sweetest dogs and have often referred to him as "Lambie-pie" for his little face and muzzle have the appearance of a lamb's head), the only recourse is to have compassion for someone who allows a fellow creature to make him imprisoned by dislike and to be annoyed with any even remotely factual aspect.  For it then leads to deceive self, justify self to attack and demean the object of personal issue.

Detraction and dislike held onto for any period of time simply is not holy in any manner; and the great sorrow is that it deprives the person of a Holy Focus.  The man with the dog is a practicing Christian, the one who can't seem to let go of detracting me is a fellow Catholic.  Yet there it is--on going obsessive dislike.  Just see how we Christians can lose our way, by one means or another, and can keep up an obsessive dislike for days, weeks, months and then years?  There is no way, truth, beauty or freedom in Christ in that form of imprisonment.

St. Augustine lost his Holy Focus, having been reared as a devout Christian by his holy mother, St. Monica.  But thankfully, through prayer and love, Augustine returned to Jesus Christ and a Holy Focus, later on and in time for him to do much good for so many people and for the Lord Jesus Christ.  

And I ask you readers who have personally commented to me, to continue praying for the person who for whatever reasons (seemingly quite logical to that person), continues to be shackled by whatever personal dislikes and disgruntlements. You also do not need to let me know when the person erupts; it serves no holy purpose as it tends be reoccurring.  Rather, pray with me that the person can let go and let God, so to speak, and return to Christ's inner peace and consistent Holy Focus.  

I also ask you to pray for the man and the little dog, and his family.  While it seems a small matter, the problem lies within the person, and without trying to analyze how or why a person can develop such an obsessive disgruntlement, no matter how logical the reasons might seem to the person him- or herself--it is no way to live as a Christian.  It only makes the one obsessed be hindered and seem all the lesser or limited a follower of Christ.

This is also a good prayer for ourselves.  It is a prayer for myself.  And I ask you to pray for me, as well, in my time of transition from so much prayer in manual labor to be in prayer without the pressure of manual labor, as the Lord has called me into whatever is now and next.  

"Next" is continuing prayer for the needs of so many hurting people and distressful situations in their lives, yet without my needing to pour my body into physical work to the degree it had become accustomed.  Yes, it seems quite strange to not be in such solid ora et labora (prayer and work) and more so now in ora.  I must put my temporal body into manual labor as it is requisite for my pain management benefit--but far less in urgency of an earthly time frame and temporal reason.

The Holy Focus remains, but it has gone through a honing of massive proportions.  Yes, it is but seven weeks today that I could have easily been paralyzed or killed from the major smack of my body propelling through the air in the "flight from the stairway to heaven"--as I called the stairway my dear angel and I constructed in this temporal dwelling, the Te Deum Hermitage.

Gone is the need to have mental space allotted for remembering construction facts and figures, for figuring out detailed finishing work.  However, I still call upon St.  Joseph and Jesus and Mother Mary, and my Angel Beth, as Joseph and Jesus were carpenters, and Mary a mother.  All were of earth and of Heaven, and it is our Christ who reminds us, explains to us, admonishes us thus:

"one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by Him Who is seated on it."

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

Catholic Hermit: Pray for Persecutors

I had to be so focused this past week on utilizing best the good help from Jean Patrick, that I did not take time to write about the impact, yet again, of these verses from Matthew 5:44-45--Tuesday's Gospel at Mass.  Nonetheless, the Lord certainly gave me plenty of life practice lessons this week in which to apply...yet again...the wisdom and perfection of His Holy Will for us in how to deal with those who persecute.

"But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for He makes His sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."

On Tuesday, Jean Patrick could not come, but I needed to drive to civilization for the black bark mulch in order to have it for JP and myself the next morning when he would return for the day.  I also needed to get some tubes of a specialized caulk to re-install the stair treads since I learned I needed this caulk in addition to nailing.  (Cuts down on stair squeaks.)

While driving I noticed the sign that tells us what level is the fire potential.  It had moved from "medium" to "high".  The couple from the parish who bring me His Real Presence on Sundays had told me I'd better burn the burn pile in back, this week, as the ban would likely be in place next week or by July 1 at latest.

So upon return with a huge load of black bark mulch and the needed caulk, I gathered what extra old wood and dried weeds and bits and pieces of cardboard, and lit the pile.  There was not much breeze other than a few light stirrings, and never in one direction or another.  Had hose at ready, rake in hand, and kept walking the perimeter, using the rake to open air pockets to help the fire.  Then I'd rake in and overturn ashes so that more brush would be exposed to continue the burn process so that all would be reduced to ashes.

It was a hot day, and this process took several hours of attentive efforts.  Progress!  

Lo and behold, as the burn pile was down to about a fourth remaining and all going quite well, my neighbor appeared at the fence, having walked through his thick conifers and 2' high weeds and grass he tends to rarely mow.

He asked me how I'm doing.

"Fine, thank you!" I responded, working the rake around the perimeter, trying to keep the fire to its efficient best.  Then the neighbor (the husband of the family) mentioned that he sees I am burning.  "Yes, good day for it, want to get it done before the ban is in effect."  Since the man or his wife ever approach out of kindness but always with some complaint or demand, I added, "Have my burn permit and hose right here, and am working hard."

So then he asked me to come over, said he had something to talk about.  

Oh my, I knew it and did not want to leave the burn pile, and also recognized the tactic that he did not want to demand or complain loudly in case some other neighbor might hear him.  But I decided to comply, and got to the fence to hear his complaints and demands.  He said he thought his trees were on fire when he was driving home from work.  

No, they are not; again I pointed out my hose and the 8' diameter burn pile already reduced.  He mentioned he'd burned on the weekend but out in his field.  Yes, it is nice he has six acres; I have my designated burn pile area in back yard on a large gravel area of driveway--same place I've burned the past five summers, the safest place.  I did not mention, but if anyone should be concerned, it would be me for the deck and pergola could be at risk IF there was any danger of inappropriate burning. There is not and never has been with far larger amounts of branches and such to burn in the past.

He kept at it, though, and said I should come to their house and ask them prior, as the smoke comes to their property.  He said it blows his direction.  I did not debate, for the truth is it does not always blow his direction and in fact as he stood there at the fence, it was blowing into my pole barn and then toward my house--a light breeze, and nothing to be concerned about whatsoever.

I repeated to him how sorry I was that they smelled the smoke, and that over the weekend people on the other side of me and across the road both were burning their piles, and yes, some smoke got in my house but it aired out easily by evening....  

When he would not let up, I repeated a few more times that this is the last burn pile given the ban that will be coming, and also that the pile is nearly down to nothing but ash.  I asked him a couple or more times, as he would not stop his complaining, if he could find it in his heart to "forgive me" for burning my brush and dead clippings.

Mercy.  Then he complained about some weed poison overspray that had browned along the fence his 2' high grass and weeds--definitely a fire hazard if he'd stop to think that if he'd mow it or kill it and put down plastic and gravel, he'd not have the fire hazard nor the task of mowing it, although it is rarely mowed.  I know; I'm battling weeds from the seeds coming into the vegetable orchard area of my property.  I said little, other than perhaps he could mow it, and that I was sorry that there was some overspray.  He wanted me to put up plastic barriers.  I said what a good idea, knowing I am not long for this place, and the next owner will need to deal with the man and wife over the annual burn pile and the other complaints.

Last summer after a rather loud argument between the man and wife, the wife came over and announced that using the power saw past 7 p.m. was not going to be "allowed."  She said they hear power equipment all day as they own a contracting construction business.  

Oh.  It so happened my daughter had flown in for two days to help me level the living room floor and some other tasks, and yes, we every fifteen minutes or so made a cut with the circular saw on the underlayment for the floors.  But we took the passive route and stopped that work project and turned to another--although my daughter was stunned.  The law states for this area that power tools can be used between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.  

Last summer the man also complained about the annual burn pile at my place.  He came to the fence--same scenario, but not as heavy-duty as my daughter and grandson happened to be here helping out.

Pray for those who persecute.  It seems a small matter, but the couple tend to feel rather free to complain and set the "rules" for me but burn when they want and so forth, have loud parties to midnight, and teens with loud music at times.  Yes, it is just part of being alive and living among others, and getting along.  I never complain, for unlike my  last neighbor situation, my life has not been repeatedly threatened as it was then.

The daughter who lives elsewhere has called with a problem person--persecution going on for several months.  Has to do with an older woman who cannot accept her age and skill level when it comes to the increasingly popular pickle ball sport. Yes--imagine this!  The older woman latched onto the daughter who is 24 years younger and an excellent athlete, and who in mixed matches helps the older woman win, for the daughter carries the games.  The older woman began stalking, of sorts--finding out when and with whom the daughter was playing, then manipulating others as well as the daughter into including her even though the woman could be playing with those in her age range and skill level. 

It has gotten to a point that although the daughter has tried to explain to the woman that she is in a different skill level and thus will not be playing anymore tournaments together, and that she wants to be able to play with a variety of players, not just the woman--the woman has become desperate in an angry way.  She goes behind the daughter's back, sniping and trying to find out where she is playing, and on the occasion that she manipulates someone else to let her play which includes the daughter in a foursome, the older woman has started to curse at the daughter and to give her evil looks when the daughter makes an excellent shot.

Here we go again:  Pray for those who persecute us.

Of course, in many instances, we also need to do our best to stay clear of them.  There are many people with personality and psychological disorders out there.  Pride and envy of others might start out as a simple, niggling, little vice, but it can develop into a full-blown disorder of the mind which is not easy to rid out--even if the person would realize he or she has a problem and needs therapy--as well as God's forgiveness and mercy.

In what Jesus tells us about praying for those who persecute us and loving our enemies, he points out how God allows us all to live under the same sunlight; we all get rained on--the just and the unjust alike.  I had not pondered that part of Jesus' teaching before, not much, anyway.  It does make sense.  God will handle the persecutors, those who are psychologically disordered even to a slight degree, or those who are bullies or envious or whatever other aspect causes them to manipulate or detract or make demands on others that they do not place on themselves--or whatever other means of persecuting that goes on quite frequently in our daily lives.

It is work enough for us to make sure we are not doing likewise--not persecuting others.  I suspect when we are busy with our manual labor and prayers--at least for consecrated  Catholic hermits and hopefully for active and busy lay persons who work in the world and rear children and have spouses and so forth--we will need to be focused and occupied enough with what we must be doing in life than to find time and energy to persecute others.

It is not our place to decide if other people should not have the sun shine on them, or to not have rain fall on their soil, or in what other ways we decide they should be dealt with, in our estimation, our rules, or our manipulations--whether we realize we are doing so or not.

Jesus adds the challenge to us, in addition to praying for those who persecute us, to practice as God does in consideration of others:

"So be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Yes, we have more than enough to attend to in our daily lives and our minds and souls, in trying to keep ourselves from persecuting others, and to perceive and consider as God the Father does regarding the just and the unjust.  God will handle us all in His time and way and will.

Little children, let us love one another, for God Is Love!