Catholic Hermit: Ah, Perfect Living Word!

I finished writing/praying (meld into one) my mea culpa and continuing forth as I must live with my just consequences of wrong doings.  Ask God's forgiveness, and He forgives, as always.  And I think of Jesus saying (and as priests repeat Jesus' words if in sacramental confession), "Your sins are forgiven.  Go and sin no more."

It is the "Go and sin no more" that is difficult for us humans, especially such as this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit who is an old dog, not so easy to learn new tricks except by the grace of God, of course!  But the "go" Jesus tells us after we ask His forgiveness, means get on with your life.  You are cleansed and to be redeemed.  A fresh start is given us even if we do live with the life fallout of consequences that can be quite appropriate.  Embrace them.

God does not want sackcloth and ashes after we confess our sins and He forgives us, after we repent and desire to alter our ways and means of continuing on until our temporal forms full die to this life and we face Christ in a full review in which He points out that which we have not repented or what we have not seen to repent, or if we have not fully accepted the reality and consequences of our sins.

God wants us to go, and then also to "sin no more."  I think the "go" part can be quite difficult if our faith in God's forgiveness or if our acceptance of our sins and the consequences thereof is weak or partial.  Somehow, in my sins revealed and exposed--this time--I am better accepting God's grace in deeper faith of His forgiveness.  Somehow, I am able to embrace the peace of Christ and trust His cleansing grace of my being.  

(That is why God's forgiveness is penultimate; while I'd like to believe I can fully forgive, I know my human limitations, and do not trust myself.  Which reminds me of one time in sacramental confession years ago, a priest explained to me that even if "I" forgive someone, it is always God Who does the forgiving.  We do not have that perfection to forgive as God forgives; we require God's grace in order to forgive just as we require His grace in doing and being, thinking and feeling and breathing.  We are only anything because God is everything and the All to our nothing.)

However, Jesus saying "and sin no more" is a tough command and one that is unlikely to happen as long as we are in our mortal bodies on this temporal earth.  Yet, I always have a great desire to strive for that ideal:  to sin no more.  Even that desire is a grace from God.  I admit even that--I need His grace to be excited instead of downcast, to be filled with desire to not repeat this current sin exposed, to trust fully in Christ's grace, of God's cleansing my sins one by one and en masse, whichever in my self-knowledge to confess whatever sins over the years and in the hour of my death.

So the first Scripture reading of today's Mass, comes all the more real and gives me assurance of His grace and to simply keep going, to take what I'm learning and apply it in my vocation as a consecrated Catholic hermit, in my life as an aspiring Christian, and in my writing.  Read and absorb, on this new day, from the Book of Wisdom 11:22-12:2:

"Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But You have mercy on on all, because You can do all things;
and You overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For You love all things that are
and loathe nothing that You have made;
for what You hated, You would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless You willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by You?
But You spare all things, because they are Yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for Your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore You rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in You, O LORD!


Now to rise, dress, and go for a walk.  A little baby has been born on All Saints' Day of which we knew in the last month the infant would be born with a cleft palate, a mouth deformity.  The little fellow had always kept his hands up to his face in all prior scans.  I realize how beautiful an example, of the photo sent me of the infant, that he will have the gift of some surgeries over time, and his exterior will be made in keeping with what we humans are used to seeing as beautifully handsome, and the actual physical disability of difficulty eating and swallowing will also be corrected.  

All the while despite our human views of beauty and physical perfection, how much our interiors require examination and God's grace, and our desire to follow His will and simply keep going with joyous desiring to love God above all things and to love others as God loves, as He loves us.  I'll ponder this on the walk, plus ask the Lord to help me grasp aspects of the dream in whatever He wills in spiritual footsteps forward.

God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit Praying, Pondering

Put in the two calls--one to Dr. H. and one to the spiritual father, the hermit's holy superior.  Of the two, Dr. H. has the lived experience and expertise with the spiritual paranormal--years of it.  When the hermit converted to Catholicism 20 years ago, Dr. H. said the hermit would be "hard-pressed to find a priest in the country who would have actual experience or know about such matters even if they may have read of some aspects in books."

At the time, this hermit thought surely Dr. H. was incorrect on this.  Over the years and many, many priests and bishops and those wanting to be spiritual directors, Dr. H's assessment has proven correct--at least thus far.  The hermit's current spiritual father is humble and holy, and his wisdom admits to not having actual experience, but he has a keen sense of the Holy Spirit and vast knowledge of God.  Between the two men of which this hermit is so blessed to have in times of discernment and guidance of the here and now, there will be some suggestions and answers.

But, the hermit awoke with not really wanting to be at the most-attended Sunday Mass, nor to necessarily be sitting with the family in more view of people.  The helper's dad was not keen on a sign, as he said many people don't bother to read signs, or they would then have all the more questions.  Maybe questions are not bad, though, if this situation has a different aspect to it that God wills than the approach the hermit and others have thought to take for the past seven years.

Otherwise, it is back to work here this morning, with yet another fine layer of drywall mud in the downstairs bathroom needing to be feathered out.  Drywall mudding is an exacting art, and this Catholic hermit is bungling its way through learning by trial and error and then successes.  Is it that what works seems to be quite powerful as opposed to what does not work?

The hermit has been pondering being less negative and seeking more the positive aspects of all matters and experiences, for God Is Love, and Love is the greatest as God Is All to our nothing.

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

Now, to the manual labor.  Many prayer intentions sent the hermit's way yesterday and this morning, so much to pray about while working.  It is all very good.

Keep Seeking, Working and Praying

Am reminded through Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, author of The Spiritual Combat, to not give into thoughts of being overwhelmed in any way, as God does not overwhelm.  Rather, keep focused and do something concrete, such as manual labor or any action possible.  Thinking, speaking, listening, writing, reading can be actions, too.

But do not let immensity of tasks immobilize the mind or body.  Also, do not let immensity of spiritual thoughts, bombard or overwhelm and tempt into putting off, giving up.  This is akin to falling into sloth or also spiritual acedia, or dryness.

Stay focused and force ourselves to do something even if a small something.

These thoughts and suggestions are not solely from Scupoli but are a compendium of suggestions from various spiritual writers.  When thoughts and suggestions flow through various wise and spiritually accomplished persons known for holiness, then there is a high likelihood that not only are they excellent thoughts but also that they bring successful results to the soul and the spiritual journey.

Another thought has come while "nothing" hermit has been sanding and priming some ceiling tongue-in-groove boards.  (Am trying to ready the materials as four family members are coming to the hermitage tomorrow to help finish an area of ceiling plus finish installing some kitchen cabinets.)
The thought while priming the boards came from some place deep in the soul, beyond where the heart sings but within where the soul hums the sounds of His Real Presence's created universe.

It was an assurance that it does not matter what earth time it takes to find our way, our place, our room within His House, our small spot within the room.  It also does not matter if after a time we are beckoned by His touch or call, or His arranging of circumstances in the temporal or the spiritual realms, to enter another room, find another spot.  It can even not be a room but a closet or a stairway, or a hallway of passage.  We may find ourselves in any of these for long periods of earth time or for short periods. 

But the important thing is to seek the spot no matter how slow we might be in cracking the clues or understanding His directions in where to "be."  And, we must remember that "Only God Is Forever." 

We are not.  We are nothing.  So if we are slow at the commands and clues and in finding a spot whether temporary or not in a seemingly approved place by our or others reasoning, or not like the spots others have found, it is all right.

Just keep working and praying and pondering.  And keep loving His Real Presence and anyone or thing of His creation He brings into the thoughts, vision, sounds or physical encounter, or of those we may meet if out and about. 

It really does not matter how long it takes or that when it seems we are in between "spots."   We may find then that our place is up high on a ladder or standing on some soil in the outdoors of this great planet, or in some other universe in our thoughts, while working, thinking, sleeping, listening, speaking, or praying.

We must not let anyone try to cajole or convince us into some room or spot.  Perhaps His Real Presence wants us by ourselves for awhile or a long time, on a ladder or outside, or in a closet, or on the roof, or in an underground cellar--perhaps, yes, a storm cellar to wait out some turmoil!

And don't be concerned as to where other people have their spots in what house or room or place within a room, or not in a room, either.  Nor ought we be curious about their places because their spots could change in an instant without notice.  It is pointless to try to monitor where others "are" or where they might "be" when we have more than enough to figure out where God wills us to be.  We must be attentive to His asking us to be elsewhere, at any given present moment.

To express this point further, wishing we could have a certain spot or not have a certain spot, or envying others' spots or worrying if others are in the spot we think they ought to be, or not be--well, that is fruitless.  About the time we might think we have it all figured out in our minds as to what is for another, they may have been beckoned on to another spot by His Real Presence.  In the meantime, we may have been so curious and frustrated about some other person's spot, that we might miss our own hearkening call from His Real Presence to be in a new spot, ourselves.

Keep seeking His Real Presence and the place He has for each of us not only in heaven--but on earth as it is in heaven.  Keep working no matter how trivial and no matter if there is much other that could distract and overwhelm.  Keep praying, for that is the means of talking with and listening to His Real Presence.  In this way, we may find assurance as to where He desires us to "be", in what spot for now or at some other time, for then, and at some point forever.

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