Thoughts on the Mystic Portal (from March 31, 2011)

 

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thoughts on The Mystic Portal

I am living the temporal humanity of Christ.
I bear His temporal pain and breathe His soul's suffering.
Yet only when the human is subsumed in His mystical Divinity
is there one Joy, one Love, the one Reality: God-Man.

Only then do the two worlds, temporal and mystical, 
become one reality, the Divine Reality.
The temporal is a shadow of the full humanity of Christ   
if without union in the mystical reality of His Divinity.

The temporal Catholic world is a holding cell 
for passage through the mystic portal, 
to become the full humanity of Christ in His Divinity, 
to be fully one in the One in the one true reality.

(I hope I am stating it meaningfully, accurately; 
words are incompetent secretaries to insights.)

It is something like this, and I must get through 
the mystic portal with His physical and soul suffering,
in order to be in the true reality: one reality of oneness in God.

Do you see that the Sacraments, all of them, 
but most frequently Eucharist in Mass 
and Reconciliation in Confession,  
are portal passage points 
for the temporal to enter into the mystical, 
and that without the One in reality of the mystical,
in these sacraments, there would be false reality? 

Jesus in His full humanity 
is the Divine ever-flowing into within the temporal.  
He is not the temporal occasionally touching the mystical.
 
When we pain-bearing soul-suffering humans pass 
through the mystic portal to be subsumed in His Divinity, 
we awash the temporal in and by His living waters.  
We then may fully live His humanity mystically Divine 
as we are become one with the One Reality.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to the one who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [d]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [e]mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Catholic Hermit's Thoughts to Bishop on Mystic Portal

This nothing consecrated Catholic hermit noticed a saved "draft" of an email sent a few years ago to my late Bishop.  These are thoughts that came to me one morning, back then, when pain was severe and the mystical state at Mass opening the soul to insights, very loving and clear.  I recall that Bishop was trying to grasp matters, which he said to me were very hard for him to grasp.

We can certainly understand how mystical experiences and insights can be difficult to grasp when so much of our lives and existences revolve around the temporal goings and doings, especially for a bishop who is responsible for many priests and various diocese employees, as well as ultimate for each person in his diocese, his "flock".  Plus, there are the interactions with other dioceses and bishops, with the general assembly of bishops twice a year, with the Vatican, as well as with the community and city leaders, various board meetings, and visiting schools and parishes, preaching, praying--when there is time if much at all.

I've had another couple of very difficult days of suffering severe pain.  Yesterday I could not think clearly enough to figure out how to install a microwave hanging bracket which needed some toggle bolts!  I've installed it before without a hitch.  So I called Craig at the lumber yard, and he kindly and patiently talked me through how to do it, while on the phone.  He knows my pain issues, and all I had to do was say it was severe and keeping me from being able to think clearly.

After I got the metal hanging strip securely installed and was off the phone, I started to pass out from the pain.  So I got to the mattress here on the floor of my tiny cell room, and realized I needed to take some pain medication.  I did not want to, and I have not for quite awhile now, but there comes a time when there is no other recourse, for safety's sake, at minimum.

This morning I'm resting longer for the back is on what I call "high pain alert."  And thus I ran across this email sent to my late Bishop, back when he was my spiritual director, prior to his grappling with the mystical realities becoming too much for him, and prior to his unexpected death.

I'm re-reading and absorbing the thoughts expressed, for they are appreciated insights given me, and I am reminded of the reality of the mystic portal.

I am living the temporal humanity of Christ.
I bear His temporal pain and breathe His soul's suffering.
But only when the human is subsumed in His mystical Divinity 
is there one Joy, one Love, the one Reality: God.

Only then do the two worlds [temporal and mystical] become one reality, the Divine Reality.
The temporal is a shadow of the full humanity of Christ, without union in the mystical reality of His Divinity.

The temporal Catholic world is a holding cell.  Humans must pass through the mystic portal in order to
come to full humanity of Christ in His Divinity, to then be one in the One in one true reality.

I hope I am stating it meaningfully, accurately; words are incompetent.

It is something like this, and I must get through the mystic portal with His physical and soul suffering, 
in order to be in the true reality, the one reality of oneness in God.

Do you see that the Sacraments, all of them, but most frequently Eucharist in Mass and reconciliation in confession,
are parts of the portal and are passage points for the temporal to enter into the mystical, and that without the One in reality
of the mystical in these sacraments, there would be nothing?  

Jesus in His full humanity is the Divine ever-flowing into within the temporal.  He is not the temporal occasionally touching the mystical.
When we pain-bearing, soul-suffering humans pass through the mystic portal to be subsumed in His Divinity, we awash the temporal
in and by His living waters.  We then may fully live His humanity divine as we have become one with the One Reality.

Easter Blessings

Easter blessings, everyone!


This Easter Sunday, the nothing Catholic hermit spent in the tomb.  In essence, this is how and where every living being spends Easter.  We exist in the tomb--this life on earth, this place wherever it may be--and we do what it is that we do in our bodies in our world, as children of God, as brothers and sisters, as spouses of Christ Jesus.  

And we wait.  We breathe, think, pray, praise, do and exist among each other and all creation, while we wait.  We wait through, with, and in His Real Presence.  We wait in varying degrees of mortal suffering...wait for our deaths and wait for our resurrection.  We wait to be eternally one with the One Trinity:  God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  

So yesterday (Easter Sunday), the nothing Catholic hermit waited along with all Creation waiting in our created existence.  

And the hermit "did."  It praised God, prayed with supplications, worshipped and received the Eucharist several times in spiritual communion with God and His Body, the Church.  It spent the day in spirit with the family of man and all creation all about in sentient and non-sentient being.  It spent the day in earthly doing, as well.

Raphael had unexpectedly stopped by the hermitage on Holy Saturday.  He had news.  Jorge had decided to help out.  (Perhaps work in civilization was slow, or else God touched his heart and mind, as he now agreed to come to this place of exile and help the hermit make better progress in the heavier tasks remaining here.)  And Juanito will come, also, to continue hanging the heavy sheets of sheetrock.  And the hermit is to get some aspects completed so that they can begin work early Monday.  

While here, Raphael mentions with emphasis that Jorge is a very good Catholic.  Ah, Raphael has come to grasp that the hermit (who he does not know is a consecrated Catholic hermit but knows is Catholic, as he is Catholic) is very Catholic.  Marvelous to consider that over time, one's devotion and essence seeps through to others, somehow--by the grace of God, of course.

So in the tomb, on Easter (and actually every day, for the tomb is ours while we exist on earth), the nothing Catholic hermit had some earthly tasks needing physical tending.  And in the process of these tasks, it noticed the water pressure low, and then no cold water at all!  The hermit descended into the underworld of this tomb, this hermitage, and discovered that the week prior, it had made a ridiculous error in connecting and routing a main cold water line--well, had not connected it to what it needed to be connected with and thus the line had run dry.

There is always cause and effect, in the temporal realm and, of course, in the spiritual realm of the One reality.  And the effect of having erred in how and to what the hermit had connected a main cold water line, was quickly eventual in the lack of cold water.  (The hot water lines are correct and positively effective.)  

There are always root causes to every effect.  The root cause of the error in the cold water line is simple enough.  The hermit was fresh off the severe pain siege when the son-in-law helped from above while the hermit worked below, and its mind was yet too distracted by yet too much pain to think through the maze of pipes...then.  But on Easter Sunday, under the house, the hermit readily saw the problem and knew it would need to leave the private tomb and make a trip to the public tomb of the greater tomb of the world-at-large.

So off to civilization and to Lowe's.  Additional plumbing parts are needed for the fix, and there was no time to waste with Jorge and Juanito coming.  Humans appreciate having water, and in our day and age, many of us are unused to not being able to turn a faucet to receive water in abundance.  This is simply a temporal effect; the spiritual is that of always having the Living Water:  Jesus Christ--not that we think of Him and His Effect, when we use a water faucet and see and feel and utilize the water that pours forth.  But we could, and we ought--think of and praise His Living Water so available to us...unless we make an error in our spiritual plumbing and our pipes run dry.

Well, fix it.  And even the fixing requires the grace and goodness of His Real Presence, of Jesus, of His Living Water.  We all need water for survival, tangibly and spiritually, with the spiritual being the One reality, the eternal effect of the spiritual cause.

When at Lowe's, the hermit noticed a skeleton crew. But what it learned is that the very best and most competent of employees manned the store.  Why?  They are the ones who can handle more than their own departments, thus allowing the bulk of workers to not need to work on the holiday, the holy day (not that it is considered as such by many in the world, these days).

Rusty was in plumbing, and we discussed Ray again.  Ray no longer works because cancer represented itself in his body.  And Rusty and his wife invited Ray to live with them in his final time on earth, not knowing for sure how long that might be.  Ray has no one else, it seems, and Rusty and his wife are giving of themselves, offering to share their earthly tomb with a man who is sick, suffering, and dying.  They are offering Ray cups of Christ's Living Water.  

Yes, Rusty seems an expert at plumbing, both of the temporal cause and effect and of the spiritual--refreshingly not even realizing the depth and flow of this fact.  He is humble, and he and his wife know how to utilize His Living Water, which might also be called Christ Love.

Regardless all this, Easter this year took Christ's cause to meaningful, Christ effect.  The causes and effects abound in the tomb and rise beyond it.  Love covers a multitude of sins.  That is enough to ponder, in itself, when in the tomb, waiting in, with, and through His Real Presence, and water abundant.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Let us love one another, little children of the Living Water!  Easter blessings!

Catholic Hermit Correspondence: Suffering and the One Reality

Someone has sought information on what does a Catholic hermit "do".  Amidst various tangible and intangible activities or doing, this consecrated Catholic hermit corresponds with others from time to time.  The topics run the gamut of all aspects of our lives, yet always delving into the spiritual questions and understandings we gain over time and life experiences--trials and joys.  We learn, grow, pray for, support one another, and also we reflect upon God's reaching into our lives, and deep into our souls.  

Here is an example of this Catholic hermit's correspondence, shared as a sample mainly because the recipient though it quite helpful.  A good aspect, though, about thoughts, insights, ponderings that we set into written format, is that farther on in our life's pilgrimage, there arise other or additional insights, further understandings.  It is part of the holy spiral, with alterations in growth as prolific as the tiny, new threadling roots beneath the soil, or as the numerous branchings of fresh shootlings of tree limbs.

Dear K,

It was rather a grace to awaken at exactly 6 a.m. this morning.  Usually do not sleep that well to not wake up at 2 or 3 or 4 a.m. with pain issues.  So figure God is giving a grace so that I would be in prayer and rejoicing with you, in your time with M, to start at 9 a.m. for you, there, where you are.

Was it the chapter on the Cross--12--in the Second Book of The Imitation of Christ that you commented upon being difficult to embrace or accept, understand?  It is on suffering.  Find it to be so very accurate--yet difficult to embrace or want to accept because it goes so contrary to how we might want it otherwise.  But the fact does remain that Jesus said the very same things, in fewer words, and also by His life.  I need to remember how He surely must have felt--the human part of  him--when his own family thought He was crazy, and also in His grief in the Garden of Gethsemane--broken by treachery and so much suffering, weeping, and feeling abandoned.  Yet he endured it all.  Even on the cross He complained to the Father, in a way--asking "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?"  

My God!  My God!  We can cry this out, with Him.  I do, often enough.

I marvel at the saints having voluntarily taken on sufferings, though.  But it made sense when the author of The Imitation wrote that there is no escaping--that we try to run from one bad situation but the next can and likely will be worse.  That has been the case here; and I suppose some day looking back, whether on earth or not, I will see how very valuable this experience has been--if for nothing else, the great humiliation and humbling it has brought.

When the pain is not so intense, not as intense as a siege, I tend to be able to handle matters better--even the one who continues to try to demean and strip me of human dignity or credibility, temporally or spiritually, and of suggesting no place as a Catholic.  I can see it as very good, in fact, and so true as to what a twist in perspective can wring out of someone's mind to that which is actually the case, the truth. And also I realize that none of it matters, what is said or we may be judged by some, and can see the foolishness of being by some action of others, or thinking ourselves "approved" or "valid" when in fact, a person may not be (and likely not be) any more than anyone else, in God's Reality.

I do see the great divergence in the Church, though, and it seems no different than what the Jewish priests and people tended to dig themselves into, with their laws and their judging of others.  They so judged Jesus and had judged John the Baptist--other than some who admired him a lot, and of course, many more quiet ones loved Jesus and followed Him--causing the insecure others to get all the more riled.

So it seems that the world and the laws that people make up, sincerely hoping to help the worship or to keep things right and strict, only end up being abused and interpreted in whatever way suits the views of people and their wishes.  And that then causes more discord and takes the very rule makers and rule seekers and those thinking they are abiding by their rules, farther away from Christ and His teachings and life, than what was before.

Today is the feast of St. Francis of Paoli, a hermit.  He was in exile in an extreme way for six years or more.  He was not a priest but founded an order upon his way of life, which was also rather extreme but quite simple and thus freed him to be in Christ more fully.  Eventually, he did ask a bishop or pope or someone like that, to approve his rule of life--one that he wrote later on.  He had many gifts and graces bestowed by God; and for this, I marvel at how then, others can so question and judge anyone's life and circumstances.  

I realize how I have judged so much in the past, when I thought I was securely living out properly every temporal aspect in the Church, before I came to grasp the two worlds of the Church.  I remember Bishop X arguing the point that there is but one "reality"--even if he agreed to concede there are very much the two worlds.  Perhaps it is a problem to consider them all as one; for how can the temporal which is always passing away, truly be one with the eternal, which is of those aspects that are "above", as St. Paul asks us to think--that which is above and not below...or that Jesus said He did not belong to this world below but came from above.

Truly, it is when I get slogged down with the below and the things of the temporal, that the virtues tend to get weakened if not even lost--shot down by the temporal realities.  Then it is the grace of God and that which is of His Real Presence and not of this temporal world, that lifts up, once again.

So perhaps we fool ourselves.  Yes, we do enjoy the temporal beauty of a lovely church building and the temporal aspects of the Mass, or so we think.  We like a good priest and homilist, and the aesthetic qualities that are so beautiful in this world, and that are incorporated in worship.  But if it were not for the reality of the spiritual, the purity of the Holy Essence of the Mass, the one reality of the One, the Being, the Truth, the Way, the Life, the Living Word, His Real Presence--all the other would not have any kind of worth or usefulness.  

The passing temporalities are stepping stones if even that.  But when they become the emphasis, misconstrued as the One Reality, then the actual or One Reality gets skewed and our lives--our souls--falter.  There really seems to be only the One Reality, and that is God.  And the temporal is not a reality but is a means to and aspect of the one reality.  Seems like that, and when I forget that reality of the One Reality, the body, mind, heart, and spirit then gets messed up and side-tracked.

When I can view the intricacies of fitting plumbing ABS pipe and elbows in order to achieve the proper venting for flow of sewer off-gas, to rise eventually out the roof, as stepping stones or a passing temporal process, then I can have peace and a kind of joy in plumbing as the process points to the one reality, for there really is just One, and that is:  God Is All.  And that Reality, His Real Presence, is single and solo yet in Three-ness.  The temporal is an aspect of the One, a symbol in tangibles for us when we are not yet capable of the fullness of the One Reality, of the spiritual, the mystical essence and substance of the humanly, unfathomable reality in His Real Presence. 

Perhaps rather than fearing and not being comfortable with the way my mind leaves and blacks out from the temporal when the pain becomes so intense, I should consider it more a participation in the One Reality, His Real Presence, in His Spirit, or as an ecstasy wrought of pain, of sorts, for I am no longer then tied to the temporal which is passing away, not the eternal, ever Present One Reality.  

There is nothing spiritual about pain and suffering in itself.  But there is everything good and spiritual about it as a stepping stone or a temporal aspect of the One Reality which is God.  And no matter how hard we try, we cannot ever accurately name or create any temporal description of God.

In that sense, we can place suffering very close to God.  In the many temporal ways we try to make rules and laws in order to control matters of God, or create medications to try to manage or control temporal pain, they only keep us farther from His reality--a reality we really cannot temporally control or name.

Oh well.

Praying you and M are having a wholly and holy spiritual love together, today!

God bless His Real Presence in us, and Love in His LOVE,