Why the "da"?
Well, as nothing's son said when younger, "Fr. X is your real dad, isn't he! I mean, not like Grandpa, but your real dad." Well, yes, he is. He is the father who knows nothing's soul best, on this earth, that is. Nothing's dad is in heaven, and so he knows nothing's soul better now, from that view.
Nothing first encountered the da 13 years ago this summer before it was Confirmed. Nothing would go to this place in a town where the da is chaplain, and there is a lovely, old chapel that was being utilized for adoration on Friday afternoons. This lanky, bent-over, white-haired priest in his blacks and collar would come out at 5 p.m. for Benediction.
It was all new to nothing, the whole, Catholic event. The full Catholic monte. And back then, nothing had to lie down on the pew, for it was not as experienced in pain management. It had not received yet the Eucharist which strengthens for one to endure the earthly journey. Nor had it received any other sacraments, which embolden the body, mind, heart and soul for the trek.
Nothing was intrigued with this priest, and he seemed very holy, and had an accent, and prayed the prayers with much reverence but also expounding them, as if speaking directly to God. It was at these Friday afternoon adorations, in this beautiful chapel, that nothing learned one prayer it found captivating: O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine!
After Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the old priest who I later learned was Irish, would sort of shuffle-walk into some area behind the chapel, just sort of disappeared, leaving the incense wafting; and by late August the incense mixed with the 1920's chapel lights, as the earth's lights dimmed.
Then, a week or so after being confirmed, nothing stayed in the chapel to pray one evening, some while beyond Benediction and the priest's mysterious going off. Its daughters had returned to college, and its son was camping overnight with scouts. And as nothing prayed in the chapel, something happened, and it was quite a fright. One of the persons in that place noticed nothing, and nothing asked the person to get its Godmother; but she wasn't around. So then the thing escalated, and nothing needed help, and it was spiritual, and the image of that old priest flashed. So nothing said it needed to talk to that priest!
So the person said that might not be possible, but evidently the look in nothing convinced to go find him. And soon the person returned and said the Father would see nothing, and to follow. So nothing, still shaken and dazed, followed the person back and around behind the sanctuary of the lovely, old chapel, and took me into this small living quarters. And there in his chair sat the priest, in his black and the collar.
He asked nothing what it needed. And nothing began to tell what had happened, and then also some about its confirmation and what happened, and of the priest who had instructed nothing, and the old priest listened and asked some questions and listened some more, and made some comments, but throughout did not show any bit of surprise or concern. Just took it all in. Then he said nothing would be all right, and was it feeling good enough now to go home? Then he gave a blessing, the first of thousands by now, and showed a calmed nothing how to get out of that old building, and to the now-darkened outside.
He doesn't remember it so much now, but that was the first time of speaking. And from there, after the first priest was not the right one to direct nothing's soul, the da filled the bill--even though he always would say he surely didn't know what to say. He is extremely humble, deceptively simple, and behind those Irish blue eyes is a mind that just keeps going as far as human sight can fathom, and then farther. But he is no student of Hebrew.
The da guided nothing through escapades of all sorts, some quite horrendous--even unbelievable--and acted as confessor. There were pain episodes and whatever, and he would say, "Oh, you're going to be all right." One of them lasted from the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul until Easter.
Then there came a time when he felt he could no longer direct nothing, and so nothing knew this from sensing, even if the da would not say. And finally nothing made him admit it, and off nothing went.
A couple of weeks later he stopped by nothing's abode, and came in to talk. Then he said, "Why, you've managed all right, haven't you?" Well, nothing had, as nothing had its upset over the situation, but knew that God willed it. And the da and nothing remained spiritual friends, all the same. Nothing went through two or three or four confessors, and the da had said to allow the Holy Spirit to guide nothing for awhile.
He never stopped listening, and asking questions, and wanting visits, and making comments. And there were always episodes and escapades that needed his wisdom. And then nothing knew it was to sell its place and move to a nearby city, and the da didn't think the house would sell. It was decorated haute Catholique. Mottoes and bits of Latin phrases scripted above doors, on windows and mirrors, cross-inlay in wood floor, a Chi Rho wallpapered on a ceiling, and even a symbolic painting in honor of the da on the garden room floor. But Beth sold it on Divine Mercy Sunday, a week or so after nothing had put a little "For Sale by Owner" sign in the yard.
And nothing moved, but promised it would still visit the da. And it did. And then the da said "Once your mother dies, you will not come to visit anymore." But nothing said of course it would (for he is the da, even if he wasn't at that point the Spiritual Da. He was still spiritual, and nothing's da.)
Then nothing rented, and it was walking and praying the rosary one evening in its new area, and lo and behold, there was the Bishop out walking and praying his rosary. And this was after the Bishop found out that nothing was not the bad for nothing but the good for nothing. So there was a little conversation, and nothing gained courage to ask the Bishop to please find it a spiritual director. And the Bishop mentioned the Holy Spirit, but said to write a letter to him expressing why nothing desired a director. But he said, why not stick with Fr. X? So nothing said that Fr. X had said he'd taken nothing as far as he could, but that we remained dear friends.
Nothing wrote the letter, and after awhile it happened upon its Bishop again, and asked what he thought. So he sat down with nothing, informally, and asked some questions, and said he still thought Fr. X would be good, since he knew nothing and nothing could use a sounding board, too, which Fr. X would be.
Nothing reported this to the da, and he said he'd pray about it. And then he summoned nothing to his quarters, and the talk was of other matters. And then he pulled out a paper in which he'd listed out some things, and started talking about anam cara. So he said we were to be anam cara, and help each others' souls ascend to union with God. He said he didn't particularly want to be nothing's confessor, and nothing said that would be all right, but was overjoyed that the da had taken nothing back! It was beyond wildest expectations, for once the da says something, that is usually the end of it.
And why the "da"? It is a term of endearment for the Irish in reference to a dad. So he is the Spiritual Da, and that has been shortened to "da". But nothing always addresses him as Dearest Spiritual Da or Spiritual Da. And after nothing read Bl. Anna Maria Taigi, and how she would kneel and kiss the priests' hands and ask for a blessing, nothing would kneel when the da would give nothing it's blessing upon leaving, and then took his hand and kissed it. The da said "Why, I'm no Bishop!" And nothing explained about Bl. Taigi, and so that is how it's been ever since. Nothing gives honor to the Spiritual Da in gratitude for this anam cara and after the final blessing.
Yet nothing is strangely detached, and knows that it or the da will be given the gift of physical death, one before the other. Doesn't matter in which order. A year ago nothing was quite shaken with a message the da wrote and mailed. It had its clue in the upcoming Sunday Gospel, and it was powerful as to his health, as he had declined a level that spring. It's his heart. But he perked up, and he keeps going! He keeps praying, and reading, and preaching and listening and questioning and commenting and laughing.
He is quite tall, but his back has been curved for a long time. He could dig, at age 84, an edging around a flower bed faster than anyone nothing's ever seen. Last year he was curtailed by others in his huge flower gardens. Ever see dahlias grow 10 feet tall?
He's got the touch, the holy touch, with plants.
The da also has never doubted nothing. No matter how unusual is something, he grasps it and sees into it. And he usually comes out with an insight beyond what nothing has considered.
Nothing has had to discern sometimes, the da's protective stance with nothing, for he loves nothing as a father loves his child. He wearied of nothing's escapades and scrapes, although he'd say, "It's your cross. Pick it UP!" He wanted nothing to not have such persecution and difficulties, and nothing realized the da might not tell it to do the hard thing, when a couple of years ago nothing had to alert regarding a terrible situation, and it was going to mean revealing some aspects that could have been discounted, and nothing would have been discounted, and the terrible situation would have continued. And, that was before the da was back to being the Spiritual Da. And later, sure enough, the da said, "It's a good thing you didn't tell me that you were going in to do that, for I would have advised you not. But you did the right thing." He said he is a coward. Of course, he is not. He just didn't want nothing hurt again.
There is so much to say about the Spiritual Da, that it would take a whole blog site.
The da and nothing are anam cara, through and through. The da's a living saint. And no one knows him much, for he is sort of a hermit himself. Even the confessor has said that he stays to himself. Not much is known about him among the other priests. That's right, and the da isn't likely to blow his cover, either.
If he gets to leave for permanent residence in the Mystical Catholic World, nothing is sure to hear his laughter. If nothing leaves first, the da will sense a kiss on his hand.
[This photo is of the Spiritual Da's rose, dedicated to him in the Our Lady of Fatima Memorial Rose Garden at Agnus Dei. It is called, "Stairway to Heaven." Not sure if he will be able to come and see it, although he keeps saying he'd like to get here one of these days. Nothing will need to be well enough to drive there, bring him, return him, and drive back. But with the da, it is understood that it's not necessary to physically be somewhere. He probably floats some, himself. God bless the Spiritual Da! Oh, another thing, nothing is not the Da's only spiritual child. Nothing is a nothing spiritual child, the least of probably many others.]
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