Catholic Hermit: What IS Relevant

What is relevant is to love the Lord our God with all our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits--and to love others as ourselves.

When I consider the meanderings of the past week or so, what has brought the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit?  What is the path that leads to life in all aspects as opposed to that which leads to deadness of mind, heart, and soul while yet alive here and now?

Definitely, being concerned about rather superficial, temporal details of the hermit vocation is dull compared to even but a phrase from the Living Word of God.  This fact was emphasized this week when I point-blank realized how a diocese bishop's and vicar general's office regard (or more so, disregard) the CL603 designation of one they knew not, and want nothing to do with canonical hermit issues.  

I found this refreshingly revitalizing for the tradition of hermit existences from all ages past, present, and future.  I found it a revitalizing hope for all in any vocation, as everyone has a call to one vocation or another, and shifting vocations in some cases, throughout our lives on earth.  Why the disregard, refreshing?

Why so?  Well, discern the spirit, so to speak.  Where does focusing on minutia of a temporal law lead the soul compared to focusing on such as God's love and mercy in forgiveness of a soul's sins?

Where does focus on aspects of a vocation that has always represented hidden life and nothingness--trying to make it something other than simple and silent--lead any consecrated Catholic hermit or anyone who is a soul at least and at best:  to temporality or to Christ?

We are nothing to His ALL.

One can think it is not an either-or situation; but in fact, it actually is.  Consider today's Mass' first reading from the prophet Micah, 7:18:

"Who is there like You, the God Who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?"

Lord, to Whom or what shall we go?  Do we go to God--or to a person or title, position, man-made law, or thing? Where ought our entire beings' focus exist, breathe, live--now and forever?

The only answer must be with His Real Presence:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  There is no other way to eternal life.  All else leads to dullness and death, present moment by present moment.

A few days ago the Scriptures for the Mass readings included this truth:  Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.  Consider this reality, what Jesus asks of us.  And consider the power of God who removes guilt and pardons sin!  Consider that God Himself delights in clemency over anger, Who has compassion on us and removes the stain of guilt.

I so long for the Lord and eternal life, that it is difficult to battle through physical pain enough to get up and enter into the physical aspects of daily routine.  Yet one must live the temporal while existing in the eternal heavenly.  

Remain in Christ's love while shredding the out-dated receipts and tax papers.  Remain in His love while putting more books on shelves.  Remain in His love while praying the Rosary, while reading His Living Word, while responding to an email, while unpacking and sorting clothing, while painting a ceiling.  Remain in Christ's love while praying for family members who have become as in Matthew 10:36:  One's enemies are members of one's own household.  Remain in His love while living out one's vocation as the vehicle of God's provision for us, His will, in this temporal life time.

Nothing more, nothing less--but to know, love, and serve God in the sole and soul relevance of remaining in His love.

God bless His Real Presence in us!