Finally, this morning I was able (although fatigued by leg pain and awake in wee hours) to have no other obligations such as doctor appointments and went to MASS!
For a bit, I thought perhaps the mystical state during Mass was going to lift, to go away! I remembered the priest telling me that Teresa of Avila had hers until close to her earthly passing. That is encouraging! Of course, these mystical phenomenon do not outlast us; or rather, based on our spiritual progression on earth, we can continue to progress on the other side where all is rather mystical compared to our usually temporal time on earth.
I've been blessed to have someone make contact who is also a Catholic hermit, privately professed, who also has a plethora of mystical experiences in her life. She has asked some good questions, such as are all hermits also "intuitive"--I think her way of saying "mystic" although I'll try to remember to ask for clarification. My answer seemed to be as she figured. No, not all hermits are intuitives or mystics, if that is what she means.
Yet, depending on the degree of solitude of silence, and the hermit's not needing to much interact with the usual and often good "distractions" of the temporal life, silence of solitude alone can help in listening, in observing, in noticing the nuances if we spend time with the Lord in prayer. And that is, especially growing into contemplation from meditation or mental prayer, and that from verbal. However, a hermit (and any Christian) ought to pray in all forms depending upon degree of prayer progression.
Even the one who has reached the unitive way, would still pray verbally--such as in liturgy or in verbal aspirations. Just because one has moved from the purgative through the illuminative and into the unitive way, does not mean it is a pass-through one-and-done ascent. No, it is maybe more like neon flowing through a circle-eight tube, an infinity figure three-dimensional or even four--and all is interflowing. So we are not exclusively and determinately always--fully--in one level or phase. They flow and co-mingle as God wills or as we need.
Regardless, I consider this fellow Catholic hermit to be a gift. I remain anonymous in a means to actually be more open. Yet it is a hiddenness that the Lord has asked of me; and this window to the world allows for anonymity of name and place which is marvelous, for one can also be genuine and real to readers or viewers. Praise His Real Presence!
I was so excited that in an opening comment by the priest this morning, prior to his prayer, he asked all present at the Mass to ask the Lord for deeper conversions! It made me want to share with him next time I might have a quick chance, to tell him about the insight the Lord reminded me of, of the Virgin Mary's vital role in our deeper conversions to her Son, Jesus Christ! She is the catalytic converter!
But that is another area of sharing, and now, also, I am excited about a book I'm reading by the late Archbishop Luis M. Martinez of Mexico. (He was spiritual director of a mystic and I believe, stigmatic; when I write more of what I read, I will have the exact details of the mystic, as I have her book yet to unpack.)
The book is titled, The Sanctifier. Topic, the Holy Spirit, and in the very first chapter the late Archbishop explains the importance and relationship of the Holy Spirit and Mary in their roles as well as in our being devoted to each--of which devotion to the Holy Spirit, he notes, is sometimes less emphasized as an actual and needful "devotion." I'm into this book with joyous thirst--and that a direct answer to my prayer for deeper conversions for myself.
I also today was prompted within to the Scripture from Deuteronomy: "'Vengeance is mine,' saith the Lord." From that, I was directed to Romans 12:19: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
Why these from the Living Word? I was notified that someone has yet again crossed the line in writing online--broken two penal codes in that person's state. I don't even read that person's writing; not something I'm interested in. But now and then I find out that there has been hermit wrong doing.
Again, I do not mind if that person wants to disagree with what I write or even with the facts I present, which I cite from what the Church has written (rather black and white) and augmented by research, and then offered to readers by my valid, rightful considerations. But for this person, also a Catholic hermit, to do so with intent of detracting, to do so in slander, as well as in revealing my identity, not only is against the law but reflects poorly on the very type of proclaimed authority the person is trying to project of him/herself to others.
This ugliness not only reflects poorly on the person but also on the person's diocese of whom this person stakes a claim as an approved hermit by church law. Yet that diocese has not claimed this person, or did not last time I asked them, and furthermore does not seem interested in helping the person to get control of self enough to stop making rather a foolish hypocrisy of Christianity, let alone the hermit vocation. But aside from that, we hermits are also bound to obey the civil law, the law of the land.
Pathetically, it is most sad, for the person has certainly been made aware of the very real, criminal wrong in what she has repeatedly engaged, visible online. I thought the message I wrote had gotten through, for the person seemed to self-remediate for three months or so. I worded the reality in a way only that hermit would know for sure was meant for self. But I now realize that self-control enough to not break state laws--probably not possible for the person at this point.
So I prayed yet again on any course of action God may want, and mercifully, the Holy Spirit put into my mind the above Scriptures from first Deuteronomy and then Romans. I think those Scriptures speak for themselves. I have my answer. As it was the case before, I will let His Real Presence deal with the person. All this is part of my on-going praying for deeper conversions!
And in the mean-time and God's-time, I will continue forth with the joyous expectation in all the good out-flowing from the deeper conversion prayers for self and others.
However, recently I learned in temporal time and place, that praying for deeper conversions will also bring out the devil. This is another topic of which I want to write separately. There is powerful movement in progression in our spiritual lives when we pray for deeper conversions to Christ.
But also then, where there is positive progression for our souls, the devil is sure to erupt. This is true when we are praying for deeper conversions for self and for others; we don't always know what is going on with them, but we must not be surprised when we receive the devil's shrapnel deflected via souls we may have prayed for.
Mercy, always--and don't forget to praise His Real Presence for a sense of humor! Do not lose that gift of humor! It is good for body, mind, heart and spirit, and the devil is deflated with our sense of humor solidly intact! Humor helps us gently return our hearts to the Heart of Christ where He abides in us and us in Him.
Heading outside, heat subsiding as dusk nears. I rise, still with legs not doing so well, but surgery may be not optimum per second opinion surgeon's thoughts that surgery could leave me in worse pain/condition than this. Hard for me to know, of course, but I do know His Real Presence is looking out for me. God provides. All I have to do is simply keep going in love, humble prayerfulness, in faith, striving to follow Christ. And when I fall, pick myself up even if cannot always do so physically--but always can do all such pick-me-ups with the inner senses. Then continue on no matter what obstacles God wills for my good, or shrapnel from the evil one that may fly my way.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Mary, help bring us to deeper conversion; God speed us to your Son!
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