Actually, I considered this Psalm from Mass readings, yesterday. But it is even more meaningful today! I'm practicing "pain praying" which is evolving from an insight given at some point in this post-op, lengthy recovery. There is much pain to be utilized, harnessed, for the power that it provides; and pain praying thus has come to be. Still not sure how it occurs; I'm open to all that.
Praising God, however, is very much a part of pain praying as it ought be for all forms of prayer. I just don't praise God nearly enough! I've been reminded of some marvelous young people in the past couple of days. One was the shower aide who is employed by a hospital system's health care unit. While talking with her of her life, I realized what a lovely soul, devout, head solid on her shoulders, priorities set, planning her education, altering her career goals after realizing dental hygienist is her niche rather than nursing.
She really did not have problems to pray about, nor urgent needs. She is one of the many we probably encounter who ought be praise persons--those we place before His Real Presence and offer praise for their lives, for their usage of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given them. Another was mentioned to be in a phone call. A young man, this time, who struggled to find a career path but has found it, and remains faithful and true to Christ but also prudent and diligent in navigating the temporal world.
The elderly man passed on three nights ago. He "slept away" and is now free from the dementia that afflicted his memory and free of the 94-year-old body that declined to a point of palliative care to keep him comfortable until his last breath, so peaceful, so gentle. The celebrations of his life on earth and his birthday into eternal, mystical life is commencing! Praise worthy, is death. Death and suffering are not our enemies. They are opportunities; they are means of progression.
Thus this Psalm brings our souls to that higher level of communicating with God, just as poetry, art, and music are higher levels of expression requiring unique aspects of the brain function. Due to my lowering the pain meds another 25% and having physical therapist here this morning, my pain is up which will be good for exploring pain praying yet again.
I will incorporate praising God into whatever it is with pain praying that helps me understand or grasp the actuality of what is pain prayer. Still very much evolving, as is my soul, as is my physical body in the healing process, as is my greater acceptance of what my body's physical limitations are going to be.
Today am told I will have lifting limitations, of course the bending restriction, but any movements that will cause the upper back to put any pressure or compaction on the lower back will be "out". Well, the various movements such as painting walls due to bending down and twisting will be out of bounds unless I want more back surgery, that is, and then more restrictions. I may not be updating this hermitage, not even in a year, unless hiring it done. That defeats the purpose of the creative, contemplative, ora et labora (pray and work).
I'm finding that working on reaching the goal of getting up 8 times a day with the lowered pain meds is quite the challenge. I may have to increase the pain meds somewhat as the getting up, walking, being upright for 7-8 minutes at a time is maximum for the body, currently. Better to be able to be up than to lower the meds this soon after last week lowering them.
Well, time to "do" and "say" and "be" as these portions of Psalm 66 exhort!
[I just noticed when writing to an elderly couple who have been adapting to a nursing facility after their own home--that this Psalm had a response to it, taken from parts of the Psalm. The response is "Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!" I certainly perked up with this proclamation! I do indeed need or must consider that it is already--my soul--filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, the fire of God! Need that fire, we do, to live out our earthly lives in Christ Jesus!]
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
say to God: "How tremendous are your deeds!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Bless our God, you peoples;
loudly sound his praise.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
~ Ps 66:1-3a, 5, and 8:16-17
God bless His Real Presence in us!
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