I admit that I become discouraged and even embarrassed when, it seems particularly some Catholics, expound upon what they think mentally and thus determine as some type of spiritual yet temporal fact. I simply do not "get" that mental-ity nor, I suppose, undergirding as such, the hubris involved in humankind "thinking" he or she may or can determine what is, when God determines all, especially when it comes to spiritual matters.
I look to His Living Word for the example of how to think, and that is as the Lord commanded me 27 years ago, upon waking: "Think with the heart! Think with the heart! Think with the heart!" I read it in the Old Testament, from the prophets such as Jeremiah. I read it in the Psalms, "Lean not unto thine own understanding, but rely upon the Lord Thy God." I read it in the Gospels and Epistles, as well. Jesus says, "Remain in My Love." Jesus teaches the greatest commandment is to love God above all things and love others as oneself [as God loves].
It seems to me from lived experience as a Christian, foremost, and from His Real Presence Who abides within me and me within His Real Presence [the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit], and from His Living Word, that truly when we determine with our heads and our personality intrusions such as ego and temporal pride, of what aspects we "are", that we place ourselves outside of the truth, beauty, and goodness of which His Real Presence determines of our existences.
What we are (or are not) is for God to determine, especially in relationship to His Real Presence. Too often I notice head-thinking and head-determining and head-declaring from human mentality, what others or themselves are or are not.
Why not trust that His Real Presence determines what and who we are, in what relationships with His Real Presence? A hum listen to His Real Presence within each soul, as it is God Who consecrates, God Who determines and gives distinction, God Whose Words matter to the mind and to the heart and in the soul. His Real Presence consecrates, weds, espouses, anoints, chooses, determines, gives vocations and whatever labels in whatever words understandable to the ones to whom He is interacting and speaking.
We ought not take upon our human minds and selves to think with our heads and determine with our human wills, who is what and which and who is not. Perhaps those Christians who removed themselves from and are unaware of such humankind determinations and labels are more open and free to hear God speaking to the human heart, words such as I have wounded, I have consecrated your heart; this is the espousal of your soul, you are my betrothed, I have called you to [this or that vocation without using the word vocation but stating His desired purpose].
Now, some might say or think with your head that God does not tell us things within. Perhaps we are too busy reading about and mentally thinking of our own words or those of other human minds, who write or speak of rituals and laws and traditions of certain vocations and who is this or that, who is a saint or blessed, who is consecrated this or that, who is a bride of Christ, who is a prophet, a hermit, a mystic, a whatever label or designation or determination under the sun,
Recently I have recognized the vanity of vanities in such mental contriving and humankind determinations as such, which is not ours whatsoever but God's purview and will. I got off-course myself with those who think mentally and intellectually, of which we need to remember always that God is the One Who creates our brains and all therein. I thus realized, myself, the foolishness of my writing of labels, especially that of "mystic" of which no human can truly define what is a mystic other than humankind, mental attempts with yet more words and labels.
When and if God wills--He will divulge to us what we are, what is our vocation per His will and in His terms and labels, defined or not, when we have experience of being espoused, betrothed, wed to Christ, when we have or do not have indication of being consecrated--of which if not consciously aware, we can be grateful that being Christians, we are thus consecrated to God by God and mostly in hidden and subconscious determination.
And then what? Do we need to discuss or debate the reality? Do some think that those not Catholic are not consecrated to and in and by His Real Presence? Do some think that other than Catholics can be wed to Christ, be brides of Christ, including men? (For we know, or ought know, that in His Real Presence we are genderless souls, beloved and consecrated, given whatever "labels" or non-wordage purposes by His Real Presence, by His will and determination.)
As for myself, I simply go about each day and night praying, praising, living in the temporal body and with mind, heart, and soul loving His Real Presence. I pray for humility and forgiveness, I live out the temporal consequences for my faults and sins--mostly now remorse and regret of what I recall of which at the time not always aware of how wrongly I spoke or acted or wrote. This includes this blog, for I set out to share and chronicle my spiritual progression, one step after another, day after day, desiring to climb His Holy Mountain, now the Stairway to Heaven.
And progression is that! God's will be done and my will cooperate with His Real Presence to the best of my temporal and spiritual ability and awareness. I am grateful for the graces God has bestowed upon myself and on my fellow humans who love and follow and believe in Christ, in God, in the Holy Spirit in whatever phase of knowing we each and all live, within and without our beings. All for God: omnia pro Deo--we progress at varying rates of knowing and sometimes better yet, unknowing.
Let us let go the labels, especially those made up by humankind; let us not dwell on labels but rather on His Real Presence and His Divine Will for our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. God bless His Real Presence in us; and let us love in His Love!
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