Catholic Hermit: Stepping Back in Briefly to Comment

I received an email from someone who says she so much misses my blog writing and asked if I have another blog presence online?  Yes, I do, but the topic is well hidden and thus far I'm yet discerning if it is misleading or not relevant.  I am NOT at all into new age ideologies now coming under variety of other terms to mislead people. I am finding especially Catholics in parishes who are seeking deeper relationships with God and the Holy Spirit becoming quite duped.

However, I have noticed that one of the main reasons I decided to cease writing on this blog was due to a woman who is canonically approved in her diocese, yet a year ago her vicar general nor her bishop's office were totally unaware that she was a canonically approved hermit in her diocese.  I had written them, finally, after 12 years of her stalking and doxxing, her derisive libel, and her incessantly attacking just about everything that I wrote.

It got to a point that my own writing seemed tainted by a sense of what could be described as a dark if not demonic presence of this woman and at least one other who has in the past been quite nasty in comments left on my blog/s.  I have written under other blog titles depending on my progression in spiritual life, of which I have progressed recently, although I remain very much a consecrated Catholic hermit.  I have been writing of other aspects which include seeking His Real Presence, of course, which is our earthly yearning and seeking and desire of union in the Trinity.

But I was saddened to see that since I stopped writing on this blog site, the canonically approved woman has simply found other non-canonically approved, but very much consecrated and valid Catholic hermits, to attack and debate online, evidently on some list of hermits or a hermit forum.  I have not located such a list, but my life is not created for nor focused on debating over who is humble and who is not, or who is a real or consecrated Catholic hermit and who is not. The woman's obsession continues, and it is the reason I wanted rid of that darkly spiritual, hovering influence.

That is not of God.  I noticed she had stated that I wrote hateful things of CL603. I have never hated the canon law nor written hatefully of it.  I have simply and accurately pointed out that it is not necessary for Catholic hermits, and was not at all what God Himself wanted for me as a hermit.  That was verified by two bishops, and I consider myself saved from intermediary distraction to what God wants of us which is not to be single-minded of purpose and focus on a temporal vocation and who is consecrated and right and who is not, who is humble and who is not.

We are called to come into God's transformational presence, to be aware of His presence in our daily lives, and to love and serve God and to love and serve others, not to be stalking and attacking and having nothing much of spiritual substance to write other than constantly seeking out those who are not canonical Catholic hermits but very much indeed holy Catholic people who are hermits and very much by virtue of their living their vows and professed evangelical counsels and as vital and consecrated in and by Christ as those who seem to need promote themselves as the authority of all of the Church's hermits and to decry and debate and try to blow off anyone who happens to disagree or move beyond the topic which to me became nauseous and noxious, both.

Let the Lord determine His saints, and until then we are all sinners seeking to love and serve God in Himself and to love others as God loves. Jesus can determine who He considers consecrated, and for those hermits who are living the traditional, historical, holy hermit vocation as am I, especially a man who now has become this prideful CL603 woman's focus of attack and debate online, know that I am praying for you.  Please do not get sucked into her web as I had far too often.  

The devil is deceptive and adept at trying to cull us off from our Christian, spiritual purpose no matter what our vocations.  Stay focused on our Lord Jesus Christ, stick with Scripture, pray (the rosary is very good meditative prayer and one the devil despises and will protect you from the likes of such), and rise beyond the muck and dulled topic of which this woman is incapable of thinking or or writing much other. I was informed years ago that this is what she does--wants to be the hermit superior or such.  We all know that Jesus loves and desires and embraces all of us who come to Him.

I'm not more concerned with the amount of new age ideologies infiltrating the Church in various ways, and priests and parishioners not recognizing its insidious and subtle influence.  I'm not sure why Scripture and the writings of saints and their spiritual directors, and theologians of past centuries whose writings have stood the test of time and the fruit born out to be solid and good--is not enough.  There is all the more to sift through and discern with the amount of information in this time of internet and social media, and people able to present themselves however they wish--including a canonical hermit whose vicar general wanted nothing to do with her.  Ouch--the truth hurts. 

We Catholics have to face it, that we must discern much that is out there, including priests, bishops, Catholic colleges and universities, parishioners and programs.  When Jesus says the path is narrow and few are they who are on it, but He calls us to go through the narrow gate--He MEANS IT.  I have very much needed this reminder recently, and it may seem rather lonely and unexciting, but we must decline the other and stick with the narrow path, stick with the Living Word of God, and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God the Father, learn from Jesus Christ, and count on the intercessions and protection of the Virgin Mary, our Heavenly Mother, and our guardian angels and of course the archangels and all of the nine choirs.

God bless you all, and I'm sorry to not be able to direct you to my writing, but for now I ask you to pray for me as I discern what His Real Presence wants of me.  I am praying for each of you, and please do not get waylaid or distracted by such drivel as can be out there that seems enticing or holds some aspects of truth, but not all and of combative or prideful nature.  I leave you with the homily of St. Bernard of Clairvaux--and also the reminder that in current times, people are even using the writings of St. Teresa and of St. Ignatius and rewriting and twisting what these saints wrote and their intentions, and making the guidance and exercises into false agendas that seem tantalizing and promising but you are best off reading the actual writings of these saints and not the adulterated versions being published and gaining great traction.

Saint Bernard (1091-1153)

Cistercian monk and doctor of the Church

First sermon for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, 1,3,5

“I have prayed that your faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers ” (Lk 22:32)

Christ the Mediator “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1Pt 2:22). How could I venture to draw near him, I who am a sinner, a grievous sinner whose sins are more numerous than the sands of the sea? He is all that is most pure, I am all that is most impure (...)This is the reason why God has given me these apostles, men and sinners – very grievous sinners – who learnt for themselves, through their own experience, how merciful they should be to others. Guilty themselves of great offenses, they will grant a ready pardon to great offenses and repay us according to the measure meted out to them (Lk 6:38). The apostle Peter committed a very great sin, possibly the greatest of all. He received a forgiveness for it that was as swift as it was ready, even to not losing anything of the privilege of his primacy. And Paul, who unleashed unrestrained aggression against the newborn Church, was brought to faith at the call of God's Son himself. In return for so many evils he was filled with such great blessings that he became “a chosen instrument to carry the Lord's name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15) (...) Peter and Paul are our teachers: they learned the way of life fully from the one Teacher of all and continue to teach us today.

Catholic Hermit: Drawing Out the Devil

"The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite.  He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign."

                                           ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church, §395 


Mercy!  I do indeed tend to draw out the devil lurking in people.  It's been noted for years, actually, that somehow, my little self has that propensity that if there is someone with the devil in them, my naive encounter or interaction, not knowing consciously at all that the devil is rife within a soul:  the devil indeed is poked to react and respond in some way, shape, or form.

Just how it is, but uncanny in this propensity that somehow is part and parcel of my spiritual life and my time here on earth, in the temporal encounters.  It also can be in less direct ways, as well.  I consider it all the more reason to persevere but also to totally accept and appreciate the Lord's keeping me in protective custody--other than when I step out to try some challenge of which I'm learning the Lord either gently or with consequences, of course, shows me not to proceed, or to step back, to detach.

In some instances, yes, I'm to proceed.  Sometimes one must ignore the devil in a soul.  Some souls have demons in them well-entrenched, and of which we will always be irksome to those demons.  We cannot let the devil thwart what it is we are to be doing in our lives, of course.  But sometimes the demonic encounter is not on-going but are one-off's--brief encounters.

Some of it is repetitious, or cunningly now and then.  I've read enough classics in spiritual combat and demonic ploys and how to counteract, but I still can be duped seemingly rather easily.  And why, I ask of the Lord?  Well, as with Jeremiah, sometimes we are brought into situations to do a task, to fulfill an assignment.  We don't even want to deal with it, but of course we agree, and we learn ourselves from the encounters--not only more of the wiles and wickedness of the devil--and legions of them--but we learn what is it in a person that needs our prayers very much so.

However, most often, when a person is hosting a devil or several, and is not aware or of which pride or self-deception or other vices have taken over the person's mind and emotions and even soul in some cases, it is as well to stay clear other than to pray and love the soul for it being created by God.  If one thinks the person will change just because we happen to realize how the devil has taken up residence and begin to pray, or even attempt with words in our minds or aloud to drive the demon out--we are naive in spiritual combat.  As Jesus points out in Scripture, some require prayer and fasting; in other words, it can take time.

Also, we may never be privy to our prayer effort results.  It is not really for us to need to know.  Just love and pray--without expecting return, or at least without expecting to see the results of our efforts.  Love and pray, detach from the stench and the malevolent and the most often quite subtle, nearly indiscernible malicious intent and effects of Satan.  And keep focusing on our own spiritual lives, our souls, of reviewing the virtues and practicing them, pray, praise God (great effect on our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls!), and move forward in what it is the Lord calls us to be and do even when the fog and mist seem to keep us from knowing where our next footfall may land.

So it is, that I once more am needing to practice these means of spiritual combat.  On the positive and amazing--just yesterday morning at Mass, the priest mentioned some studies or other--statistics--showing that a life of gratitude--being grateful first thing in the morning and continuing in that mode of gratitude, is far more beneficial to the human body itself, the mind, emotions--and as we would know, as well, even if no way to access--beneficial for the soul--than much else we humans try of various health and wellness remedies.

Being grateful, living a life of gratitude, surely would stir the devil, but praise of God is founded upon gratitude, and what greater power against darkness and demonic assaults, than God Himself being glorified?

But also in spiritual combat, when we've poked the devil and it has come out, been made clearly known to us, from even a veritable stranger, such as the woman who breeds the small puppies of which she sold them sick at least with this litter, while I can find out her deception and hope in God just a fluke, now she has been caught in another lie--more direct one, provable with fact.  So I have had to be quite firm with the devil that has taken up residence in some aspect of her soul, or mind at least, where lying seems to first exist, in the thoughts and mind.  

I will take legal action if I must, to get the refund.  But I will give her a chance, after I discovered the check had cleared the day I got the sick puppy, despite her texting Sunday she would refund when the check clears the bank. It is now Tuesday, and my bank account shows the check having been cashed last Thursday.  I let her know I will take action if refund not given; she responded she will put check in mail today.  We will see; this is all quite temporal on the exterior; business transaction.  I will intentionally pray for her tendency to deceive and be deceived herself.  Some people become deceived in their thinking, and do not even realize they are deceived.  Thus, our prayers needed to combat the devil in that regard, plus our confronting with truth in the temporal realm, and dealing with them through temporal legal means.

As for other examples of combatting the devil, there are numerous!  Some demons are as if symbiotically feeding off their host soul.  The person may be demonically oppressed.  In some instances, we cannot simply pray and be on our way, remove ourselves other than in a way of ignoring and continuing on with what is our purpose, our mission, and also our temporal efforts in what it is we are called to be and do. God handles it always, eventually, sooner and probably in many cases more often, later.  

We can always pray from afar from those with more pronounced or on-going demonic infestation, of sorts.  It can be quite subtle--emphasis on how subtle and cunning is the devil, particularly when trying to remain in a soul with religious, intellectual, or vanity pride.  Usually those with low self-esteem seem ripe for this type of subtle and deceptive demonic infiltration.  Can exist in such souls for years and not seem obvious to them or some others, as well.  Best to stay clear, though; pray and praise God, love and let the Lord deal with it according to His will and plan.

On occasion--perhaps rare, from my own lived experience--we may be shown a turn around in a soul for whom we've been praying, praising, and loving.  Even then, it could be a temporary glimmer to give us all the more faith and hope in God to persevere in prayer, praise, and love, but to remain detached from the person him- or herself in temporal interactions, or if communicate or must interact, to do so with scales dropped from our eyes, so to speak.  Just pray, praise, and love without expectation or thinking that a sign of improvement means complete turn around and soul healing.  The devil can use such a tactic to cause us to cease our efforts or to then cause us to give up out of upset and disappointment if the soul then is back to its malevolent issues, vices, self-deceptions.

Well, I have yet to pluck up the courage and deal with the temporal pet decision.  I've not heard back from the two I mentioned my dilemma in discernment.  Merciful heavens, we can see just how no matter our progression in life, in our vocations, such as my being an eremite, within the Consecrated Life of the Catholic Church--that the Lord yet puts us through our paces, sometimes in aspects perhaps connected with our past, something we yet have to come to terms with that we did not previously.  Or, it could be that the Lord is providing a blessing, a help, that would challenge and be of physical benefit of some sort.  That, I must continue to pray and sort through.  

When I was returning some of the small-dog-size items to a store, I recognized the clerk who had months ago commented on my crucifix, and pulled hers out from under her work smock. She said, "I, too, am Catholic" and wanted to know my parish and told me of hers.  So when she happened to be my clerk for the returns, I told her of my dilemma and decision I must make and face, and she said she will pray for me.  

Plus, with the items I was returning that the pup had not used, when I mentioned briefly the situation of being sold a sick puppy, she said perhaps that is God's answer or signal that this is not what he wants.  Yet, we don't know if it was the puppy size or any pet at all, that the Lord prefers not.  I also must counter any inclinations to oppositional reaction when someone who tends to be critical or negative, says not to do something.  I know my own humanness!  So easy to then do what they say not to do!

It is all part of our learning in this life--learning to love, actually.  We must sift through all the human ins and outs, know the dark side, the evil forces and inclinations, recognize the devil in others and in ourselves, and rout him out of ourselves--and pray, praise, and love others who are struggling with their demons.  And, I am realizing, pray, praise, and love in ourselves, for ourselves. Love as God loves means doing so for all whom He loves, and that includes ourselves.  God loves us each and all!

God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit on Devil Involvement in Our Souls

In the spiritual realm and of the soul, the devil is allowed to be involved at certain levels and in certain ways.  St. John of the Cross proposed what consists of the levels or "rings" of the soul.  Further, there are certain levels or rings to which God allows the devil access.

Why allow access to areas of our souls?  It is the Lord's way of strengthening us in faith, in learning how to combat the forces of this temporal life, in learning how to grow in the spiritual life, and in allowing us to progress as souls in preparation for eternal life with the goal of heaven:  spiritual perfection and union with Christ.

In spiritual combat, the Lord gives us all manner of assistance.  But for the purposes in this post, I simply want to explain the diagram of the levels or rings of the soul and give some examples of how the devil is allowed to involve himself in these areas.

Picture in your mind a large circle with smaller circles going inward, circle or ring by ring until the very center circle.  This entire large circles with rings gradating toward a center circle, represents our souls.

The outer ring represents the senses.  God allows the devil to involve himself with our senses, to tempt us at the physical sense level: what we see hear, touch, say, smell as well as all temporal objects and physical situations, pain, pleasure, actions, and through objects.

The next ring represents the emotions.  God allows the devil access to interfere with our emotions, our feelings.  The devil does this through creating upset, disturbance, extremes in sorrow as well as in happiness. Yes, extremes--the devil works through utilizing extremes especially with emotions.

The third ring inward represents imagination, or images.  God allows the devil to create images such as false visions, distressing dreams, horrific scenes in our inner sight, and also to warp our "imaginations" with a variety of visual effects.

The fourth ring represents memory.  Ah, how successful the devil can be when allowed to induce thoughts of the past--longings and inner remembrances of how things used to be either better or worse, whatever disturbs the soul the most.

The fifth ring represents knowledge.  God lets the devil try us by presenting false ideas, false facts, distorted information, and also tempts our pride that we have superior knowledge when, in truth, we do not.  The devil uses the knowledge we have to give a sense of confidence in what knowledge we think we have, and then let us fall flat.

The sixth ring represents understanding.  God allows the devil access to our understanding, for what better and higher-level area of being than to confuse that which we understand, as understanding is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit?  By testing our understanding under hell-fire, we face ultimate conquest or derision.

The center ring of our souls contains two aspects:  our intellect and our will.  The will is in closer proximity to the center of all creation, the center from which we proceed forthwith, from God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  The devil is not allowed access nor involvement with this center area or ring of our soul.  God keeps the intellect and will protected.  Thus, there is nothing the devil can do to disrupt our wills or our intellects.  

All the other aspects are the areas in which the devil can interfere, and if we are not watchful, if we do not learn spiritual combat techniques, it is through our senses, emotions, imaginations, memory, knowledge, understanding--that influence and cause us to, by our own intellects and our own free wills, to cave to these other influences.  But as far as the will and intellect, the devil is not allowed access.  The damage comes when we do not combat the deceptions and disruptions that evil can cause in the outer rings or lower levels of our souls.

How is this, then, that our will and our intellect are off-limits to the devil?  In this innermost part of our souls, the very center of our souls, while the will and intellect are each within, it is the will that is in first position, or primary, and closest to our Source: God.  Our intellect is interconnected; and at its best and height of spiritual progression, the intellect unites with the will in a ceaseless cooperative interaction with God.  

When (and we ought pray for this grace and actual occurrence) our will and our intellect become God's, or rather, more technically when God's Will and God's Mind flows and fills ours--in effect replacing our will and intellect, usually one and then the other--then there is supreme, holy cooperation and providential grace in action.  

Divine Union occurs when the totality of our soul becomes one with God, and this does not happen in our earthly lifetimes or would be quite rare if possible.  The senses, while being usually the first area that the devil works his tricks on us, is that which gets in the way of Divine Union while yet alive.  This is rather obvious, since our bodies bind us to this life until we die.

However, other aspects of our souls, other levels, may have union with God even if briefly, while we are yet in our mortal bodies.  And in some instances, some aspect or other or more may over time, find union with God while we yet are on earth.  The process termed purgatory is the continuation of our soul progression.  

Well, I am verging into far more than that of this post's topic: the devil's involvement in our souls, what God allows, and brief explanation.  Simply being aware of these aspects of our souls and the various ways in which they interact and also how we can be deceived, is quite helpful in combatting successfully, the devil's attempts to get our intellects and wills to sin or ultimately, to ruin our eternity in union with God.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Turn away from evil and do good!  Praise God in all things and love one another as Jesus loves us!

Catholic Hermit: More Tricks of the Devil

The list is exhausting--but not exhaustive!  The forces of evil twist and turn in various forms, functions, and faculties.  Just in the past couple days, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit has been the recipient of a few more tricks of the devil.  (We all are targets, from children through elderly, and this hermit is sure you readers have examples come to mind, as do I.)

The devil is allowed by God to operate in numerous capacities.  One such is in our dreams.  A couple mornings ago, I awoke after a dream that got right into an area of concern and vulnerability.  The dream involved my primary care physician saying the physical pain I have for which I take medications, was not all that terrible.  Thus, no more medication.  In the dream, I tried to explain that without, the pain at my age gets so intense that I cannot think clearly, cannot function physically, and emotions go awry with spontaneous sobbing.  But in the dream, nothing changed the doctor's cold and calculated responses.

It took just a few minutes for my conscious mind to awaken after that night of some sleep.  Of course, the physical pain level upon waking was above the usual pain.  That figures, huh?  And I have a medical appointment coming up, and the evil one knows that reality.  Big deal--other than the devil used my current, cyclical build-up of increased bodily pain, and my sleep state, to confuse and create vulnerability and fear.  

Yes, once fully awake, I knew who was behind the scenes of the dream, orchestrating the performance.  The day before it had been attempts to get to me in ways that used to be frustrating.  That did not work; I told the devil then he would not get a reaction, not going to get to me.  So once more, the morning after the dream, I said aloud that the dream trick would not work, either.  Good try, but he lost it.

The next trick was an increasing concern that the parish priest was no longer willing to bless Te Deum Hermitage nor to confer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick--two requests that a week ago he'd seemed quite enthusiastic to do.  He'd told me to call the church office and leave contact information.  I had done so, then waited.  I waited a few days with no response so called again, explaining that perhaps the number had been confused, which often happens as I have a phone number that is easily interpolated, causing frequent wrong number phone calls to someone else.

I waited a couple more days, and counting.  Seemed strange.  At one point, I even wondered if my concerns were accurate--or was I falling victim to paranoia?  Was there a logical reason for the priest to simply not call me even to say too busy?  Or was it that he was awkward now regarding my mystical state during Mass and was doing what some priests in the past had chosen to do: shun and with some, request I not come to Mass in their parishes?

So, with this--what turned out to be a masterful trick of the devil--we have two prongs, at minimum, of his pitchfork trickery.  He worked on my lived experiences of the past, nasty as they were for priests to do and be toward a nothing Catholic, a nothing consecrated Catholic hermit, at that.  Then there was the prong trickery of creating a sense of victimization and paranoia.  Messing with imagination, emotions, memory, and knowledge covers a few more prongs.  (No priest should ever tell a person they are not welcome in their parish or at Mass.)

Notice that in all the tricks of the devil I've described above as well in some previous, recent posts, the devil works from a basis of some truth and reality, and then twists and turns the trick much like a magician utilizing sleight of hand, psychology, and mastery of creating illusions and altering perception.

Then came another trick.  I received a call that the laptop was repaired--this time fully repaired.  So I made the long drive into civilization, returning some items to Lowe's and purchasing some additional window trim wood.  At the Apple Store, I could not log onto the laptop.  My log in password would not work, not at all.  The tech could not figure it out.  We changed the password; still I could not get the computer to function as even the new password would not work.

I felt chagrined to have to explain to the mystified computer tech that I have chronic pain, and that the pain level was very high that morning...and sometimes when the pain is at a certain level, there is interference with electronic equipment.  (I did not explain that it can go beyond electronics, as that information unnecessary for the password enigma facing us in that present moment.)  I termed it physiokinesis--not psychokinesis, not telekinesis, but physiokinesis.  I'm not sure there is a diagnostic term as such, but it covers the condition.  The body energy alters from pain and interferes with normal physical interactions with temporal elements.

She asked me to try again, and she watched closely and I typed carefully.  No log on.  She called over a supervisor.  No log on.  Finally, she asked if I'd mind if she typed it in, after saying she had not encountered this before but my explanation made some sense.  So she typed in my laptop password quite successfully.

Now, I know that my pain level was involved, but within, at the same time, I also knew that the devil was delighted not only in causing fifteen minutes of frustration for the computer technician but also more sitting and elevating my already gnarly spinal headache--and a long drive ahead of me yet.  And there was the added little gouging the devil did by having me risk some embarrassment explaining to the clerk the physiokinetic reality that I live with when the pain is at a certain level--not always, but sometimes.  The devil was making me vulnerable once more to seem weird.

But, I laughed about it, thanked the tech profusely, and made the drive back to my abode in desert exile.  Along the return trip, I verbalized aloud in my truck, Precious Blood, and for the devil to hear loud and clear:  That trick is not going to work, either.  Got the laptop back and will be able to write more easily, once again.

Then came yesterday.  The cabinet installer arrived and went to work.  But my pain level had escalated more and involved the more recent area of pain in the liver.  Mercy!  And I knew the devil was making the most of my physical senses being sabotaged by added pain, the newer pain, not-yet-adapted-to pain.  I felt myself tempted to be grumpy, with the attitude and thoughts down-spiraling.

Nope!  Not going to work, either.  I let the devil know, also, that just because the cabinet installer had to come on a Saturday, that I'd be going to Mass later in the afternoon, and in time for confession.

The next trick of the devil was a good one.  He tried to and for awhile succeeded, in getting to me because of a monetary and house situation involving the neighbors.  Their trees that were planted by the previous owner, were not the type of trees anyone should ever plant in a residential area.  The branches were pressing in on my fence in the back gardens.  I had asked the neighbor man a few weeks ago if he would allow me to cut the branches, but he said he'd do it.  

So I had been waiting for the weekend to make a call to him, as I suspected it might not be the most desirable issue he'd want to deal with.  The trees are large and not trimmed since they moved in a year ago.  The man has plenty of other work on their large property in addition to his contractor work in construction.  So when the man and wife happened to be walking along the road when I had just put out some more produce on the roadside table, I brought up the request.

It did not go well, that I can report!  And the problem is that the fence is being pushed in, the roots are invasive not only in that area but also threatening the drain fields for the septic tank and eventually the house foundation.  I did point out that their foundation will be at risk at some point, too, and that I'd be willing to help trim the trees.  No, the conversation did not go well.

And the devil is aware of the knowledge about me--about all of our temporal aspects.  He and his legion are like top intelligence moles, allowed to stealthily infiltrate various levels of our souls and try to render damage to our lives as a result.  Upend us, frustrate, cause fear, chaos, division, and downfall--these are the delights of the devil...if he can succeed with his trickery.

Yes, the stakes are rather high, temporally, for the simple request to have some branches trimmed back--not even mentioning to the neighbors the engineer and arborist reports about the root systems of the neighbor's trees and the damage that can occur to major cost-items in a building and property.  But again, the devil did not win out for long.  Yes, he did cause some upset for a couple or so hours.
Not going to succeed, though!  I told the devil so and meant it.  God will figure out the septic trouble, the fence trouble, the eventual house trouble.  I gave it all over to God.  Done.

So it came time to leave for Mass and confession prior.  But right before I planned to change out of the paint-spattered work clothes, the cabinet installer started to pack up even though not the end of the work day.  He had to leave sooner than expected....  The Lord was making it easy for me to get to confession and Mass.  And part of my confession was going to be how I let the devil get to me over the neighbor problem--got me distracted, upset, concerned for awhile; the devil disrupted inner peace and my faith in God even if for a couple or three hours.

Why is that so bad?  Well, in the full spectrum of sins, I suppose not that terrible.  I've done and thought far worse sins, believe me.  But I also wanted to double down, triple down, quadruple down on any aspect of the devil with his full bags of tricks.  What better way than to confess any aspect that was successful for a time period or perhaps would come up again as a trick--and to have the power of a Sacrament of the Church to weigh in on and vanquish the very attempts and effects of the devil's dark works.

Anyway, these are a few more instances and types of tricks of the devil that I decided to share, for they might help all of us consider the spiritual realm existing under, around, above and through our every present moment in our lives here on earth.  My personal examples might trigger your abilities to see through the obstacles, hindrances, upsets, uncanny and unconscionable actions of self or others--and see who is behind it, what his evil goals might be, and then all the more determine to confound and defeat the devil's tricks.  

All the while, we turn more and more to God and proclaim victories in His Name!  God is the one who assures the victories.  He allows the devil his time on stage to perform his tricks; and God is the one who gives us all we need to not fall for the tricks and to turn them into increased faith, hope and love.  God never fails us in times of trials and testing as long as we desire to learn, to catch on, and to turn to His power and might.  All glory be to God!  

Catholic Hermit Deals with the Devil

Still trying to write with IPad, an old one at that.  Hard to make corrections, so please bear with, fill in the gaps and mishaps!  Thanks, dear readers!

The devil stops at nothing.  Since I dealt harshly but with much humor, with the devil, the more superficial obstacles ceased for the most part.  The devil then turns to more insidious and pathetic attempts.

What to do?

When dealing with the devil's tricks, these are some life-learned and studied tips.

1.  Recognize who is behind the obstacles and taunts, the hindrances.  As is spoken repeatedly in the current United States political battle, a first step is being able to identify and verbalize who is the enemy.  Then, recognize who the enemy enlists as part of his henchmen and/or naive or even well-intentioned pawns, wittingly or unwittingly doing the devil's bidding.  Be aware this can occur ultimately and most deceptively from within the ranks of Christianity.

2.  Declare aloud to the devil, that we are onto his tricks.  Call down the Precious Blood of Christ, shed on the cross for us.  Call upon the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Put on the armor of God.

3.  Enlist the advice and prayers or our spiritual fathers/directors.

4.  Requests he powerful prayers of family and friends.

5.  Be confident in His Real Presence and in the power of being one with the Body of Christ.

6.  Do all with the Sacraments of the Church, of blessed objects, of the Holy Mass.

7.  If in the Consecrated Life of the Church--in a religious order, a consecrated virgin or widow/widower, or a consecrated eremitic (privately or publicly professed), call upon fellow consecrated members to pray and support in the battle.

8.  Look to the saints and mystics as to how they handled repeated assaults by the devil.  St. John Via new, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Padre Pio are excellent guides.

9.  Call upon our guardian Angels, ever at our sides.  Call upon St. Michael the Archangel.

10.  Keep a strong and courageous sense of humor.  Chuckle, smile, laugh!  Rejoice in whatever persecutions, detractions, mishaps, and even odd, extraneous phenomenon.

11.  Stick to our daily routine, horarium, prayer life, manual labor, and proceed to handle the problems devolved from whatever hindrances placed in our paths.

12.  Double, triple, quadruple down on our determination to pray and participate in the life of Holy Church, following Christ, steeped in His Living Word, subsumed in the Mass both physically and spiritually as often as possible, and live by the Spirit.

These are what seem to be the main points that have proven helpful and successful to this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit in years ongoing of navigating the temporal and spiritual realms, this far!

Praise God in all things!  Love one another as Jesus loves us!  Remain in His Love!

Hermitage: A Hermit's Home

Over the weekend forced some impetus to begin installing insulation board in the roof-line areas of the gable garret (attic).  In fresher mental moments, this hermit determines the space in the garret to be dedicated to St. John the Baptist--well, any of the John saints (Chrysostom, Climacus, Baptist, Apostle, of God, of the Cross).

Not sure why work on the hermitage has been very slow, other than a few aspects, all enhanced by what seems weakened faith, weakened bodily energy, weariness and uncertainty as to the outcome of such efforts on a "place" having the label of "hermitage", or a hermit's home.

Reading John Climacus' The Ladder of Divine Ascent, brings some renewed verve to the physical efforts of trying to make headway with seemingly overwhelming tasks in here.  Good reading, helpful reading to a hermit, outstanding reading for any soul: it all helps.  More on Climacus in a future post.  

For now, finishing a discussion of the concluding chapters in Dom Lorenzo Scupoli's The Spiritual Combat ought to spur some energy and confidence.  If not to proceed with the labors out of love of God, at least one may do so in recognition of past failures and errors, or in the acceptance of the rugged, temporal condition of the hermitage being a rightful and just penance for the sins of this hermit or the sins of any souls for which the hermit ought be embracing penance (even if no specific souls come to mind).

It is enough to mourn one's own sins yet not dwell on them to the point of inaction in the Order of the Present Moment.  And, that can become a conundrum of back-and-forth questioning if one should continue on with the work efforts and expenses, or take time out to cope with the current lack of adequate heat, or to buck up and bundle up and embrace all the lessons one can learn in such an immense undertaking.

Last evening's prayers in the Divine Office (at least am making some progress in the discipline of praying the various prayers and Scriptures collected in what is also called The Liturgy of the Hours or Prayers of the Church) included this intercession which seems apropos to the priority a hermit ought have, concerning its temporal abode: the hermitage.

"When at last our earthly home is dissolved,
– give us a home, not of earthly making, but built of eternity in heaven.
"Lord, you are our life and resurrection."

Amen and Amen!


It is already nearing mid-afternoon, and the hermit remains cocooned in bed.  There was an early morning phone call with a daughter and some tears of grief and mourning over two other family relationships that are so very painful and estranged.  

It is easy to fall into the past and try to berate oneself when at the time so much love and resources and desires were poured into one's children who now for whatever reasons, are angry and not wanting relationships, other than one who also receives little to no response from a sibling.  

When the hermit began to weep, the daughter said she did not mean to upset or remind of the past (something this hermit rips over far too often).  But the hermit said the situation is truly sad and so very unnecessary, and that is part of its sadness.  It is well to weep and to mourn for that which is truly pathetic and painful; just recently the Beatitudes said it again:  Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.  Penthos is part of what a soul, and a hermit's soul, too, ought to experience and live.

Another conversation was lengthy, with the young mother and wife across the miles.  We concluded our discussion and earthly examples to our final chapters read in Scupoli.  Impressed by his reviewing how to do an examination of conscience, as well as being humble and embracing what penances in our lives come our way (don't need to go looking for them; they arrive daily for our utilization!), we discussed his advice on cultivating a healthy, yet penitential attitude to our sins--without dwelling on them more than need-be in order to apologize to His Real Presence and call upon and accept the never-ending mercy of Jesus Christ.

Our next book we decided upon, by the grace of God and His inspiration:  Harlots of the Desert (Ward).  We are ready for some lives of saints, and these early desert mothers (or ammas) will provide brief encounters yet with enough depth and fine research to help us follow through on one of Scupoli's suggestions.  Take a half hour a day to read some spiritual material that includes reminders of our sinful condition yet also of remediation, of penance, and the joy of success in moving forward in a healthy way to the salvation which His Real Presence has secured for us.

Now, despite it being later in the day, the hermit has rested and kept warm in relative comfort, surrounded by the utter disgrace of its living conditions.  The hermit will rise, dress, and put in a couple hours or more of insulation efforts.  The past has been reviewed enough.   The future has been yearned enough.  The priority is clear for desiring a home, a hermitage, built in the eternity of heaven.  

Yet, right now, in the present moment, here in this temporal abode, the hermit must utilize the materials at hand to make the earthly hermitage warmer for itself and for any future dweller.  Hermits of any time period require shelter from the wind, cold, rain, snow, heat, burglars and robbers, wild elements and creatures just as do any living persons on this planet.  

Hermits in all of history have worked on building their hermitages or making them livable dwellings, with an emphasis on bringing glory to God in some aspect of the temporal decor and functionality.  (Besides simply storage area, the St. John Gabled Garret may likely be a tiny, intimate chapel.  The divine and the temporal may co-exist like the lion with the oxen.)

This earthly hermitage is not yet dissolved.  The time is not now.  God only knows when.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another!  God is Love!  Remain in His Love!

Not for You

Was praying about the option of Mass at the monastery that is of different rite, different tradition.  Certain aspects came up in research and in prayerful mediation.  Fell asleep and awoke being told by very clear Voice, "Not for you."

This hermit knows that Voice.  Yet, in order to discern more fully have been doing more research and prayer.

It is best to remain cautious and hidden, for now.  There is no need to get involved in polemics over faith, over tradition and rite.  Something the abbot has written as well as comments made, are red flags.  So often this hermit gets the signals clearly and senses for others, and then when the signals come to itself, tends to talk itself out of them.

Have tried to talk out of "Not for you" for a few days now.  But, it will be best to simply wait and pray and remain in silence and solitude.  After all have been through in the past few years, is wisdom to tread slowly and softly into something with a simple statement.  When considering all factors, it is not for this hermit, not now and perhaps not at all.

Best to remain this nothing Catholic hermit and be removed from temporal polemics between believers--of which there really ought not be the fussing and the debates and the self-righteousness of one way over another.

This morning when in silence and serenity, after having stuffed steel wool in as many visible, potential rat entry holes and crevices in this hermitage, the simple desire of wanting to be close to His Real Presence over took the body, mind, heart and soul.  That is the earthly and heavenly desire, and all else--even rats invading this physical space at night--fades in significance, concern or consideration.

And that, too, covers the polemics and any polemicist of which hermit this or that, or which parish this or that, or which way to pray or what to wear or who to sidle up to or what devotion or shrine--not interested in self-righteousness or Pharisaic parsing or divisions.   

All polemics and polemicists (even those doing so convinced in the Name of Christ) crumble to what is the earthly and heavenly desire of this nothing Catholic hermit:  just want Jesus, surrender all to Jesus, remain in His Love.

________________

After searching through some boxes, packed a year-and-a-half ago in a comfortable and lovely hermitage far away, found the leather-bound breviaries.  The fourth volume is now marked with its ribbons and ready for this hermit to begin once more, praying the hours, all of them, throughout the days and the nights.  There is no reason not to.  Nothing is pressing in urgency otherwise.  Being in the Living Word more and more, praising and praying and remaining in His Real Presence, will be pleasing to this soul and His Soul.

(Was reminded in Scupoli, that one consideration for meditating is to consider what Jesus sacrificed for his soul, and what He sacrificed for our souls.  It is good to remember that Jesus as Man has a soul, and as God Is Creator of souls.  The treasures of pondering Jesus Human and Divine, are endless.)

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another, for love is of God!  Remain in His Love!



 

Bedridden Still but Praising his Real Presence

It is true that enduring these pain sieges that come to their heights of agony, is a challenge in simply letting go.  The other night was so peaceful, rejoicing that by morning would surely be on the other side and not awaken to earthly, bodily agony.

Yet that was not to be, yet.

Am in the fifth day, and the blessing of any reduction in the severe pain calls for rejoicing even if not well enough to rise. One must banish thoughts of despair or frustration at what is needing physical attention when one cannot use the body to handle the temporal tasks.  Most hermits who lived and now live in silence and solitude experience the holy and wholly, great alone with the Alone in such practical aspects.  The mind prays and the pain prays, and there comes an inner grasp of what can be and what cannot be.

The reality is in the joy of having a roof overhead that does not leak as it used to leak, terribly.  There is a twin bed even if the mattress not as hard as the spine appreciates for lessened pain.  There is yet food in the little refrigerator enough to manage a bowl of yogurt once a day, a slice of cheese, an apple, a red pepper.  There is yet the green smoothie goop to drink each morning, having made batches and frozen it a few weeks ago.

Nothing else of the physical is necessary.  There is the chamber pot, and somehow even in the worst of the suffering, was able to walk the few feet for these simple necessities.

There will be no going forth until much better.  His Real Presence is all the more present.  He succors, feeds, supports, loves.

________________


Noticed a blog site that was very well documented and thought out, and commented as such to the blogger, whoever he is.  Then noticed a response with a certain angle to it, and knew immediately that the devil had entered in through a person who is apparently obsessed with denouncing and detracting.  A true Internet stalker, and yet there is much love and compassion from this hermit to that one.  It is understood that if this hermit here,this nothing, should write "up," then, that other hermit will write "down".

Anyway, the ongoing stalking and obsession, by this other person, of this nothing Cath0lic eremitic's experience herein freely shared, always reminds as to what is behind such negative reaction by those who could have so much of their own eremitic experience to share.

But it is best to let the praise of His Real Presence rise from this bed of suffering all the more.  Any despair or concerns with how the temporal work efforts will possibly proceed, melts in the warmth of His Love and intimate Presence.

It is always best to be reminded that there are those out there whose seeming existence is intent on debasing others, presumably for their own increase and position, that all the more the Scriptures play forth as light upon darkness, and the prayers increase for such souls.

In God's temporal and mystical creation, in His holy Church, there is room for every soul in every mortal body, and yet His Real Presence lives within each soul as an abode.  And each abode is not the same as the other abodes.  In his Mercy and Love, He accepts and settles in, and we adapt and settle into His rendering of our lives, as well.  What He forms and makes His own, may not seem like what some other soul is convinced must be the only and correct form.  God in His omniscient perfection, truly knows what He is creating and why, even if we do not.

It is with gratitude to God to be reminded that angels of darkness prey upon any weakness of virtues, particularly when humility is less, compassion lacking, and the beam in our eyes so huge that we lose sight of our own vocational paths and are consumed with trying to discredit the paths of others.  It is easy enough to discern who would be using such souls for such purposes which only degrade the ones ensnared.

However, it is true that perhaps those obsessed consider they are called by God to be the keepers and saviors of the eremitic vocation.  That makes it more understandable and to give benefit of the doubt.  But regardless, those thus consumed with elevating self by discrediting and defrauding others, do no favors to the Catholic Church, nor to the hermit vocation, nor to their own existences.  Many people are offering prayers and sacrifices, for they have been in contact to alert as to the obsession and that this has been done to others, also, with online stalking and detraction.

Now, return to the praise of His Real Presence!  Enough strength and clarity is being graced within, and the light cast upon the darkness.  It never fails that toward the particularly horrific pain sieges, when this worn out Catholic hermit has not spiritually drooped in the process, that the devil tries an added assault, using other hermits or family or unsympathetic delivery men, to try to ruin what otherwise is a marvelous agony and several days on the cross with His Real Presence.

Am going to attempt getting up, perhaps stepping out side in pj's, touching some leaves and breathing deeply of the air that we are given and yet often do not notice.  We must pray and strive to use what breath God gives, to encourage, support, uplift and rejoice in each other and the marvels that God allows in each pathway He selects and assists in our individual spiritual journeys.

This old Catholic hermit in this austere hermitage sustains you, out there, dear hermit sister and the rest of your group of well-intentioned supporters!  There is a tree here planted in your honor as a prayer tree.  May you do well in your hermit vocation and grow in holiness, and remain steadfast to the daily, spiritual walk.  May you be released from bondage to what are over the years becoming your seeming raison d'etre of the hermit and spiritual particulars of this Catholic hermits path. It will drive you to total distraction from your own spiritual benefit, but that is your allowing to be consumed with others vocations.  This, here, hermit's vocation is so of the Order of the Present Moment, that it keeps this little nothing Catholic hermit on its toes, making its own connections and turns and hillocks and vales in the hermit life God has chosen for it and values very much.

In fact, since you seem ever intrigued, His Real Presence is calling this hermit to yet more austerities, and yet more temporal hardships.  It is quite the adventure to identify the spiritual combat for what it is, be it temptation to not praise during the height of suffering, or to battle for the inner peace that the devil invades unwitting others in attempts to disrupt or take off course.

Certainly, just when some consolation or insight comes through clearly from the Beloved, and this nothing Catholic hermit agrees even if it means more sacrifice or detachment, there is a reminder of the angels of darkness infiltrating those who cannot seem to be freed from such manipulation.  

Perhaps, now pointing it out, these others, especially the one who has had this issue with others in the past who evidently she thinks are a threat to her ideas of how others vocations are unfolding do not meet with approval, there will be an effort to axe the root of her obsession and do the beautiful writing of her own vocational path and experience, and glorify His Real Presence with the freedom He so desires for her and for her dear friends.

May this sharing all be as heartfelt prayer for these fellow Christians,  these fellow consecrated religious of the eremitic vocation.  Many others lend their prayers, as well.  

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little, dear little children, let us each and all love one another, for God IS LOVE!

Killing Sins, Handling Trials, Eremitic Vocational Peace

Yesterday, despite much exterior painting, interior tasks, and a worn out body, the weeds had gotten out of control in the yard and gardens.  They were at a point of being so vast, that using weed killer was the viable solution.

With each weed sprayed, and thousands of them all about, they became this nothing Catholic hermit's sins as well as the sins of the world.  With each one, the prayer was that they would be killed and erased down through their very roots.  It will take time for the weed poison to do its work on them.  And, some may need another dose.

Called a store that has lots of employees who are rather professionals in their areas, and talked with the man in the garden area.  He explained the type of winterizer fertilizer and weed control to use.  He pointed out that putting it on the areas right now is good, but that people do not realize that this is a longer term process, and in January or February, another spread of winterizer weed and feed is necessary, and then to keep at it in spring and summer with more coverings.  Over time, the weeds will be brought under control, but that it is not a situation in which one can take a break and assume they are eradicated.

So it is with sin.  What the man said about weeds and lawn care makes so much sense in regard to our sins and the spiritual life.  We cannot let up on sin control and eradication.  And we have to be willing to use strong efforts even if not seeming to be popular (such as using strong products) to others.  There will always be those who suggest we are being too hard on ourselves in wanting to get rid of our sins or in praying and doing penance for the sins of the world, of our fellow man, of which we are all a part in the community of Christians as well as the community of being human beings.

We are each and all created by God, and we live all over this earth which He created first, before us.  We are in this life together for reasons God knows and ordains, and our sins drag us all down.  Our consistently dealing with our sins and removing them, right down to their roots, helps improve the quality of humanity and thus of our own souls and the souls of many others.

_____________

Yesterday, after making another act of the will to return to yet more focused horarium with more prayer and spiritual reading, including time spent in His Living Word more than the daily Mass readings, the laptop overheated and jammed again.  Spiritual combat practice!  Patient perseverance while waiting on hold with the loudest and most unpleasant music blaring into the phone, and then the call was dropped with one service rep just at a point of setting up a drop-off appointment.  So had to make yet another call and be put on hold, and endure the horrible noise.  But, today there will be a long and costly drive to civilization in order to give the repair folks a third try at this laptop situation.  Am so thankful that this time have it under an extended warranty plan.

There is some reason for these glitches, always.  His Real Presence is giving opportunities to not become frustrated and irked, to modulate the voice yet to also be firm, and to meet yet more employees and other customers even if briefly.  There must be a recognition of these people and prayers offered for each while driving and passing or being passed, and while entering the busy mall and encountering hundreds of souls.

Work efforts are postponed yet again, although if the Lord allows safe travels, there will be more weed-sin killing to be done upon return.  Also, the Lord is providing yet another trip so as to purchase the necessary weed and feed product to begin the process of keeping the weed sins out for the long haul.  At least, we try, don't we?  There will always be sin, but God gives us wills to conquer them.

_______________

There has been daily, increasing peace and relief in grasping this eremitic vocation and how it is that His Real Presence desires it for this particular hermit.  A friend called last evening.  She had been praying from afar as to the parish situations and the confusions and upsets and doubts that had built over time, with not understanding what and why of matters. 

It was good to hear her voice, and she said she'd been praying and considering it, too.  She said the more she prayed and thought, the more she realized that historically, hermits were not in parishes; and if they were, they were unknown and came and went without notice.  She had never considered it before, but it all made sense to her.

There is a tremendous load off in regard to what has amounted to self-imposed angst in pushing on doors that were not intended to open.  We laughed at how hard this hermit had tried to be involved in what was not meant by God in this particular vocation.  That other hermits live otherwise, is as God deems for them.  This woman has known and witnessed enough over the years, of this hermit's trials, that it was clear the path was being made known in a very positive and holy way.

It just took this hermit's acceptance of what otherwise seemed surely not right given the human understanding and view.  But once this hermit let go of clutching at what it thought or seemed to be best or proper or correct avenue, and started to consider the vast number of hermits in the Church over the centuries, and the actual reality of their daily lives, peace came as on, as is written, "the wings of a dove."

Praise be to God the Father, and the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter!

God bless His Real Presence in us.  Let us love one another, Little Children, for Love is of God!

More Spiritual Combat Practice

Finally got the call that the laptop was repaired.  So thankful to have purchased the warranty service.  Don't usually do that, but with the laptop it has been useful and practical and finance-saving.

In the past few days, there have been many trials in which to practice lessons learned in The Spiritual Combat book by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli.  Can't say there is great progress in overcoming the surprise attacks, but there is progress in recognizing them.  Being rested and in good, physical health would bring better successes.  But who in battle on the battlefield is rested and has particularly good health?  The soldiers are weary, hungry, aching, and overwhelmed with responsibilities and high stakes of potential failure and defeat.

The reality yet requires one to remain steadfast, remain on the field, remain engaged in tenacity and purpose, remain hopeful and faithful in loving dependency on His Real Presence.

Appliances were delivered.  Unexpected delivery man exhibited resistance to helping place the behemoth things into the openings.  He relented, but the appliances did not fit.  Appeared that the cabinets were not "square", or so he said.  Being worn out but having spent hours and with hired help to level and square the cabinets, it all seemed rather confusing.  What went wrong?

Later, asked the delivery young man if the appliances are level.  "Yes," he replied.  He suggested shaving off the cabinet edges to make the stove fit.  All had turned to confusion with trying to figure out the tangible problem of materials and space, making one item fit into another.  The counter top people were to come the next day.  Three cumbrous, heavy appliances were left sitting in the center of a small kitchen; a microwave in its box was plopped in front of the sliding exterior doors.

After several phone calls, thankfully did not shave the cabinets.  Simply by eying the appliances again, could see they were not level with the floor (which was not level--thus all the hours of shimming cabinets to make all level and square).  More misinformation was given by store employees:  no leveling feet on fridge; yes leveling feet, but only in front; leveling feet on stove, not just on front.  "Your floor is not level."  "What floor even in new construction is level, let alone in old houses?  Do they not deliver appliances to other older, single people who live in older houses?"

No help was forthcoming from the store.  More phone calls to others.  The counter top people were trying their best to figure out what this solo, tired, old woman could do.  The man helping with electrical was called; he described how to make a fulcrum with 2x4 pieces of lumber and jack the heavy refrigerator enough to turn the adjuster wheels.  (Yes, refrigerators do have them in the front.)  But one wheel would not go up or down; the other would.  Faulty adjuster foot-wheel.  Appliance employees said they knew nothing about leveling appliances but deliver people do.  Delivery people were ones giving wrong information from onset.

Delivery head man said store can do nothing to help.  Call the service warranty people as one month remains.  Service warranty people said would be a charge if adjuster wheel not broken but stuck.  Who knows, but God?  Turned focus to stove to at least get it level as it would fit into the spot if level with the level cabinets.  (Thanks be to God the counter top people, so helpful, said do not shave the cabinets to get the stove to fit--back when was wrongly told the stove was level with floor.)

Back foot leveler on stove would not budge.  Call the store again, and appliance man said must just do the best as he did not know anything other to advise.  Could not help.  Frustration rises.  Said maybe counter top man, when he comes, would be kind enough to help me.

Counter top man did help by holding range on side so this one could get down on floor with tools and see why foot would not budge.  Leveling foot is defective; bent in on angle and thus would never have moved.  Call store again.  Appliance man finally says what could have, should have, been said previous day.  "We will send a man out on Tuesday with a new stove foot, and if the one cannot be replaced will replace the stove."

Asked if the man could also take a look at the defective refrigerator leveling foot?  Maybe....

From one young delivery man's arrival and attitude, chaos ensued, involving various others in phone calls and trying to help, amidst some store employees catching the "resistance fever" while others tried to problem solve.  As it turned out, nothing was going to solve the problem with defective parts other than replacing them.  And that was going to take a strong person and a store employee to handle the massive appliances.

Stayed in the battle, remained on the field.  (Where else is there for a hermit to go in a remote area when worn out and stressed by such unnecessary chaos?)  Prayed about why this was unfolding as it was--a first glitch with the store and employees who otherwise have been so helpful to a point of holiness. 

First insight:  the young delivery man needs prayers.  Had noticed previously in the store, his tendency to dark chip on the shoulder.  Not delighted with the job, a bit resistant to helpfulness.  Second insight:  God was testing this Catholic hermit in the art of spiritual combat.

Results:  Battle not won yet but looking more promising for victory, one way or another.  Did not do well in the midst of the fray; frustrations rose to a peak, and tears came like rain on the field, at one point.  But did come to the realization that if need be, would exist with the appliances sitting in the center of kitchen, not finish the kitchen, and go on until illness or death plucked me from the temporal scene, and someone, some day, some how, would be able to level or move the appliances.  Had lived without a kitchen for well over a year, and adapted and survived just fine.

Lessons learned:  Attitude makes all the difference.  Persevere to the goal, and do not be beaten back by others' negative attitudes, resistance, nor misinformation.  Praise God and those who help when it is not even their responsibility to be involved and help.  Praise God in all aspects of the trials.  Keep a perspective that prayer for souls is at the root of all trials, and love of God and others despite the obstacles or if they become the enemy combatants, is key.  Do not consider them enemy but rather fellow seekers and strugglers on the battle fields of life, of which spiritual combat is a daily and nightly reality in any of the miniscule details of our temporal journeys.  Thank all those who helped, and thank those who became resistant when the resistance is snapped like the little rubber bands they were all along.

Praise God.  Pray to not slip in midst of combat next time, for there will be a next time and next time and next time.  Only when there is recognition and loving, spiritual and temporal handling of trials will the combat seem not a combat but merely an opportunity for prayer, love and not-so-stressful victory. 

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another for God Is Love!