The Lord Sets Down and Lifts Up

Our lives can be read in the Psalms.

Here, the nothing Catholic hermit was dunked down, down, down.  Then with one final phone call to Raphael, leaving a message that it needed help and was too cold, His Real Presence sent a return call as a life line.  Help is on its way, tomorrow.

In the meantime, the hermit has been given that raising up necessary to do some tasks that Raphael and his men will find helpful.  Trying to clear clutter and organize tools and building materials--that which this hermit can lift and organize.  Raphael and men will make room in pole barn and carry out furniture that is stored in here, that keeps from more work being easily accomplished...like drywall.

The goal is to do whatever to help make the hermitage warmer, to retain heat, as living in 43 degrees is not easy.  Upstairs got some warmer, but thankfully the temps outside have warmed some, helping the body.

One can begin to have greater compassion and understanding of children and adults in tough living conditions, either too hot or too cold, who then do not do well on a job or at school, or who give up either with their bodies and emotions drained of energy.  One can understand the give-up mode.

Fr. V. is so correct in that this hermit needs to be yet more aware of how the devil will use any means to disrupt the body, mind, heart and spirit.  Yes, there is a prevalence of discounting the devil, as we can become out of balance with not keeping God's power and might and sovereignty in mind.  

However, combatting the devil can be matter of fact and does not need to consume. It is just part of the spiritual life, and an important part, as is praise and prayer and love.  Yet, awareness and combat are vital and not to be dismissed.  Spiritual warfare is reality.    Good vs. evil is nothing new.  It is that evil can be ignored, and then our foothold becomes unsteady.

We can be taken down for any number of reasons, and all has spiritual underpinnings for our souls.  Yet we can learn to turn repeatedly to His Real Presence.  Down, down, down, then when so emptied other than calling out to Him, at some point:  up, up, up.

The cycle repeats, and hopefully over time we become strengthened and all the more sure of our turning to His Real Presence.  The down, down, down has benefits; and over time, we learn to consider it like the ferris wheel, in which the down parts are considered always as merely an (even necessary) condition of the rising.  It is all part of the ride.

The infrared heater did not do a thing to warm the place.  Thankfully can return it.  But did find, in shoving heavy things enough from one wall, to get behind and start placing 2x4's between studs at the floor, two spaces that had cold air coming up from the crawlspace.  They are now stop-gapped.  Any progress is progress.

All this is fodder for linkage to the life of the soul, to growth toward His Real Presence.  Any progress is progress.  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

The ferris wheel will rise, and then it will descend again before another rising.  In the spiritual life, one must hang on just as solidly in the descent and lower regions, as when rising or at the pinnacle.  If the ferris wheel would become stuck at the height while we are on this temporal ride in this temporal world and in our temporal lives, being on top would soon lose its delight.

In the spiritual life,  being at the height is marvelous, for it means we are no longer enclosed in a circus ride's compartment, no longer riding an amusement.  We are freed and exist outside the limitations.  The soul who seeks God is one that increasingly learns that freedom within, to without, in faith, hope, and love.  

We float in snippets, and those come when we perhaps come to a point of allowing the down parts and up parts to be something outside our souls.  Sometimes it becomes too much to express but worthy of pondering and praying for the graces necessary.

Part of the grace is to realize that the Lord sets down and lifts up.  Either are facts of the temporal and the spiritual realms.  If we come to grasp that the setting down is not negative but rather a necessary aspect of the lifting up, we will make movement toward freedom in body, mind, heart, and spirit.  This likely will not happen other than in bits and pieces.  But each bit is a worthwhile segment.

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

Postscript:  Mark just called.  His truck is not working, so he cannot come today to do some necessary electrical in order for Raphael and men to hang drywall.  Good!  This is an prime example of what could seem down, and it is a downward movement in the temporal flow.  

However, it now can be viewed as a necessary part of the rising.  So set the sights on the rising to come, and realize that the back area cannot be drywalled, but other areas can.  Or, the landing can be constructed, or part of the ceiling done--not all as plumbing needs to come through.  Or, whatever bits of work on upstairs sections, even though nothing can be completed in totality.  

But know for sure, that His Real Presence allowed Mark to not be able to come today, for very good reasons and practice in the spiritual life, for faith, hope, and love.  Am praying for Mark's truck to be repaired for his sake, and to see that it is a necessary down for Mark, and there will be the rising, as well.                                                         

After Consolation: Desolation

There always is an interplay between the soul and the Beloved.  With a consolation raising the soul as if up to the kiss of God's lips, one is so consumed in the cherished and unexpected gesture of love, that nothing else seems possible but the soul's delight with Christ.

Then comes desolation.  Yes, it always comes until the final breath of the earthly body when there is no more desolation for the soul who has desired and striven to be beloved of His Real Presence.  But until that moment, either at death or after judgment and more purifying of the soul into greater light enough to be one with His Light, there will be a reminder through desolation of the earthly attachment to sin, which is some degree of opposition to God's purity and perfect, loving will.

Desolation:  a state of complete emptiness or destruction; anguished misery or loneliness.

For various reasons, the main one being desolation comes after consolation (and consolation comes after desolation), this nothing Catholic hermit experienced tremendous and unexpected emptiness and anguish of body, heart, mind, and soul yesterday evening and this morning.  It was rugged, and thankfully was able to email a friend, repeatedly, expressing the temporal discouragements and sorrows.

Only later, by afternoon, did the hermit grasp what was the cause and effect that always is, was, and shall be in souls on the purgative, illuminative, and unitive way of the spiritual life:  consolation, then desolation, then consolation, then desolation, then....

There was no relief, no verbal or mental prayers that one can recall.  Just prayer without words, without thought, and the sorrows and sense of abject failure as a person and with its life, became as prayer of sorrow, repentance, and hopeless clinging.

In times such as these, the soul is let down.  The kiss on the lips by God is forgotten or seems long ago if recalled.  And, if recalled, there is added shame that somehow, within days, the consolation that was so glorious is as if spurned or rejected, and in its place is the dejected soul, unable to function, not able to force its mind to reading Scripture other than a few lines that seem unable to be absorbed.

Then, somehow, toward the evening after the night and day of desolation, there is a ray of light in the evening dark:  a song.   This hermit was turning to YouTube to find music--anything that might soothe the misery of its failed and flawed life and weakness in faith on the Sabbath, no less.

Harmony!  That is what this weeping soul sought.  And somehow--yes, by the grace of His Real Presence, the Bridegroom brought His emptied hermit-bride to the name of a back-up singer for another famous singer.  Then, a title drew the attention:  Song of Bernadette.  Then, from there another song title:  Joan of Arc [refer to previous post, song composed by Leonard Cohen, sung by Jennifer Warnes].

This hermit had never heard the latter song.  It listened while viewing the accompanying video and lyrics printed upon the vivid images.  Each word had clear meaning, deep significance, and each brought:  consolation.

Thanks be to His Real Presence for His marvelous works!  Thanks be to the Beloved for raising up and taking down...and raising up again!  May this tired, ailing, yet desirous nothing hermit soul be soundly reminded of its purpose and to accept the suffering of this life as a means of reparation with the Beloved.  To be burned in the fire of His Love is so very painful, yet it is necessary for its purifying qualities.

Consolations and desolations intertwine and spiral through our spiritual journeys on this earth.  At some appointed and anointed moment, there will be the final desolation, an immolation.  Then there is the final yet eternal consolation.  Think on these marvels of His Real Presence and His fiery love for each of us.  We cannot but accept such love, yet we will cringe with the desolations, for that is natural, and we on earth are of nature.

But with each spiraling cycle of consolation-desolation, we will learn to trust in His lifting us up, then setting us down, higher then lower.  But He always raises us up for the kiss of His Lips.  Even when in the dizzying delights of consolation or in the despairs of desolation, we may forget this cycle is occurring and all in His loving pervue, we will be consoled over and over until the soul is burned into His very Soul--never more to be disconsolate again.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another, for love is of God.  Let us remain in His Love and offer ourselves as living, holy, pleasing sacrifices to His Divine Will.

Marvelous Dream

["nothing" is apt identifying term as opposed to "me" or "I".  Am reminding that nothing is nothing and God is All.  Using this term "nothing," helps it sink in.]

Last night "nothing" had a marvelous dream.  It fits in well with casting the net today, offering to share about angels.  It had all to do with suffering and with being utilized in what and how God wills.

A couple of angels were speaking with "nothing" about the severe bodily pain, and they said it will be alleviated in a simple manner, daily.  They warned against another possibility for pain relief that was rather invasive and more complicated.  "Nothing" got the idea that the angels meant the pain will be gone in eternity, but of course am open to sooner!  May it be heaven on earth, His will be done.

Then the angels said "nothing" would be utilized spiritually.  This was a huge relief and a pleasant surprise.  In excitement, "nothing" mentioned how welcome news it was, and shared what was explained to the grandson about how each step and thought we take and make, is either a step or thought toward heaven or toward hell.  We should choose carefully!

The angels smiled.  One of the two said they already knew of that.  Yes, surely they would!  But they added that in the small ways of sharing such thoughts with others, God was very pleased.  They repeated again that "nothing" will be utilized in spiritual ways.

So, when a desolation came of a temporal financial nature, and tears choked the voice some and blurred the eyes, and when the parish employee did not want a program offered (and last spring was equally wary over a couple of small matters), "nothing" realized God was making His will known, and that He will provide plus will utilize spiritually.

Later, when painting the second top coat on the upper reaches of the north side of Te Deum House (hermitage), nothing again reviewed the various ways and offerings made in parishes, and the assurance returned that the utilization is in small ways as a hermit, and also through writing--not through or in parishes.

It is a relief.  As is said, "No is an answer."  And, it is a positive answer for it leads to what is not "no."  It leads to what is "yes", what is door opening, what is possible and can-do and joyful and what is freedom to be in His Real Presence.

At some point, nothing will give the program on angels and share the guardian angel story, en blogue.  There are Catholics and non-Catholics out there who do want something more, whose main concern is the progression of their souls and the souls of others, and who are willing to seek until they find their heart's desire (which is not for them, learning what exercises one can do in a chair or the history of the local zoo, wonderful as this information might be for many).

The door is open wide!  Nothing is going to be utilized spiritually, and hermit hidden ways, small as they may be, are as good as any.

Thanks, angels who spoke in the night!