Christian Catholic Hermit Mystic: Pathos of the Sin of Judging Others

There are valid points for all humans, including hermit humans, to not place ourselves as judges of others, and to strive in living our lives not based on disagreeing or living to expound upon others' lives.  

That is, we may be influenced by others' lives, or interested in others' lives, such as I am grateful to have had the blessing of a collection of books of arcane mystics, hermits, "saints", writings of spiritual directors of saints, Scriptural commentaries, and of Catholic poets and literary talents.  These topics and talented souls are intriguing!  I personally am interested in the spiritual life, in the soul's progression.  I want to lift my mind, heart, and soul to positivity, as a goal.  The mystical and temporal have always been of interest as well as a topic of which I've written since high school days. I also wrote of man's inhumanity to man to a point that an English teacher commented on an essay that it gave her chills--the depth to which I wrote.  I think it was of some theme in one of Dante's Trilogy.  

I'm old and weary now, so I can't evoke chills, but I obviously cause reaction--but really only from this one person and her blog comrades.  It is always negative reaction, which is a so what, but no kindly.  We all have our minds and thoughts, and yet I'm not really a blog-reader myself, but a blog writer.  So I'm not interested in writing based on what another blogger writes or thinks--unless that person attacks me personally, as in detraction and wrong judgment. I recognize that there are Christians from the time of Christ, including Christ, who spoke and wrote what stirred others to a full spectrum of emotions, from anger to hatred, from disagreeing to detracting, from misunderstanding to outright misconstruing, from disliking to sinful judging. 

Some detractors became so incensed by what others spoke and wrote that they went from words to actions.  That is how Christ was crucified and numerous persons over the centuries were run out of towns, dropped into cisterns, sold into slavery, thrown off cliffs, fed to lions, stoned to death, beheaded, burned at the stake, drawn and quartered, shot, guillotined.   

When someone--another hermit--cannot seem to cope with a fellow hermit's also writing a blog, discussing the personal, spiritual, daily journey and who then detracts, stalks, and diminishes a fellow hermit in ugly and untruthful terms, there is grave sin involved.  The main concerns in such an unthinkable yet ongoing situation are the obsession, the seeming envy and resentment, the anger and frustration that the detracting hermit cannot seem to keep in check, as well as the online stalking (penal code infraction in most states). A call to the hermit's diocese might remind the infracting hermit to reign in the impulsive behavior; but what if that hermit's diocese does not want anything to do with their diocese hermit? What if they deny having responsibility for the perniciously maligning hermit?  Spiritual counseling might remind such a person to keep pride in check, for no one person, least of all a hermit, is the divine or otherwise appointed authority or guardian of hermits or of the hermit vocation.  

Hermits are not in competition with one another.  This is a simple statement that if repeated enough, along with "Thou Shalt Not Judge" might help quell  judging another hermit to even such a wrong as judge and write publicly inferring that I'm not a Christian and that I'm not a Catholic.  The seriousness and ungodliness of such a judgment against another cannot be emphasized enough.  The very timing of a publicly written statement in itself is not of God.  

The hurtfulness and the pathos of judging and of stating such ugliness does nothing but to damage and imperil the very soul of a person who persists in it.  A diocese hermit who demeans, detracts, and viciously and wrongly judges another person is in grave, moral standing within the Church as well as with God.  For one thing, people--another hermit-- is a person who like other people is loved by Jesus and is one who God values very much, and for whom God has chosen the hermit life. 

A basic step for any individual who experiences such a painful and hurtful situation, is to offer prayer for this offending person (even if sadly a hermit perpetuating such ugliness), and pray also for any others, such as the offender's friends, who have been involved in the detraction and ill-will toward the person being attacked.  Let these situations and suggestions of how to deal with them be a reminder for any one: find other topics than target another person, and above all, stop judging in such rashness and of that which there is no factual proof.

Judging and deciding who is not a Christian, a not a Catholic, and leaving enough identifying information in a public blog is going too far across the line of what Jesus teaches. Surely no member of church clergy would condone derision or libel, slander or even veiled hints of tearing down another person--hermit or otherwise--in any manner.  

As for writing on the topic of legalism and increasing temporal aspects of churches (Catholic or other denominations, and of any world religions and sects in our time) Jesus was certainly well aware of these aspects in the Jewish temple of His time.  He was quite frank and honest in his speaking of these realities which had those stuck in the temporal aspects of religion and even of spiritual life--to the point of losing His life for what He said and taught.  

There are many canonized Catholic saints and mystics who endured terrible persecution, and worse, at the hands of such persons who were and are stuck in and attached to temporal views and opinions.  These persons "stuck" did verbally and at times physically attacked those who saw through to the spiritual, the numinous, the love of God and of God's Law of Love above all things temporal.  St. John Chrysostom is one who spoke and wrote of truth and beauty over the corruptions and wrongs of his time; and he was exiled and eventually killed for his words.  

Let us hold forth and foremost (and this is for all hermits and humans) of all vocations, Catholic or not, that the hermit and most vocations we live:  A vocation is not a competition. Furthermore, there is no hierarchy among hermits nor in most vocations--no designations such as of Royalty,  There is no Queen of Hermits, no King of Hermits, no Lead Hermit, no Head hermit, no Legal or Illegal Hermit--at least not in God's purview of hermits who are mere humble followers of Jesus and adherents of the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  We are Christ's, God's, and the Holy Spirit's Hermits! 

Furthermore, we are all human--we hermits. We are all human no matter what vocation God has given us and of which we have accepted God's call. No vocation is more important nor more authentic than the other! We Christians are all in process, all learning to follow, to serve, to love, to obey God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Love in His Love!

Such Relief and Loving Blessings!

While yet again today I am reminded of self to not mention the h-word in my writing, which can rile and irk some, I have read a most loving tribute written by another approved h in another location.  In reading through the h's writing, which included back-history of the h and how all evolved over time, I had such relief that I had heeded the sign of lack of inner peace of the Holy Spirit and remained as God wills of me.  All the more, public recognition would have been quite wrong for what is my purpose and mission for which God created me.  Everyone is created by God with a God-imparted purpose and mission!

I do experience all over again, the great relief of being told to continue living my life as called and reminded that the legal recognition just that, official, and does not validate the h vocation.  Along with the relief and the assurance both ecclesial and spiritually within with the inner peace restored--despite the awe-fulness of severe pain of body that wreaks havoc with my headache too intense and kind of being all-over-the-place in the past few days with some emails I would have been as well not even attempted in explanations--I do feel very sorry that I came unglued in writing of the frustrations in the vicissitudes and variances in interpretations and lived examples of h vocation,  approved format.

Now when I read of those approved and ways their h lives are lived, I see nothing but humans who love the Lord striving to live what they are able to live even if more like a religious order life or not so much of solitude or hiddenness.  They are serving the Lord in the ways able according to personalities and temperaments and other factors temporal that we human beings have that make us who we are.  The inconsistencies to the h law or other church writings pertaining to what h vocation is to be, we can in these h's defense point out that it really does not matter other than to the individual, and the h vocation is altered anyway in the various ways of which I've written previously.

Those who strive to live it in more silence of solitude and hiddenness, more withdrawal from the world, might not be so practiced or disciplined in prayer life or such.  And not being part of what was frustrating to me now I can look upon with compassion and appreciation for the freedom of h's and however and whatever directions they take and live their lives.  They love the Lord and are dedicated to living their lives for HIm.  It does not matter if it does not really adhere to  a law in all or even most aspects; the intentions of those who are recognized as h's, surely is that of love and desire to serve Him. 

And thankfully, those who for God's reasons and theirs, are best able to live the life in more silence of solitude and hiddenness, more withdrawal from the world, are allowed by their bishop and encouraged by priests to do so.  Somehow, in all this, God works it out for the best of those who love Him and give their all to Him.  

I get tempted to write the h and mention just how lovely the tribute, but my angel warns best to just let it all ride, not stir curiosity or reminder of my existence.  I am to remain hidden and silent and in solitude, and do very much need to improve my own "game" as in the basketball analogy for what is my purpose and mission, of which the h vocation is my vehicle, thankfully all right to proceed in the way God deems best for His very good reasons and best for me, as well, in striving to fulfill His mission.  

We all have different missions, and some h's who are officially recognized are likely living them in more silence of solitude, withdrawal from the world, and hidden from the eyes of others as is how I'm to do.  However, we none of us know when God might have any one or other by temporal circumstances, need to be more noticed or recognized, or less withdrawn, or not have the silence or the solitude. 

I don't mean to be flippant with the phrase "to each his own," but I am coming to appreciate that there is allowance for such variance in the h vocation despite a specific law.  It is actually a peaceful thing to me now, to know that there is much flexibility, as laws can tend to bring out rigidity and judgment, of which Jesus reminds us in Scriptures to not judge others.  So I applaud it all, now that I am also allowed to live the h vocation as God called, yet can remain totally hidden and turn now to the new direction of the mission more than the vehicle for my existence in striving to fulfill a mission requiring for me the protection from the world that the h-vocation may provide to some more than others in varying aspects and degrees.  

I'm seeing that the variances, when judgment is removed, are positives and allow an h to develop individually.  I do take matters very seriously, and my intensity in reading and studying the saint hermits of yore for all these years, perhaps got in the way of flexibility which is always bishops' prerogative, and I can see in my instance is a relief and blessing for me, as well!

In listening more to Dr. McGinn in yet another talk on mystics and mysticism, a question is raised by someone in the audience as to those who promote themselves, particularly a woman, as this or that.  The conversation prompts what one would choose to promote oneself as, and the added question of why such as a woman would feel the need to do so.

I am realizing that has been the divisive problem with one h who has developed an authority, promoted that type of authority as legal and approved by law, therefore having certain rights and position.  The self-promotion goes to a point of seeming desire to compete with the priesthood, and of an h law providing a sense of ordination of sorts, and of mentioning from time to time of writing "homilies" that the female h will evidently preach.

This helps me understand, along with the tripartite aspect that I am understanding and gaining insights, of not only of religion and I think, also, of each human and of course of God in Three Persons, but when one aspect gets out of balance or one remains in a more temporal level of that aspect, what is it really worth?  Of what usefulness is it other than of temporal and limited, at that?  What St. Thomas More so famously in his trial, when back-stabbed by another who was given then a position in the institutional, temporal aspect of Church:  What profits a man [or woman] to gain the world but to lose his soul?  And then More added on, but for Wales?  (Wales was the diocese or area the traitor to More had been given in exchange for causing the execution of Sir Thomas More.

I suppose at base and root of the differences some have with others in life, is that of balance of the three elements such as of religion:  institution, intellectual, and mystical.  When a person (or the church, it can be) has one or two of the three heavily weighted, and particularly more temporally so, or the person is not able to perceive with the inner senses, or the ego and intellect have not been reduced of which much detachment and humility are necessary, then creating an authority and relevance through outer means even if they have spiritual import sometimes brought forth in a type of self-justification or to spiritualize the self, is important to the person.  That will not allow for understanding or accepting others who allow God to be the authority and relevance, and who are satisfied with God giving the approval if any ever really necessary.  

That type of security in what is not temporal can be a constant pebble or rock in the shoe of one who has more a need whether consciously aware of it or not, to self-promotion for temporal authority and more temporal type recognition and approval even if the latter is meted out by someone with stature or position in the church.  One can never know but by the fruit, for at what level might a person needing more external locus of control is able to spiritualize or have a living awareness of the Divine is of course what God would know for sure, or as a surgeon might say of scan of lungs showing suspicious, shadows in lung, "I can only say for sure by doing a biopsy."

What all these added thoughts provide is for me or any of us to examine ourselves, our motives, our needs as persons or if more as spiritual beings who desire more God than this world and all in it.  This examination does well to include honest discernment of what these aspects mean to us, the level of need, and what we are willing to do to have them either in the temporal or the spiritual world: reputation, approval, authority, position, prestige, and possession of what others may have, such as gender and religious vocations.  An example can be women in one religious system such as Eastern Orthodox or Western Catholic in which males only are priests with ordination and their duties include that of writing and preaching homilies.  Some are more needy in those aspects and as if not satisfied with what their gender allows in certain aspects of the temporal world including that of various institutions therein.

So I come to these (and perhaps more) questions. "What is of God and holiness, what is of eternal meaning and worth?  What is it that will allow me to be prepared for indwelling of the Holy Trinity, of being subsumed into His Real Presence now and for eternity?"  Then I ask myself, "Do I really need a canon law to officially recognize a vocation of which God Himself chose and recognizes me?  What if my bishop allows the vocation and says continue living it as I have been?  And that a canon law does not validate the vocation but simply officially recognizes it from the stated law?  

It seems to me that the bishop is far more within and aware of the depth of God's actual real presence, thinking with the heart and grasping the balance necessary in the Church of institution, intellectual, and mystical.  But more so, there is an unspoken recognition of and by God that makes official and reminds us of the overhead path, of that of always seeking and choosing God's in His Spirit and Christ in the present moment, over whatever our temporal, human needs or even our intelligent thinking convinces us that we ought have or have right to have.  Choose always God and less man; choose God and less temporal; choose God in the mystical over institution and intellect.  Have the priority always be above all and before self:  God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God bless us h's, every one!

And God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit: A Most Difficult but Necessary Admonition

Yesterday, the first reading of Mass from James 5 caused this hermit to winch and flinch, inside and out.  Just the day before I'd complained about someone to another in some correspondence.  My criticism was regarding the person's periodic statements that someone or other "deserves" this or that.

Sometimes it has been focused toward me:  "You deserve to have this [item, treat, special favor, etc.].  What got me going again, of which I then in turn complained to another about it, is that the person had said that someone deserved something of which the recipient of such "deserving" has turned away from God and that, for several years.  

And that caused me to wonder how it could be said that any of us really deserve much of anything--non-believers and believers alike.

So I complained about the person who tends to repeat the deserve bit for various people and things.  And I complained that the person perhaps thinks people deserve this or that because the person who repeats it has a very ordered, boundaried, financially secure, temporal life in addition to be kind to others in gifts and kindliness.  

And as I reflected upon my criticisms, Proverbs came to mind.  Filled with wisdom about what it is to live a good life of prudence, practicality, security and so forth.  So I'm not even sure what basis I had for complaining, but sometimes some people's lives seem nearly too contained and perfect.  What a horrible complaint from me, indeed!

As for the repetitive statement of persons deserving this or that tangible item or event, I guess we just differ in our perception and spiritual view.  We are of different religious backgrounds, which has something to do with it, surely.

But back to what James succinctly, directly wrote--a difficult but necessary trait to hold is utter Truth. (Jesus adjures us to not judge others, in numerous ways in His Living Word, also.)

"Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
 that you may not be judged.
 Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates."

  Oh, my!  Not a day does not pass that I have not had some critical thought of someone be it a friend or stranger.  My opinions spew in my mind and sometimes flow out in my writing or more rarely, in a verbal conversation.  (The latter are rare due to my living in the silence of solitude, not speaking on the phone but rarely and not encountering others in person but rarely, as well.

I can see a news article and in thoughts about what the person has or has not done or said, end up being the person's judge by my opinions alone.  While I have freed myself of some of my complaining and critiquing, it is as one weed pulled out of a field of weeds.  This is particularly startling for a consecrated Catholic hermit to be so snared by this flaw, this sin!

We are not to judge others.  

What is so difficult about this simple truth?

Complaining of others, critiquing, criticizing, forming opinions even if we may think they are based on facts.  For most often our own perceptions and opinions create tainted facts in whatever way we want in order to validate to ourselves that we are not judging but merely stating some reality.  Most often we are actually, at root basis, complaining, criticizing, judging another.

To whom I'd emailed my critique and complaint of the person who keeps saying people (including myself) deserve this or that, I emailed an apology the next day upon reading St. James' admonition to not complain about others, to not judge.  Yes, I actually was judging in the form of complaint over a divergence in outlook or viewpoint. Underlying factor is also that the person who repeats the sentiment lives such a privileged life that it seems all the more conflicting that we deserve things.

Yet, in another way to see it, the person may be thinking that since God is good, we deserve all good?

Regardless, I don't need to criticize which is akin to complaining which is judging.

Yes, I know the difference between making critical judgments in a court of law or in my own personal life which requires making wise judgment in choices and situations.  But I cannot let myself be deceived, as there is a difference although fine lined, between such valid judgment and the more rampant, slithering epidemic in complaining about and judging others.

It is really inexcusable!  Once more, I strive to improve, to pull out more weeds of complaint of others with the desire to rid out all tendencies and temptations to do so!  How young was I when my father said, "If you cannot say something good about someone, don't say it at all."  And that includes within the mind.  If we cannot have good and kind thoughts of others, stop the critical and complaining thoughts before they have a chance to float about the mind.

Not easy, I do realize.  I'm up there in years now, a life-long Christian, a student of the Bible, a mystic, a consecrated Catholic hermit--and I'm actually far behind in definitively ceasing this flaw, this sin, this hindering vice.  It is such a common vice, so rampant, that expunging it is a most difficult task, it seems.  Or if not, I'd have conquered it a long time ago.

I'm praying for a stronger will against thoughts and words of complaining and criticizing and yes--that means to stop judging others.  No need to get into a discussion of the good kind of judgements compared to the bad judging of others.  We do, deep down if not on the surface, know (if we have a good sense of knowing ourselves and how easily we deceive ourselves to justify our opinions and attempts to hold our perceptions as facts) when we are complaining about and judging others, in the sinful sense.

Lord, have mercy on my soul!  Lord, please help me cease thoughts and verbalizations of written or oral complaints and judging of others!

I will try, try again, by the grace and power of God.