Catholic Hermit: Tending the Temporal

Been a week of this Catholic hermit's having to tend to the temporal.  More interfacing with those in business and my responsibilities of required paperwork, major decisions, and follow through to make the transition flow.

Electrician coming tomorrow as a favor, as his next couple of weeks filled with scheduled jobs out in civilization.  Mark's such a good guy!  The Lord has provided for me, with the few extremely good and trustworthy souls dotted in a sea of those in the temporal and business world who have veered some from well-calibrated moral compasses.

Just a half-hour of some minor fixes, of which I was going to do part of them.  Four outlets are registering as having "reverse polarity."  I was going to tend to that simple fix, myself, but upon removing outlet covers and pulling them out to have a look, they are wired correctly.  Via phone, Mark is surmising perhaps some minor glitch with the GFI outlet from which the other four are on same circuit.  If not, just an oddity.  I used my electric outlet detector, and it does show reverse polarity.  Strange.

Two brand new wall heaters in upstairs' bedrooms not turning on. Another oddity as they were operable three months ago, although never have had to use them other than making sure they worked.  At worse, will have to purchase two more--but likely a minor issue with a breaker in panel box needing to be joggled or replaced.

A couple hot wires to be capped, and some switch plates and box covers.  I might head under house to do that.  I think I have some spare outlet box plates around here.

In the midst of tending the temporal and interfacing with those whose lives exist nearly or perhaps fully in the temporal (I don't know the inner workings of anyone else's thoughts or souls nor do they know mine), prayer and penance continue to be pivotal and primary foci, in addition to praising God.

Prayer concerns never cease from being brought to my attention and desire to pray, thus, for each and all either via email or (rare) phone call, or from what I see through my little window to the world, this laptop, or from what the Lord Himself brings to me in dreams, visions or inner thought through out the day.  

Especially, this week, the interfacing with those people doing their business, has brought the need for all types of prayer concerns, as processes evolve and unfold.

A man this morning knocked at Te Deum Hermitage back door.  He had been seeking me out in the gardens, but I was at that moment inside.  He does not like leaving in clay pot his donation for whatever vegetables and/or fruit he wants from the produce table by the road; he prefers to give it to me directly, and in that way has a chance for a bit of conversation.  He so enjoys the interchange.  I can sense it easily with him, and he readily says he so loves the brief conversation.  He says I uplift him and make him laugh.  Well, I'm thankful to the Lord for using me in whatever ways helpful to humanity.

Am adapting--and it is a process--to returning to far less manual labor.  I must pray for guidance and wisdom in this, as too little manual labor is a detriment to my constant back and neck pain.  I will always have to do more than less; but the Lord has taught me how simply and lovingly He and I can communicate as prayer, while I garden or construct or plumb or wire or install insulation or do a dump run.

There is plenty of occasion daily and nightly for me to be in stillness and silence of body and mind, especially during days of pain siege or in the middle of the night, simply being awakened by my constant temporal pal, Pain, for a few hours of conscious time on the Cross with Jesus.

So many lines and sections of Scripture this week, also, have I been "tending".  Perhaps I will highlight some of them by writing the thoughts and applications they stir within my body, mind, heart and spirit.  Perhaps I will see what some other present moment, or day brings.  It is delightful to often and most of the time, hold dear and savor the Living Word rather than to go through the (although good and helpful) exercise of Scriptural exegesis.

His Living Word and His Real Presence are ever with us, as we are through, with, and in Him.

Catholic Hermit: Being Reminded of Holy Focus

St. Augustine, centuries ago, experienced quite the re-conversion and returned to Jesus Christ for salvation.  From that point onward in his life. Augustine kept his Holy Focus.

In an alternate Gospel reading for today's Mass, Matthew 22:23 seems clearly what I am to ponder in keeping a Holy Focus.

Jesus told His disciples after a series of woeful warnings to the scribes and Pharisees' hypocrisy and focus on externals even in religious laws and practices:

"...one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by Him who is seated on it."

The past couple of days this pained, consecrated Catholic hermit is transitioning from the mind attending to details in fine-tuning the hermitage, readying it for whoever is next to dwell here--to a major lessening of attention to requisite finishing work and into vast swaths of contemplative pondering.  And, with this freedom has come from the Holy Spirit several dire prayer intentions emailed, messaged, and phone-called, asking me to pray and in some cases also counsel those in great need.  

The Lord is with us, always, and we are through, with, and in Him!  Remain in His Love--Jesus asks this of us!  It is simple enough to comply; we give ourselves to Christ in thought, word, and deed by simply accepting His love and offering ours--which is actually His love in us--back to Him.

In that love for Christ and remaining in His Love, and His Love for us, it seems inconceivable that we could have other than love for our fellow humans, creatures, and all of God's creation.  However, we lose our Holy Focus rather easily, it seems.  

As in Jesus' time on earth, it can be lost through a type of obsession with power, prestige, position as well as with the laws of the times--and it did not take long for the laws developed in the early Church to increase over the centuries and to divert Holy Focus in some instances, or to become a distraction, hamstringing some to swear more by that which is not the throne of God and He Who Is seated on it.

I know how easy it can be to drift into lesser than Holy Focus.  We all are probably aware of having slipped into less than that which is love, light, and all things holy and which is of above.

This morning I received a call and am praying for a man, husband, and father to let go of resentments or whatever has gotten to him, so that he does not have a hatred for the family dog.  The dislike has grown over a couple of years, and the man keeps at it--wanting to get rid of the pet.  Granted, the little dog is not a highly intelligent breed and has a stubborn streak (does not obey commands impeccably), but he is a sweet little dog, easy to be around people, enjoys snoozing, and rather simple in needs and desires.

The caller and I discussed possible reasons for the man to have developed and maintained increasingly this dislike for the dog, and it will likely end with their giving the dog away--which is a sad end in some ways, although there will be any number of persons wanting this dog.  

But what is most sad about the situation besides the dog needing to adapt to new people and place, is that the man will not have learned to overcome his resentment and unnecessary dislike, nor will he be stopped in what is rather an obsession that has more taken over his mind and core than will ever be a problem for the little dog.

Where is the Holy Focus?  It is so far buried as to have nearly been forgotten by me, a Catholic hermit writing about it as an example of how easy it is for us to lose Holy Focus in our daily lives.  Perhaps it is a matter, also, of how easy an obsession and dislike can be planted like a tiny bacteria within and then grow into a massive infection that takes all thought, heart, and spirit to deal with that of rather external disease and dis-ease. both.

And to this point, dear readers, yes, people have brought it to my attention that there is yet someone out there who has continued now for ten years to seemingly be smitten and obsessed with detraction from any angle imaginable.  I am aware of it, I forgive the person, I do not resent in the least, but rather have compassion and commit to pathos and prayer.  

Some of you have thought the person "crazy", others say "shameful", "envious", and "sick".  I think not of any analysis, for does not trying to ascribe a label or reason to someone else's issues, just a means of the evil one to distract us from our Holy Focus in our daily lives and in the heart of our very souls?

Just as with the man who has developed an obsession and dislike of the little pet dog (of whom I consider to be one of the sweetest dogs and have often referred to him as "Lambie-pie" for his little face and muzzle have the appearance of a lamb's head), the only recourse is to have compassion for someone who allows a fellow creature to make him imprisoned by dislike and to be annoyed with any even remotely factual aspect.  For it then leads to deceive self, justify self to attack and demean the object of personal issue.

Detraction and dislike held onto for any period of time simply is not holy in any manner; and the great sorrow is that it deprives the person of a Holy Focus.  The man with the dog is a practicing Christian, the one who can't seem to let go of detracting me is a fellow Catholic.  Yet there it is--on going obsessive dislike.  Just see how we Christians can lose our way, by one means or another, and can keep up an obsessive dislike for days, weeks, months and then years?  There is no way, truth, beauty or freedom in Christ in that form of imprisonment.

St. Augustine lost his Holy Focus, having been reared as a devout Christian by his holy mother, St. Monica.  But thankfully, through prayer and love, Augustine returned to Jesus Christ and a Holy Focus, later on and in time for him to do much good for so many people and for the Lord Jesus Christ.  

And I ask you readers who have personally commented to me, to continue praying for the person who for whatever reasons (seemingly quite logical to that person), continues to be shackled by whatever personal dislikes and disgruntlements. You also do not need to let me know when the person erupts; it serves no holy purpose as it tends be reoccurring.  Rather, pray with me that the person can let go and let God, so to speak, and return to Christ's inner peace and consistent Holy Focus.  

I also ask you to pray for the man and the little dog, and his family.  While it seems a small matter, the problem lies within the person, and without trying to analyze how or why a person can develop such an obsessive disgruntlement, no matter how logical the reasons might seem to the person him- or herself--it is no way to live as a Christian.  It only makes the one obsessed be hindered and seem all the lesser or limited a follower of Christ.

This is also a good prayer for ourselves.  It is a prayer for myself.  And I ask you to pray for me, as well, in my time of transition from so much prayer in manual labor to be in prayer without the pressure of manual labor, as the Lord has called me into whatever is now and next.  

"Next" is continuing prayer for the needs of so many hurting people and distressful situations in their lives, yet without my needing to pour my body into physical work to the degree it had become accustomed.  Yes, it seems quite strange to not be in such solid ora et labora (prayer and work) and more so now in ora.  I must put my temporal body into manual labor as it is requisite for my pain management benefit--but far less in urgency of an earthly time frame and temporal reason.

The Holy Focus remains, but it has gone through a honing of massive proportions.  Yes, it is but seven weeks today that I could have easily been paralyzed or killed from the major smack of my body propelling through the air in the "flight from the stairway to heaven"--as I called the stairway my dear angel and I constructed in this temporal dwelling, the Te Deum Hermitage.

Gone is the need to have mental space allotted for remembering construction facts and figures, for figuring out detailed finishing work.  However, I still call upon St.  Joseph and Jesus and Mother Mary, and my Angel Beth, as Joseph and Jesus were carpenters, and Mary a mother.  All were of earth and of Heaven, and it is our Christ who reminds us, explains to us, admonishes us thus:

"one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by Him Who is seated on it."

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

Catholic Hermit: Spiritual Dates in Our Lives

One such uncanny date in my life continues to be The Queenship of Mary.  August 22 continues to be one of immense import to me, personally and spiritually.  This past Queenship of Mary marked 23 years since I was received into the Catholic Church after my years from birth to then as a practicing Protestant.  So it is, that August 22 is a powerful, spiritual date in my life.

Faith has always been deeply important to my soul, mind, heart, and temporal function.  I am ever grateful to my parents for instilling Christianity in me from my earliest moments and memories.

Even as a Protestant, August 22 has been pivotal in my life as a transitional day.  The life-altering car accident occurred at 11:22 p.m. on August 22, some 34 years ago.  That began my life of constant, physical suffering and heralded the decision of my earthly spouse to leave the marriage and our then three quite-young children.  The ripple effect occurred--loss of career due to disability after two major back surgeries with a death in recovery room and being sent back to rear my children and fulfill my mission.

But it also heralded a vast opening of my spirit to the Holy Spirit, more so than had been--and I was already rather in-tune with the numinous.  My Maker is my Spouse, and the espousal of my soul occurred along with various, numinous and temporal experiences of which I've mentioned some, but not to the depth or breadth of their occurrences and impact.  Too much to share, and intimate, at least for now.  And that has been the case for years.

My call to the Catholic Church was unmistakable and relentless until I acquiesced to the Lord's will.  That evening, the priest who gave me private instruction, chose.  He had no idea the import of the Queenship of Mary--or rather previously to me only known by being a date on a calendar:  August 22.  A miracle occurred during the private ceremony.  It was powerful and has served me well as the means to keep me steadfast in my Catholic faith despite more than plenty of persecutions and hardships along the way.

The Queenship of Mary happened to be the date that my youngest child went off to college.  That time period was a transition phase, as well, and my hermit life intensified following although I had been privately professed and vows received nearly two years prior to the "empty nest."

But most years, the Queenship of Mary is marked by a pain siege.  This year was no different.  However, this time period is very much one of being on the cusp of transition in my hermit life as other than a few tiny tasks and the delight in tending the gardens, the hermitage is complete--and lovelier than anyone, especially me, could have imagined.

My spiritual father three or four years ago said it was unnatural and abnormal, what I was able to accomplish and that angels were helping me, certainly.  I agreed and still agree!  My angel, Beth ("house" or "place of God" or "God is in this place", masculine Hebrew noun) has been astounding.  It was Beth who surely got me out to and up the road recently, not conscious, so that neighbors who happened to be outside (and they remarked it was amazing they happened to be outside that afternoon) found me and called the fire and rescue to get me to a trauma center for the head injury and brain bleeds.

I am blessed with having so much supernal assistance in what has been quite the "death therapy" in these past few years.  And death therapy is just what the Lord prescribed for me, as it has been the best phase to hunker me into my consecrated Catholic hermit life, possible--at least for me!  I so needed to die to self, die to the world, die to attachments!  May God be praised!

We will see what God has in Mind for the transition and next phase in my hermit life.  All of a sudden, I am able to shift gears to more meditative and contemplative prayer while gently gardening or also resting.  And a major aspect of my mission for the Church has occurred yet again, just a couple or so weeks ago, with yet another sex scandal being exposed, this time in the state of Pennsylvania.  I place my suffering, prayers, and various, natural penances that come my way, for the purgation of the priests, bishops, and cardinals who may need whatever the Lord can cleanse for Holy Mother Church.

On this Queenship of Mary, on my sleeping bag of suffering, I sensed Our Mother--weeping.

I am sure she is weeping for me, also--for my faults, my sins, my weaknesses, my human ills.

This morning when the parish couple brought His Real Presence, I was overjoyed despite the problems facing us as Catholics.  While some will need to run from the burning house--and we are not to judge others who need to do so--there are those of us who are called to run back in and help put out the fire.  

May the Lord use me as He wills.  I lived through the recent head injury--against the odds of no broken bones, no internal injuries, and even the shoulder is improving after horrific suffering with it.  May the Lord use me, yes, as He wills for whatever time and breath left, in whatever phase next, if any.  I pray to fulfill my vows--not only as a consecrated Catholic hermit but also as a victim soul of and for the Church.

God bless His Real Presence in us!