Christian Cathoilc Mystic Hermit: Living the Hermit Vocation Authentically in His Real Presence

 Just want to check in and say all is going well with this consecrated Catholic hermit--Christian foremost, Catholic and mystic living the hermit vocation as set forth by His Real Presence and in the ancient, traditional, hermit Christian tradition of centuries of men and women hermits in the Church.  I include in my inspirations of the Christian Catholic hermit vocation the prophet hermits and, of course, John the Baptist, and the hermits following of both Eastern and Western hermit traditions following the Great Schism circa 11th c.

However, my main point is that of living a life devoted to His Real Presence:  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  To have and hold the faith within of being in His Real Presence and His Real Presence being within us, all the time and in all places and dimensions of space and time known and unknown to the human being.   To live and love in His Living Word as the on-going challenge, and to follow Christ in today's world, temporally and mystically, and doing so until we are called out of this life and into eternal life, with our no longer being personages on this earth.  

The implications of such a life as a hermit in today's society and in today's Church bring with it challenges to adapt logically, spiritually, practicably, and humanly with enduring mercy, faith...and very much so, living in and with God's Law of Love.

I no longer think about the hermit vocation as such, and not as anything set forth recently in hierarchical or temporal organizational terms.  I do not engage in other than the living of His Living Word and pondering the wonders therein, as far as anything temporal or tactical in what some may find worthwhile conversation of "hermit vocation".  The Lord has brought me beyond the ensnaring nets of the temporal in those controversies, and I realize the space of mind and thought wasted in the past, with so much benefit in grasping the holy ones who lived lives as religious solitaries yet among their fellow humans, but with a God alone reality that transcends the muck of temporal degradation of mind, heart, and soul.  All for God, omnia pro Deo, allows me to listen and obey as best a human can and may, the calling and teaching of His Real Presence, to allow oneself in faith to obey and be directed by God Himself, is the challenge and beauty of my life of increasing suffering.

Understanding with greater awareness that my sufferings and the sufferings of Holy Mother Church are made one and were made one years ago and forever in my life on earth, has brought meaning and love in the sufferings, despite the sufferings diminishing and demeaning my mortal body and ego.  This diminishment and demeaning of my body and my very "self" in temporal existence has been beautiful and positive; I know God has me in His Real Presence fully and forevermore.

What is difficult is in the faith required, but then to grasp that all the faith necessary is given by the Holy Trinity, His Real Presence.

So awaken, rise physically or only mentally and always spiritually each morning, and live out each day in His Real Presence, enjoying the pups Mercy and Love, enjoying whatever my body and mind and emotions are able to enjoy, and let the soul grow in whatever ways His Real Presence desires!  Today I pray to plant a tree or transplant some Echinacea flower starts to create a row of blooms along the driveway of Solus Deus Hermitage.  Or, to shovel sand off the truck bed and into some trash containers for use when my helper Sean returns on Monday to help dig out and level the small courtyard area outside the hermitage entrance.  

Whatever today of physical efforts, I know that His Real Presence is forming my mind, heart, and spirit in His likeness and image.  Only "myself" when the pain becomes too temporal, gets in the way of all the graces that His Real Presence is constantly bequeathing upon me.  

Thus, perhaps, my dear readers, you can understand why the temporal, hierarchical, humankind laws and applications created have little to do with the progression occurring within and without this body, mind, heart, and soul who is existing as a child of His Real Presence, a consecrated hermit in His Holy Church Eternal, more mystical than temporal, and more so "of the ages."  God has me directly now because I finally accept His will in this regard, and let go, simply let go of other.  Simply keep going in faith, in love, following His Real Presence where I know not, but He does.

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

Catholic Hermit: Offering from Our Poverty

Just when I think it is ridiculous that I drone on in these blog posts, especially when I have mostly only dealing with suffering as content, and I consider it rather pointless to write, I notice an uptick in page views.  Perhaps this small bit of writing, of sharing thoughts and aspects of life striving in life and seeking God despite so much self, is of some tiny help or interest to another.

It is kind of fun to see the various countries represented in readership.  Today someone from Ukraine has been reading through several posts, and whether or not he or she sees this post which has nothing much in content other than the Scripture I am drawn to, currently, and will write out, I want to acknowledge the person who is living in Ukraine and is right now reading a Catholic hermit's blog posts.  Hello to you in Ukraine!  God bless His Real Presence in you!

A cousin has just called, also.  There is more venting regarding the tedious and pathetic, persnickety, personality issues on-going, with the person's quite-aged mother.  I was told not to call her mother, my aunt, for she is too tired.  I had sent a note card, which was received, but the content not absorbed.  The daughter told me her mother cannot think of other than her own aches and pains, of which she has been to the doctor for her dizziness.  

At age 96 and six months, the aunt is all the more exhibiting the nervous mannerisms that have always been part of her temperament.  I try to remind her daughter of this, and of some means of encouragement in trying to not get triggered by the pettiness that befalls those of us who feel sick and tired, and especially those who have not had to live with illness for the most part of their long lives.  

I remind the cousin that I understand all that she is feeling and going through, for illness that goes on and on is frustrating especially when the person is thinking there can be some kind of help possible to feel better, or is upset that he or she cannot "do" anything.  Well, the person can suffer.  Yes, that is doing something; but not everyone is at that point of spiritual understanding.  Nor are those closest to the person--the family members who are worn out from dealing with the frustrations that come with the suffering of people who rubbed the wrong way with temperament types and personality styles, or whatever it is that can wear thin over the years.

The cousin mentioned perhaps going to visit the mother once a week in the nursing home.  I encourage that idea, but what do I know of much of it?  If there is going to be more frustration, perhaps as well not.  All that will unfold and transpire, however it does.  The elderly one is going to have an MRI to see if some stroke or some type of issue with inner ear that occurs with the extremely aged which can cause some dizziness.  It is not vertigo, at least.

But yes, one can suffer; that is "doing" something.  And the one can go visit once a week--best if intention set as prayer, as omnia pro Deo, all for God.  Put into life and offer to God and others, from one's poverty, our whole livelihood be it suffering our sufferings of this type or that--pain of body or pain of exasperating persons and situations.   Our offerings of ourselves can come from love or from duty.  I suppose if from duty, there is always the chance that duty might become that of selfless love, and selfless love become sanctified joy.

From Luke 21: 1-4:

"When Jesus looked up He saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, 'I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.'"

Sometimes our whole livelihood comes from our poverty of feeling as if we cannot so much as tolerate one more phone call, text, or in-person visit or interaction with a tedious, complaining, insufferable suffering person who might even be forgetting that other people suffer, too.  But I figure it is worth the try, to overcome ourselves.  

Perhaps it is in that effort to overcome ourselves and put ourselves out a bit more--be it if we are the ones tediously, interminably suffering (maybe selfish in our suffering) or if we are the ones struggling to cope being in the frustrating presence of such persons--that we actually reach into our poverty and offer our whole selves, even if our imperfect selves.

It does seem worth it to give it a try--offer from the poverty of our suffering, our whole livelihood of suffering, or offer from the poverty of our patience and tolerance, our whole livelihood of time and energy even if our offering spurned by the other or takes all we have of effort to offer.  Either way, whichever one we are--the insufferable suffering or the suffering supporter--we no doubt will have the opportunity in our lives to be either or both persons, in like situations.

Will we be the one who offers from our poverty and offer what seems to us our whole livelihood, or full effort?  Yes, I think we find the answer when we try out the potentials in part or full, time and again.  We must consider not just outer poverty, but what might confound us most--our in1ner poverty.

So I once more will offer from my suffering, from my whole livelihood of suffering today.  And in the suffering, I offer my prayers for the elderly, suffering aunt, and for the one who keeps reaching in and going with, and listening to, and trying to encourage even if frustrated and at times the offerings negated, spurned, or triggers frustration.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love God and one another with all we possibly can love in whatever point in love of God we have come to love and grasp of God-is-love in our erstwhile impoverished, imperfect lives!

Catholic Hermit: Calling Upon Jesus and St. Joseph

Both were and are carpenters.  Time is God's, and I'm considering all as present moment these days, as best I can in my utter humanness.  

Exhausted today with pain but yet keeping going.  A daughter, her husband, and grandson were here for a week--took their vacation week to come and help do some tasks around here.  The stairway (to heaven, in essence even if not substance) is completed other than some holes to fill and to try to tighten up the oil rubbed bronze, solid iron balusters.

I've been doing all manner of touch up work which takes far longer than I ever anticipate.  There are many facets to finish carpentry, painting, and tiling.

Plus, I still deal with the aftermath of the "flight from the stairway to heaven"--the brain bleeds, pain from impact, and shoulder that was affected and remains a lingering, bodily problem.

Yet we must continue on, doing our best, striving to keep going with the attitude of all for God, or omnia pro Deo.  

Just wanted to check in and let you readers know that I am thinking of you, praying for you, and hopefully before too much longer will return to more thoughtful--hopefully spiritually meaningful--and yet still temporally applicable sharing of the ups and downs of life as a person, Catholic hermit in the consecrated life of the Church, and also very much a sinner who seems to be not much improving as is said fine wines improve with time....

Yet, the Lord is with me--arranged for someone to spontaneously be offered, to do the stump grinding in the front yard.

Efforts are well under way in the temporal transition which also will be very much and primarily  spiritual transition--a metamorphosis from one phase to the next, whatever that next is.

I shall find out, either in this realm or the next wherever the Lord has set for me, just as He does for each of you!

Tomorrow morning the couple from the parish bring the Eucharist again, and I am more than eager and ready to partake of His Real Presence in tangible form, even if I know I am with, through, and in Him as we all are, in every present moment of earthly and heavenly existence for all eternity!