Gilded Seraphim Message

Just settled in after noon Mass, after three or four weeks' absence writing, and of intensive activity out in the beautiful yet bustling world. Have sucked fully of the Mother of Life's breasts, milk of Christ in others.  Discovered, also, some possessions that possess, to be given away in prayer and confession.

And now, along comes a gilded message from brother Seraphim, anointing the sunny afternoon, sharing Virgin Mary thoughts, Holy Spirit inspired through Hildegard of Bingen.

Christ Mass nearing!  Still Advent waiting!

O Virga Mediatrix: Alleluia-Verse for the Virgin

Hildegard of Bingen (1097-2079)
 




English version by Barbara Newman
 

Alleluia! light
burst from your untouched
womb like a flower
on the farther side
of death. The world-tree
is blossoming. Two
realms become one.

Humbling

The conscious awareness of living in Christ in the Order of the Present Moment has had major challenges.  Between two or three weeks of intensity back and forth to the hospital and more phone calls than usual, by far, and the shock of the situation, the reality hits: this is how many people exist daily.

Then the guest arrived for four days.  Lots of laughter, food prep, shopping for food prep, coordinating more guests arriving for dinner, conversation, football games on television.  

It's quite a switch from the outer silence, solitude, slowness, simplicity, stability, stillness, serenity.  Did we leave out suffering and selflessness?  Well, the suffering continues regardless of being alone or having guests.  The selflessness holds a permanent place in the need-to-improve category.

Then came a week of appointments and some afternoon guests.  But at least could be at daily Mass.  Did we forget to calculate the ten days of nasty sinus infection that kept me home bound for eight of the ten?  And that reading and writing fled the scene other than reading and writing some emails.  

Then stuffed into the mixed bag is shopping for family gifts and such.  Go to one catch-all store that requires focus, effort, time, and yet yields bargains...comparatively so.  Then got the idea to purchase nativity figurines and such for Christmas gifts, at quantity discount.  Seems wise, for will not have to spend time and money for several years, and the gift will be heirlooms some day.  Then for some Christmas traditions:  Irish Porter cakes and St. Bernard Love of God Bourbon Balls, and maybe some Fortitude Fudge.  Get the homemade herbal and concord grape liqueurs labeled, ribbon tied, and ready for gifting.

It is all so humbling to realize that it takes but a little, typical activity of most people's lives--for the focus, energy, and time dwelling consciously in Christ in the Order of the Present Moment to be compromised.  

In fact, when I wrote this, I was preparing to drive into the Cathedral for confession with my spiritual director, and I have much to confess on this very topic of humility, or lack therein.  Perhaps empathy has been lacking, also, or not being in touch with how most people must navigate the world with people around them not at all interested in such pearls as remaining in Christ's love.

Well, I got a good reminder, a good swig of how challenging is the spiritual life when any number of admixtures enter into the effort.  Definitely, as opposed to not being hospitable, not gifting at Christmas, not going in to stores, not involving with families in hospital, not cooking for guests, not dressing in clothing of the culture, not lots of things, is far easier to focus and establish oneself as austere and devoted.

But the Order of the Present Moment and remaining in Christ's love are for everyone, and the past three weeks or so have been outstanding reminders of the path of greater suffering, which is to sacrifice a kind of selfish wish to don a tunic and sandals, be au natural and dump other efforts required to blend in with the culture.  Could avoid smiling or human warmth, and discourage anyone from visiting in order to stay more spiritually focused. (Would I be prideful, and covet the freedom?)

I've tried both approaches in my life, and this path of blending into the mix, among people, being hospitable and accessible, approachable and more as an undercover agent for the Lord, is quite the supreme challenge!  Besides, the spiritual director is delighted with this modus operandi and the effect.  He says I am becoming who Jesus wants, and the joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit...and to keep it!

Admittedly, today am exhausted and thankful to be home after noon Mass, needing a nap.  I suppose for those who love the bustle and the image, to be austere would be far more the path of greater suffering.  But for one who tasted austerity and enjoyed how easy it was, and comfortable in its own way (far easier than the hassles of blending in, fitting in, and at least exteriorly conforming), this other is hard work, even painful work, and for me, by far the path of greater suffering.

It is also very humbling on the inside despite how the outer looks a certain part of the play.  Yet it is not a play.  It is life, and it is living life in Christ in the Order of the Present Moment, on the stairway to heaven even if challenged.  Christ the King puts His princes and princesses through some paces now and then. He asks us to step higher, increase the momentum, and be reminded of self-righteousness.  

Tomorrow, tomorrow?

Guest came and went.  Relative out of hospital, thanks to miracle, and now in rehab.  nothing recovering from sinus infection, but for a week able to get to Mass, then home, then errands, appointments, guests again.  Spiritual direction came and went.  Fabulous!  Much to write, much learned. Soon.  But Advent is our time of waiting....

Thanks for waiting with me, for whatever is next in the Order of the Present Moment, remaining in His love.

Receptive to Love

St. Francis de Sales, in The Love of God: A Treatise, subtitles Chapter 11, Book Two as, "It is no fault of God's, if we lack perfect charity."  What is this?  We may have lacked faith or reason to know we could possess perfect charity in this life.  But there it is, not only from this saint, but St. Paul said as much, and Jesus, also, and more, told us how.  If we believe in Him [faith], and obey His command to love others as He loves us, we remain in His love.

St. Francis de Sales continues to explain that the problem is our receptivity.  We must be fully open in faith to receive God's love.  Further, as somewhat expressed in the Ninth S: Serenity, clarity is key for the vast expanse of calm and tranquility within the soul to be open to faith and receive love.  Again, we need to be rid of whatever possesses us, that blocks our faith, so that we may be filled with love.

Surely this comes in degrees, for now that we know to remain in Christ's love, it is a process of our being willing, of opening our minds and wills to His love, and our heart's desire to His love.  We must not only be open to God's inspirations of love, but to act on them!  

This is what we do when we repeat our desires and will to remain in His love in every present moment.  Then our intellects and wills engage the memory, understanding, imagination, emotions and senses, from within to without, and begin making acts of love in thought, word, and deed to God and others!

As St. Bernard put it, the highest act of love is to love God in Himself, but along the way we begin in basic steps, moving from self-love to other-love to God-love with increasingly pure motives for our will to love.

Remaining in Christ's love, through our desire and will, and in faith, we go to the Heart of Jesus at the onset, and then we learn as the effects in our souls are worked out, which is a delightfully simple way to progress in love!  

However, as we are discovering, while the perfection of love may be ours, we must be faithful in full receptivity of His love.  No matter how great the challenges that not only are outer from the world but interior debris that comes to light, like particles in the air unnoticed until a sunbeam visually articulates them, we must persevere with faith and hope.  

Pray ask the Virgin Mary, our Mother Superior of the Order of the Present Moment, to instruct us in the love of her Son, our Beloved.  In faith and prayer, ask for all the graces God wills her to impart to us.  Pray ask the Holy Spirit of all truth to continually shed light on any obstacles to full receptivity of love.  Pray ask God the Father to protect us, keep us in Him and in His Son, bound eternally with the Holy Spirit, in perfect love.  Pray this now, simply, openly, and know that we will be given all we ask in Jesus' holy name, asking what God wills because we are remaining in Christ's love, and His will is His love.

Yes, there may be more clearing out for greater clarity and increasing humility, for God desires our love and sent His Son to secure our love.  He created the Virgin Mary, herself immaculately conceived, to conceive by the Holy Spirit, His Son, and birth Christ to redeem our souls, to love eternally!  

Are we aware now, that if we remain in Christ's love, we exist within His Sacred Heart?  Are we aware, also, that those who remain in His love, exist within His Sacred Heart have found the stairway to heaven-- that we are upon it now?

Message from "aspiring"

Again, another comment, this one from "aspiring", to share in more prominent space.  Thank you, aspiring, for inspiration!

I was sitting in the dark cold outdoors just now looking at the new snow on the ground and in trees illuminated by street and porch lights, in a chair in what I've come lovingly to call my spot - a spot in which I tend to become open and empty and quiet inside, and in which our Lord seems to see fit to avail Himself of my attention. Remaining in His Love came to mind. Just that. But then much more started coming. And so now, here I am.

Remaining in His Love. It can be likened to an immersion. He overcomes us and overcomes our limitations, and we become drenched breached saturated bathed penetrated permeated steeped infused imbued transformed, through and through, with His Divine Love. His Love enables and empowers us to love others. Sometimes we are mere channels for His love directly to them. 

In any event, while we are in His Love He loves through us, through our faculties. The distinct advantage being that He is all-knowing as it relates to meeting needs. Unlike us. It's as wonderful to be aware of His Love for me as it is being aware of His love happening through me on behalf of others. We can't love without Him.

I just recalled a quote I put at the top of my blog that is quite fitting here. I came across it earlier today while posting missing writings.
"It is God's work that has done it, not my work. I am like a pencil in His hand. The pencil has only to be used." --Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Also this, nothing, before I close. That you've had the prayer of Charles de Foucauld on your refrigerator to see for eighteen years is one of those things that, when I read it, jarred my whole interior with His knowing and His way of delightfully surprising me when I think nothing could surprise me anymore.

And to Ruth - Maybe I understand, maybe very clearly, and I'm very moved by your account of things. Affirmed, too, in some ways.

A Comment from Seraphim...

Thank you Aspiring for your very touching message ... My closing prayer for Laudes/Dawnprayer this morning: "Let us live in this Love and this Happiness, you and I and all of us, in the Love of Christ and in contemplation, for that is where we find ourselves and one another as we truly are. It is only in this Love that we at last become real. For it is here that we most truly share life of One God in Three Persons." Father Louis (Thomas Merton)

Message from Seraphim

Again, I find the comment box not obvious enough, so am emphasizing Seraphim's beautiful, loving words here.  Thank you, Seraphim.

Dear brothers and sisters,
This Sunday I would like to share a few lines from Thomas Merton's Book of Hours I prayed this morning with tears in my eyes:

"... Father I praise you, with all these my brothers and sisters,
and they give voice to my own heart and to my own silence.
We are all one silence, and a diversity of voices.

You have made us together.
you have made us many,
you have placed me here in the midst as witness,
as awareness, and as joy.

Here I am.

In me the world is present, an You are present.
I am a link in the chain of light and of presence."

May the fire of tenderness warm you up and lightful joy guide you ... specially you dear Ruth and Nothing and his "Relative" in the hospital ...

your silent hermit brother

Seraphim
from Germany

Healing and Trust in Jesus' Love

Another intense week at the hospital and now am out of commission.  Relative not out of woods yet, but very receptive to prayer as two adult daughters and I knelt around her bed, placing hands on her.  In a nearby town, the patient's elderly mother knelt in prayer at designated time.  I prayed, remaining in Christ's love and repeated three times, Jesus, I trust in You.  Each person, including the patient, prayed, and we concluded with the Lord's Prayer.

I felt my work was done.  After another horrendous surgery and waiting longer than we expected, the surgeon explained the details, and I headed home.  A sore throat began to plague, and by the next morning knew my physical presence ceased for awhile.  I picked up a virus from the hospital.

It is amazing to have a first illness other than the chronic pain, and to experience the peace of living in Christ in the present moment, remaining in His love.  I could resent people who visit hospitals, ill themselves, subjecting patients, staff and other visitors to illness.  But there is no resentment for if the thought presents itself, I remain in His love!  I was in a lounge in which a woman visitor was hacking, and I'd been around a relative who brought a child with bad cough to the hospital.  I simply accepted staying home in bed, after a trip to the doctor to make sure it was not strep, and I pray for humanity to be sensitive to the needs of others.

"Ruth" has emailed a response to the healing that is going on in her heart, emotional wounds, and I found her perspective beautiful.   

As for healing, I expect for a broken heart, I have been healing quickly.  It took a good two to three weeks of suffering through, what I like to call, divine surgery.  It was longer than I would have liked, but with all the various facts being thrown at me, painful memories, and I am sure that hormones did not help, surgery took as long as it had to.  

You are right when you say that these healings free us. I haven't been this joyful and free since I was a child.  I know my husband loves it. I guess a happy wife really does make a happy family. 

I know that I have to undergo some more surgery soon, as more things have been brought to my attention.  But in a weird way I am looking forward to it.  At least these issues didn't cut as deep as the first ones and there is something to be said about a God who loves you enough to wants to clean out and stitch up your heart. 

"aspiring" left on a comment, the prayer of Bl. Charles de Foucauld, martyred on Dec. 1, 1916, a hermit living in the Sahara of Algeria, being Christ to natives of nearby village.  The prayer reminds me of a  Methodist minister who converted years ago.  I met him when a teen, as he and his family were neighbors.  He had become a nationally known columnist for the Catholic press, and in his final illness, a priest friend had mailed him this prayer.  I was not yet Catholic, but his daughter gave me the prayer after his death, typed on a small piece of paper.  It has been on my refrigerator for 18 years.  Am touched that "aspiring" brings the prayer to our attention.

The Prayer of Abandonment of Brother Charles of Jesus by Charles de Foucauld

"Father, I abandon myself into Your hands;
do with me what You will.
Whatever You do I thank You.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
as in all Your creatures,
I ask no more than this, my Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to You, O Lord,
with all the love of my heart,
for I love You, my God, and so need to give myself--
to surrender myself into Your hands,
without reserve and with total confidence,
for You are my Father."