Biography

A beautiful attitude

Today was the feast day of Saint Norbert. I really know nothing about the Saint.  I will educate myself. Saturday I went to a very pleasant funeral. It was the man of prayer’s father. His name was Norbert. The celebration occurred at the Polish Cultural Center in Cleveland off 65th Street just south of St. Stanislaus. The significant other was with me, in perfect attendance and partnership. I am convinced our courting has elevated to a new level. Sunday we enjoyed lunch together. The immensity of my longing and love overwhelms, exposing buried imperfections,  gouging and making a new wounds. It is all a part of healing. God is good and all giving!

Today’s reading

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Marten_Pepijn_-_Norbert

St Norbert

spacer
spacer

A beginning

Rita threw me out, packed my bags, carried my bags, and led me out the door. It was not such a pathetic effort. It was courageous. She stripped our interactions of codependency. The difficult thing was watching her walk away, grinning and pleased with herself. I knew I loved her. There is so much about her I admire. Now the real courting begins. This one will not get away.

spacer

Looking out into another world

The Hospice informed me the patient I prayed with on Saturday passed away yesterday around six o’clock in the evening. It may be the first funeral I attend. I spoke with his daughter regarding the purchasing of the book ‘Our Lady’s Knight’. She will consult with her brother regarding the matter. God is good and all giving.

Looking into another world

spacer

Deep healing

I am struggling in the relationship realm, not trying to focus too acutely upon the moment.  Details becoming more pronounced than reality, I do not want to make too much of every breath.  There is a large element of my personality attached to drama. The need for declarative statements, the need to always be right, is plaguing.  I have been singular in my life, an addiction developing, a cantankerous disagreeable mindset forming, argumentative in reproach and approach.  Rital gives herself completely to me, unwavering in her commitment, sincere in her interest in the things I enjoy. She loves my music, deeply penetrating meaning, understanding exactly what I am attracted to, comprehending my insight.  Our time together is blessed with easy and natural compatibility, a flowing to our exchange, an ease socializing together.  We make an interesting couple in presentation, enjoying others and communal conversation splendidly together. There are concerns, areas that need addressed, counseling necessary to move solidly into permanency, wedding vows with Catholic authenticity.  Yesterday, I was confrontational, agitating and mean with her.  I wanted to make a point, therefore felt the need to establish superiority, wounding and discombobulating her.  She becomes profoundly hurt, a longing in her core begging forth love.  I can cripple and nearly inflict fatal wounds.  I have the power to call forth all her brokenness into another culminating experience of pain, rejection, humiliation, and failure.  She surrenders to me and grants me this power.  I understand I am attached to the notion I am a spiritual superior, advanced beyond her practice.  It stuns me to perceive the reality within myself.  Yet I also do not want to stay committed to her out of pity.  We have become consumed with our relationship to the point of neglecting our spiritual lives.  It is natural, understandable in the realm of imperfection.  Avoiding obsessiveness, crippled by delusionary perfection, I anchor myself with the reality my faith comes first.  I cannot blame her if my solid spiritual exercises are wavering.  It is in my relationship with Christ that all things flow, including my courting of Rits.  She is understanding, yet within the fact exists danger.  To have one loyal to your word, wavering under your command, desiring nothing more than to have you close is debilitating.  It allows me to blame her for everything, to find fault in her as a recompense for my own faults. Instead of being a loving companion, I become a dominating master.  I do not like this aspect of me, shocked to see it emerging.  Sidestepping dramatics, I do not over-react to an over-reaction.  Again all things flow from my relationship with Christ.  Rita I will not allow to be destroyed by my angry nature.  Within another who loves me, I see the worst of myself.

Prophet Hosea and the healing process through God.

“Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has stricken us, and he will bind us up. 
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him. 

In God the orphan finds mercy…

I will heal their faithlessness;

God lovingly calls out:

I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them…
 
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her. 
And there I will give her vineyards,
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth…

A video about becoming whole

 

spacer

A return to service

It has been several weeks since I have conducted a vigil. The calling is so clear when providing presence. Today, the elderly woman, a mother of three daughters, rested unresponsive a Rosary wrapped around her hands. Her eyes wandered, looking about calmly. Her daughter sat with her, providing pleasant conversation. After sitting an hour plus visiting, I determined it was appropriate to ask her daughter if I could pray a Rosary with the patient. During the second mystery, seven beads into the mystery, a woman walked in, Rosary in hand. She turned out to be a hospice spiritual care provider. The woman finished the Rosary with us, the timing wonderful. Afterwards, we all discussed a priest visiting, last rites having already been performed. Humbly, within communal communication, we determined it would be the culmination and celebration of the woman’s lifetime dedication, obedience, and devotion to the Catholic Church to have her priest visit and bless her. The spiritual care provider sought the matter through, informing us the priest would visit that evening. Everything coalesces into acceptance and the releasing of thought. I am humbled to be placed into service.

spacer

Revitalization through humble fellowship

An interesting post-Arise gathering yesterday at St Clare.  We are getting together every other week, with myself missing the last one due to employment training.  The post yesterday reflecting upon Virtues, Theological (infused) and Cardinal (human), was conducted with respect to the fellowship focused upon the enriching of faith, hope, and charity through a concentration upon morality grounded within defining through the Catechism.  Something deeper occurred relating to personal direction.  I felt myself drawing away from the group due to an act of my own, an inability to resolve a situation.  My tendency to pull away and disappear ruled my thoughts.  There is a gentleman I introduced to the group who severely disrupted the relevancy of matters, misdirecting efforts through narcissism and delusion.  It turns out that at the last session I missed, the ecclesiastical minister organizing the curriculum confronted the gentleman, directly communicating the fact there were guidelines strictly directing interaction.  RENEW International fosters spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition by empowering individuals and communities to encounter God in everyday life, deepen and share faith, and connect faith with action.  I was so impressed with the structure demanded by the organization I posted it during Lent.  There was an absolute commitment to enrichment, the deemphasizing of personality and individual domination–a maturity regarding communal communication I instantly recognized.  The friend, a man of keen intellect; an artist, writer, actor, demonstrates concretely the fringe element spirituality I find myself moving away from.  The absorption into individuality, the need to dominate conversation, reflecting an air of superiority, wisdom singular in possession, while in reality are the soundings of a man living a life lacking employment, single in family life, devoid of intimate interaction, delusional in brutal honesty.  There is no doubt God works through all of His creation.  The man performs powerfully in his one-man theatrical acts, yet relevancy regarding simple penetrating intimate interaction remains distant.  The desperate need to say brilliant things, rather than the ability to flow with the moment through obedience, insightful respect, humility is impossible due to an intense attachment to individual accomplishment.  Faith, hope, and charity are rendered ineffectual due to a dependence upon grandiose human doing.  Immense thought revealing an impressive intellect usurps human behavior imitating Jesus, exposing grotesquely the lacking of wisdom and understanding. The desire for sweet consolations stamps upon the penetrating efficacy of proper self-knowledge.  It is a statement regarding my spiritual demands at this time.  My growth in sobriety dictates the need for simplicity, an honesty allowing individuals able to live humbly in familial bonding.  Self-perceived imposing individuals enamored with themselves through a grand exercising of Catholicism while living the life of detached singles has played itself out.  I seek something meeker, something more challenging.  My relationship with Rita presents frailties, areas of concern and psychological inefficiencies.  I am convinced God desires the strengthening of character an intimate romantic relationship demands.  The exercising of love, the intimate caring, sharing, and nurturing with another matures in a way singular efforts due not call forth.  It is difficult for me.  Necessary healing takes place.  Both of us being absolved.  The receiving is just as important as the giving.  Rita just called, scheduling a vigil for tomorrow morning with a devout Catholic woman passing away in Westlake.  My vigil service has been void for the last couple weeks, a concentration upon my romantic life taking precedent.  The time away allowed personal cultivation.  Within the settling into a profound intimate relationship now emerges a return to a prayer life directed by the Hospice.  Meandering in thought, trusting in direction, I repose to silence.

LORD ASSIST ME IN UNDERSTANDING MY MOTIVATIONS AND ACTIONS.
GRACE MY SELF-KNOWLEDGE WITH RELEVANCY TOWARDS INTIMACY WITH YOU.

spacer