THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUPERNATURAL, THE MYSTICAL, THE CONTEMPLATIVE CHURCH

 

THE TRINITY

BY TADDEO CRIVELLI

(From a manuscript created about 1460-1470)

Social Media is an opportunity to evangelize:

A non-Catholic on Facebook says that, although she is not Catholic, she has been reading the Bible, reciting the rosary, praying, and doing other very "Catholic" things, yet still feels empty. As I wrote my response to her, I realized that I was explaining to her not only the reason for my becoming Catholic, but some of the significance of the supernatural and mystical nature of our faith which is accessed by contemplative practices.

My response to her gives a strong explanation of why I became Catholic.

This is what I told her:

"The Catholic faith is not an intellectual exercise. What do I mean by this? I will give you one example. In John 20:19-23, Jesus appears to the Apostles after the Resurrection, satisfies them that it is, indeed HE who stands before them, and then tells them that, just as God has sent Him to them, Jesus is sending the Apostles out to mankind. Jesus has the POWER, as well as the AUTHORITY, to do things under God the Father's power, authority, and direction. Then He does something very significant.

He breathes upon them. What is the significance of this? It is the TRANSMISSION of the power to do those things that God, the Father has directed.

It was not enough to simply HEAR from Jesus that the Apostles have permission and authority to do those things that the Jews always taught that only God, the Father, could do (forgiveness and healing, among them.)

Power was transmitted to the Apostles

Jesus had to transmit POWER to them in order for the Apostles to have the ability to do what Jesus instructed. This is why He BREATHES on them. If simply telling them were enough, He would not have BREATHED on them as a dramatic action.

The POWER is an actual "THING" (for want of a better word.) It is not an intellectual assent or an expression of PERMISSION. It would not have been enough to give them PERMISSION to forgive sins. He had to give them the POWER to do it!

Upon breathing upon them, Jesus announces to them what He has done, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." The spiritual gift, the spiritual power, of The Holy Spirit has been transmitted to them by Jesus, whereupon He tells them what they are to do with this power that was transmitted to them.

"Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

Apostolic Succession:

Down through the ages, the priests of The Holy Catholic Church have received this Holy Spirit, this POWER, in an unbroken line from those early days. This unbroken line is "Apostolic Succession." From God the Father, to Jesus the Son, to the Apostles, and then down through the long line of bishops (our modern "apostles"), the power of the Holy Spirit travels.

This power was not transmitted to other churches

There is no other Church that has had this power transmitted to it directly by Jesus.

Only the Apostles who formed the Catholic Church were breathed upon by Jesus. The Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah, and they did not receive it.

The "Eastern Orthodox" Church started out as the Eastern arm of The Catholic Church, but they would argue that we broke off from them. The Eastern Patriarch excommunicated our Pope and our Pope excommunicated the Patriarch of the Eastern part of the faith. The great Schism between the two halves occurred in 1034, and our territories are divided, East and West. I believe they are considered to have apostolic succession.

(When I became disabled and home-bound, I decided to dedicate my prayers, in general, to the reunion of all Christians, especially the Catholic with the Orthodox churches, so I have a heightened interest in my Orthodox brothers and sisters.)

The so-called "Protestant" churches would not exist for another 500 years after the schism, and they did not receive the breath of the Holy Spirit. They rejected the Church that Jesus started and decided to start their own.

In 1517, Martin Luther posted his objections to the Catholic faith on the Church door, in Wittenberg, Germany, and by 1521, he had left the Church entirely, and that was the beginning of the Lutheran faith in the Germanic countries.

I read something the other day about him taking up with a nun. They fell in love and decided to violate their vows. Instead of admitting what they had actually done, Martin Luther found fault with the Church instead. Not a great pretense on which to abandon the true faith of Christ.

Thanks to Henry VIII, King of England, the English abandoned the Catholic faith for "The Church of England," which was created so that King Henry could marry multiple wives. He issued his Act of Supremacy in 1534, claiming headship of the Church in England.

It is sin and ego that separated out these movements from The Church that cradled them from infancy. We often think we can do better than our Leaders and our betters, thanks to egotism.

Ours is a profoundly supernatural, relational, mystical faith. It administers the intersection of the supernatural with the natural, to beings who are both "body and soul."

A meal you have not eaten cannot feed you.

So far, you have been watching a meal being created, cooked and eaten by others. You see the benefit of it. But you will not receive any of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals from that meal you have not eaten. You can agree that eating that meal is a good thing to do. You can give assent to the goodness of it all you like. But until you eat the meal yourself, none of the vitamins or minerals of that meal will sustain you.

Your soul will be starving until you join the Catholic Church."

The error of human beings does not adulterate The Faith.

All my life, I had searched for the mystical connection with God. I knew, instinctively, that there was such a thing, and I felt, at times, that I was experiencing a hint of it within my soul. Throughout my childhood, I had heard nothing but bad things attributed to the Catholic Church. Everything I had heard about it in popular culture painted a picture of an institution that was staid, rulebound, judgmental, and (at times) cruel and militant.

The Catholic Church is the repository of the supernatural, mystical gift of Jesus Christ.

It wasn't until I was a nun in a Hindu convent, where I EXPECTED to find the mystical heart of God and the universe, that I actually found it in the numerous books I read about the Catholic mystics. Saints Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Jane de Chantal, Francis de Sales, and many others opened that world to me. Eventually, I left to get baptized and be accepted into the Catholic Church.

I HAVE found some people who were staid, rulebound, judgmental and, at times, cruel and militant - but The Faith is never thus. Human beings are flawed, and people are limited in their ability to express The Faith, according to their own temperaments, gifts and deficits. Their interpretations of The Bible, or The Catechism, as they relate to the faith, can be limited to only what their temperament will allow. But The Lord, true to His Word, has kept The Faith intact, down through the ages. He promised that "The Gates of Hell" would never prevail against it.

Some people emphasize the Temporal while others focus on the Mystical:

There are some people who reject the metaphysical aspects of the faith, while others reject the practical and temporal. But, just as human beings are "body and soul," so is the faith comprised of both these aspects. We are expected to perform certain actions in and for "the world," while at the same time being informed by and operating within The Spirit. When we do not properly incorporate the world with the spirit, we can develop a mania for one or the other.

There are people who are so transported by stories of the supernatural, that they lose all sense of the practical and worldly altogether. They seem to be gullible to every so-called "apparition" that is advertised, no matter how outlandish it seems to most of us. This is not helpful to the faith and can cause charlatans to take advantage of well-meaning folks. Some of the Catholics who are focused on the supernatural can be dismissive of the practical aspects of the faith. The allurements of the mystical consolations captures their attention so much that they will pursue the entertainments of it and will follow "seers" whose monetization of the faith will appear as if the circus has come to town.

Sometimes, in pursuit of the mystical attractions, the plight of suffering neighbors will be ignored, and we will fail to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and do all the other things we have been commanded to do in order to love our neighbor properly.

On the other hand, folks who are focused on the worldly aspects will be very good at the practical matters. Unfortunately, some of these folks will eschew anything metaphysical. It makes them uncomfortable. They are afraid they will not be taken seriously if they even talk about such things in relation to The Church. For instance, the apparitions of our Blessed Mother can make these kind of people very uncomfortable, even though there is very solid evidence for them. The apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, for instance, were reported in newspapers around the world, complete with photographs of the Miracle of the Sun. Skeptical reporters had gone to that location to debunk the miraculous, only to return absolutely converted, and bring home the proofs of the miraculous they had witnessed. Many thousands of people were eye witnesses.

The current trend:

In the last three decades or so, it seems to me that many parishes have rather more of the latter type of person running them. It feels as if the secular expectations of how to run a business have taken over, and the mystical is regarded with suspicion. This does not mean that "The Faith" or "The Catholic Church" is anti-mystical. It only means that the people administering many parishes, at the moment, have generally more of this tendency. It is my hope that, gradually, it will move to the center position, where both aspects - spiritual and temporal - are blended equally.

Humans are not perfect, but it is my belief that most everyone is doing the best they can, given their personal interpretation of the light that has been given them by the Holy Spirit. That does not mean there is no room for improvement, and one of my prayers, lately, is that the spiritual and temporal be interfaced with one another in the way in which Father, Son and Holy Spirit want them to be. "The Trinity" itself is a perfect example of this Divine, Blessed Balance!

Pray for your parish and your leaders!

If you find any deficit with the parish in which you find yourself, let it be a reminder to pray for the leaders of our faith. When you are praying, don't forget to mention your parish and fellow Catholics. In addition, I offer the following prayer:

Loving God, author of creation,

your spirit pervades and enriches our

world.

Through your Son, who shares our humanity,

You have called us to participate in your divine creativity

and to build the kingdom of God here on earth.

Form us, we pray, as one community

under the leadership of our bishop

to serve all the people of this region in your name.

Inspire us to discover new ways

and structures to spread your Gospel.

Open our eyes to see Christ in others,

especially the poor, the sick and the marginalized.

Empower us to be the hands and feet of Christ

in our parishes and communities.

Help us to welcome all into His embrace.

Guide us in our discernment,

as we pray with Pope Francis

for the vision to see new paths of possibility;

for a spirit of mission that invigorates our every effort;

and for the strength to be unafraid of what is new.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Imprimatur: July 25, 2014

The Most Reverend Lawrence T. Persico JCL

Bishop of Erie

I hope you will take advantage of this beautiful prayer and pray it often! Also, that my blog may be of some help to you for yourself and for the enlightenment of those you teach, lead, and inspire in the faith, including your family and your children.

May God bless us all. May the Holy Spirit enlighten us, and May our Guardian Angels guide us!

Silver Rose

THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION AND CONTEMPLATION FROM THE ASPERGER PERSPECTIVE

 

VIEW FROM MY HERMITAGE

When some folks hear the term "meditation," the image that comes to mind is that of an old, long-haired Hindu holy man, dressed in the orange "gerua" color of the saints of that religion, with maybe a few strings of rudraksha beads slung around his neck, and some colorful paint on his face.

Or perhaps you have been attracted to the more austere practice of Zen and studied with a Zen Roshi, such as my friend, Roshi Prabhasa Dharma.

Meditation and its related practice of contemplation are common forms of prayer that are shared with a number of religions, including Catholicism. Generally speaking, Christian Meditation involves concentrating on a specific prayer, usually a sacred text, and examining it from various perspectives, such as in the practice of lectio divina.  Generous use of the intellect is involved. 

But in contemplation,  there is a deeper, more focused concentration of the soul on the Beloved Lord. In my personal practice, it is a quiet sitting with and gazing upon Him, without the noisiness and distraction of the activity of the intellect. 

I fully admit that the simple definitions I have offered, above, are just the beginning of the soul's comprehension of what a bare bones, basic approach would be, so I would like to add upon those with material from the Catholic Answers website, in particular, which is a wonderful resource. They present us an article about this topic from the original Catholic Encyclopedia published from 1907 through 1912, that I  cannot improve upon:

Definition of "contemplation" from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

"Contemplation, the object of contemplative life, is defined as the complacent, loving gaze of the soul on Divine Truth already known and apprehended by the intellect assisted and enlightened by Divine Grace."

According to Edmond Gurdon, St. Bernard considered contemplation to be the highest of all human worship because it is, essentially, an act of adoration and "utter self surrender of man's whole being." He further makes the point that time spent in contemplation is typically brief, since exterior action, "with the solicitude and cares attendant on it" naturally absorbs the attention of the spiritual practitioner, which is why those that yearn for the mystical union with God will naturally withdraw from the crowd and abandon all other pursuits to "lead a retired life entirely consecrated to the purpose of contemplation." 

Thus, throughout the last 2,000 years, we have seen scores of Christian hermits, many of them later regarded as saints, withdraw from society to pursue the Lord in the quiet of the desert, the forest, and the monastery, but it is in the monastery alone where one finds the organization and the protections so crucial to the hermit's peaceful experience of the contemplative life, which is recognized by Edmond Gurdon in this quote:

"It is evident that such a life can be led nowhere

 so safely and so easily as in those 

monastic orders which make

 it their special object."

Edmond Gurdon

I offer the entire text to the Catholic Answers page HERE 

Meditative Landscape

by Silver S. Parnell (c) Copyright 1998

All rights reserved

My thoughts on the general topic:

The distractions of modern life are many and persuasive. The typical American, no matter how attracted to the contemplative ideal of the hermit, will "naturally" be distracted by the comings and goings, the eatings and drinkings, the pull of society's dance. HOWEVER, it is slightly different from the perspective of the Asperger personality which contains in its nature both helpful impulses that make us at home alone with ourselves and enable concentration that facilitates contemplation, as well as unhelpful ones that can express themselves in a manner that interferes with group life.

There are some people who are uniquely temperamentally inclined to endure the privations of the hermit life due to special conditions of their intellect and their "neuro-diversity." I am not talking about the misanthropes who dislike other humans and all aspects of "normal" society. Those people are cynical egotists who almost despise their fellow man, which is the opposite of the state necessary for the love of God. One cannot love God and hate mankind.

No, I am talking about the religious person who also happens to be a member of a group to which I belong; the Aspergers among us. While those who are on the autistic spectrum are not necessarily automatically religious, those of us who ARE religious can make use of our common ability to concentrate very intently on one topic and put it in service to our love of The Lord. Many of us are also quite able to spend long hours of time by ourselves, and we easily tolerate routine and tedious schedules, and, in fact appreciate these things that are sources of boredom for many other folks.

Before my baptism and conversion to Catholicism, I was a nun in a Hindu convent, and I remember becoming a bit ill at ease on holidays when the schedule was changed. Unless I could look upon it as one of our "regular" or "routine" holidays, I couldn't wait for the day to be over, when others around me were enjoying the change of pace.

Mother Mary

by

Silver S. Parnell

(c) Copyright 2013

All rights reserved.

I won't say that these natural inclinations always make it easier for me to endure my life as a hermit. It doesn't help me deal with the bullies, con artists and thieves that routinely assail vulnerable people like me in my day-to-day life, but it certainly has helped me to remain constant to my vow of 20 years ago when I decided to dedicate the remainder of my life to the contemplation of The Lord. I made the personal vow one day, then 20 years later, I suddenly looked up and realized that two decades had passed!

On the other hand, the "monastic orders" that Edmond Gurdon says offer a more ideal home for the contemplative soul will not usually be so tolerant with the peculiarities with which the autistic person is saddled, so we will do better on our own, as hermits, rather than as a contemplative in an organization. 

It is also true that many of us are devoted to our own peculiar "avocations" which we may turn toward the "work" portion of the "ora et labora," ("prayer and work") of the monastic life, and which may be too creative or offbeat for a typical monastic order.

Albuquerque Sky and Clouds

by

Silver S. Parnell

(C) Copyright 2020

All rights reserved.

The Asberger personality is often prone to obsessive compulsive disorders, by virtue of their capacity for intense concentration upon various hobbies and interests. 

 If one of our obsessions finds purchase in the mind of an Asperbergers personality and it is in line with a project that is welcomed by the institution, then it is a benefit to all concerned, and superiors may not notice the inflexibility that accompanies many such "hobbies." But if the obsession asserts itself in a topic that one's superiors find peculiar, then we are in trouble, all around.

Many of us develop interests at a very young age and retain those interests through adulthood. We develop what could be characterized as a devotion to a topic, almost as if it is our responsibility to always stay on top of new discoveries in the field, and we find it difficult to restrain ourselves from attending to new developments immediately, rather than during a time set out for such things by an outside factor, such as the schedule of a monastic institution. 

 

Hermitage in the snow

by

Silver S. Parnell

(c) 2021

All rights reserved.

I, for instance, began writing haiku poetry when very young. I was also a painter from youth. My favorite painters remain the same as they were from my early years, and I am still intensely interested in the entire topic. It is very hard for me to put down a book about the topic, or a painting I am working on, or some poetry I am writing.

The Asperger personality is sometimes famous for talking at great length about favorite topics on which great swaths of information has been accumulated. This can be irritating, in group life, where more balance is wanted.

But, the Aspergerish hermit, whom I call the "accidental hermit," while ill-suited to group life, given her God-given idiosyncracies, is  in greater need of the protections afforded by the monastic institutions because we are more vulnerable to the dangers of life outside the convent or monastery, due to the Accidental Hermit's gullibly loving nature, on the one hand, and the predatory nature of many of the folks among whom she has to live in close quarters, on the other.  Our culture has moved away from the Christian norm, for instance.

Unfortunately,  modern Americans have grown increasingly avaricious and scheming, and, while there are pockets of small-town culture where the Christian standards remain the blessed norm, it is sad to see, in my experience, that loving one's neighbor usually results in your disabled urban hermit being taken advantage of by those neighbors who share nearby residence. One would think that only the poverty stricken would prey upon the hermit, but in my lifelong experience, it does not matter the socio-economic station of the neighbor. All it takes is proximity and greed. 

Through artifice and design, some neurotypical people attempt to befriend your hermit for the sole purpose of grasping onto a piece of furniture or other thing they learn that I possess and, as soon as they have it and everything else they want, they fall back into a hard-bitten hostility and gritty cynicism that expresses itself in bitter recriminations for manufactured slights that are used as a smoke screen behind which to hide their acquisitiveness. 

If your loving Aspergerish hermit cannot physically do the service that these neighbors want or if she cannot afford to let go of the furniture on which the neighbor has set her eye, the neighbor will manipulate the situation so that others gang up on the hermit in order to force the item or service from her. All pretense of friendship is dropped, and the neighbor begins the litany of complaints that he or (usually) she recites.

Being a gentle soul, the Accidental Hermit will not lower herself to bickering over these items, nor will she pour grievances on the head of the people who have drawn her into their selfish dramas, but she does feel a certain sadness that these people have given up the real value that is to be had in the association with a lover of God.  

Despite these very real (and seemingly perennial) distractions, I contend that the Accidental Hermit is uniquely suited for this vocation, as an urban hermit, hidden among other single women and men, living in city apartments, following their monastic schedule.

The one thing that is sometimes a struggle is to be able to put down whatever I am doing at the moment, in obedience to the schedule. Most of the monastic institutions, convents and monasteries, chant the Divine Office at specific hours through the day and night. One has to be able to put down one's work at the time for prayer, and likewise put down one's prayer when it is time for work, or lunch, or sleep! I find it very difficult to drop anything in which I am engrossed at the moment, whether it be work, play or prayer. This is typical of many who have the Asperger personality, and it is an area in which being part of an institution would be helpful, but which I have to call upon self-discipline to do while alone.  There are trade-offs in both situations.

Photo by Bryan Brittos

unsplash.com

Royalty free images

If I don't have a saint to discuss in my next post, I may spend some time discussing the monastic schedule, or the "Rule of Life" that I have adopted for myself, in particular the prayer schedule.  

Any reader that has questions about the hermit life is free to ask in the comment section and I will answer to the best of my ability. next time I post.

In the meantime, please do not forget the "Go Fund Me" link, above right. While I am self-supporting with my Social Security Retirement funds, it really is not enough for all my needs, and I am falling behind.

God bless us all!

Silver Rose

(c) Copyright 2024, Silver S. Parnell

All rights reserved

(This post talks about "Asperger Syndrome" which used to be its own category, but now the higher functioning folks on the autistic spectrum are included in the wider term of "autistic spectrum disorder." Many of us, however, prefer "Aspergers" and continue to use it for ourselves. For my ears, it sounds more benign or pleasantly quirky. I am a fan of self determination and will continue to use it for myself, but also allow that others may prefer "neuro-divergent" or something else, and I will use those favored terms for those individuals when speaking about or to them specifically, otherwise I use my favored term.)

SAINT PAUL OF THEBES, THE FIRST HERMIT - JANUARY 15

 

Saint Paul receiving bread from the raven

that was purported to keep him alive to

be more than 100 years old

In a couple weeks, I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary as an urban hermit, so the topic is on my mind.

You know, I am always fascinated to read about the lives of these saints who were hermits, and there are quite a few of them in recorded history.

Paul is considered the first Christian hermit. We know about him because Saint Jerome wrote about him and Saint Anthony the Great, who had a connection later in life.  Paul is said to have lived to be more than 113 years old, kept alive by a raven that brought him half a loaf of bread every evening. I don't know what to say about that. I don't think I could be kept alive by only half a loaf of bread every night!

Paul did not initially intend to become a hermit. His brother-in-law wanted to grab his inheritance, so he was about to report Paul to the authorities for being a Christian. Paul went out into the desert to escape being imprisoned and killed but he eventually realized that hermit life suited him.

Obviously, he could not benefit from his inheritance ANYWAY, living in the desert like that, so it appears that he was not that attached to money to begin with, and his brother-in-law needn't have conspired to rob him of it. I find it interesting that I was also robbed of my inheritance and, although I was originally distressed about the injustice of it, considering the level of my needs as a result of my numerous disabilities, I have come to see that it might have turned out to be a curse, if I had not been written out of my father's will after he got Alzheimer's. I would likely have been hounded by people who were intent on grabbing what they could. Money is not the solution some people imagine it to be.  

I DO wish I wasn't a burden on friends, though. That is the one regret. On the flip side, I believe that The Lord has personally sent these kind people to me as his emissaries of love.

The person who robbed the inheritance will have to pay the price instead of me, I suspect. Anyway, the lack of the inheritance provides more opportunity for suffering that I may then offer to the Lord, and I should be grateful for the grace to endure it. I know it sounds backward to some people, but suffering is a type of spiritual currency. It is just ONE of the many ways that God brings all things to the good for those who believe.

Hermits, though they live alone, are normal human beings. They do have friends, but the nature of the relationships are not frequent or typical. Saint Paul became friends with Saint Anthony the Great during two days in Paul's 113th year!

Saint Anthony the Great and Saint

Paul of Thebes, the first hermit

Anthony and Paul only spent a day and a half together, and the next time Anthony went to see him, Paul was dead. There is a charming myth that two lions helped Saint Anthony dig Paul's grave.

I would have loved to have heard the conversation between those two holy men. I can only imagine!

There have been times, when considering my hermit life, that I have thought I should give it up because I am "doing it" imperfectly, but except for the rare moment of loneliness, I still feel that this life suits me, even if I am not a saint thereby. It is good for the ego for a person not to be too "successful," especially a religious person, it seems to me.

So I will slog along in my pathetic representation of a religious hermit, do the best I can, and be grateful for it all. When I celebrate my anniversary on February 3rd, I will be suitably humble before God.

The lives of the hermit saints bear little, if any resemblance to my life, but then the life of the typical resident of Thebes at that time looks nothing like the typical American in 2023! In addition to the differences connected with living a modern life, my numerous and growing disabilities also interfere with the aceticism one would usually expect from a hermit, so I do the best I can. The constant chronic pain is my offering and may be a more painful sacrifice to give than the more austere lives of these early saints. We all do the best we can within the conditions that are provided and the parameters of our own abilities.

Don't get me wrong. I have given it a lot of thought and wondered if I "should" give up the idea of the hermit life, but, although my religious practice is not perfect and, in some superficial ways, I appear to be a fairly typical senior lady of my time and place, I have no strong desire to have any other kind of life goal. I kept trying to see myself doing anything other than what I do now, and I just could not rustle up the interest! If I had wanted a more "normal" life, such as the other women I know, I surely would have tried for it long before my 20 year anniversary, don't you think?

Whatever defects remain in my daily practice must be battled and subdued, if possible, but in any case I will not give up the goal of gaining a more perfect union with The Lord through giving myself to Him alone, even if I fail in the attempt.  Please wish me the best and pray for me.

In the meantime, if you are interested in Saint Paul of Thebes, the First Hermit, and his contemporaries, or you are curious about early hermit life and lore, please take a look at the following links:

CATHOLIC.ORG

WIKIPEDIA.ORG - SAINT PAUL

WIKIPEDIA.ORG - SAINT JEROME

WIKIPEDIA.ORG - SAINT ANTHONY THE GREAT

WIKIPEDIA.ORG - SAINT ATHANASIUS

At some point, I believe that, such as with Anthony and Paul,  I would also like to develop a friendship with at lease one other hermit - especially an urban hermit. We have much to share with one another, I think - especially after 20 years of doing this. I also wonder if it would be a good idea to find a regular confessor, especially now that Covid is not as much of a problem as it was - but I suspect that I may wait another year before risking spending too much time outside the hermitage. God will bring what He wants for me.

I hope you will all pray for me, as I pray for you.

God bless and keep you!

Silver Rose

THE INMATES HAVE TAKEN OVER THE MENTAL INSTITUTION

Last night, I had a lovely 20 minute telephone conversation with a woman who was hired by my home health agency to come and take care of me, do my dishes, a little laundry, and whatever else I need done in the house. I have multiple physical disabilities and I am going blind. I've already lost most of the functional sight in my left eye. It is becoming difficult to function.

It delighted me to speak to this nice lady who talked about her devotion to her clients and how she is really available "24/7" whenever they need her and that I can call her any time if I need help. After telling her how thrilled I was to be having her come to help me, we completed the call and I went to bed feeling great relief that, finally, someone would pick up where the last homemaker left off - you know, the one who got into my pain pills, stole a bunch of things and lied constantly?

This morning, I "hurried"around getting the apartment ready for a new person to come in, making sure there was enough room for her to park in the assigned spot, and generally just making sure that when she walked in the door she wouldn't be overwhelmed.

I sent her a text message at about 10:40, with a picture of the parking spot, and my car right next to it, and I waited.

She never showed up. She didn't call. She didn't answer my phone calls or messages, nor did she call the agency or pick up the phone when the agency called HER. Nothing.

While I was waiting for this woman, I opened up a package of face shields, intending to put them together and have them available for us both to use. Although I had purchased them on Amazon, and they were supposed to be new, they were both badly damaged, and one of them was missing the film that is designed to be peeled off, prior to use. I'd paid $14.00 for two pieces of junk. CLEARLY, I had fallen into a Covid price-gouging scam. The Amazon agent I spoke to when I contacted them to complain had seen this before. We discussed how people are using the world-wide pandemic to enrich themselves.

Later in the day, I picked up some food from a restaurant - a celebration, because today is my birthday. I RARELY buy ready-made food. The man came out of the shop and he wasn't wearing a mask. After all the effort of ordering "contactless" pick-up, he had done nothing to ensure my safety. I'd already paid a tip when I ordered online. I suppose that's all that mattered to him.

Nursing a stomach ache from having eaten abnormally rich food, I watched "Democracy Now" on PBS and was horrified to learn just how much traction Q-Anon has made in the Republican Party. I watched a video in which Trump was asked about them and all he could say was that he heard that they like him very much. (He said it twice.)  He would not disavow their bizarre fantasies. After all, saving the world from devil worshippers, fictional democrat pedophiles and demons was a good thing, right?

What are we talking about? Somebody who styled himself as "Q-Anon" started putting inane cartoonish messages out onto the internet about 3 years ago. He/she claims to be a higher-up in the Trump administration and says he is working with Donald Trump to fight an imaginary Democrat cabal of DEMONS AND DEVIL WORSHIPPERS who they say run a pedophilia ring with the intention of ruling the world. They worship Satan and they eat babies after they molest them, and then they also sell them....and that's not even the wackiest part of the story. Read up about them. I just can't bear it.

[Personally, the whole thing sounds like something out of the feverish mind of an adolescent computer geek who isn't too popular in school, and I am willing to bet that this description is more accurate than the supposed "higher up" in the Trump administration that is supposedly "Q-Anon."]

There is a lot more crazy to be had out of this bunch of fantasists but the really surprising aspect of this is that the Republican Party - a portion of it - has taken on this conspiracy theory and there are more than 20 legislators who are believers! The state of Georgia just nominated an out-and-proud Q-Anon supporter, to the 14th Congressional District: Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has a reputation for blatantly racist comments in the past.

Oregon Republicans have also nominated a Q-Anon advocate to the Senate: Joe Rae Perkins.

The list goes on. If you're not familiar with any of this, research it. It beggars belief.

Previously, I would give you a host of links, which took forever, and I can no longer afford the time, as it was eating into my spiritual disciplines and my creative endeavors. Let me just assure you that this is an extremely important turn of events that should form part of your understanding of our current situation. Dig into it.

We are seeing a disturbing number of people who are becoming unbalanced as a result of this insanity. Having Donald Trump at the top of the heap was bad enough - but you must understand that he is just a symptom and a mouthpiece. Donald Trump was formed by a combination of these kooks and Fox "News". Now, this insane Q-Anon movement has infiltrated the halls of government and is toxic enough to topple America into the dustbin of history.

UPDATE: Thinking I was finished with today dose of disaster, I published this diary entry. Then I read an article about that Republican couple that stood outside their house and pointed guns at protesters as they passed by on their way to the mayor's house. Evidently, they are terrible bullies and have wreaked vengeance against the Jewish synagogue that shares their property line. The synagogue had just established a series of bee hives at the fence line, to make their own honey for one of their religious holidays. Mark McCloskey, in the middle of the night, without warning or discussion, took an axe to the hives and somehow killed all the bees. He left a note that if the detritus wasn't moved immediately, he and his wife Patricia would sue the synagogue.

Evidently, the fence was 6 inches over their property line. SIX INCHES. The little Jewish children cried when they learned of the destruction. The Rabbi reports that this act of bullying is not the first. They would have been more than happy to move the hives if the McCloskey's had communicated with them. These vile people, these bullies, will be speaking during the Republican National Convention.

It doesn't surprise me that people like the McCloskeys will be celebrated by the Trumpian Party, formerly the Republican Party, because it has become the party of hate, bigotry, and bullying. The preferred method for nearly every issue is FORCE AND PUNISHMENT. At the same time, these people loudly assert a type of Christianity that would make Jesus weep. This is not what He had in mind. NONE of this is what He had in mind.

Can you imagine what Jesus would say if you walked up to Him and told him that you've broken up families and incarcerated the babies behind barbed wire, to sleep on cement floors, under mylar-coated pieces of paper, without any reliable means of reuniting the families? Bullying, bigotry, force and punishment are not worthy of the humble man called Jesus, the man of Love and peace.

I think about the babies every day. Their contorted faces, wet with tears, haunt my every nightmare. Every morning I wake up thinking about them. I can hear them from the videotapes I have watched. "Mommy! Poppy!" The piteous shrieks make my heart ache. I can feel their terror and emotional pain. Psychologists have confirmed that what they have been made to endure by the Trump administration is equivalent to the worst psychological TORTURE.

Later, I happened to see yet another unarmed black man, shot in the back by police officers. Nothing has changed since BLACK LIVES MATTER became a thing. Almost every night there is a new videotape of an unarmed, defenseless man being killed by the police. Tonight, they put seven bullets into the man's back while his three little children watched. He was leaning into the car where they were all sitting. So close, they could smell the blood and the gunpowder.

Every day is some fresh new hell. Every. Damn. DAY.

Voting will not be enough to fix this problem that we have in this country. What do we do about a country that has lionized individuality to such an extent that we have become soulless, selfish MONSTERS? What do we do?

Being disabled, mobility challenged, poor, half blind - I have no power to fix this AT ALL. I can pray. Of course I can pray. And I can meditate to maintain my own inner peace and equilibrium. But how do we pull our country out of this terrible black hole into which we have plummeted?

I suspect that, in the rise and fall of civilizations, this is our fall...and there is no coming back from it. If I had the money, I would move to another country - a kinder country - perhaps Canada. Sometimes I fantasize about going "back" to where my family originally came from - Wales or Ireland or Scotland or Cornwall. I mull over the idea of learning Irish or Welsh. To which country will I return when I suddenly have money to spend and my body is suddenly healthy again? Obviously, I have a strong fantasy life. In reality, I am stuck here, in a country ruled by animalistic heathen bastards.

But it is also full of blessed, loving, lovable and truly gentle souls. We must band together...if for nothing other than our shared mental health and wellbeing.

The most important thing I want to suggest to you is that you redouble your spiritual efforts in order to stay sane, stay balanced, and stay in tune with the Divine. If you'd like to connect with other SANE SPIRITUAL PEOPLE, contact me on my Facebook page:

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO MY FACEBOOK

In the meantime, God bless you and keep you.

Silver Rose
Sannyasini Kaliprana

UNSOLICITED ADVICE

There is nothing that throws a cold wet blanket on a relationship like unsolicited advice when a little empathy and sympathy are all that are called for.

This is never more evident than on social media, especially with people with whom you are less well acquainted than would be ideal. Let us say that you've had a bad day or something unfortunate is occurring, and you post an oblique mention on Facebook among your friends. There is always at least one person who, without benefit of knowing any of the underlying facts, just jumps right in and does a cursory Google search and then throws a website link at you or, more commonly, they will dispense low-grade, unimaginative BASIC directions that only a truly dull person would not have already thought to do.

She knows next to nothing about the situation and, though you haven't asked for advice or recommendations, this person is going to give you elementary instructions, by golly, whether you like it or not, and when you tell her that you aren't in need of her sage advice, she informs you that simply by posting anything on Facebook, you are asking for advice. Of course, this is not true. Posting on Facebook does not constitute permission for random people to talk down to you vis-a-vis ridiculously juvenile advice. Fortunately, there is a block function, and you can get rid of these socially inept neanderthals when they refuse to stop gracing you with their fabulous prescriptions.

After my latest experience with a woman who tried to force her advice on me, despite my request that she stop, I was moved to write a blog about communication. Clearly, it is needed, though I doubt the people who need it the most will read this, but perhaps if the rest of us raise the tone of social media through treating each other with greater respect and love, those other people who are addicted to the sound of their own voices will pick up some of these habits by osmosis. A rising tide raises all boats.

The great thing about a blog is that, although it is often a type of 'advice,' it is a passive platform for it. It isn't targeted to any one individual. It doesn't humiliate individuals in public in the way that a Facebook post will do. If someone reads this blog, or any blog, they're free to take any "advice" they feel might relate to them,  without having to feel that they have been flagged in public.

So what should you do instead of forcing unsolicited advice on others? If you truly want to "help someone" (as many advice-givers claim) then take the time to get an accurate picture of the problem, but first ask the person if they want your help. If it is a personal matter, don't be surprised if they decide not to share with you. If they're not comfortable sharing the details with you, then they're sure not going to be comfortable listening to your advice. Offer, instead, emotional support. something along the lines of;

"I'm sorry you're going through a rough patch right now. Let me know if you ever want to talk."

If you DO get their agreement, ask some fact finding questions that will give you the back story. Ask the person what they've done to rectify the situation and ask them what result they would like to have happen. Ask an open question such as, "is there anything else you want to tell me about this situation?"

At that point, if you feel you may have some ideas that might help, ask the person, "can I run some ideas by you?" If they say "yes" then phrase your ideas gently. Don't tell them what to do. Ask them. For instance, "how would you feel about doing ______(x)_______" OR "Have you thought about doing ________(x)___________."

This is a format for phrasing your questions in a respectful manner that invites permission, rather than trying to force it.

Be prepared for the person to reject your ideas. They do not owe it to you to explain why your ideas for them do not work for them. It may look to you as if the person is just being negative or that they are standing in their own way or even causing their own problems. That could be true or it also could be true that you are failing to understand this person's point of view. No matter how self-reflective a person is, it is often difficult to convey an individual's perspective to another person who doesn't live inside their head, and they simply don't have the language to articulate it.

The entire world is not crying out for our opinions, as much as some might feel otherwise. It is far more crucial to give love, affection, sympathy and warmth than it could ever be for your unsolicited advice.

Just to be clear, solicited advice is when an individual agrees that they specifically want your advice in particular. It doesn't count if someone has mentioned a problem in a Facebook post UNLESS that post distinctly ASKS for advice or recommendations. Posting a lament is not permission.

If you haven't asked the receiver if they want your advice, anything and everything you might offer as a solution is unsolicited and therefore useless.

If it sounds like compassion takes a lot of time and a lot of work - it DOES! If you can't give the time, don't offer your services.

Finally, I would ask you to examine your motives. Why is it your first instinct to try and control the actions, thoughts or words of another person instead of offering sympathy, love and emotional support? Does this person's situation actually annoy you, and you want to shut them up by offering a fast fix so you can make a hasty exit? Do you feel judgmental or critical about the person and think, perhaps, they cause their own problems?  Do you feel uncomfortable with the personal information that they've revealed about themselves? Get yourself sorted out FIRST. YOU might be the one that needs fixing - in the way of an attitude adjustment. Or perhaps you just need a script - something to say that conveys compassion but that doesn't require you to have an hours-long conversation you don't have the time to start?

"I'm sorry to hear this. Do you need to talk about it?" is a good place to start. If you don't have time at the moment, then also say something like, "I've got to run out now, but I have some time on Friday. Can we chat on a private message?" If you DON'T have any real interest in the person, then you can simply say "I'm sorry to hear this. May I pray for you?" [Or whatever your version is.] You get the idea.

You aren't expected to be available to every person you run into on social media. You don't HAVE to fix every squeaky wheel, and it is understood that we all have a finite number of minutes we can afford to devote to noodling around on Facebook.

MOST of us have, on occasion, had to throttle back the tendency to opine about what OTHER people should do.  I've done it, in the past, and I continue to try to be better about this and put a lid on this bad habit.  Every year I try to be better, show more love, and to be more respectful and receptive to the needs of suffering people. I offer this blog in that spirit, so that we can all travel together toward love, in love.

God bless you all.

Silver Rose
Sannyasini Kaliprana