CORPUS CHRISTI, A MOVEABLE FEAST, AND SAINT LUTGARDIS - JUNE 16, 2022

 

Corpus Christi is a "moveable feast." Today is the actual day, i.e., the Thursday just following Trinity Sunday UNLESS the Sunday after Trinity Sunday is free from another obligatory feast, which is the case THIS year, but Corpus Christi is such a pivotal and rather important aspect of our faith, that I tend to start on Thursday and maintain the mood through the next Sunday. In fact, the time period between Pentacost Sunday (which marks my entrance into the church) and Corpus Christi, has a deeply personal significance and cause for celebration for me.

Today is one of those days when I really wish that my physical condition was a bit better, just so I could attend church and have the blessing of the Eucharist. Of course, I do believe that, having received it once, it is of enduring benefit, but humans tend to appreciate the blessings that are repeated at regular intervals.

Because of Covid 19 pandemic, I have not tried to get anyone to visit me with the Eucharist on a regular basis. The last person who was bringing it started delivering it with the good news of Donald Trump instead of the day's Bible reading, and I objected to the substitution.

The Gospel reading for today is Matthew 6:7-15 in which He gives us the Our Father prayer and says that it is how we are to pray:

"Our Father, who art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil."

Forgiveness of others is a wonderful message that is obviously extremely important to our Lord. Every time I ask something of God I remind myself to advocate also for those who have hurt me or others. To be able to put aside all resentment and the urge for retaliation is SO important. One cannot always enjoy the idea of repaying evil with good, but I can make that positive decision for it, regardless of feelings.

Every time this topic comes up, I have to work on my own capacity for forgiveness, especially with regard to some really big and shocking things done in a deliberate effort to hurt me and to also hurt my poor father who suffered from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. His whole life he said, "when I die, kid, you're gonna be rich!" He said it all the time. Provisions in his will reflected it, giving each of his daughters a third of his estate and another third for someone else.  It would have come in handy for someone like me who is disabled, but it is not what happened.

After my father got Alzheimer's he was taken to an attorney entirely unknown to him and I was written out of his will . Shortly thereafter, my poor father died under EXTREMELY suspicious circumstances.  His death certificate was signed by a quack doctor who later went to prison for writing prescriptions for patients he never saw!  I was not notified of my father's death until his body had been cremated, and it was too late for me to get the police involved. 

In the process of trying to get information about my father's suspicious death, I also learned about some outrageous lies that were told about me - to my father before he died, and to family after the fact. Supposedly, I had called and screamed at this person, when telephone records will confirm that this never happened. I DID try many times to reach my father, leaving concerned messages, but I never heard back. I did not realize that my messages were being erased by someone else.  I did not know that my father had dementia or that he was being told lies about me in order to position him into an emotional state that would allow someone else to write me out of his will.  During this time, that person ALSO contacted me and told me, "your father does not love you. He used to have a picture of you by the bed, but he threw it away."

The person responsible for this was obviously trying to manipulate my father (and everyone else) before his death and cover their tracks afterwards.  They were successful in this, as many people are because, face it, Americans don't really care about disabled people or old people. A LOT of people think it is perfectly OK to kill a person with dementia. They say things like, "he wouldn't want to live like that." I know my father really well, and he definitely would not want to be killed. He would expect that people he took care of with the money earned from his hard work would, in turn, take care of him until his natural death. But when the money is rushing out the door for 24 hour, around-the-clock care, certain types of people start to say that "ending his (or her) misery" is the compassionate thing to do.

Every year around this time, I have to endure the emotional distress surrounding the suspicious circumstances of his death. It aggravates my PTSD something fierce. I have this vision in my mind of my father being moved into a room by himself, given an overdose of some medication from that quack doctor, the same doctor who later signed the death certificate, and then he was allowed to struggle and die, alone and unloved. And there is nothing I can do about it because his body was cremated before I knew anything. I was 3 states away, disabled and poor, without the wherewithal to travel to see him.

Imagine the type of personality who could plan and then carry out something like this! Yet, I can freely write about it because it is so common that my description could describe any one of thousands of people who met their death in the exact same way, under the exact same circumstances. These days, our society counts it as a "favor" when disabled and demented people are "helped to die." Doctors are often 'in on' the schemes. The victim typically leaves money and property behind. How convenient.

Given all this, I often feel grateful to be poor. No one will be murdering ME for my money, because I do not have any. I own no property. I leave behind only bills.

To make matters worse, other family members intervened after my father's death and compounded the injury, benefitting financially with despicable machinations originally framed as something supposed to "help" me but which were designed to back me into a corner and rob me instead. This too is quite common. The moment someone dies, it is often the trigger for the worst character traits to suddenly come out by anyone involved. I wasn't expecting it because my mind does not operate in this way. It took me far too long to realize the grift that was being perpetrated on me, on top of everything else. This is the stuff of which murder mysteries are made.

I have learned from this experience and others that human beings "become" avaricious when someone dies. They're like cockroaches scavenging a dead bug. It is a perfect example of why humans need the forgiveness of God and why having money is more of a curse than a blessing.

It is not easy to pray for the welfare of people responsible for heinous acts against myself and people I love, but I can decide to forgive without feeling happy about it. I keep having to make that decision, over and over again, every year around the anniversary of my poor father's death - chipping away, each time, at the tendency for unforgiveness. The happiness I do feel is in obeying the commandments of my Lord. He will deal with the cruel perfidious people responsible for everything that happened to my Dad and all the other dads that meet their fate in that way. Life is short, but eternity is very very long.

The Feast of Corpus Christi is the celebration of the Eucharist, so I plan to watch mass online and take advantage of spiritual communion. I am exhausted from the aftereffects of the booster shot I received yesterday. I can barely move, but I have many things to do. I pray for the energy to do what is necessary.

Saint Lutgardis

b. 1182

d. 16 June 1246

Today is also the feast day for Saint Lutgardis, who is the patron saint for people who suffer from blindness, disability, handicaps, and physical challenges, which is right up my alley, isn't it?

When she was only twelve years old, she was placed in a convent because her family had "lost" her dowry in a failed business deal, and there was no hope of finding her a good marriage. It is SO sad to read these stories about how women were treated as property until a very short time ago. Here in America, for instance, a woman could not have a credit card in her own name until the 1970's, nor could she sign pretty much any legal document without a co-signature from her father or her husband.

In the Middle Ages, when Lutgardis lived, a family had to PAY a man to take their daughter off their hands. Women were considered a burden on the family and, in the case of poor families especially, a useless extra mouth to feed. It didn't matter how much work a woman did in the household. She was never credited with the benefits of it. (To be fair, marriages were more credibly looked upon as the merging of two families rather than just individuals - and love matches were fairly rare.)

The ONE way a woman could be perceived as having any value was when she became a nun, but Lutgardis had little real interest in religion. An attractive young woman who enjoyed nice clothing and entertainment, she lived in the convent as if it was a private apartment, coming and going, hosting visitors, and generally being a scandal.  I suspect this was not an unusual state of affairs, considering the spot that women were in at that time. There were a LOT of children placed in convents who had not the slightest interest in any sort of religious vocation, but living as a nun was better than living in the world as an unmarried girl, which carried the weight of disgrace.

But suddenly, one day, while relaxing and enjoying conversation with a gentleman caller in the parlor, she was struck with a vision of Jesus Christ, showing his wounds to her. She dispensed with the ersatz lover and, from that point forward, she was transformed. Of course, the other nuns were skeptical, even after she made her solemn profession as a Benedictine. But she continued to have many visions of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. When Pope Innocent III died, he came to her to thank her for her prayers and sacrifices that she had offered for him while he was still alive.

Pope Innocent III

I love this story of Lutgardis being visited with mystical visions, despite being a pleasure-loving young woman. I relate to this very much, since I came to monasticism later in life. I find her a good example for me. I also love it that the Lord came after her and graced her with visions.  It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and will lead her

into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart."

Hosea 2:14

Don't we all wish that the Lord would lure us away from the world and speak to our hearts in this way? Clearly he wanted Lutgardis for his own because he interfered with her flirtation with that young man in the parlor. I used to carry in my wallet a little slip of paper with this Bible passage written on it. Then I knew it by heart and gave it away to someone who needed it.

, 

Lutgardis is credited with having many mystical experiences, levitating into the air and a type of stigmata. When the Benedictine convent where she lived was trying to make her an abbess, she did not want the honor, and she shortly thereafter left them to join the Cistercians, which is an intensely contemplative order. Still, she became known for her spiritual wisdom and the miracles she performed. 

For 11 years before her death, she was blind. Macular degeneration is the principle cause of blindness in older age. It is the disease I have that has destroyed the vision in my left eye, and I would just bet that Lurgardis had this same disease. She was 64 when she died. It is interesting that she is a patron saint of blindness. I should remember to discuss my eyesight with her!

She deliberately refused to speak the French that was used among the Cistercians so that she could practice an extremely solitary and quiet life. She continued to receive visions of Christ and the saints.

She was one of the first saints to be devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the first recorded mystical revelation of His heart was hers. 

In the 13th Century, she was QUITE popular, and she is memorialized in art by several prestigious artists. There is a statue of her made by Matthias Braun, and she was painted by Goya.  To this day she is revered as one of the more famous mystics of the 13th century.

Painting of Lutgardis by Goya

There are many more stories of the really remarkable mystical life of this unexpected saint, caught unawares by the grace of God, and I hope I have time to read more about her! 

Less than two years after her death, a book was written about her by Thomas of Cantimpre, a Dominican friar and theologian. 

Thomas Merton, one of my favorite contemplatives, wrote What Are these Wounds? The Life of a Cistercian Mystic: Saint Lutgarde of Aywieres (Bruce Publishing Company, 1950.)

This is one of the books on my Amazon wish list for books, which you can see:

HERE IS MY WISH LIST FOR BOOKS ON AMAZON

Today has not been terribly productive. I am having some side effects from the Covid 19 booster shot I received yesterday. All I have managed to do is fill out this year's paperwork for my apartment lease renewal, make my daily meal, and go to the bank and get a little grocery money. All of that is in addition to my study for today's saint of the day, etc.

I did spend a short time on Facebook where I wrote a little public service message about these infernal fake memes that attribute quotes to Pope Francis that are actually New Age messaging invented out of whole cloth by some scammer on the internet. People really need to get their quotes (and their facts) from reliable sources - and we all need to remember that just because it sounds good does not mean it is true!

Speaking of truth: I watched the "January 6th" hearing today and was surprised to learn that nearly every close advisor in the Trump administration told him that "the big lie" was, well... a big lie... and that there was no legal way to force Pence to throw out the electors chosen by the people. Even after the mob had started killing people and were chanting, "hang Mike Pence," with a gallows in the background to emphasize the point, Trump egged them on. Advisors begged him to stop the violence, but he refused. It is hard to believe that anyone supports him now, but they do. The world puzzles me. What can I say but please, rely on facts in all things. Rely on TRUTH.

May you all have a blessed day, and I hope my little blog post has given you something helpful.

May we all be blessed!

Silver Rose
Sannyasini Kaliprana

Silver Cottage Hermitage

P.S. All of the blog posts I write are independently researched and written by me and all of them are protected by legal copyright and may not be copied for any purpose by any person for any reason, so please just enjoy them here and leave them here where you found them.

(c) Copyright 2022, Silver S. Parnell

All rights reserved.

No copying for any purpose by anyone is allowed.

Sources, partial list:

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 

Catholic Online

Wikimili

Wikipedia

Catholic News Agency

Loyola Press - Saint Lutgarde of Aywieres

Jan. 6th - Day 3

SAINT EDBURGA OF WINCHESTER - JUNE 15, 2022

 

Saint Edburga / Eadburh of Winchester

b. about 920, d. June 15, 960

My 31st great grandaunt

Today's saint is a great aunt of mine, the daughter of my 32nd great grandfather, Kind Edward I of England and his third wife, Eadgifu of Kent.

(I am descended from Edward and his first wife, Aelfflaed of Bernicia, whose daughter, Eadgifu of Wessex, was my 31st great grandmother. SHE was married to King Charless II "The Simple" of France, my 31st great grandfather.)

Edburga became a nun very early in life and is what is known as a popular "local saint," with several churches in her neighborhood dedicated to her. She was only 3 years old when she was given to the convent - something that would probably be considered a sort of child abuse in these days. They raised her and educated her, and she remained a nun for the entirety of her life.

There IS a fanciful story about King Edward placing the little tot on his lap and asking her to choose between some religious items and some frivolous jewelry - and she chose the religious items, which showed her aptitude and justified sending this BABY away to a convent.

She was credited with being a marvelous singer. Osbert's history, commissioned by the nuns of her convent, recounts that she was the "precentrix" there, which means that she was a type of female cantor and choir leader when the Office was chanted or sung. She would often remain long after the Divine Office was finished so that she could continue to pray quietly in private.

She loved to sing hymns and wore herself out in spiritual disciplines.

Well, thank you, dear aunt, for making us all feel completely inadequate!

Today I wore myself to the nubbins just getting myself and a neighbor to the local Walgreens to get our second Covid booster shots. It had been 10 months since I got my first one, and I did not want to run the risk of contracting Covid during this time when I am feeling particularly worn out.

I had to fold then lift my neighbor's walker into the back seat of my car, then help manage the lock on the passenger seat belt.

The asphalt of the store was vibrating with heat. When we got inside, I said to follow at a slow pace while I went to the pharmacy and announced our arrival. I had previously called and learned that we could just walk in and sign up for our vaccinations. 

I threw my cane into a cart and used it as MY walker,  as I made my way to the pharmacy, as my neighbor followed slowly after me. Eventually, they gave us each a clipboard. I finished mine and then did my neighbors as well, asking the questions on the form, one of which was "are you pregnant?" We had a laugh about that one.

They called  my neighbor in first, and in no time, it was done. Then I went in and chatted amiably with Alex, the really nice pharmacy employee. The two booster shots I have gotten at that pharmacy were much faster and less painful than the ones I receive from the people at the health department. I have to say I appreciate their technique!

Just getting my neighbor out of the car when we got home was almost impossible. It came close to my having to call 911 to get my neighbor out of the car and into the nearby apartment.

This is the last time I will be taking my neighbor with me on any errand because their  disabilities have reached a level where a personal assistant is needed, and I am just another disabled person. 

But I felt good that, despite the pain and exhaustion I was feeling, I had been able to do this last thing. After all, when you're suffering from Parkinson's, the last thing you need would be to get Covid, and I was happy that I was able to play a part in helping get this protection in place! However, doing this took a huge chunk out of my own day and my limited endurance, and I had already spent more than a dozen hours trying to get this person a medic alert bracelet which they now say they don't want. It is both an energy drain and highly frustrating.

When I finally shuffled back to my apartment, I fell asleep in my recliner for a couple hours. When I woke, I felt really awful. I couldn't even get out of the chair for some time and, in thinking of the events of today and the last few months, I felt disappointed that my life circumstances look so very different from the monastic life I had envisioned when I first became disabled. My life has devolved into a long struggle to survive and get ahead of the pain. It is one thing to "offer up" the pain and suffering, but one still has to overcome it to the extent necessary to perform the daily functions of life.

I realized I have to simply my life here at home and I have to start loving my neighbor in a less physical and more spiritual manner. God will show me the way.

May we all be blessed!

Silver Rose
Sannyasini Kaliprana

Silver Cottage Hermitage

P.S. All of the blog posts I write are independently researched and written by me and all of them are protected by legal copyright and may not be copied for any purpose by any person for any reason, so please just enjoy them here and leave them here where you found them.

(c) Copyright 2022, Silver S. Parnell

All rights reserved.

No copying for any purpose by anyone is allowed.

SAINT PETER OF MOUNT ATHOS, TRINITY SUNDAY - JUNE 12TH

 

Saint Peter of Athos is today's saint. Unlike most of the ones I write about, he is not related to me, but he was a hermit and is said to be the first monastic on the island of Mount Athos that is now famously covered with monasteries.  For more than 1,000 years, the Monks of Mount Athos have been chanting the prayers of the Orthodox faith without ceasing.

I am always curious about hermits because, so far, all of them are intentional hermits and not accidental ones like me. I look to them for encouragement, example, and inspiration.

Once I found myself unable to work and somewhat isolated, about 20 years ago, I did choose to dedicate my life to God, but being a hermit was nothing I had ever aspired to do prior to finding myself in the position of being unable to work due to physical pain and disability. Over time, I have realized that my solitary condition is the only real ascetic practice that I have, other than offering up the chronic, constant pain I have suffered for the last 20 years. It's interesting how these things work out. God has a way of organizing it into an organic flow of its own. I have accepted God's will, as it has been revealed by circumstance.

Today was also Trinity Sunday. I won't even try to begin to explain the Trinity, the central concept of the Catholic faith. It is not a simple aspect of our theology, and I am too tired to even look for a good quote. 

I rarely experience a day when I do not feel ill. The pain is marginally addressed with medication but causes other issues, including chronic insomnia. I can't seem to sleep more than 4 hours at a time, for one thing, and I have days when I am dragging myself through my activities. Today was one of those days. I had overdone things yesterday when I had tried to clean my house and do some laundry. The kitchen is a particular problem, since standing in one spot, to do dishes for instance, causes quite a bit of pain. So, the kitchen is almost always in a bad state. It is a constant struggle.

As I have mentioned before, I was approved for caregiver services 2 years ago but have been unable to actually avail myself of those services. There are no caregivers available and the agencies usually ask me to provide someone MYSELF in order to run them through the agency. Only the people who have relatives willing to do this job end up having their needs met. The rest of us go without. (I have previously told you about a handful of people I was offered who caused more problems than they solved - middle-aged drug addicts who had never had a job in their lives before showing up at my door because they had to show a paycheck to the judge to get their kids back who tried to bully me into letting them do their own shopping on my time, people who wanted to lay on my couch and eat my food, and a couple disabled individuals who thought they could sit around and get paid for keeping me company. That sort of thing.) 

I have not just sat around and waited for someone to show up. I got creative and advertised for a caregiver many times through various websites, and I did find quite a few people who said they wanted to do the job, but when they learned that I wanted them to register with an agency to get paid, they each said the same thing, i.e., that Medicaid does not pay enough and that they wanted me to pay them cash, under the table, or they would not take the job. So, there ARE people available to do the work but they won't do it at the pay that the government allows.

I have called every single approved agency on the Medicaid list MORE than once and their situation is such that they don't even have a waiting list. They just tell me they can't help me - except for the one agency that promised me a caregiver, then when I got switched over to them, they claimed that the three days it took to get it done was "too long" and that they had given the caregiver to someone else. They offered to give me someone who refuses to get a Covid shot, which seems ludicrous. I declined to risk my life just to get my dishes done. They offered me a woman who, when she showed up,  told me she intended to spend the day watching movies on Netflix on her phone or sitting and reading because she has gout and can not stand on her feet. (She refused to stay and even TRY to do the job and kept telling me that her last client did not "make" her work and that she only kept her company and brought her a sandwich when she asked for food. THAT poor woman ended up going into a nursing home because she wasn't getting the care she needed.)

I have called Medicaid have a dozen times and they just ended up telling me they can't do anything about it and to call the Department of Aging and Long Term Services who, in turn, told me to call Medicaid. Finally I called the Governor's office four times and emailed them once but never received a phone call back from them, despite assurances that I would. I sent an email to the President of the United States asking him if there wasn't something HE could so, since he was coming to our state - but I got crickets, of course. He has bigger fish to fry, obviously, but I wanted to do everything I could to advocate for myself before I gave up entirely.

Occasionally a friend will come by to do my dishes, and I am grateful I have this help. But meals happen every day and it isn't long before the dishes pile up after I have a few bad days.

Today was Sunday, a day when I typically ease up on my diet, as it is a "feast" day, and I was really hungry, so I decided to get a rare pizza from Pizza Hut.  As usual, it was a disappointing experience.

It is much too expensive to have them deliver the pizza, which always arrives cold ANYWAY, so I arranged for a "contact free" pick up. I was to notify them when I got there, and they were to bring the food out to my car, just a few steps outside their front door.

Arriving at the restaurant 5 minutes after the pizza was supposed to be ready, I called the Pizza Hut number and a woman said she would "tell them" and that someone would come out with the pizza. No one came out, of course. I did see one employee outside, loitering with a homeless looking girl and polishing the hood of a car that was parked out there.

A van pulled up and a driver went in and back out again and drove away. Another van with a Texas license plate drove up and parked behind me so I could not leave if I wanted to. They went in and came out with a pizza and some Pepsi. Ten minutes went by. I saw an employee go in and out several times.

When I'd been there 20 minutes, I call again and the woman said, "well, you should have called when you arrived."

"I DID call," I told her, annoyed about the whole thing. The rude woman on the phone said she notified them that I was waiting but I may just have to go into the store. It was supposed to be "contactless pickup" and they were supposed to bring it out to my car. 

So, I hobbled into the store, with my purse and my cane. The diffident and unapologetic girl behind the counter said that she had gotten no notice at all! My pizza was ready - sitting there, in the warming oven. I hobbled back out with it, juggling pizza, chicken wings, cane and purse. No tip was paid to these people and I told them I would not be back. I had given them many many chances over the years, but their food and their service is uniformly bad, and it would be crazy for me to give them any more chances.

By the time I got home, the pizza was cold, so I put it in the toaster oven. Half of it was just plain old bread. It was the worst pizza I have ever had.

I think it is time to revert to eating raw fruits and vegetables and maybe some canned beans and rice or baked yams, with nuts and seeds to supplement.  It will be healthy and perhaps I will lose some weight. That way, I can avoid too many dishes. If I can get a chair into the kitchen, I won't be faced with having to stand to clean and chop veggies.

I bet Peter of Mount Athos did not eat much. I found myself being curious about the diet of the original hermits. I am betting it was also mostly raw food. In any case, it was frugal, I'm sure.

Today I made a couple pair of earrings from aluminum wire and some other findings I had on hand. I hope to sell them at a local store. I added them to the dozen or so I had made previously. Even hermits have to do some kind of manual labor to support themselves.

My favorite Carmelite nuns, with a monastery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are part of an ascetic order of nuns that live mostly in silent adoration of the Divine, practicing meditation, chanting the holy office and immersed in mental prayer. But they have to bring in money to support themselves also, so they have a website where they sell special hand-made rosaries, religious medals, books, and all sorts of things. (By the way, you can find them at: SISTERS OF CARMEL) I highly recommend them.

I remember reading about the monks of Mount Athos when I was a nun in the Hindu convent. Mount Athos is extremely important to the mystical heart of the Orthodox Christian world. Like most monasteries, there are no females allowed on Mount Athos EXCEPT for cats which keep the mice and rats under control!

Photo from an article on a blog devoted to Greece

"The Only Female Allowed on Mount Athos"

GREECE HIGH DEFINITION BLOG

I was surprised and delighted at the number of cats that swarm about the monasteries.

If you would like to read and see more of it, The Guardian also did a wonderful picture essay about it, which you can see HERE - "The Holy Mountain: Monks of Mount Athos

In addition to the monks of the monasteries that live there, the hills are dotted with tiny little hermit "cells" where the hermits live with the bones of the hermits that lived there before them. The bones are kept in a silver box. I'm not sure what the point is of that but it probably assists the monk in keeping his mind on the reality of human life and death. The little hermit cells look fairly dirty and unkempt. I am not sure what the older hermits eat, because some of them can no longer even get out of their cells because it would mean climbing the rocky hills and ledges where their cells are perched. One of them has lived in his cell for 64 years but can no longer come out because he can't handle the rocky climb. I am assuming that the monks of the monastery must leave him some kind of food to eat or they lift it up to him with an arrangement of pullies and baskets. When comparing my situation with his, I live like a queen, so I try to keep this all in perspective.

CBS NEWS did a report about the health of the monks of Mount Athos. The monks there live very long lives with "shockingly low" rates of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses that plague modern man. Alzheimer's is almost "unheard of." This really IS surprising.

READ THE CBS REPORT HERE

Their remarkable health is attributed to their diet of simple meals eaten at regular intervals in what is known as "the Mediterranean Diet" which is the diet that every one of my doctors has recommended I use! How wonderful that the diet for my good health is the same as the simple diet of ascetic monastics that I am trying to emulate!

I am pretty sure they don't have a Pizza Hut on Mount Athos. They also do not have any women or children (obviously.) They pray and meditate, do a lot of physical work, and eat a wholesome Mediterranean diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

In addition to the nuts and seeds, there are some supplements that the doctors recommend.  All of these things are on my wish list on Amazon. They have my address and can mail to me directly.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY WISH LIST

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful week. I will be working to try to make a little extra money with my art projects but I will not forget to pray for all of you, as I hope that you also pray for me.

God bless us all!

Silver Rose

MY GRANDFATHER, SAINT EDGAR "THE PEACEFUL" KING OF ENGLAND, AND A HOST OF OTHERS

 

SAINT EDGAR "THE PEACEFUL"

KING OF ENGLAND

My 33rd Great Grandfather

Born 7 August 943 - Died 8 July 975

Patron Saint of Kings and Widowers

MY 33RD GREAT GRANDFATHER

When I have a rough day, and my pain is ratcheted up and I feel like complaining, I often glance at the saint of the day to find that the Catholic world is celebrating at least ONE illustrious ancestor of mine.  Often, MORE than one is involved, which can be overwhelming to meditate upon, or even to write about, but I feel oddly supported by the numbers. (More about that later.)

Typically, as in today's saint, that ancestor has some weighty responsibilities and, comparing mine to his or hers, can help put things in perspective.

As it happens, today's calendar has quite a few of my relatives, as well as some favorites like Macrina "The Elder," known as one of the Desert Mothers and an example to me. But I can't write about them all just now because it is 11 p.m. and I am going to try to do this post quickly so I can at least make an effort to get into bed.

PEACEFUL UNIFICATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TRADITIONS

One thing I particularly appreciate about this grandfather is that he was so successful in unifying the English realm that it never devolved back into the handful of minor kingdoms such as East Anglia, Mercia, Northumberland, Wessex, York, etc., etc. When crowned, he became king of a cohesive kingdom.

In these days of much talked-about divisiveness between the two major parties in the American political scene, I feel that we could certainly use the gifts of someone like Edgar the Peaceful.

Also, the ritual of coronation, as well as the oath taken during it, began with Edgar's coronation and continues to this day.

His division of the kingdom into "shires" also persists to present time. He had a steady hand when it came to government.

SAINTS SOMETIMES "RUN" IN A FAMILY

Edgar's mother was Saint Aelfgifu (aka "Elgiva") wife of King Edmund I "Atheling" of England, but her saintliness must have been more a matter of DNA than any nurturing she could have given him because she died the year after he was born. I can't tell you how many times I have wished that some of this wonderful DNA had been passed down to me!

(See my blog of May 18, her feast day, for more information,)

Upon the death of his mother he was sent to be raised by Athelstan, the Ealdorman of Mercia, and his wife, Aelfwynn.

Edgar's great grandfather was Alfred the Great, and it is through him that ONE of my lines of descent traces to that sainted king. I am actually descended from two of Alfred's children with his wife, Saint Ealhswith.

All these sainted ancestors could be confusing if they were not recorded in history and in my family tree. I will often write their names and relationships in my calendar on their feast day and meditate on various aspects of their lives, asking for special intercession from my "royal rellies!"

With regard to these royal families, they are often recognized as saints through their support of monastic institutions. Other families, such as Therese of Lisieux, are extremely devout, with a mystical bent, and THIS is what gets passed down through the ages.

MONASTIC REFORMS AND GROWTH

Beginning when he is about 14, he is declared the king of the Mercians and begins a period of monastic reforms, which I find remarkable for someone so young, but we have to remember that most young monarchs had people around them "advising" them to one degree or another. In Edgar's case, he had Saint Dunstan, previously exiled by the prior King. Edgar brought him out of exile and kept him close thereafter. We can see Dunstan's hand in Edgar's rehabilitation of The Church and its monastic institutions during his reign.

Saint Dunstan was very popular for quite some time. Apparently, there is some story about how he bested Satan, and I need to try and read up on that little tiff! It is bound to be educational and/or inspiring. I know little to nothing of Dunstant at the moment, but clearly I need to repair that deficit!

Under Edgar's rule, the monasteries had to be rebuilt because a great number of them had been sacked by the Vikings. As usual, some of the aristocratic classes become resentful of resources going toward this work, as well as the land that was given over for that purpose.

Even the saints get pushback when one is trying to do something holy and good! Something to remember when we try to establish some holy work or intention and even the church hierarchy objects or just stands in the way! Humans are the same, no matter WHAT institution they occupy. Some are holy. Some are not.

PROGRESS FOR FEMALE MONARCHS AND A SOAP OPERA

Another thing I really like about his is his appreciation for women in positions of power. Up until this point, women were not usually given any at all....always just an appendage of some husband or other.

He officially crowned his wife Aelfthryth "Queen of England," a real first.

The problem, though, with Edgar's - ahem - appreciation of the fairer sex is that supposedly he could not "keep it in his pants."  He was accused of having an affair with a nun named Wulfthryth (aka Saint Wulfthryth of Wilton.)  OTHER SOURCES say that she was his lawful wife but was "put aside" and banished to the nunnery. She bore him one son.

Then, at some point, Edgar had sent Ethelwold to "check out" Aelfthryth (my ancestor queen), but the messenger fell in love and married her himself. He conducted a subterfuge wherein he told King Edgar that she was terribly ugly. Later, he was murdered. We are guessing it was arranged by Edgar.

It is all very tawdry and complicated, as these royal marriages could often be in those days.

As usual, I have to leave this most interesting saint for another day when I have time to read up on him.

THE INNER LIFE

In my case, most of my work has to do with the inner life of a solitary monastic. I don't know that there is much to recommend him as far as Edgar is concerned, when it comes to inspiration, anyway. I can certainly appreciate his steadiness in government and devotion to the monastic orders, albeit probably Saint Dunstan's influence that pushed that forward. He was certainly a staunch advocate for women in power, to the degree allowed in those days.

With an ancestor like Edgar, I will often ask for intercession to be endowed with qualities of strength, courage, devotion to duty, and that sort of thing.

THE MYSTICS AMONG US

At the suggestion of a holy friend, I joined a Facebook group for "Catholic Mystics" recently. There were only a few available, and except for one they were small and most had not had a post in several YEARS. I was left with ONE, essentially, and, sure enough, today when I checked out what was going on, some woman had posted a blatantly political meme about gender identity, objecting to it and saying that God does not make mistakes. This was a reference to some things that are happening in the political realm these days.

We live in an era where politics has infected and taken over Christianity. It is terribly sad. I joined that group because I had been looking for some spiritual companionship with others of like mind, but apparently there is none to be had. I got pushback when I objected to the political nature of that post, but several people were on their high horse about this topic. The "holier-than-thou" attitude is hard to take. It is a huge turnoff, and I will most likely leave that group.

Don't get me wrong. I am far from ignorant about politics. I make it a point to read up and get acquainted with what is going on so that I can be a responsible voter. I just don't want to see this in my prayer time, when I listen to a homily, or when I am spending time in a group that is supposedly about the mystics.

I am also not in favor of stomping around the world trying to get non-religious people to conform to my ideas of religion. THIS is exactly why the separation of church and state is hugely important. Jesus said to evangelize. He didn't say that our salvation depended upon political measures.

Mother Tessa Bielecki warned me about this when I was corresponding with her from my Hindu convent 30 years ago, where I had read about the mystics and had resolved to leave and become Catholic. She told me that I would not find the mystical life in the parishes and, for the most part, she was right.

I remember the last time someone brought the Eucharist to my apartment, 2 or 3 years ago. Instead of discussing the readings of the day, she was enthused about Donald Trump, and was thanking God for HIM. It was very upsetting.

I have to pray to my ancestor, Edgar the Peaceful, for him to intercede for me to be endowed with the strength necessary to continue this solitary path without yearning for any company on it. I pray to be flexible, though, and welcome whatever God wills and allows.

The only company I need is that of The Lord and no other, so I must be satisfied with Him and just know that He is always with me and that all my lovely ancestors and other relatives, cousins, and inspiring friends, are watching after me from Heaven. I embrace them in spirit.

Of course I realize there are others like me in the world today. I know of a few "city hermits" in Arizona and in other states. Most hermits do not adopt this monastic journey permanently. In less than a year, I will have been living this way for 20 years. Can you imagine? Two decades like this. It has not ended up as I imagined it might, but it is not awful. I am aware of the company of the Divine. I just need to be better established in it.

Even hermits have to do some work to survive. I have monthly social security from more than 33 years of working, but I hope to start painting again one day soon and make some money to get caught up with bills. I have made some crocheted scarves and ponchos to sell at a local store, if possible, as well as some earrings. Of course, the novel is progressing, though slowly. I have always been more interested and inspired by ART than by writing, and that has not changed, but I just hope to become a little FASTER with it than I am at present. We will see how it goes. I sometimes wonder if other people are going to be interested in what interests me. We shall see!

In the meantime, I ask you to please donate to my wish list on Amazon in order to get nourishing food, vitamins and supplements into the house. I have some expenses coming up and could use the help.

Also, have had some deterioration of the bones in my feet, which is quite painful and which was made worse by the Birkenstocks I was wearing, so I had to get rid of those and buy another style by a different manufacturer. Whenever I have to buy shoes, it comes out of my food money, leaving me short for the month.

PRESS THIS LINK FOR WISH LIST

Thanks so much for your company along my journey. I know there is a handful of you who read my blog and I hope that SOMETHING in all of this keeps you inspired to continue down the holy road.

God bless us all

Silver Rose

SAINT ADELA OF NORMANDY - MY SHARED ANCESTOR WITH QUEEN ELIZABETH II

 

Saint Adela of Normandy

(abt. 1066 - 8 March 1137

My 25th Great Grandmother

Patron saint of poets and writers!

I am really enjoying the few snippets of video I have seen about the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's remarkable Platinum Jubilee that began in earnest this week. Incredibly, she has been queen 2 years longer than I have been alive and has steadfastly served her country since she vowed to do so in her early 20's.

Her ascension to the throne, as most people know, was a fluke she could not have anticipated, because, were it not for the fact that her uncle David was such a lounge-lizard and Roue', Elizabeth's father would never have become King and she would not have thereafter become Queen at his untimely death. 

Edward VIII ("David") and Wallis Simpson

On vacation in 1937

Uncle David (Edward VIII) could not bear to carry out his kingly duties and abdicated the same year he took the throne. As long as he remained king, he was not allowed to marry the twice divorced Wallis Simpson, who shared his love of the finer, more leisurely benefits of royal life. 

David (Edward VIII) enjoyed parties, gorgeous clothing, food and cocktails, and everything rich and sumptuous. He would have none of that disagreeable "duty" and "service" that come with a royal title, though he wanted to retain all the honorifics for himself and Wallis, which the royal family and Parliament would not allow. In fact, it was specifically announced that Wallis would NOT be granted the "HRH" that the wife of a monarch, even a former one, would typically get.

Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII

I mention all of that business with Elizabeth's uncle to highlight just how remarkable has been Elizabeth's steadfast devotion to the British people and to her duties. You know, some people do not bother to think about everything she had to give up in order to become queen. They see the family jewels and pomp and circumstance and imagine that she is just sucking it all up and enjoying herself, but I defy anyone to tell me that they would enjoy giving up their freedom in order to do a ceaseless round of formal events, rain or shine, ill health or well. The woman is much older than I am and I can barely get a daily shower, while she is handling a really full schedule!

Of course, the Queen has people to clean, make the meals, and keep the household running. I won't dismiss those facts, but in order to do the work that she does I would also have to have at least as many servants as she has, so I don't begrudge it to her one bit.

Elizabeth and I are very distant cousins, thanks to those folks from the British Isles who were descended from the nobility but were the "second sons" who did not inherit the titles and land. The prospect of owning land was not something that many people in the British Isles could have any hope of doing, so when it became possible for some to come here and actually grab some land, with its attendant resources, those who had the means and nerve to do so, came here to try their luck.

My ancestry hails back to some of those folk who settled in Jamestown in the very early years of this country's history, and that is how I came to be Elizabeth II's 20th cousin, once removed! MANY people in the U.S. can say the same, as a lot of years and generations have passed since my aristocratic ancestors came here - plenty of time for lots of progeny!

(It is worth noting, for the genealogy buffs among us, that the European "noble" cousins intermarried frequently so that my shared ancestry with Queen Elizabeth II is from more than one line, all of which have been documented in various history books, marriage and birth records. I have this in common with many of my friends, here in the U.S., due to the "second sons" mentioned earlier.)

So - Saint Adela of Normandy is also on my mind just now because, as is my habit, I try to bring in thoughts and meditations on my saintly ancestors, when possible, in order to get through my day. I wonder if cousin Elizabeth also gives thought to her saintly ancestors in order to get through HER day, the implications and responsibilities of which are far greater than mine!

Adela was a daughter of William the Conqueror and, although a married female, she was involved in politics throughout her life. I suspect this is partially due to her father's great renown. Likely, some of the glow from his reputation and power would reflect a bit on her.

The young saint married when she was but 15 years old, and her husband was more than twice her age, but by all accounts, it was a good marriage. When he was fighting in the Crusades, she acted as regent on his behalf, taking care of his duties in his absence.

Count Stephen II of Blois

Her husband abandoned the Crusade the first time around, and she continued to berate him for it, even during lovemaking, which is rather funny. Eventually, she convinced him to return to that war and he died in it.

They had at least 7 children. I am descended from their son William (Guillaume) and her majesty, Elizabeth II, is descended from a different one. The line of descent is circuitous. Or she may be descended from another child of William the Conqueror. The fact is that we have SEVERAL mutual ancestors, as mentioned before.

Her Royal Highness

Elizabeth II

Queen of England

My 21st cousin, once removed

Official platinum jubilee photo

Despite her advanced age, HRH Queen Elizabeth manages to convey a spritely mien in the photos and videos I have seen of her appearances during her jubilee celebrations.

I would not mind imitating my cousin and having some sort of assistance here at home. Today I nearly lost my mind trying to locate the medic alert bracelet that I ordered for my next door neighbor. I had already spent hours on the telephone trying to find out where it was. After many attempts to locate it, I had just given up on PHILLIPS LIFELINE. Everyone I spoke with at that company had a completely different story. The last agent told me that the original order had been entered into the computer wrong but that SHE had fixed it and, unfortunately, it had never been sent. That was just a few days ago.

This morning, however, I received a phone message from them telling me that the device had been delivered by FedEx EIGHT DAYS AGO.

I won't bore you to death telling you what I had to do, but suffice it to say that I had to speak to MANY people, at both PHILLIPS LIFELINE and FEDEX and MY APARTMENT MANAGEMENT OFFICE. It took forever.

"The best penance is to have patience with

the sorrows God permits. A very good penance

is to dedicate oneself to fulfill the duties of

everyday with exactitude and to study and

work with all our strength."

St. Peter Damian

It turns out that PHILLIPS LIFELINE had not put her apartment number on the label and that when the FedEx guy got here, he was confronted with at least 70 apartments so God only knows WHICH apartment he dropped it at. FEDEX told me it was the apartment where my neighbor USED to live, so I can just guess that instead of calling the shipper (PHILLIPS LIFELINE) they looked her up via the post office, and the post office has not corrected her address on the public record.

WHOEVER received the package must have eventually given it to the people at the office, but THEY never contact me. It wasn't until I called THEM that the box "turned up" and the apartment manager came and dropped it off to me this afternoon. I was exhausted from all the phone calls!

The most unpleasant part of my day was a clerk at PHILLIPS LIFELINE who has subjected me to his sadistic and passive aggressive hostility several times before. Each time, I ask to speak to his supervisor, and each time he says they will call me back and each time, you guessed it, I do not hear from anyone. He says his name is "Kim." Ah! How I wish I was Queen TODAY. I would have locked him up in the Tower. Absent the power to do THAT, I threw some language at him and hung up.

Tomorrow I pray to do better in all things.

My neighbor subsequently told me I needed to take her to pick up her medication today and I had to explain to her again that I am not able to take MYSELF to my own places of business and, once again, that I am in a lot of pain. I explained to her again that "I am not going to be able to do anything for you other than the phone calls I have been doing."  

I AM working on getting a social worker attached to her case because I am disabled and this woman needs to be able to depend upon someone reliable. The phone calls ALONE are too much for me.  I am not getting any of my business done because it takes so many phone calls and so much time to get just one small thing done for HER. As a matter of fact, she HAS some relatives in this town but they are not available to her. Often, she tells me they have failed to show up. Poor thing sits there all day, waiting for the help that will not come.

But It's not her fault. We simply do not have enough care for all of us old ones in this country.  For some reason, everyone seems to believe that all of the disabled elderly people have family to care for them and the government supposedly picks up all the slack and it is simply not true. NOT. AT. ALL.

I have tried to get this issue addressed by the governor, but I have called her office four times in the last 8 weeks and no one calls me back. If I was my cousin, the queen, I bet they would pay attention to me THEN, wouldn't they? Or would they?  I don't know.

I ask you to pray for me and for my neighbor and also, if you could please take a look at my Amazon wish list, there are some food and supplement items on there I could really use but cannot afford. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:

CLICK HERE FOR THE AMAZON WISH LIST

Amazon has my address and will mail to me direct. Fortunately, they already know where I live and my Amazon shipments do not usually get lost. I really need some of  the food items, mostly the nuts and seeds...as well as the supplements. All of those things are very dear and beyond reach for my budget, but they are recommended on the diet that four or five medical personnel have advised me to eat.

Also - in addition to prayers for my neighbor, if you could pray for Nicholas and his family, they are couch surfing at a friends house. They have two children, and one is only 3! The other is 7. The car has broken down. So they are without housing and transportation. Nicholas is a nurse and has recently gotten a new job, but he and his little family are going to need a LOT of help to get back on their feet.

READ ABOUT THE LONG-LOST TURTLE

IN "THE DAILY RECORD"

(U.K. NEWSPAPER)

HERE

As a final note: I was surprised to read an article about a tortoise that was inadvertently put in someone's attic IN A BOX and lived for 30 years in that box without food or water. They just discovered him the other day! Someone went into the attic to clean it out and happened to open the box, and there he was...alive and kicking. Amazing!

Evidently, termite larvae may have kept him going. It is a reminder to me that if I intend to live to 120 and "outlive ALL the bastards," I need to sloooooow down a bit and stop trying to get "everything" done. "Everything" will NEVER be done - especially by a lone gray-haired old hermit lady.  All I will do is wear myself down to the nubbins. Also, I could eat less and live longer. Is it time to simplify EVERYTHING?

I think about my neighbor and how she is not prepared to get her needs met in her final years. Who could anticipate her set of circumstances? She has an ailing body and no family members that are positioned to help her. It gives me pause, as my situation is very similar. My only child died when he was but 40.

One thing I have that my neighbor does not is faith and the assistance of my fellow believers. I have noticed that when folks need help, it is almost always the Catholics that step in and assist. The "cosmic poo-poo" people, with their horoscopes and reiki and crystals are nowhere to be found. My neighbor belonged to one of these type of organizations and went to their activities faithfully on Sundays and other days, but I have yet to see even one of those folks come to her aid. Because of her continuing belief in this philosophy, she is also far too hard on herself, blaming herself for her disintegrating health. I suspect it is because they believe in the "power of positive thinking" and that sort of thing.

But sickness, old age and death happens to most of us. (Death happens to ALL of us, of course!)  We need to be ready for it. Many religious traditions have this 'hard wired" into their spiritual practices, such as meditating on death.

Obviously, I am not going to be obnoxious and force Catholicism on anyone, but I hope to be like Brother Tortoise and endure as an example of Christian charity, if possible. It is a difficult task for me, considering my own poor health and reduced circumstances, but I do my best to stay established in the type of humility necessary.

I thank Brother Tortoise for popping up in my news feed and reminding me of some elementary truths.

God bless you all!

Silver Rose

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