Tomorrow, tomorrow?

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

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

The Nine S': Serenity

The ninth and final S is serenity.  This may seem more an outcome or effect than a standard of formation in our earthly and spiritual lives.  However, after examining serenity, we may affect our living in Christ in the present moment, living the Gospel Rule, through being serene.

Serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, untroubled, unruffled and tranquil.  The Latin root, serenus, was used to describe the weather or sky as clear, fine, or calm, or as an expanse of clear, calm sea.  Such is the state of our soul when we are formed in the standard of the Nine S': silence, solitude, slowness, suffering, selflessness, simplicity, stability, stillness and serenity.

While serenity seems an accumulative effect of all the s', the state of being calm and tranquil is something we can attain by cooperating with the Most Holy Trinity.  The descriptor of clarity seems especially important.  Consider clarity of the night sky, a window, a pool of water.  Consider clarity of our physical sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell.  

Consider the clarity of our bodily functions--the air we breathe, the blood that courses through our vessels, and the various organs that are fed and purify the elements within our systems.  Consider the clarity of the inner senses which mirror the outer senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell.  Also consider the clarity of our spoken thoughts and inner thoughts; are they calm and clear, peaceful, tranquil, undisturbed?

There are ways we may affect the clarity of both our inner and outer "bodies".  For the inner, we gently wipe away the fog as from a misted window, or still the ripples by remaining inwardly motionless.  We bathe our souls in what is divine, inspirational, and pure.  We are refreshed by the Body and Blood of Christ, cleansed by frequent confession, partake of Sacraments pertinent to our state and condition in life. All is accomplished through love, and now we know that it is remaining in Christ's love and all the attributes of love (see 1 Cor. 13) in every present moment, that clarity and calm clear the fog of our inner beings.

As for our outer lives, we must make simple choices as eating fresh and healthy foods, drinking water, proper hygiene of body, tending to illnesses and preemptive measures to ensure the best health within our personal means, rest, and exercise.  We dress appropriately for the weather and rest comfortably as our conditions permit.  We take into our eyes, ears, mouth, nose and skin what is refreshing, healthy, pure and ennobling.  We read, listen, worship, absorb the purity of truth of the Faith, practice virtues, and love to learn to love God and others.

Are we amazed that serenity may be aided from such personal choices and life styles?  Does it seem we are not sacrificial or penitential?   Shouldn't we be austere?  Now consider Christ, our King.  He plucked grain on the Sabbath when traveling and hungry.  Even after His resurrection He grilled fish on the shore for the disciples to eat after a long day fishing.  Do we have instances of Him scourging Himself or not wearing proper apparel for the climate and times?  Did he go about unkempt?  No.

Christ shows us the Way, the narrow path to the narrow gate and door.  We are to sacrifice our vices, go and sin no more.  We are to eat His Body and drink His Blood, dwell in His word, have true life, eternal life.  We are to lay down our lives for our friends, enter our "inner rooms" and pray, be watchful, love our enemies, detach from that which possesses us, die to ourselves and remain in His love.  

We do not have to seek austerities when we have plenty to do in clearing our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits of hindrances to love.

The challenges God allows will come as needed for strengthening our souls.  We do not need to create hardships and trials.  Remaining in His love, we remain in His will. If we do all we can to live inwardly and outwardly with clarity of health, holy purpose, and His love, we will be composed of Christ's serenity, as well.

The Nine S': Stillness

Stillness is defined as a deep silence or calm.  It actually has various uses and definitions, all reflecting a fixed position, undisturbed by wind, sound or current.  Why is stillness not the same as our S' of silence and stability?  It has to do with degree, the depth.  And, as in all the S', we consider the interior and the exterior.  

There may be stillness of the body and voice as well as stillness of the soul.  If we attend to the stilling of our souls, the exterior will be like an unstirred pool of water or a motionless leaf.  The interior may be like the night desert sky.  We may still from outer to within, moving through rings of the senses, emotions, imagination, memory and understanding, to intellect and will in the heart of the soul.

St. Hesychios the Priest shares the following.  The intellect's great gain from stillness is this:  all the sins that formerly beat upon the intellect as thoughts and which, once admitted by the mind, were turned into outward acts of sin, are now cut off by mental watchfulness.  For, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, this watchfulness does not allow these sins to enter our inner self and so to burgeon into outer acts of evil.

We may go to the interior, to the intellect and will first, and be watchful.  Or we may enter from the outer, the exterior, working our way through stilling the senses, emotions, and so forth.  For those who are able to focus, to enter into the inner, to be watchful of the intellect's thoughts and thus to strengthen the will in purity, all the better.  The stillness will ripple outward, from the center of the soul to the exterior, calming the memory and understanding, imagination, emotions, and senses.

This stillness of soul redounds to the depth of stillness and calm of the Most Holy Trinity.  This stillness of soul washes from the inner to outer like gentle, lapping waves upon the shore of our existence.  It is essential to call upon Christ all the more to receive the standard of formation: stillness.  

Remaining in His love, we learn to be still, and are stilled by His love, in every present moment.  Stillness is the funnel from the inner depths to the outer realms in which we remain unruffled by situational storms.

Be still and know that I am God, sings the Psalmist.