" Have no anxiety at all" was the directive from,The Liturgy of The Word, this week. Well excuse me if Joe cannot obey that command. The reality is I do have anxiety. I do have fear.Sometimes, raw naked fear. This goes along with the reality of being a human person, not a machine, not a robot. I have anxiety about writing this blog. ( It happens each and every time. Just like it was when delivering a homily.) I just had a mammogram, to say I did not have anxiety and fear would be a first class ,lie. That word mammogram struck real fear into yours truly. Then I made an effort to face the facts. This fear has to be faced. Fear is sometimes seen by some, as," Facts not in evidence, appearing as reality". Healthy humans face their fears, hence sage advice, " Walk through your fears."" The opposite of fear, is, faith". The what is faith only, a, "journey into uncertainty." A healthy faith reassures me I never "walk alone". I have within my depths The Dwelling of The Holy Trinity. That is why each day, as early as I can, pray that old Celtic prayer, "I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation, of The Holy Trinity". This is going to be recited as early as 1-2-3 o'clock in the morning. Now I see my bathroom awakenings, as a blessing not a curse. I cannot get plugged into my spiritual Power Battery early enough. Again,every blessing is a curse, every curse is a blessing.
I am now armed, at this late stage of my life, with spiritual bromides to alleviate, I am sad to say, temporarily this challenge to my emotional sobriety. " I believe, Lord, help my unbelief/disbelief",is repeated to meet the reality of what I am facing in, the here and now. Now has triggered this bromide," Now is the acceptable time, now is the time of salvation".( 2Cor). In this now moment I am RECEIVING all that I need,not want, to live life, on "life's terms." The challenge for me is for Joe, a real human being, to be actually present to the strengthening gifts being offered. How often have we heard the value of "presence"? well, we are going to hear it, yet again. If I'm not present to all that is being offered,, grace, the outpouring, or is it in-pouring, of The Holy Spirit I am going to miss out to the present of the moment. Belief in the presence of Presence, changes the reality of each moment. Each moment is a sacrament. Each place we stand is ,therefore, a holy place. You are always in, on, the holy land. We are safe on this holy land. We do not have to move a step to be on holy ground.
Mostly all of us have read, heard, or at least The Serenity prayer." God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.The courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference'. The ONLY thing I can change is my attitude towards ,myself. I am powerless over all peoples events and situations. How is this change brought about ? Well the next two lines aims to teach us how.by,"living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time". What is this," moment" we are to live,, it is this simple and yet so mysteriously profound,NOW moment. ( As you can now see I have stopped, or else, this effort could go on, and on, and on, just like the mercy-full love in the here and now.)
Warning ,I never got around to what I actually, in my mind, going to write. So,I shall return.
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