Like the lily In that One pond, Live in service, Remain faithful To creation.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. – Colossians 3:12-14
With each breath, life. Stepping forward Into the fresh, cool air. That feeling in the air, It’s all around. Rock of ages, For the ages, From the ages. Layer upon layer, Lines of grandeur. Moments of mist, Moments of majesty. Sounds of water flowing, Then its rush within sight. Rolling over, dripping down, Passing through, Gentle like the breeze. Invigorating, enthralling, Comforting, to the soul, Soothing to one’s spirit.
Questions upon questions. Sitting still, or idly sitting? With, or at, each other? Whether picking, picked, or chosen, The answer is the same. Apples of God’s eye. Desire of desires.
Fruit bearing fruit, Fruit bearing with fruit. A breath of fresh air, A dose of patience, Perseverance too. From the heart of One To another, then another.
All searching for some peace, While time is fast escaping. All in One, One in all, History that is shared, Spirits called together. Even when far apart, Destiny is waiting.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. – John 15:16-17
In the course of a day, One might experience Many kinds of ground, Here and there, Or maybe none at all. Yet, whatever it may be, Peace and inner strength await, While Guidance subtly leads the way, Where many paths abound. Willing accompanists through the hours, Perhaps hidden, under cover, But always working, nonetheless. Never kicking back, Or losing sight.
Whether to relax, Or continue striving, Never a question, Or even a passing thought. Constant presence, patient… Never rushing through On the way to something, Somewhere or someone else.
Always within reach, Or better yet, within. Whether running ahead Falling back, Or not too far behind, Keeping pace, Or simply being still. No matter how, What, where, or when, Everlasting Love, Constant Source, Holding all in deep affection.
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. – Isaiah 55:10-11
While the outside world has so much to offer, sometimes it can feel like too much, making the idea of hiding away in the seclusion of a hermitage or something similar of greater appeal than it might be otherwise. Today, January 15th, is the feast of St. Paul the Hermit who was born and lived in Egypt until he died around the age of 112. Referred to as the “First Hermit,” little information is known of him.
However, what seems of most importance is known. That is, how St. Paul the Hermit became a hermit and how humankind came to know about him. Originally, at the age of 15 and an orphan, he went into a cave seeking refuge during the persecution of Christians, in the year 250 A.D., by Roman Emperor Decius. His intention was to come out of hiding and return home once the persecutions ended.
But, over the course of his time away from humankind, St. Paul found peace as well as a calling to remain in the desert living a solitary life of prayer as a hermit. So how did this information about St. Paul the Hermit come to be known? St. Anthony of Egypt is said to have come across St. Paul along his own journey toward Truth and self-discovery.
It’s interesting how St. Paul the Hermit was called to a life of seclusion, yet still, God called another, St. Anthony, to give witness to his life and death as holy. It’s also intriguing that St. Anthony was led to St. Paul the Hermit in the process of entertaining thoughts of himself as the most enduring hermit in existence… until he met St. Paul.
In the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 4-11, St. Paul the Apostle writes about different kinds of spiritual gifts, different forms of service, and different workings that are dispersed to all, individually, but by the same God who creates them, and the same Spirit who brings them to fruition. With God, no one gift, or creation, is above the other, differentiation is by design, all are loved into existence, all are created for unity, and all are equally important.
So, while St. Paul the Hermit and St. Anthony of Egypt had similar callings and different paths, like us, humility is what leads them to a better place.
In everything, it is only through the grace of God that we can lay down human notions; truly understand, appreciate, take care of, and celebrate one another; and thus, partake in the unity—the heart of God– that is Creation.
As we entered the woods, we were drawn from one path to another. The hustle and bustle of the everyday was left behind, replaced with sounds of a different… simpler… more pure kind. The further we walked, the more deeply in touch we became with our surroundings.
With each step, we traveled closer to the center, quietly, gently becoming part of a different world. We were surrounded by life, even in that which seemed at first glance to be without it. Layers of decaying leaves, fallen branches, and tree trunks, all returning to the earth, carrying nutrients from the past through the present and into the future. A reminder that when we remain in union with Creation, when we live and breathe Truth, all is One; there is no difference between life and death.
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it within us, or we find it not. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
HopeThatFloats 
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