Goose (an original poem)

I am a goose shot 

straight out of the air,

strung together by the neck 

with others shot for sport--

Misery always has company,

like it or not. 

The Misguided Sheep | Far from the Madding Crowd

 

My husband and I recently watched the 2015 movie version of Far from the Madding Crowd, based on the Thomas Hardy novel. Carey Mulligan stars as the fiesty, independent heroine, Bathsheba Everdene, with Matthias Schoenaerts playing one of three men vying for her affections, shepherd Gabriel Oak. 

Curiously perhaps, today's Mass readings from the Douay-Rheims Bible reminded me of a scene from this movie. For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand (Psalm 95: 7) He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth (Luke 11: 23). 

Farmer Oak is training a new sheep dog to replace his beloved, aging dog, Old George. The younger dog is named Young George. One night, for reasons unknown, Young George jumps into the sheeps' pen, disturbing them to the point that they break free. The renegade pup drives them into a frantic run. Gabriel awakens to the commotion, and by the time he catches up to the flock, he watches in horror as every single sheep plunges over the side of a cliff. The sight of the dead flock on the ocean shore below is chilling. You can guess what happens to Young George. 

Something akin to this is happening in today's society, as we continue to be goaded into a frenzy and feel ourselves falling without a net. Maybe the most disturbing aspect of the coronavirus cult response by government leaders, medical "experts," and much of the population is the "fear porn," as it has been called by some of its opponents. Mainstream news media and big tech social media have conspired with the cult leaders to keep people disempowered, silenced, and terrified. The only break from the maddening narrative we've gotten over the past year has been the Marxist revolt of the Black Lives Matter and Antifa organizations, which have delivered their own brand of fear porn while taking attention away from the Covid Theater. 

The likes of Dr. Fauci, emperor-like state governors and city mayors, some members of the police force, the Marxist groups, and the hard left media have become society's shepherds, and clear marks of their misguided sheep are the citizens complying with mask mandates and lockdowns. The sheep at the bottom of the cliff are those driven to suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and poverty, among the many victims of the coronacult fallout. 

Others, mostly traditional Christians it seems, have found a new fervor of faith, and we have our gaze fixed firmly on our eternal Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. All of the false leaders are truly idols that many have chosen to follow, out of fear, out of lack of faith and the action that it requires. They reject the Way, the Truth, and the Life for a story of despair and bondage. The path of a holy freedom is too narrow, so they enter at the wide gate and refuse to consider turning back. The consequence is an existence frought with anxiety, a loss of one's sense of self, an isolation we were not created to endure. It is nothing short of the crushing of the spirit, the piercing of the soul.

The question is, are you gathering or scattering?  The choice is actually simple, though not easy, and comes down to a daily decision to act either with Faith or in fear. Bathsheba Everdene reacted for a long time out of fear of losing her independence, so she refused to marry. That is, until she inexplicably made an impetuous decision to surrender to the wrong man. Her heart led her astray, as can anyone's. It seems to take forever for our heroine to turn to the shepherd who has always been there for her, who continuously watches over her, waiting with extreme patience for Bathsheba to finally come to her senses. 

This brings me to the third of the everyday duties from Achieving Peace of Heart that I've been exploring and discussing this Lent: to elevate and control my heart (love of God and neighbor).  As Jesus commands that we love our neighbors as ourselves, we must first love God with the entirely of heart, mind, soul, and strength before we will be oriented in the right direction. Putting one's faith in the world's idols puts the whole flock in danger. A heart lifted to God and obedient to his sovereignty puts all other considerations into perspective. 

Recently, "medical" advice was given to parents that if a child was exposed to Covid, he should be isolated in a room by himself for two weeks, with no hugs or any closeness with family members, eating meals alone and doing everything completely by himself. If he were to venture into the hallway to use the restroom, he must be wearing a mask. I can only imagine the emotional scars a child would suffer under such conditions, yet some people think this kind of approach falls under the dictate of common sense. In reality, it's a call to heartlessness. These are the extremes that being in compliance to the absurd has led us to, and if such totalitarianism continues to be allowed, we will see far worse in the future. 

It's imperative that we recognize the evil and stop listening to the barking of orders that has caused this coronacult stampede and its ultimate perilous jump into collective mayhem and madness.  Be the one sheep that is found. 

Sacred Silence | Selah

 

Our Lady of Silence

Of course there is such an icon as Our Lady of Silence! I began to contemplate silence yesterday, and I ordered many (surely too many!) books on the topic from the library. Though I have by no means mastered the everyday duty to strengthen and govern my body, it is time to incorporate the second everyday duty, to feed and enlighten my intellect (see Feb. 15 post). I have sought the meaning of silence in the past, but I am finding the need for more serious, concentrated work in this area. 

As with all things sacred, we find that Satan has produced a diabolical counterfeit, and the spiritual pollution of a deadly sort of silence is to be avoided at all costs. True silence is rooted in the hiddenness and peace of God, in the abiding presence of the divine. A perfect image of such a blessed silence is that of Jesus sleeping in the boat while his apostles are being gripped with fear of the storm raging around them. Even the wind and the sea obey the Lord. Selah. 

James Tissot

The silencing of people for the purpose of controlling them, of striking fear into their hearts that is not the fear of God, is evil. We see this happening all around us today, with the silencing of the perceived enemy being accomplished by calling him racist, white supremacist, homophobic, transphobic, terrorist. We see it in the mass online censorship of voices that do not tow the party line of woke collectivism. 

We see our friends, family members, and neighbors gagged with face masks, unable to properly breathe, which surely should be an unalienable right. We cannot see one another's smiles, or sometimes even discern who is a stranger, and who is someone we know. People with medical conditions are refused goods and services for not masking up, their health exemptions not honored. In short, the disabled are treated as deplorables. We fear to speak or to show our faces, lest we be cancelled. Our lips are shuttered from proclaiming the Gospel. Selah.  

This silencing is the handmaid of a toxic noise. For the entire summer of 2020 we witnessed the chaos of burning and looted buildings, shattered lives and livelihoods, bricks and fire works thrown at people's heads, murder and rape, neighborhoods criminally occupied, police officers with hands tied from any action to mitigate the violence. We witnessed the pulling down and erasing of emblems of our country's history, and even of our Faith, and the menace of a cultural re-education to warp the minds of our children. This is the silent scream, the silence of the devastated and the dead. 

And all of this is called good by folks we once thought sane, in a country once known as brave and free. Selah. 

This is why we must seek a holy silence. We must quiet the counterfeit noise which masquerades as a call for unity and peace. Rather than fighting against the tyranny and oppression of our bodies, minds, and spirits, which will serve only to keep attention on the hellish fire, it's imperative that we determine what we are for. 

We won't undergo that process by steeping ourselves in the news and social media, or by striving to convince others of our point of view. When Christ is your light, you are a city on a hill, and the darkness is forced to flee. The energy and power to fight will only come from the calm center of the Sacred Heart, the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit. We will arise in might only when the path is clear, when we know that He is for us, and we remember who we are and what we are for. But first, we pause. 

Lent is a time for prayer and penance. It's a season of intense contemplation. It is the command to "Be still, and know that I am God." 

Shalom. Selah. 

Our Lady of Sacred Silence, pray for us. 

 

What I'm "Giving Up" for Lent

 Sarah Combs bedroom, designsponge.com

This image came up when I searched for "Spanish minimalist decor." My home is decorated in a Spanish Mediterranean/Mexican hacienda style, with the goal of a colorful and cozy but uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic. Though I don't care for white walls, this bedroom presents the balance of color and interesting objects with a peaceful simplicity that I love. It is, however, lacking in books, which isn't to be tolerated, and I'd add a bit more artwork and personal effects. I find that one must begin with a vision for one's home, beyond the general desire that it be clean, beautiful, and orderly. What does this have to do with Lent?

For past Lenten seasons I've given up clutter, but I was not specific enough regarding how to make that happen in a systematic way. A couple of weeks ago I was contemplating conservative media in a blog post, and I felt at a loss as to how I might give up certain aspects of internet use for Lent. Immediately following that post, I spent a whole day internet free. 

That was a glorious day. I felt much less stressed. I was more productive, finishing all of my daily routines without feeling rushed. I spent plenty of time in contemplative pursuits--praying the Rosary, spiritual reading, and creative endeavors. It was, like, the perfect day! 

Instead of trying to limit internet use each day to a certain amount of time, and/or cutting out particular things entirely, like social media, I'm going to make Wednesdays and Fridays internet-free for the duration of Lent. These are traditional Catholic days of fasting and abstinence. 

As I'm a vegetarian (I don't even eat fish), I don't need to abstain from meat on Fridays. I will replace that with abstaining from internet use. I think we only have a couple of obligatory fasting days during Lent, one of them being tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. I'm going to extend Wednesdays as days of food fasting, in addition to internet abstinence, throughout this liturgical season. This practice will mitigate some of the internet-produced clutter, which is mostly involving that of the mind, but it also clutters up my time. This leads to my next plan for giving up clutter. 

I will work on decluttering my home for a minimum of three hours a week. I initially thought I'd set it at five, but I want to set myself up for success. Five hours is my true goal, but three will suffice. I will keep a log of the time spent decluttering, and use a timer for 15-minute chunks, so as not to overwhelm myself. The time I'm giving up for decluttering will be in addition to my regular housework. 

I think that between the everyday duties for mental health outlined yesterday and this giving up of time away from the internet and toward decluttering, I will grow in virtue, which is the point of Lent. These small sacrifices will have the added benefit of bringing my vision for my home to more perfect life. I will outline my plans for spiritual devotion for Lent later this week. 

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone, and have a blessed Lent!

Achieving Peace of Heart | Four Everyday Duties

 

One of the books I'm currently reading, Achieving Peace of Heart by Rev. Narcisco Irala, S.J., is going to be an informing guide for my plans this coming Lent. Irala was both a Catholic priest and a psychologist, so we have the good fortune of finding a path to mental health which is rooted in the Faith. The last paragraph of Chapter I reads as follows:

"Four everyday duties will help me to acheive a more healthy mental life. I must resolve, first, to strengthen and govern my body (nourishment, exercise and discipline); secondly, to feed and enlighten my intellect (serious, concentrated work); thirdly, to elevate and control my heart (love of God and neighbor); and finally, to strengthen and exerise my will (decision and constancy)."

I don't think anyone would argue that the Covid-19 crisis has brought about a worldwide mental health problem exponentially greater than what had existed before, and which had already reached alarming levels. If you didn't have a mental illness previously, likely you find yourself now struggling to keep your wits about you and your emotions on an even keel. If your mental health was already very fragile, you may feel yourself nearly drowning.

I think it's extremely interesting that the first of the four everyday duties Irala lists pertains to the physical body. Arguably, if our bodies are not strong and healthy, we will struggle also in the areas of mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and we will be unable to strengthen our wills for the good. 

For this first week of Lent, which begins in two days, I will be focusing on my physical being. I will write down a system for the benefit of my body, contemplating both my strengths and weaknesses in this area. At the end of the week I'll report back with the specifics of my plan. My primary areas of concern are sleep, respiratory function, and physical strength. Physical pain is an impediment to happiness and makes it difficult to concentrate on other things, so for me, reducing pain needs be a primary consideration. 

I think keeping it simple is always key to making lasting changes. So for this week I will work on only three habits, pertaining to a consistent sleep schedule, exercise plan, and respiratory health strategy. In the area of sleep, I will turn off screens by 10:00 and go to bed by 11:00 p.m., with a wake-up time of 9:00 a.m. I tend to need a lot of sleep in winter, so that gives me 10 hours. 

My exercise plan will include morning warm-ups, done standing up, to a couple of praise and worship songs. During mid-day I will take a 15-minute walk, with a route in my neighborhood I already have planned out. A stretching regimen is part of my evening routine, which I need to make sure to complete consistently. Finally, I will add using my neti pot on a daily basis, likely also as part of my evening routine. 

Each week I will proceed to focus on the next everyday duty on the list, and my hope is to have developed a renewed system of habits by the end of Lent. My ultimate goal is to draw closer to Jesus and to align myself more perfectly to his will, eliminating all manner of clutter and distractions, to produce a lifestyle that reflects my deepest values and personal vocation. I desire a peace that cannot be shaken.

Please join me this Lenten season for this journey to a peaceful heart, resting in the Sacred Heart of Our Lord!

Is Conservative Media the Answer?

I've had enough time on the free speech (viz. conservative) social media platforms, Gab and CloutHub, to form something of an opinion in answer to this post's title question, is conservative media the answer? The best I can give you is a wishy-washy probably not. 

First, the pros. I don't spend anywhere near the time on these two platforms as I once did just on Facebook. This is primarily because I don't know anyone on them personally! Alas, none of my Facebook friends have come to find me in either place. I have, however, joined some groups, and that has been a fine experience. The first one I joined was the #WalkAway Campaign, which was the reason I signed up for CloutHub. Speaking of which...

I found out only Friday that on Monday, Brandon Straka was arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. That's a whole other story, but one thing I heard was that some of the "evidence" against him included comments he made on YouTube, and it was a family member who turned him in. Statements made to Fox News also got him in trouble. So this kind of leads into a related question, as to whether anyone is actually safe using any kind of online media. 

We can find safer options, such as email and internet servers that block ads, don't share your info, and protect your privacy. We can choose social media platforms like Gab that are entirely self-owned and don't censor or fact-check you or spy on what you're doing other places on the web. So you could say that leaving Big Tech and switching to safer options is something of a solution. 

However, if the Leftist mob can shut you down, they will. They are going after the high profile people who have had a strong influence against them first, like poor Brandon. I believe they will eventually fry as many of the smaller fish as they can as well. Unless the whole scheme blows up in their face, which I think is a reasonably likely outcome. I have no doubt that they will start eating each other before it's all said and done. 

Right now I'm leaning toward the conclusion that social media is a plain old bad idea. It's a distraction, an addiction, and largely a waste of time. Following the news, whether it's the big Democrat controlled conglomeration or smaller, more sane alternatives, typically does nothing for one's mental health. Is the solution to cut back, to be very picky about who and how much you read and listen to, or would it be best to cut it all out of your life as entirely as you can? I find that most of my attempts at moderation fail. Once I get started consuming, it's a giant, rolling snowball. I suppose the first step is admitting you have a problem, so I'm probably ahead of the pack by virtue of simply asking these questions. 

What about you? Are you still slogging your way through fruitless sessions on Twitter and Facebook? Have you discovered some better options, but perhaps find them only minimally satisfying? Does viewing the news make you crazy? So then you turn to a Netflix or Hulu binge for escape? 

Where does it all end??? There must be a better way to live. No, I don't necessarily think that getting 100% off the internet is the answer. My family depends on it for a large part of our income, so we must have it. In our personal lives, though, I really don't think it would be hard to live without it. Because I'm old enough that I have. I like blogging, which by now is pretty much old school. I enjoy a TV series now and then. I have been in this place before, and I feel stuck. What changes should be made, and how, if I'm going to live a life around the three themes of this blog for 2021?

I think that wiping the slate clean first would be a feasible approach. Cut it all out and then decide on what, very specifically, to let back in, and how much time to allow for it. For Lent, beginning in 17 days, I could give up all internet but blogging (say, a maximum of once per week), what is needed for work and homeschooling, using the library catalogue online, and a daily, one-hour limit for TV (including YouTube). But no news on any forum and no social media. Okay, I'm going to sleep on that, and then I will proceed to share with you how I'm preparing for Lent and this working plan. I might even give up coffee too, if I'm feeling particularly ascetic!!

The Domestic Monastery

 

I think, in a certain way, it would be easier to form a domestic monastery if I had a house full of young children. There would be so much less time for distractions, as I would have very little time to myself. Busy mothers have extremely limited space in their days for prayer and contemplation, but they have much more motivation for developing regular routines and sticking to them. 

So I begin the discussion of my third blog theme for the year, the domestic monastery, at something of a loss. My spirit is restless, and I feel anxious for the future of my country, with Joe Biden's presidential inauguration just a day away. I have a vague vision of the life that I long for, but turning away from the world seems so difficult right now. The urge to stay informed is strong. 

The idea of the domestic monastery, or domestic church, in Catholic tradition is simply the practice of putting God at the center of family life. Like life in a monastery, domestic life is ordered around regular times of prayer, work, meals, study, and rest; always keeping the focus on growing in faith and virtue, with an eye toward Heaven, our final destination. It is the raising of saints and the cultivation of an inner life of contemplation. 

I'm beginning today with re-reading Ronald Rolheiser's slim volume, Domestic Monastery. I'm also listening to Marsha Sinetar's series of recordings on YouTube, "Marsha Sinetar - A Casual Contemplative's Archive."

I am feeling like I need to get back to basics, move toward taking a sabbatical from the internet, and refocus my energy on simplicity and minimalism. My plan right now is to substantially reduce time spent on social media, the news, and YouTube videos, and to only check my email once daily. This will be a jumpstart on making plans for Lent, which begins Feb. 17. I will also, of course, keep blogging here as I am so inspired by the Holy Spirit, but I can't say how often that might be. My prayer is to have insights to offer to others, but I must fill my own well first. If you have any experience to share, I hope to receive your comments! 

Godspeed, Rita Michele