A Day Worthy of Friday

Two big events today: one, I went to have skin flaps cut off of me; the other was the arrival of the publication Spiritual Life. I love this publication, a quarterly, and the new copy always goes into my pew at St. Vincent, so I can use it for spiritual reading and lectio. Oh, and there is a third piece of joy, I'm having some brandy given to me by "A" monk. It is very tasty and very powerful. In one paragraph I have combine skin flaps, Spiritual Life, and very good brandy. And now you are asking what does this all have to do with anything?

It is the flow of life, taken one moment at a time. There is no special connection between anything in the first paragraph except they were things that brighten my day and evening. The more I settle into the routine of silence, praying and reading, the more each moment, and event, of the day becomes something to celebrate. My doctor is a pleasure to be with, and I hated seeing those skin flaps every morning in the mirror. The new Spiritual Life has an El Greco Jesus on the front, and I could look at that for hours and never cease thinking, praying, or even seeing new things in it.

The brandy? Well, even hermits have a Friday night from time to time. No, I will not get drunk, but as Br. Christian says, "having a little bit is harder than having none at all." This is not really a challenge for me as drinking never has been a favorite activity of mine. However, I can't help remembering the psalm, "and wine to cheer [our]man's heart."

What did I learn today? Well, that yesterday was a waste of my energy, that I sinned by giving in to the anger, not by being angry, but giving in to it; that to turn, even for a moment, my eyes from God is to lose my bearings, to no longer see the path as clear as before. Today was and still is dedicated to finding God in each moment, each skin flap cut off, each new edition of my favorite spiritual publication, and the gift of brandy "to cheer [my] heart."