From My Bookcases
In a bookcase in my back bedroom (currently my storage room), I found Volume One of the Collected Writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. And last week I began a private at-home reading of “Heaven In Faith”, a retreat she wrote for her sister, a married woman with children. St. Elizabeth was a French Carmelite nun who died at age 25 in 1905. She was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.
“Heaven in Faith” is crammed with quotes from the Bible (mainly the gospel of John), St. John of the Cross, and Flemish mystic John Ruysbruck. I have stretched the retreat out to 20 days from 10 by doing only one prayer a day. I am in no rush.
I do my retreat meditation in the morning. From another bookshelf, I took Spiritual Reflections for Sisters, Second Volume by Rev. Charles J. Mullaly S.J. (Apostleship of Prayer, New York: 1938). Despite its old-fashionedness, I like reading it. Rev. Mullaly has high expectations of religious sisters. I do not in any way pretend to think his writings are directed towards someone as worldly as me.
My work on clutter has begun. Slowly. One project a week. I am starting Week 6 on Monday, and have chosen one of the bathroom cupboards to work on. Sometimes I finish my weekly project even before my official start date. Then I spend the week on other exciting chores like cleaning, and tidying up, and throwing things out ad libitum.
For inspiration I have been reading Fresh Start: Overcoming Chronic Disorganization and Hoarding Group Manual by Karen Dennison, Barbara Jo; Kruzan, (The Educational Publisher / Biblio Publishing. Kindle Edition). This manual has given me great insight into the psychological underpinnings of hoarding. Knowledge gave me courage to at least attempt to overcome. So far I have had many small successes.
