Thought for the Day – 19 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
XXI: … Of The Proper Use of the Exterior Senses: Contemplation of the Divinity (Part One)
“Great watchfulness and continual exercise is needed, for the due ordering and regulation of the exterior senses – for the appetite which is, as it were, the captain of our corrupt nature, inclines us to an immoderate seeking after pleasure and enjoyment. The appetite, being unable, by itself, to attain them, it uses the senses as its soldiers and as natural instruments for laying hold of objects, whose images it draws to itself and impresses on the mind. Hence arises the pleasure which, by reason of the relationship subsisting, between it and the flesh, diffuses itself, over all the senses which are capable of it, infecting both soul and body with a common contagion which corrupts the whole. You see the evil – now mark the remedy.
Take good heed not to let your senses stray freely where they will; nor to use them when pleasure alone and not utility, necessity, nor any good end, is the motive. And, if inadvertently they have been allowed to wander too far, recall them at once; or so regulate them that, instead of remaining as before in a miserable captivity to empty pleasures, they may gather a noble spoil from each passing object and bring it home to the soul, that, collected within itself, if may rise with a steadier flight towards Heaven, to the contemplation of God.
Which maybe done in the following manner: When any object is presented before one of your exterior senses, separate in your mind, from the material thing, the principle which is in it and reflect that, of itself, it possesses nothing of all that which it appears to have but, that all is the work of God, Who endows it invisibly, by His Spirit, with the being, beauty, goodness, or whatever virtue belongs to it. Then rejoice that thy Lord alone is the Cause and Principle, of such great and varied perfections and, that they are all eminently contained in Himself, all created excellences being but most minute degrees of His Divine and Infinite perfections. When engaged in the contemplation of grand and noble objects, reduce the creature, mentally to its own nothingness, fixing your mind’s eye on the great Creator therein present, Who gave it that great and noble being and delighting yourself in Him alone, say: “O Divine Essence and above all things to be desired, how greatly do I rejoice that Thou alone art the InfInite Principle of every created being!”
In like manner, at the sight of trees, plants, or such like objects, you will understand that the life which they have, they have not of themselves but, from the Spirit which you do not see,and which alone quickens them. Say, therefore: “Behold here the true Life from which, in which and through which, all things live and grow! O living Joy of this heart!”
So, at the sight of brute animals, raise your thoughts to God, Who gave them sensation and motion, saying: “O Thou First Mover of all that moves, Thou art Thyself immovable; how greatly do I rejoice in Thy steadfastness and stability!”
“What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”
1 Corinthians 4:7
“She did not leave the temple, serving with fastings and prayers, night and day.”
Luke 2:37
“If, in holy Scripture, Christ is the true Sun and the true Day, there is no hour when Christians should not adore God frequently and constantly, so that we, who are in Christ, that is, in the true Sun and true Day, should be persevering, throughout the whole day, in our petitions and prayer. And when, in the course of time, the revolving night returns, there can be no harm from the nocturnal shades, for those who pray because, to the sons of Light (1 Thes 5:5), even in the night there is day! For when is he without light who has Light in his heart? Or when does he not have sun and day to whom Christ is Sun and Day?”
St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Martyr, Father of the Church
“… Behold, now is the acceptable time. behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6). And so, you must be more earnest in prayer and in alms-giving, in fasting and in watching. He that until now has given alms, in these days, let him give more – for as water quencheth a flaming fire, so does almsgiving wipe out sin (Eccles 3:3). He that, until now, fasted and prayed, let him fast and pray still more – for there are certain sins which are not cast out, except by prayer and fasting (Mc 27:20).”
“Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes and the remedy of our salvation.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Listen to the Lord’s appeal: ‘Come, then, return to Me and learn to know Me as your Father, Who repays good for evil, love for injury and boundless charity for piercing wounds!”
St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Father & Doctor of the Church
“Are we going to neglect our own salvation? Let us show great compassion towards the poor so as to be made worthy of possessing good things to come for all eternity!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“For the devil may tempt the good but he cannot find rest in them; for he is shaken violently and upset and driven out – now by their prayers, now by their tears of repentance and now. by their almsgiving and similar good works.”
St Bruno (c1030-1101)
“If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide for those of the need, without waiting for them to ask you. Especially, anticipate the needs of those, who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms, is to make them buy it!”
St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)
“The sacred gift of prayer is already in the Right Hand of the Saviour; as soon as ever you shall have emptied yourself of self, He will pour it into your heart!”
Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – Advice for 2024 from St John of the Cross
“What we need most, in order to make progress, is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language He best hears is silent love.”
“Contemplation is nothing else but a secret, peaceful and loving infusion of God which, if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.”
“Take God for your spouse and friend and walk with Him continually and you will not sin and will learn to love and, the things you must do, will work out prosperously for you.”
“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light!”
“Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world, disturb it.”
Lord God, Lift Me Up By St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Lord God, my Beloved, if Thou art still mindful of my sins and wilt not grant my petitions, let Thy will be done, for this is my main desire. Show Thy goodness and mercy and Thou shalt be known for them. If Thou art waiting for me to do good works and upon their performance, Thou wilt grant my petitions, cause them to be accomplished in me, O Lord! Send also, the punishment for my sins, which is acceptable to Thee. For how will I raise myself up to Thee, born and bred as I am, in misery, unless Thou, O Lord, wilt lift me up with the Hand which made me?! Amen
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Mystical Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St John, the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – St John the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6, John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22
REFLECTION – “The Church knows of two lives advocated and recommended by God. One in faith, the other in vision; one in our pilgrimage through time, the other in the abode of eternity; one in working, the other in repose; one on the way, the other in our homeland; one in the labour of action, the other in the reward of contemplation. … The first is represented by the Apostle Peter, the second, by John. The first wholly takes place here below, until the end of the world and then comes to an end. The second only reaches its fulfilment after the world’s end; in the world to come, it will never end.
“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me” …. Let your action follow Me, perfect and modelled on the example of My Passion; let the contemplation which has begun, remain until My return: I will perfect it when I come again. For this persevering fervour which stands firm to the death, is a following of Christ and this knowledge, which will then be manifested in fullness, remains until the return of Christ. Here, in the country of mortal men, we must undergo the afflictions of this world; there, we shall contemplate the Lord’s blessings, in the land of the living (Ps 26:13). …
So let no-one divide one from the other of these two, glorious Apostles, for both are contained in what Peter symbolises and both, will be in what John represents.” – St Augustine (354-320) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 124: 5-7).
PRAYER – O Lord, graciously shed light upon Thy Church, so that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, ThyApostle and Evangelist, she may gain YThy everlasting rewards.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562) Confessor
“The soul enjoys silence and peace, not by many reasonings but, by simply contemplating the Truth.”
“The trouble, is that everyone talks about reforming others and no-one thinks about reforming himself.”
“In prayer, the soul cleanses itself from sin, charity is nourished, faith is strengthened, hope made secure; the spirit rejoices, the soul grows tender and the heart is purified, truth discovers itself, temptation is overcome, sadness takes to flight, the senses are renewed, failing virtue is made strong, tepidity disappears, the rust of sin is rubbed away. In it are brought forth, lively flashes of heavenly desires and in these fires, burns the flame of Divine love. Great are the excellences of prayer, great its privileges. The heavens open before it and unveil therein, their secrets and to it, are theears of God ever attentive.”
Thought for the Day – 20 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Interior Life
“Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left. Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no further along the stony path to perfection. He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of grace which is the source of the spiritual life.
It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection. If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the Voice of God. We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to comform more completely to His designs for us. Then, we shall find peace and contentment in the interior life, such as the world can neither know, nor communicate.”
Thought for the Day – 28 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Contemplative and the Active Life
“The man is heading for disaster who becomes obsessed with the necessity for external activitiy to the exclusion of the vital source of the apostolate, which is to be found in prayer and contemplation. He will sow much and will gather nothing! He will make a great deal of noise, wherever he goes but, his work will not be blessed by God. Those who are overactive and think that they can conquer the whole world, says St John of the Cross, would do well to remember that they would be more useful to the Church and more pleasing to God, if they spent at least half their time with God in prayer.
Unless neighbourly love and external charity are inspired by the love of God, they are a useless sham and are often no more than the outward expression of personal ambition. On the other hand, there is something lacking in prayer and contemplation, if they fail to produce good works. Love cannot be idle and contemplation should not be mere daydreaming. If a man loves and contemplates God, he will love and contemplate his neighbour. Then he will feel the urge to dedicate himself, no matter what the sacrifice, to charitable activity on his neighbour’s behalf.”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – The Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church
“We, as Catholics, are not permitted to believe anything of our own will, nor to choose, what someone has believed, of his [own will]. We have God’s Apostles as authorities, who did not themselves, of their own wills, choose anything of what they wanted to believe but faithfully transmitted, to the nations, the teachings of Christ.”
“In the active life, all the vices, are first of all, to be removed by the practice of good works, so that, in the contemplative life, a man may, with now purified mental gaze, pass onto the contemplation of the Divine Light.”
Thought for the Day – 2 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Contemplative and the Active Life
“There have always been, in the Church, both contemplatives and active apostles and there have always been people who combined both kinds of life. The contemplatives seek solitude, avoid contact with the external world and preserve a constant intimacy with God. The men of action, on the other hand, fight for the glory of God and for the salvation of their neighbour. Finally, there are those who strive to unite both both forms of spirituality in their work for God. The first group lead the life of Mary, the second that of Martha, while the third imitate both Mary and Martha.
It is this last group which St Thomas Aquinas prefers. It is better, he says, to enlighten, than merely to shine; it is better to pass onto others the fruits of our contemplation, than merely to contemplate. (Summa Theologiae II-II q 188 a 6,3). If we understand and practise his teaching, we can achieve both our own sanctification and the welfare of our neighbour and, can combine the interior life with the external apostolate.”
Thought for the Day – 17 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Contemplation and Our Lady
“O Mary, my most Holy Mother, free me from useless desires and from an excessive longing for worldly things. Help me to think always of Heaven. Grant that I may find my happiness in God, as you did, by acting in perfect accordance with His Holy Will. By loving Him above everything in the world, may I, one day, enjoy with you, the everlasting happiness of Heaven. Amen. ”
It’s 1 May The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Month of our Loving Mother!
“The name of Mary is a tower of strength, which saves sinners from punishment and defends the just from the assaults of hell.” St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)
Mary Pondered All These Things in Her Heart (Cf Luke 2:19)
“While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith,increased in merits and was more illuminated by Wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity. The Heavenly Mysteries were opened to her and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God and watched over protectively, while on earth. So remarkable are the divine graces, that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit and transform one to a greater holiness. How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way, open to the power of the Word of God. She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will, thus, she accomplished outwardly, through her body. what Wisdom, from within, gave to her faith. It was fitting for Divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most Blessed Mary, in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice. Imitate her, O faithful soul! Enter into the deep recesses of your heart, so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins. God places more value on goodwill in all we do, than on the works themselves. Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbour by good works, we accomplish these things because, the love of Christ urges us on. The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification, is accomplished, not in a man-made temple but, in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters!”
Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word Anonymous, 19th Century
Mary! How sweetly falls that word On my enraptured ear! Oft do I breathe in accents low, That sound when none are near. Chorus: Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim: O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name! Sing, O my lip, and loudly proclaim; O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!
Sweet as the warbling of a bird, Sweet as a mother’s voice; So sweet to me is that dear name, It makes my soul rejoice. Chorus.
Bright as the glittering stars appear, Bright as the moonbeams shine, So bright in my mind’s eye is seen Thy loveliness divine! Chorus.
Through thee I offer my requests, And when my prayer is done, In ecstasy sublime I see Thee seated near thy Son. Chorus.
Thought for the Day – 8 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Doing Everything for the Love of God
“In one of his letters, Luther wrote that he was so busy that he had no time to read his Breviary, nor to offer Holy Mass. There is no doubt that it was this estrangement from prayer and from the love of God, which caused him to finish up as he did. Our work must be based on charity and the interior life, so that we may be always united with God. Otherwise, every action of ours, no matter how good it may appear, is sterile and valueless in the sight of God.
Today also, there are many people busily engaged in apostolic work but they have no interior life nourished by charity. This is what is known as the heresy of action.
Everything we do is useless and even harmful, if our external activity is not accompanied by a flourishing interior life, enriched by divine grace. St Gregory the Great paraphrases the words of the Gospel as follows: “Our Lord says: If anyone loves Me, let him keep my commandments. Love is proved by action. This is why St John (1 Jn 2:4) says, that the man who claims to love God and does not keep His commandments, is a liar. We love God sincerely if we keep His commandments and avoid the immoderate pleasures of our age. Anyone who surrenders without reserve to the unlawful desires of this world, certainly does not love God because, he is acting contrary to His will.” (Homil 30 in Ev).”
Thought for the Day – 2 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Necessity of Meditation in Silence
“The masters of the spiritual life assure us, that without the practice of meditation, it is almost impossible for the just man to persevere in virtue, ot for the lukewarm and tepid, to become fervent, or for the sinner, to be converted! God, it is true, can work miracles. At times the grace of God can strike the sinner with the suddenness of a thunderbolt and convert him. But, it is the ordinary rule of the spiritual life, that meditation on the truths of eternity, especially on the Last Things, stirs up the soul and moves it, under the influence of Divine grace, to form good resolutions. Even though, the first fervour early diminishes, the daily repetition of this pious practice, revives and strengthens such good resolutions and causes them to be realised, in activities which are in accordance with Catholic teaching.
Sin and lukewarmness, cannot co-exist with the practice of daily mental prayer, if this is carried out as it should be. If we keep our hearts united to God and listen willingly and attentively to His Voice, we shall be able to effect, in ourselves, that total renovation of which St Paul speaks: “But be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man, which has been created according to God, in justice and holiness of truth” (Eph 4:23-24).”
Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Contemplative and the Active Life
“We ought not to imagine that contemplation is a privilege exvclusive to Monks and Nuns. In fact, it belongs to all Catholics. It is the privilege of the peasant, artisan, or clerk, who, on his way home from work, pays a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. “Here I am, my God,“ anyone of them may say. “I am very tired. Please give me some rest for my soul. I am weary and worried, both in body and in soul. I wish to love You more and to be faithful to You, until I die. I wish to think only of You but there are so many other things which I must think about. I have so many temptations and disturbances, which cause me to forget You and which often lead me into evil. O God, be the light of my soul, the peace of my heart, the divine strength of my weak will. …” Murmuring words like these, they listen to God and seem to see Him bending down towards them.
Then there is the student who has spent the day pouring over books, searching for the truth. He goes into the Church for a moment and kneels down. His mind is full of the tumult of thoughts, calculations and problems, never completely answered or explained in the books, written by men. He asks God for the light which he has not found, for the answer which he has not discovered, for the peace and calm, which only He can give.
At least for a moment, all these workers and students are contemplatives. They have left behind the noise of the world, in order to listen to the Voice of God. But this Voice, which does not speak in words but in silence and in peace, is the Voice of contemplation. Prayer comes afterwards, when God makes His presence felt in the soul. In this way, no matter who or what we are, we should all be contemplatives. In other words, we should seek, in quiet conversation with God, the truth and tranquiliity which the world cannot give us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Psalms 23: 1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 (1); Ephesians 2: 13-18 Gospel: Mark 6: 30-34
“Come away by yourselves , o a deserted place and rest awhile”
Mark 6:31
“What benefits What divine exultation The solitude and silence of the desert Hold in store for those who love it!”
St Bruno (c 1030-1101)
“Alas, such are the passions of the flesh and the turmoil of thoughts, coming and going in our hearts, that we have no time to eat the food of everlasting sweetness, nor perceive the taste of interior contemplation. That is why our Lord says: “Come away” from the noisy crowd “to a deserted place,” to solitude of mind and heart, “and rest awhile.”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church
“Until I was alone I never really lived. Until I was alone, I was not with myself. Until I was alone, I never drew near to my creator.”
Bl Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)
“Recall yourself sometimes to the interior solitude of your heart and there, removed from all creatures, treat of the affairs of your salvation and your perfection with God, as a friend would speak heart to heart with another.”
St Francis of Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“The great method of prayer is to have none. If, in going to prayer, one can form in oneself, a pure capacity for receiving the spirit of God, that will suffice for all method.”
Thought for the Day – 17 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Contemplation and Our Lady
“We must try and unite the active, with the contemplative life, as far as circumstances will allow. St Thomas Aquinas says, that the perfection of the spiritual life consists precisely in this union of activity and contemplation. One, with the other, falls short of perfection. “It is greater to enlighten than simply to shine,” writes St Thomas Aquinas “and greater to pass on the fruits of contemplation to others, than merely to contemplate.” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q 6, a 3).
Contemplation on its own, can degenerate into useless day dreaming. It is necessary that it should produce a genuine interior transformation, as a result of which, the subject, under the guidance of the Holy Sprit, becomes, in his speech and his conduct, a man of God. Now, the man of God is not satisfied with enjoying spiritual consolations but, is moved by his zeal for the glory of God, to try and extend His Kingdom, by every possible means. It is in this way, that contemplation becomes apostolic action.
We must remember, on the other hand, that neither is action on its own, sufficient. It can become barren when it is not nourished by the interior life of grace, which is the source of prayer and contemplation. It cannot be held, that this last, is the exclusive gift of a few privilege souls. Anyone can have it, as long as he allows himself to be penetrated by the love of God and as long as he succeeds, in securing moments of recollection and silence, at intervals during life. In these moments, he will grow closer to God and will enjoy a foretaste of the happiness of heaven. We must strive, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, for complete union with God, each day of our lives!”
Quote/s of the Day – 6 February – Readings: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, Mark 6:30-34
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile”
Mark 6:31
“The supreme goal to which the monk tends, the summit of the perfection of his heart, is indeed the union of his heart with his Lord.”
St John Cassian (c 360-435) Monk, Father of the Church
“O Hermitage, only those who know you, who rest sweetly in your arms, can tell of your grandeur and chant your praises. As for me, I only know this and affirm it in all sincerity – Whoever forces himself with perseverance to enter more and more into the desire to love You, will finally enter Your mystery and, at the same time, the mystery of God.”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Benedictine Monk Doctor of the Church
“What benefits What divine exultation The solitude and silence of the desert Hold in store for those who love it!”
St Bruno (c 1030-1101)
“Until I was alone I never really lived. Until I was alone, I was not with myself. Until I was alone, I never drew near to my creator.”
One Minute Reflection – 8 February – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time Readings: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, Mark 6:30-34 and the Memorial of Saint Amand of Maastricht (c 584-c 679) Bishop
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile” … Mark 6:31
REFLECTION – “If you wish to come and find Me, seek me aside. As Mark says: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile. People were coming and going in great numbers and they had no opportunity even to eat.” (Mk 6:31). Alas, such are the passions of the flesh and the turmoil of thoughts coming and going in our hearts that we have no time to eat the food of everlasting sweetness, nor perceive the taste of interior contemplation. That is why our Lord says: “Come away” from the noisy crowd “to a deserted place,” to solitude of mind and heart, “and rest awhile.”For truly, as the book of Revelation says: “There will be silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Rv 8:1); and in the Psalm: “Who will give me wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest” (Ps 54[55]:7 LXX). But let us listen to what the prophet Hosea says: “I will seduce her and lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart” (cf. Hos 2:16 Vg). These three expressions: seduce, lead into the wilderness, speak to her heart, represent the three stages of the spiritual life – the beginning, development and perfection. The Lord seduces the beginner when He enlightens him with His grace so that he may grow and progress from virtue to virtue. Then he leads him aside from the din of the vices and disordered thoughts, into peace of spirit. Finally, once guided to perfection, God speaks to his heart. Then the soul experiences the sweetness of divine inspiration and can surrender totally to joy of spirit. What depth of devotion, of wonderment and happiness in his heart! By devotion, he is raised above himself, through wonder, he is led above himself, through happiness, he is transported out of himself.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelist
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed. May our hearts be eternally longing for that time alone with You, our one true Love. May our worldly duties be such that they never impede our progress in devotion and may the intercession of our Holy Mother, St Amand and all the saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Recollection of Mary
“It is believed that when the Angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin in order to tell her that she was to be the Mother of God, she was in a quiet corner of her home, absorbed in prayer. She had no love for the noise and confusion of the world but preferred to be recollected in the company of God. This was to be the pattern of her whole life. In the midst of her domestic duties, on her journey to St Elizabeth and on her travels in Galilee and Judea, in the wake of her divine Son, her mind and heart were always concentrated on God.
Interior recollection is a wonderful thing. It helps us to hear God’s voice more clearly. It keeps us removed from the temptations of the world and assists us in sanctifying every moment of our lives.
“The cell continually dwelt in growth sweet,” (Bk 1, C 20:5) says The Imitation of Christ and goes onto ask: “What can thou see elsewhere that thou does not see here? Behold the heavens and the earth and all the elements, for out of these are all things made” (Ibid C 20:8). “As often as I have been amongst men,” it exclaims, “I have returned less a man” (Ibid C 20:2). When we move around chattering with different people, we have lost something of ourselves by the time we return home. Perhaps we have wasted a good deal of time in useless conversation or, worse still, have seen or heard unpleasant or disturbing things. When we go about in the world, we do not often see much that is edifying or instructive and rarely meet people whose conversation does us good. For this reason, even when we cannot remain apart, we should carry in ourselves, as Mary did, a spirit of interior recollection and communication with God.”
Thought for the Day – 17 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Contemplation and Our Lady
“True contemplation has it’s origin in love, for when love is intense it gives a clear insight into that which is loved. It is never the result of mere learning, which can be cold and uninspiring and, therefore, unable to give us a vision of the truth. Many are learned without love, while there are others, who have no learning but love God and contemplate Him with a spiritual joy which is a prelude to the happiness of Heaven. Contemplation is not, therefore, a gift of learning. Even an illiterate man can have it, while those who study a great deal, may be without it. For the most part, it is the gift of divine grace. This is not to deny that the knowledge of sacred things, especially of theology, can promote contemplation. It can help, as long as it is not the kind of learning which makes a man proud but, rather leads him nearer to God. This is what St Paul meant when he said that “knowledge puffs up but charity edifies” (1 Cor 8:1).
Contemplation, then, begins in the love which is based on humility and on prayer. The contemplative must always look for the help of divine grace without ever presuming on his own powers and without fooling himself, that he has made any progress of his own accord. It does not matter whether he is an ignorant or a learned man, as long as he sees the reflection of God in all things and comes to know and love Him. Then, under the the influence of divine grace, contemplation flows from the loving knowledge of God. The Blessed Virgin was created and conceived full of grace and endowed with more supernatural privileges than any other creature. Therefore, she knew and loved God in a higher way than any of the Cherubim or Seraphim. It is only to be expected then, that she would have had the gift of contemplation. Her prayer was an intimate conversation with God. We have an example of this kind of contemplative prayer in the hymn which she composed when she became the Mother of the Word Incarnate. “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed….” (Lk 1:46-48). In Mary, however, the contemplative life was united to the active life. This was so, whether she was in the house in Nazareth, or following Jesus on His apostolic journeys, or co-operating with the Apostles in their great mission during her last years on earth.”
Saint of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church, Creator of the first encyclopedia – often called “The Last Scholar of the Ancient World” and “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages.” His most well known Patronage is of Computers and the Internet (although not officially so_ – his full story with Patronages is here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/ but today we will follow his life with Pope Benedict XVI during his Catechetical audiences on the Doctors of the Church. This was given at St Peter’s on Wednesday, 18 June 2008.
He was a younger brother of St Leander (c 534-c 600) memorial 13 March, Archbishop of Seville and a great friend of St Pope Gregory the Great. Pointing this out is important, because it enables us, to bear in mind, a cultural and spiritual approach, that is indispensable for understanding Isidore’s personality. Indeed, he owed much to Leander, an exacting, studious and austere person who created around his younger brother a family context, marked by the ascetic requirements proper to a monk and from the work pace demanded, by a serious dedication to study. Furthermore, Leander was concerned to have the wherewithal to confront the political and social situation of that time – in those decades in fact, the Visigoths, barbarians and Arians, had invaded the Iberian Peninsula and taken possession of territories that belonged to the Roman Empire. It was essential to regain them for the Roman world and for Catholicism. Leander and Isidore’s home was furnished with a library richly endowed with classical, pagan and Christian works. Isidore, who felt simultaneously attracted to both, was, therefore, taught under the responsibility of his elder brother, to develop a very strong discipline, in devoting himself to study with discretion and discernment.
Thus, a calm and open atmosphere prevailed in the episcopal residence in Seville. We can deduce this from Isidore’s cultural and spiritual interests, as they emerge from his works themselves, which include an encyclopaedic knowledge of pagan classical culture and a thorough knowledge of Christian culture. This explains the eclecticism characteristic of Isidore’s literary opus, who glided with the greatest of ease from Martial to Augustine, or from Cicero to Gregory the Great. The inner strife that the young Isidore had to contend with, having succeeded his brother Leander on the episcopal throne of Seville in 599, was by no means unimportant. The impression of excessive voluntarism that strikes one, on reading the works of this great author, considered to be the last of the Christian Fathers of antiquity, may, perhaps, actually be due to this constant struggle with himself. A few years after his death in 636, the Council of Toledo in 653 described him as “an illustrious teacher of our time and the glory of the Catholic Church.”
Isidore was, without a doubt, a man of accentuated dialectic antitheses. Moreover, he experienced a permanent inner conflict in his personal life, similar to that which Gregory the Great and St Augustine had experienced earlier, between a desire for solitud, to dedicate himself solely to meditation on the word of God and, the demands of charity to his brethren, for whose salvation, as Bishop, he felt responsible. He wrote, for example, with regard to Church leaders: “The man responsible for a Church (vir ecclesiasticus) must on the one hand allow himself to be crucified to the world, with the mortification of his flesh and, on the other, accept the decision of the ecclesiastical order – when it comes from God’s will – to devote himself humbly to government, even if he does not wish to”(Sententiarum liber III, 33, 1: PL 83, col 705 B). Just a paragraph later he adds: “Men of God, (sancti viri), do not in fact desire to dedicate themselves to things of the world and groan when by some mysterious design of God they are charged with certain responsibilities…. They do their utmost to avoid them bu,t accept what they would like to shun and do what they would have preferred to avoid. Indeed, they enter into the secrecy of the heart and seek there to understand what God’s mysterious will is asking of them. And when they realise that they must submit to God’s plans, they bend their hearts to the yoke of the divine decision” (Sententiarum liber III, 33, 3: PL 83, coll. 705-706).
To understand Isidore better, it is first of all, necessary, to recall the complexity of the political situations in his time to which I have already referred – during the years of his boyhood he was obliged to experience the bitterness of exile. He was, nevertheless, pervaded with apostolic enthusiasm. He experienced the rapture of contributing to the formation of a people, that was at last, rediscovering its unity, both political and religious, with the providential conversion of Hermenegild, the heir to the Visigoth throne, from Arianism to the Catholic faith. Yet we must not underestimate the enormous difficulty of coming to grips with such very serious problems as were the relations with heretics and with the Jews. There was a whole series of problems which appear very concrete to us today too, especially if we consider what is happening in certain region, in which we seem almost to be witnessing the recurrence of situations, very similar to those, that existed on the Iberian Peninsular, in that sixth century. The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated, enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis, it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting, which he expressed in an extraordinary personal erudition, although it was not always ordered as might have been desired.
In any case, his nagging worry not to overlook anything, that human experience had produced, in the history of his homeland and of the whole world, is admirable. Isidore did not want to lose anything that man had acquired, in the epochs of antiquity, regardless of whether they had been pagan, Jewish or Christian. Hence, it should not come as a surprise if, in pursuing this goal, he did not always manage to filter the knowledge he possessed sufficiently, in the purifying waters of the Christian faith as he would have wished. The point is, however, that in Isidore’s intentions, the proposals he made, were always in tune with the Catholic faith, which he staunchly upheld. In the discussion of the various theological problems, he showed, that he perceived their complexity and often astutely suggested solutions, that summarise and express, the complete Christian truth. This has enabled believers through the ages and to our times, to profit, with gratitude, from his definitions. A significant example of this is offered by Isidore’s teaching on the relations between active and contemplative life. He wrote: “Those who seek to attain repose in contemplation must first train in the stadium of active life and then, free from the dross of sin, they will be able to display that pure heart which alone makes the vision of God possible”(Differentiarum Lib. II, 34, 133: PL 83, col 91A). Nonetheless, the realism of a true pastor, convinced him of the risk the faithful run, of reducing themselves to one dimension. He therefore added: “The middle way, consisting of both of these forms of life, normally turns out to be more useful in resolving those tensions, which are often aggravated, by the choice of a single way of life and are instead better tempered, by an alternation of the two forms” (op. cit. 134; ibid., col 91B).
Isidore sought in Christ’s example the definitive confirmation of a just orientation of life and said: “The Saviour Jesus offers us the example of active life, when during the day He devoted Himself to working signs and miracles in the town but, He showed the contemplative life, when He withdrew to the mountain and spent the night in prayer”(op. cit. 134: ibid.). In the light of this example of the divine Teacher, Isidore can conclude with this precise moral teaching: “Therefore let the servant of God, imitating Christ, dedicate himself to contemplation without denying himself active life. Behaving otherwise, would not be right. Indeed, just as we must love God in contemplation, so we must love our neighbour with action. It is therefore impossible to live without the presence of both the one and the other form of life, nor can we live without experiencing both the one and the other”(op. cit., 135; ibid. col 91C). I consider that this is the synthesis of a life that seeks contemplation of God, dialogue with God in prayer and in the reading of Sacred Scripture, as well as action at the service of the human community and of our neighbour. This synthesis, is the lesson that the great Bishop of Seville has bequeathed to us, Christians of today, called to witness to Christ at the beginning of a new millennium. Amen … Vatican.va
St Isidore at Seville Cathedral
St Isidore on the Facade of Seville Cathedral
Prayer for the Intercession of St Isidore before accessing the Internet
Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image
and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person
of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
Bishop and Doctor,
during our journeys through the internet,
we will direct our hands and eyes
only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience,
all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Orátio ante colligatiónem in interrete:
*Omnípotens aetérne Deus,
qui secúndum imáginem Tuam nos plasmásti
et omnia bona, vera, et pulchra,
praesértim in divína persóna Unigéniti Fílii Tui
Dómini nostri Iesu Chrísti, quaérere iussísti,
praesta, quaésumus,
ut, per intercessiónem Sancti Isidóri, Epíscopi et Doctóris,
in peregrinatiónibus per interrete,
et manus oculísque ad quae Tibi sunt plácita intendámus
et omnes quos convenímus cum caritáte ac patiéntia accipiámus.
Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Amen
Quotes of the Day – 15 October – The Memorial of St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church – “Doctor of Prayer”
Speaking of: Prayer
“Mental prayer, in my opinion, is nothing else, than an intimate sharing between friends. It means taking time frequently, to be alone with Him, who we know loves us. The important thing is, not to think much but to love much and so do, that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.”
“A beginner, must look on himself, as one setting out to make a garden for his Lord’s pleasure, on most unfruitful soil which abounds in weeds. His Majesty roots up the weeds and will put in good plants instead. Let us reckon that this is already done, when the soul decides to practice prayer and has begun to do so.”
Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – Tuesday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Goaspel: Luke 10:38–42
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Luke 10:42
“Our Lord’s words teach us that though we labour among the many distractions of this world, we should have but one goal. For we are but travellers on a journey without as yet a fixed abode, we are on our way, not yet in our native land, we are in a state of longing, not yet of enjoyment. But let us continue on our way and continue without sloth or respite, so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor (Sermo 103, 1-2, 6: PL 38, 613, 615)
“Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Church
“In bustling about and busying herself, Martha risks forgetting — and this is the problem — the most important thing, which is the presence of the Guest… Most importantly He ought to be listened to. “
Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”
“The measure of love is love without measure.”
“Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.”
“The three most important virtues are: humility, humility and humility.”
“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you, or you are running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star – call on Mary!”
“Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother – for the more she is honoured, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.”
“There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and to converse with Him, for prayer unites us with God as His companions. As our bodily eyes are illuminated by seeing the light, so in contemplating God our soul is illuminated by Him. Of course, the prayer I have in mind is no matter of routine, it is deliberate and earnest. It is not tied down to a fixed timetable – rather it is a state which endures by night and day.
Our soul should be directed in God, not merely when we suddenly think of prayer but even when we are concerned with something else. If we are looking after the poor, if we are busy in some other way, or if we are doing any type of good work, we should season our actions with the desire and the remembrance of God. Through this salt of the love of God we can all become a sweet dish for the Lord. If we are generous in giving time to prayer, we will experience its benefits throughout our life.
Prayer is the light of the soul, giving us true knowledge of God. It is a link mediating between God and man. By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven and in a marvellous way embraces the Lord. This meeting is like that of an infant crying on its mother and seeking the best of milk. The soul longs for its own needs and what it receives is better than anything to be seen in the world.
Prayer is a precious way of communicating with God, it gladdens the soul and gives repose to its affections. You should not think of prayer as being a matter of words. It is a desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not of human origin but the gift of God’s grace. As Saint Paul says : we do not know how to pray as we ought but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
Anyone who receives from the Lord the gift of this type of prayer possesses a richness that is not to be taken from Him, a heavenly food filling up the soul. Once he has tasted this food, he is set alight by an eternal desire for the Lord, the fiercest of fires lighting up his soul.
To set about this prayer, paint the house of your soul with modesty and lowliness and make it splendid with the light of justice. Adorn it with the beaten gold of good works and, for walls and stones, embellish it assiduously with faith and generosity. Above all, place prayer on top of this house as its roof so that the complete building may be ready for the Lord. Thus He will be received in a splendid royal house and by grace, His image will already be settled in your soul.”
A reading from the homilies of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor, (Hom 6 on Prayer)
Prayer: Give us the grace, Lord, to be in constant prayer so all of our lives, may be accomplished in sincerity of heart.
Quote/s of the Day – The Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
“Doctor of Light”
“The measure of love is love without measure.”
“Are you troubled? Think but of Jesus, speak but the name of Jesus, the clouds disperse and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death? ..invoke the name of Jesus and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy name – there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name.”
“Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.”
“The three most important virtues are: humility, humility and humility.”
“There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge – that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others – that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve – that is Love.”
“Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother – for the more she is honoured, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.”
“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you, or you are running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star – call on Mary!”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 August – The Memorial of St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God’s compassionate love for others.”
St Clare’s second letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague
“ Blessed be You, O God, for having created me. ”
St Clare’s Last Words
“Cling to His most sweet Mother, who carried a Son whom the heavens could not contain; and yet she carried Him in the little enclosure of her holy womb and held Him on her virginal lap.”
“Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him. ….Totally love Him, Who gave Himself totally for your love.”
“They say that we are too poor but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor? We should remember this miracle of the Blessed Sacrament when in Church. Then we will pray with great Faith to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist: ‘Save me, O Lord, from every evil – of soul and body.’”
St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
St Pope John Paul II said of Saint Clare: “her whole life was a Eucharist because … from her cloister she raised up a continual ‘thanksgiving’ to God in her prayer, praise, supplication, intercession, weeping, offering and sacrifice.
She accepted everything from the Father in union with the infinite ‘thanks’ of the only begotten Son.”
Contemplative Prayer – Listening to the Catechism, Part One
2709 What is contemplative prayer?
St Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Contemplative prayer seeks Him “whom my soul loves.”
It is Jesus and in Him, the Father. We seek Him, because to desire Him is always the beginning of love and we seek Him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of Him and to live in Him.
In this inner prayer we can still meditate but our attention is fixed on the Lord Himself.
2710 The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart.
One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter.
One cannot always meditate but one can always enter into inner prayer, independently of the conditions of health, work, or emotional state.
The heart is the place of this quest and encounter, in poverty and in faith.
2711 Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we “gather up:” the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of Him who awaits us.
We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to Him as an offering to be purified and transformed.
Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ control, my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.
Probably most of us, if we think of contemplative prayer at all, regard it as something that is beyond us and practiced only by a few contemplative monks and nuns whose whole lives are devoted to prayer. Yet I have heard respected and experienced spiritual guides say that contemplation is often given to those you would least expect—to harassed mothers and people who think they can’t pray, to children, to the sick and dying, to people with no academic learning about prayer or Scripture or theology. God sometimes seems to speak, heart to heart, in this mysterious way, to the untaught and unpracticed. None of us should imagine that the ways of contemplative prayer are closed to us because God is always infinitely larger than our expectations.
I suggest that creation itself gives us a gateway. In every moment of our lives, a silent, invisible miracle of exchange is taking place. We breathe out the air that our bodies no longer need, which is mainly carbon dioxide, a waste product for us but the very thing that the green leaves on the trees and plants need to produce their own energy. So they receive our carbon dioxide and, through the process of photosynthesis, produce not only their own life energy, but also oxygen—a waste product for them but the very thing we need to live. Whenever I stop my busyness for a few moments to look around me, I am amazed at this arrangement and it makes me think of prayer.
So perhaps a good way to open our hearts up to the gift of contemplation is simply to become still, and, quite literally, to breathe out our waste—all that clogs us and deadens us—and to breathe in God’s renewing life, as we breathe in the fresh oxygen that the plants have made for us. This simple, deliberate breathing exercise can become something like what the French peasant was doing as he looked at God and God looked at him. We are becoming aware of the mysterious exchange of life between ourselves and God. And there is no reason that any period of quiet might not become prayer of this kind.
There may be other creatures who can help you cross the threshold of contemplation. If there is a baby in the family, try simply holding her in your arms as she sleeps and letting God hold both of you in his. Nothing more. No deep thoughts. No search for meaning. Just be there.
A cat (if you are not allergic to them!) can also be a great aid to prayer. My own cat loves to sleep round my neck. At first I found this disturbing but when he has settled into a particular hollow (perhaps where he can feel my pulse), he will lie there, quite still, just purring deeply, until he falls asleep and the purring ceases. When he does this, I let myself find a hollow close to God’s pulse and let my own prayer become just a sleepy purr and then the silence of content. Or you might discover prayer on a park bench. The other day I was in Hyde Park and I spent a few minutes listening to the deep-throated cooing of the pigeons. I wanted to join them because, in their way, they were engaged in contemplative prayer, simply expressing, in this peaceful murmur, the song of their beings.
In your own home, prayer awaits you in the opening of a flower, the rising of your bread dough, or the steady, imperceptible development of a child. Spend time in silence, aware of the wonder that is being unfolded in your cakes and your children, your houseplants or your garden. For this is the essence of contemplative prayer—simple awareness, allowing God to be God, without trying to put the limitations of shape or meaning around him.
Contemplation, like all prayer, is pure gift and not anything we can achieve. It happens when prayer becomes, wholly and utterly, the flow of God’s grace, transforming the land it flows through, like Ezekiel’s stream. Or it happens when we lose consciousness of our own part in it and become simply receptors and carriers of grace. It happens when we realise that our transformation depends on nothing but God’s grace and love, and, like the chrysalis, let go of all activity to try to achieve our own redemption.
When we try to describe it, we fail, for it lies beyond the world of words. We can open our hearts to it by the practice of awareness but we cannot bring it about, any more than we can force a flower to open or an egg to hatch. And in our silent, trustful waiting, we are acknowledging that God is God, the source and the destination, the means and the end of all our prayer, whatever form it may take.
from Close to the Heart: A Practical Approach to Personal Prayer
Make my Heart Still
“Lord take my poor heart. It is often so far from You, lost in a thousand things and in the trifles that fill up my everyday life. Lord, only You can collect the thoughts of my heart and have it concentrate on You, You who are the centre of all hearts, the Lord of all souls. Only You can bestow the spirit of prayer, only Your grace is able to allow me to find You amidst this multitude of things, amidst the distractions of everyday life, YOU, the one necessity, the one person with whom my heart can become still.”
“When man comes to God in awe and love, then he is praying.”
Karl Rayner SJ – The Mystical Way in Everyday Life
Saint of the Day – 14 December – (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church – Carmelite monk and Priest, Religious Founder, Writer, Poet, Mystic, Apostle of Contemplative Prayer. Also known as • Doctor of Mystical Theology • John della Croce • John de la Croix • John de la Cruz. Patronages – • contemplative life, contemplatives• mystical theology, mystics• Spanish poets• World Youth Day 2011• Segovia, Spain• Ta’ Xbiex, Malta. Attributes – eagle, Crucifix, Cross, Carmelite habit. John of the Cross is known for his writings. Both his poetry and his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and one of the peaks of all Spanish literature. He was canonised as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He is one of the thirty-six Doctors of the Church, added by Pope Pius XI in 1926. His works are • Ascent of Mount Carmel• Dark Night of the Soul, Book 1 • Dark Night of the Soul, Book 2 • A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ.
St John was born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez into a converso family (descendents of Jewish converts to Christianity) in Fontiveros, near Ávila, a town of around 2,000 people. John’s father had been disowned by his wealthy Spanish family when he married a poor weaver rather than a woman of equal economic status. Living in poverty proved to be too much for him and he died shortly after John was born. John spent much of his youth in an orphanage, where he was clothed, fed and given an elementary education. At the age of 17, he found a job in a hospital and was accepted into a Jesuit college. In 1563 he entered the Carmelite Order. Eventually he enrolled in another university, where he did so well that he was asked to teach a class and to help settle disputes.
Ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25, John met Teresa of Avila and, like her, vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. John was caught up in a misunderstanding and imprisoned at Toledo, Spain. During those months of darkness in that little cell, John could have become bitter, revengeful, or filled with despair. But instead, he kept himself open to God’s action, for no prison could separate him from God’s all-embracing love. During this time he had many beautiful experiences and encounters with God in prayer. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God.
Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets- John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle.
But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analysed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full. AND his reforms of the “Discalced” Carmelites revitalised the Order. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August 1926.
Diego de Sanabria – Saint John of the Cross
Image above – El Greco‘s landscape of Toledo depicts the priory in which John was held captive, just below the old Muslim alcázar and perched on the banks of the Tajo on high cliffs
AnaStpaul 
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