SJC - If You Want Divine Union, Be All In and Travel Light

Galatians 5:1

It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery.  

Let Go
Louise Gubb (Getty Images)

"For it comes to the same thing whether a bird be held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even if it be slender, the bird will be well held as though it were stout, for so long as it breaks it not and flies not away. It is true that the slender one is easier to break; still, easy though it be, the bird will not fly away if it be not broken. And thus the soul that has attachment to anything, however much virtue it possess, will not attain to the liberty of divine union. 

-St. John of the Cross

Ascent XI.4

So it is with us.  If there is the slightest hesitancy, the slightest lack of commitment, the slightest imperfection, we will not enter fully into divine union in this life.

Most people will not obtain the perfection of divine union until after death and after the purifying fires of Purgatory.  In the end, they will be saints in Heaven. But why choose to wait until death to be purified in Purgatory when you can obtain the infinite blessings of God’s inner life while still walking this earth?  Why wait? Why hesitate? Why not make the perfection of divine union the one and only goal in life?

You may say, “Well, perfection is one of my goals, but I have other goals also.”  The problem with that answer is that God will not share you with other goals when it comes to the perfection of divine union.  If you want to live perfectly united to God, then God can be your only goal.  But don’t be confused by that statement.  By choosing God and God alone, you are also choosing His perfect will.  This means that when you are perfectly immersed in His will and living it as your will, you will find that the joys, satisfactions, fulfillments, relationships, acts of love, beauty, etc. that God wills for you are infinitely greater than any goals for your life that you could come up with on your own . . . 

from My Catholic Life

The Mystical Journey to Divine Union

"Decide Today"

Excuse me,

Too busy

Writing your tragedy?

These mishaps 

You bubble wrap

When you have no idea . . .

(How things could be)

. . . So let go,

Give in.

It's so amazing, yeah.

There's beauty in the breakdown. 

Adapted from "Let Go"

by Frou Frou

Luke 9:3

"Take nothing for the journey . . . and let no one take a second tunic."

When Jesus tells his disciples to travel lightly, something like this is going on . . . I had to let go of the baggage of my self-preoccupation. As bearers of the Gospel into the world, what do we need to give up for that message to be powerful and persuasive? 

It may be the security of our creature comforts. 

It may be the fear of depending on others. 

It m ay be our own ideas of success.

God will give us what we need.

Fr. Dennis Galagher

"Traveling Lightly"

Living Faith: Daily Catholic Devotions (July - September 2021) 

 

 

 

 

 

St. John of the Cross - Preparing for a Spiritual Marriage

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings,

Who publishes peace, 

Who brings good tidings of good, 

Who publishes salvation, 

Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

(c) Pixaby
A Triumphant Dream - On Mountain's Edge

We who are Christian have discovered the cure for this present life of misery. What remains for us then is to embrace Jesus, the only cure, with diligence and zeal. Being with Him requires ongoing and deepening conversion. And what is our great hope at the end of this journey? Divine Union.

Divine Union = Transforming Union or

                       = A "spiritual marriage" (as St. John called it)

From My Catholic Life

"Introduction - Preparation for the Journey"

The Mystical Journey to Divine Union: Spiritual Wisdom from St. John of the Cross

Set a fire,

Down in my soul,

That I can't contain,

That I can't control . . .

(There is no place that I'd rather be.

There is no place that I'd rather be,

Than here in Your love,

Here in Your love."

 

John of the Cross - A 6-Fold Journey into Divine Union

Philippians 2:5-8

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross.  

 

Christ on the Cross (Rembrandt, oil on canvas. 1631)

1. (Initial Conversion) - St. John presumed that a Christian has already entered this stage

• Turns away from a life of sin
• Embraces Baptism and its effects
• Begins to walk with God

2. Active Night of the Senses

• Intentional letting go of all worldly attachments to sin
• Refocused desire: all within my passions and appetites are turned to God and His holy will

3. Passive Night of the Senses

• Special grace from God that completes the purge of senses from Step 2 ("purgative contemplation")
• No longer finding earthly joy and satisfaction in the things of this world
• Painful, but the pain helps to focus on God
• Awareness of the spiritual form of the Seven Capital Sins
• Serving God because of love alone, not because it "feels good"

4. Active Night of the Spirit

• Proficient in the spiritual life: a) stability, b) contemplative prayer, c) zeal for God
• Growth in virtue and holiness, while sensing God wants more
• Allows God to infuse the pure gifts of the 3 Theological Virtues: a) faith, b) hope, and c) love
• Letting go: 
• a) My previous ideas of God, 
• b) My own preferences for my future
• c) Selfish convictions about God's will
• My intellect has faith in a more general and obscure way
• Waiting upon the moment-by-moment gentle guidance of God

5. Passive Night of the Spirit

• By God's action, my soul enters a "spiritual cocoon" where my intellect, memory, and will are completely transformed
• Deep spiritual "piercings" of love
• My soul is left humbled, impoverished, and empty of all things
• My soul is hidden from enemies: the world, the devil, and the flesh. Unhindered. Free.
• Spiritual strength and fortitude. Cling to God with unshakeable fervor
• Hidden and secret depth of love and strength

6. Divine Union

• Earthly perfection 
• Every desire and appetite for sin is vanquished
• Every desire for things of this world have been removed
• Intellect, memory, and will are directed to God in a pure and infused way
• Delights in all things as God delights in them
• Gratitude floods my soul and virtue is alive and manifest
• My soul and God are one, awaiting the Beatific Vision of God in Heaven

From My Catholic Life

"Introduction - Outline of St. John's Teachings"

The Mystical Journey to Divine Union: Spiritual Wisdom from St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross - The Seeds of His Spiritual Wisdom

Psalm 28:2,7

Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard my prayer.

Hear the sound of my pleading

When I cry to you,

Lifting my hands 

Toward Your most holy sanctuary.

Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard my prayer.

The Lord is my strength

And my shield.

In Him my heart trusts, 

And I find help;

Then my heart exults,

And with my song,

I give Him thanks.

Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard my prayer.

Sacred Pit (Dungeon) - Gallicantu St. Peter's Church (Jerusalem)
(c) Wikicommons 2008

However, it was during this time of abuse that some of the greatest spiritual treasures to fill our Church were born. Father John, in the darkness of this prison, composed numerous poems, including The Dark Night of the Soul and portions of The Spiritual Canticle.  God did not allow this abuse to go fruitless.  Father John grew deep in the spiritual life and entered into interior freedom through his prayer and surrender to God.

-My Catholic Life

"Introduction - Biographical Information"

The Mystical Journey to Divine Union: Spiritual Wisdom from St. John of the Cross

"Surrounded" (Fight My Battles)

Michael W. Smith

Fear of the Lord, The Holy Spirit's First and Final Gift

Psalm 111:2-4; 6-10

Great are the works of the Lord,

    studied by all who delight in them.

Full of honour and majesty is His work,

    and His righteousness endures forever.

He has gained renown by His wonderful deeds;

    the Lord is gracious and merciful . . .

. . . He has shown his people the power of His works,

    in giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are faithful and just;

    all His precepts are trustworthy.

They are established forever and ever,

    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

He sent redemption to His people;

    He has commanded His covenant forever.

    Holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

• Fear of the Lord is not an emotion. It is the acknowledgment in word and deed that the world is in God's hands. (see the Hebrew midwives who refuse Pharoah's command to kill the newborn sons of the Jews). 
• Fear of the Lord = filial obedience, but ≠ slavish or feudal obedience. It is the loyalty, respect, and trust a cherished son or daughter places in their parents. 
• Fear of the Lord is a marker that someone can be trusted. (See Joseph imparting to his brothers that he wishes them no harm or Jonah defending his goodness to the sailors on a stormy sea).

The Hebrew word for "fear" (yirah) actually means many things:

• Awe
• Amazement
• Astonishment
• Worship
• (But also dread or anxious anticipation)
• Linked etymologically to the word for "seeing" (ra'ah)

Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, p. 79 - 81

"The Fear of the Lord: Joy-Filled Awe in the Presence of God"

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, Give Your Gift of Piety

 This divinely given gift (piety) nourishes sentiments of profound confidence in God and His will for us. It moves us to works of mercy and compassion toward others.

Piety makes it easier for us to trust God, even when we do not understand His will. Piety opens the way for us to live our ordinary life in intimacy with God. Piety prompts us to pray. It allows us to be held in God's loving embrace. Moved by the gift of piety, we live our lives as a continual conversation with God. 

Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, p. 73

"The Gift of Piety: True Loyalty to God and Neighbor"

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Ruth and Naomi Fight to Survive

Ruth in Boaz's Field (Oil on Canvas, 1828) 

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld 

Psalm 119:14-20

I delight in the way of your decrees

    as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts,

    and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

    I will not forget your word.

Deal bountifully with your servant,

    so that I may live and observe your word.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold

    wondrous things out of your law.

I live as an alien in the land;

    do not hide your commandments from me.

My soul is consumed with longing

    for your ordinances at all times.

Holy Spirit, Give Your Gift of Counsel

2 Peter 3:9

 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. And then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise. And the elements will be dissolved with fire. And the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

"At the heart of faith is the act of trust in the wise providence of an all-loving God. Trust in God casts out worry and anxiety about the future . . . He offers the Gift of Counsel to help us choose the good He wills for our happiness . . . With those who have no faith, God is never a factor in formulating their plans. But, with those with faith, no area of life is outside of God's wise providence."

Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, p. 42-43

"The Gift of Counsel: A Guide to the Present"

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Micaiah, King Johosephat, King Ahab, and the False Prophets

Actions of the Holy Spirit as Advocate ("The Paraclete")

• To speak in support, as a counselor would do in a defense case
• To exhort or urge
• To put courage in the faint-hearted
• To make the ordinary person struggle valiantly in battle
• To lead into all truth

Counsel (a Supernatural Gift) with Prudence (a Natural Virtue)

The Holy Spirit's gift of counsel does not exempt us from exercising the natural gift of prudence . . . With his gentle presence within us, the Holy Spirit brings the natural virtue of prudence to a supernatural level with his gift of Counsel. St. Thomas Aquinas: The gift of counsel = the perfection of prudence.