Blog Archives - St Joseph Healing Ministry

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/26/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Deep Delight and Peace

    St. Teresa of Avila says that this prayer is clearly seen through the deep peace, contentment and calm that one experiences (The Book of Her Life, Ch 15:5, p. 141).

    A French Jesuit, Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751) wrote Abandonment to Divine Providence. This book describes how a person should live his life doing the will of God. He abandons himself to God so that no matter what happens to him, he reacts, as best he can, in the way God wishes. An experienced soul, in time of trouble, "will remain quite unmoved by all turmoil, indifferent to all noise and uproar. Ignoring them all, it will stay peaceful and unmoved in that intimate peace where it benefits so greatly by the manifestation of its love. This is the center where it rests."

    Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful" (Phil 4:4). He continues telling the Philippians, "Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude; and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

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Jean-Pierre De Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence. Translated by John Beevers (New York: Image Books, 1975) 88.

At Monroe prison, a prisoner was bringing several others into the RCIA class. He was telling them of miracles in his life and inviting them to "come and see". I asked him to tell me one of the miracles that happened to him and he said that his world has fallen apart, but he remains at so much peace inside him, that he knows that this peace is from God.

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/25/2013

Contemplative Prayer as described by the Saints and Scripture - Infused Love

St. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians and for us is that we may know this love, that we may "have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18).

This prayer moves you away from thinking of God as an object, into a state of constantly being in His Love. It moves a person toward works of charity and of living your life for God.

Teresa of Avila says that this spark of fire is a sign or pledge from God that He gives to a soul for He has now chosen it for great things and wishes to prepare it to receive them.

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St. Teresa of Avila, The Book of Her Life, ch. 15:5, p. 141.

A Spiritual Journey. . .

2/24/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Infused Love

Many saints describe this infused love as a dart of fire entering their heart. St. Teresa of Avila said that at times an arrow is thrust into the deepest recess of the heart. It produces extreme pain for it causes the soul to forget itself. Yet she says this pain is so delightful there is no other pleasure that gives greater happiness. It would be wonderful to die of this sickness.

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St. Teresa of Avila, The Book of Her Life, Ch. 29, 10, p. 251.
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa in white marble is located in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. It was designed and completed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. [click on photo to enlarge]

Four centuries later St. Therese of Lisieux describes that a similar experience happened to her: "I had commenced in the Choir the Way of the Cross, when I felt myself suddenly wounded by a dart of fire so ardent that I thought I must die. . . but oh! What fire! What sweetness."

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Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul, The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux (1897), Ch XII, p. 127.

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/23/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Contemplative Light / Knowing

Another writer that described this mystical light beautifully was the 16th century Spanish Franciscan friar, Francisco de Osuna, (c 1492-1540). He wrote The Third Spiritual Alphabet which was one of the first books on prayer that Teresa of Avila read and which influenced her life toward prayer. He explained many of the mystical experiences which were very important to the formation of the Golden Age of Spanish mysticism.

He explained the term "light" in this way: In the physical realm, the light of our eyes does not allow us to see in the dark. It must be joined with the outside light for us to discern visible things. It is the same thing with spiritual matters. Our understanding is dependent upon the fusion of natural light which is on our soul with the divine, heavenly light, so that what we did not know previously, we now know. David said, "In your light, Lord, we see light" (Psalm 36:9). "Faith is the light that illumines us, and when we receive it willingly and with pious devotion, it joins with the light of our soul and in this fusion of lights we see through faith the heavenly things to which our soul by nature is inclined". He adds that we then realize how meager our own light is compared to God's immense light and that our own light produces less understanding.

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Francisco de Osuna, "Meditation of the Day" 'And he saw clearly', from The Third Spiritual Alphabet, quoted in the Magnificat, Vol. 10, No. 13, February 2009, for Wednesday 18th, p. 267.

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/22/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Contemplative light / knowing

St. Paul wrote to the Colosians: "That is why, ever since the day he told us, we have never failed to remember you in our prayers and ask that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the fullest knowledge of his will and so be able to lead a life worthy of the Lord, acceptable to him in all its apsects, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and growing in knowledge of God, fortified, in accordance with His glorious strength, with all power always to persevere and endure, giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God's holy people and with them to inherit the light" (Col 1:9-12).

St. Nil Sorsky, (1433-1508), a Russian Orthodox saint and monk, described the infused light of contemplation: "When the soul undergoes such spiritual activity and subjects itself to God and through direct union approaches the Divinity, it is enlightened in its movement by an intense light and the mind experiences a feeling of joy of the happiness that awaits us in the life to come."

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George Maloney, ed., Pilgrimage of the Heart, a Treasury of Eastern Christian Spirituality (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983) p. 145, quoting St. Nil Sorsky, Ustav, p. 28, cited from the critical text of M.A. Borovkova-Maikova. Translation Maloney's).

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/21/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - Contemplative light / knowing

    St. Teresa of Avila wrote that the Lord places in the soul the knowledge that He wants it to have and this without words or image. In this way, Teresa says, God gives the soul understanding of His desires and great mysteries and truths, or gives her understanding of some vision that He had given her [The Book of Her Life, Ch 27:6].

    She wrote: "The soul undergoes a change ... it seems that a new, living high degree of love is beginning. For although the intellectual vision ... that represents God in an imageless way is more perfect, a wonderful thing happens when so divine a presence is represented in the imagination ... These two kinds of vision almost always come together. This is the way they occur: with the eyes of the soul we see the excellence, beauty, and glory of the most holy humanity; and through the intellectual vision . . . we are given understanding of how God is powerful, that He can do all things, that He commands all and governs all, and that His love permeates all things" [The Book of Her Life, C

    The saints describe this light in two ways, the light of the glory of God that they see in a physial way through a vision, and then their mind is given infused knowledge of an explanation of what they have seen.

    I had an experience of this: In California at my parish, we would have a Catechism study. Our priest was with us and we would cover about two pages in the two hours that we met. We had a couple of sceptics in the group which made our sessions interesting as we all learned, as we all took turns answering their questions. One day Father couldn't be with us and the sceptic challenged us with the statement that she didn't believe that the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of Jesus. As the rest gave their explanations, I remained silent, for I realized that I didn't believe it either.

    That night when I went to bed I prayed, "Lord, I believe it because that is what I have been taught all my life by my Catholic faith. I believe it because I believe the stories of Eucharistic miracles that have taken place. But, Lord, I don't believe it. Please remove my unbelief."

    During the night I awoke and there was a box of light around me. I thought, "This is interesting. Lord, I do not know what this means, but You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me, meld me," and I went back to sleep.

    The next morning I had forgotten the incident of the light and got dressed, ate breakfast, and was heading across the living room floor to go to the computer when I stopped in the middle of the room. I realized in a flash that I was a changed person! I believed! My whole being believed that the bread and wine became the body and blood of Jesus Christ when the words of Consecration were said over them. No argument convinced me of this - yet I believed! When the Church teaches about the light of infused knowledge given to us by the light of the Holy Spirit, I know exactly what it means by that statement. That knowledge, that belief was infused into my soul, not through words, but through Light.

    I was a changed person! I truly believed this experience was from God. Going to Church was no longer a matter of Sunday obligation. Going to daily Mass became a treasured Grace. I believed everything I had been taught about the Eucharist. I could no longer day dream through the Mass. What was going on at the altar became very important. My presence, my total awareness, was now necessary. My Lord was right there! He was my food, my drink, my nourishment, the healing power within me. He was the source of all Grace I would need until I was able to receive Him again.

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Kathy Moore, Song of Hope, (Coyote Publishing, Yreka, CA) p. 92 (available from this website).

Teresa of Avila, The Book of Her Life, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez (Washington DC: ICS Publications, 1976).

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/20/2013

Contemplative prayer as described by the Saints - An Experience of God

    St. Teresa of Avila, in explaing how one experienced contemplative prayer, or the encounter with Jesus, wrote that it was like someone who was blind or in darkness and a person is with them. They can speak to that person and they know with certainty that that person is there with them, but they do not see the other. That is how it was with her when she thought of our Lord [The Book of Her Life, Ch 9:6].

    I often describe it as like when you are sitting in Church with your eyes closed, you know when someone has come into the same pew as you. Or like a child coming into his house after school, and just knows that his mother is not home and the house is empty - or the othere way around, knows his mother is home but he cannot see her.

    Sometimes Saint Teresa would feel the presence of Christ come upon her and she had no doubt that He was within her and that she was totally immersed in Him. She clarified that this was not a vision. The will loves. The memory or intellect was not working, and yet, it was amazed at all that it understood, because the Lord gave the soul understanding [Ch10:1].

    Sister Mary Matthew refers this as being "Devinely occupied".

    In another place St. Teresa describes it as like a swoon, the breathing and the bodily energies gradually fail. You cannot lift your hands without effort. The eyes close without you wanting them to. You hear but don't understand what you are hearing. Thus the senses give you no help. You may try to speak, but no words form. "All the external energy is lost, and that of the soul is increased so that it might better enjoy its glory. The exterior delight that is felt is great and very distinct" [Ch 18:14].

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Teresa of Avila, The Book of Her Life, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez (Washington DC: ICS Publications, 1976).

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/19/2013

Preparing for Contemplative Prayer - Meditation

St. Bonaventure, (1221-1274) a Franciscan whom Pope Leo XIII called "the Prince of Mystics" and according to Jordan Aumann, Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition, others call the greatest theologian of the spiritual life among the Franciscans, [p. 138] in his book La Triple Voie, which Bonaventure wrote around 1270, uses the word "steps" or "way" ("Voie") and he lists three major ones under the major headings of the Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive ways. He says that you must make use of the sting of conscience to be purified [Purgative Way], the light of reason to have clear sight, 'Illuminative] and the spark of wisdom to become perfect [Unitive].

In the Purgative way, Bonaventure teaches that during meditation the Spirit excites the sting of conscience. The Spirit helps a person to not neglect to watch over his heart, and his time - so it is employed usefully, and his purity of intention - so that his work is aimed to his eternal end. Next, he must not neglect prayer, studies, and good works. The last thing he must not neglect is to repent of his sin and to cry over it, to resist evil and all temptations, and to advance in virtues so that he can arrive at the Promised Land.

Bonaventure says that one must examine his attitudes to root out concupiscence [man's natural tendency to sin - a result from the fall from grace of Adam and Eve] within himself. He tells of these signs: the lust of the flesh is betrayed by the need of candy, of gratification of the senses, of the search for softness, for comfortable clothes, for sensual conversation and entertainment. The lust of the eyes is the desire to know secret things, the need to have rare and precious objects. The lust of the spirit or pride is when one seeks out the best treatment, the best music; and honors - things that render a man vain. In all these tendencies, the sting of the conscience must stimulate remorse of the heart.

St. Bonaventure, La Triple Voie, 1269-1270) Available from the internet. Translation my own.

We went to the home of St. Bonaventure when we were in Italy in October. His home town is gradually falling off the cliff. You get to the town by walking out on a long bridge. The rain stopped when we arrived and we were able to see a double rainbow.

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/19/2013

Contemplative Prayer as described by the saints - An Experience of God

    "St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), in her Story of a Soul, asked how could one prove her love since love is proved by works? She answered this by saying that she would strew flowers and would sing the canticle of love. She would not let one little sacrifice escape, not one word nor look, but would do everything through love. She was willing to suffer for love. And while she was strewing her flowers, she would sing, even if her flowers had thorns (Ch IX, p. 196.)

    St. Terese would pick up a pin from the floor and say, "For the love of You, O Lord."

    We should do the least little thing - and the greatest thing of the day - for the love of God.

    We need to remember to start the day with the morning offering. There are many forms of the popular prayer. Sister teaches the children a very simple form "I offer You this day, everything I think, do, and say, - with love."

    My form of daily offering has expanded from that: I offer this day to You, everything I think, say and do, with love. You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me, meld me, and then do with me what you will. Help me with my difficulties so that I may bear witness to others, Your Love, Your Power, and Your Way of Life. May I always do Your will. I offer to You all my prayers, joys, pain and suffering to You, Almighty Father, united with the Passion, Death, and Glorious Resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and united with all the Masses said today throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, the sins of those I pray for, the sins of my family, and the sins of the whole world. For the intentions of Sister Matthew and myself, the intentions of our benefactors and associates, the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Mary and the Immaculate Heart of Jesus and the intentions of Pope Benedict XVI. Amen.

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Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux (1897), translated by John Clarke, O.C.D. (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 1996).

A Spiritual Journey . . .

2/18/2013

Contemplative Prayer - An Experience of God

"Taste and see that Yahweh is good" (Psalm 34:8); "You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described; and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls: (1 Pet. 1:8). Paul wrote to the Philippians about the loss of all things just to gain Christ and to be given a place in Him and to be able to partake of His sufferings (Phil 3:10).

In his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI quotes the first letter of John, "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (1 Jn 4:16). Benedict says this is the choice of the Christian - an encounter with a person, Jesus Christ, and through this encounter, this experience, a peson's life is changed. Since God loved us first, love for God and neighbor is a response to this love. The term, "love" is from the Greek "agape", which Benedict says gives Christians a new understanding of the term love. Love becomes concern and care for others. It seeks their good, and is even willing to sacrifice, lay down their lives if need be, for others.

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Pope Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter of Pope Benedict XVI: Deus Caritas Est 'God is Love' (obtained from the internet, EWTN library) #1,3,6.