More correspondence to a friend whose interest or comfort level has been more in writing of persons in the canonization process or already canonized as saints in the Church. I've been encouraging (maybe even badgering a bit!) trying to write of His Living Word and of His Real Presence, for His Real Presence is in His Living Word, of course. I'm praying for the friend to be enlivened by His Real presence, the Holy Trinity, and might find writing on what ought be the love and life of our existences to come easier than it has thus far, and for the heart to be in it, rather than writing daily saint biographies.
I suppose after awhile, if it continues to be not the captivating and enlivening topic that I find His Real Presence to be, the veritable Love of my life and soul's existence, then in I will need to stand down and suggest the friend return to what is more comfortable--and that is partly what I've found deterring in the elevation of holy souls through an involved canonical approval process called "canonization."
People can get ensnared in these persons' lives without recognizing that these "saints" were not that interested in other than intense, magnanimous love of and for and in His Real Presence: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And this includes then delight and love of and in any aspect of His Real Presence as he is in us and we are in Him. So His Living Word, Spiritual/Mystical Eucharist, and Prayer (love-talk, loving and praising conversation with HRP), take on a consuming delight and meaning, a purpose, such as to then love God above all else and love others and self and His Creation as God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit love.
Dear X,
I know writing about HIs Living Word is more difficult than writing of the saints. As we know, today is the celebration of John Vianney, parish priest and amazing mystic. I've read a fat book about him years ago, and another smaller one. I really like him, but it is personal and selfish, both, as he helped me accept some of the persecution. Plus, earlier on in my spiritual life, I had more overt attacks by the devil, usually at night when I could more easily be taken off-guard, including some with fire and also being tormented in other ways; John Vianney had fire across his bed (and in his room), and I learned from him how to deal with it. He learned to recognize immediately and not be fearful or upset, but would just laugh and speak aloud to the devil whom he called the Grappler, and would turn over and go back to sleep. I think part of what I have found very difficult or did was to recognize that while God is so real, the devil is, also.
However, as always, these people who are made into saints without their consent because it's after they've died, often are priests or religious or have something the temporal church wants or can use which is a good thing in many ways--some active or temporal good that they provide or the church can benefit from which is for good purpose even if to attract more people to Catholicism, to Christianity. But I seem in an odd category of those who are rejected, which is not at all a rejection by His Real Presence, but by people in the temporal church and the temporal church itself. And I consider that a very good thing because it is His Real Presence Who leads us to Himself, not a temporal church.
The temporal church can help such as with education and a place to gather to worship, or not online worship, and there is much benefit for those who do not have HIs Real Presence in the Living Word except when they might listen to His Living Word in worship services, but they have His Real Presence in tangible Host, even if they might not realize or their minds not grasping yet that HIs Real Presence is in them at anytime and all the time, through a simple awareness and appreciation and spiritual communion. Plus, that of prayer--and more can be taught if the priest preaches about His Real Presence in any or all of the Three Persons or of His Living Word in Masses that people can listen to with varying degrees of attention.
And the other traditions and reading about such as saints or especially the writings of marvelous Christians particularly the early ones, brings a great deal of help to us Christians today. You read In Imitation of Christ--an earlier writer, they think Thomas a Kempis but not totally sure. What a treasure, and thankfully he was not canonized and all that process, but what is emphasized is what he wrote--a tome of wisdom and practical living out our lives as Christ-like beings, or that is the goal.
I can tell your heart is maybe not yet enlivened and on fire with His Living Word, but the Holy Spirit is lighting it, and will help you find it easier and second nature to you because His Real Presence in in you. One thing in these current readings that you point out is focusing on faith (trust/faith). Yet something other that is the reason we have or learn to have more and more faith, and trust--and that is due to our love--of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit: His Real Presence. The more love we have for and of HRP, the greater our faith, and the greater our trust, and the greater our courage, and the more of these, then the more love.
So love is our reason and purpose, love for HRP, and faith is a means of increase of love, and love is a cause of increase in faith, trust, courage, etc. So I think if we consider love of His Real Presence or break it down to love of Jesus or Love of God or Love of the Holy Spirit separately but at some point bring them together as they are One Person, it is love that progresses us and love drives us to desire more of HRP and our faith increases, and at some time our love increases, and then more courage, more trust, more virtues. But it all seems to hinge upon and begin with love, and the depth of our love and focus of our love, as in Love the Lord God with all your mind, heart, and strength, or Love God above all things and others as ourselves, meaning love as God loves, which comes increasingly as we become more in love with His Real Presence and in love with learning to love.
That is the secret of those people (saints) of which the temporal church people were assigned to the task of making them into canonized saints. That is really what we learn from these people who lived and died and the reason why they grew spiritually and were able to be courageous and be increasingly as Jesus said was possible. They learned to love God more than all else and to love as God loves--loving all souls and all creation and all that is of His Real Presence.
It was for love of her daughter and having heard that Jesus had the ability to heal and to drive out demons, that the Canaanite woman begged Jesus to help her daughter. Jesus did use that situation to demonstrate and teach about the coming time when the apostles would be bringing the good news of His Real Presence to all peoples of the earth--the Gentiles as they were called of those around them such as other than Jews. And Jesus commends the faith of the woman and her humility, knowing she was not Jewish and viewed as but a dog of sorts, but her motive was great love, and Jesus responds to LOVE such as of others, also; and we can figure that when Jesus healed her daughter, the woman LOVED Jesus ever after, and her faith grew, and she knew in her heart and mind that Jesus is God or whatever the Creator of all would be termed in her culture. She loved Him and her mother heart was surely touched deeply with His love.
I know when His Real Presence starts speaking to you freely in His Living Word, you will not find it difficult at all and in fact far easier than going through the two or three saint books and composing and writing out the biographical information. Your mind and heart will have only to write what is being enlivened and ideas and understandings will come, and relate to your life and others' lives, or whatever, I'm convinced you will have a far easier time writing of this and your heart will be on fire in His Living Word more than in the written biographies of those in the canonization process or canonized. When in love, what and who is the One a person thinks about and wants to talk about--I mean in love as in Divine Love.
I guess we'll find out if you and I pray--ask His Real Presence to increase our love and converse and enlighten our minds, hearts, and souls in His Real Presence in His Living Word, in prayer, and in what can be come (as we can have HRP in praying always) having HRP always in on-going spiritual Eucharist, too.
The saints are of value for how they came to this love of His Real Presence and understood His Real Presence is in them always and in all ways: in His Living Word, in prayer/conversation with God, and in spiritual, mystical Eucharist, and these sustain because His Real Presence is in these and thus in us and us in His Real Presence. These aspects increase our love of HRP and thus increases our faith in HRP.
It's all very real.
I noticed Augustine's understanding and writing of Peter's love for Christ was what sustained him and gave him faith and courage to walk toward Jesus on the water. Then there came Peter's taking his eyes and focus off Jesus and his love for Him, and distractions caused him to lose faith and falter. Yet he calls out to Jesus, and Jesus of course pulls him up and to the boat in safety. His Real Presence is in us and the One to Whom we turn to in love and talk with in our love relationship, and HIs Real Presence responds to us whom He loves, always and in all ways.
Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Appendix no. 192 , attributed sermon; PL 39, 2100
"Command me to come to you on the water"
When Peter courageously moves across the sea, his feet are unsteady but his love grows strong (…); his feet sink down but he clings to the Christ's hand. Faith upholds him so long as he feels the waves making way. Troubled by the storm, he takes heart in his love for the Savior. Peter walks across the sea borne up more by love than by his feet. (…)
He pays no attention to what his feet are treading on; all he sees are the footprints of him whom he loves. He saw his Lord from his position of safety in the boat and, led by love, climbed down into the sea. He no longer sees the sea but Jesus alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment