49: Setting up the foundations of Spiritual Life

Should we start the formation in Spiritual Life with the "First Level Course", or by an Introductory Course, laying the foundations of Spiritual Life?

I would like to point out to the fact that not all christians are "ready" for the "First level Course" teaching (please click here to see the Syllabus of the first level course: Initiation into Spiritual Life)). Normally people should go first through a previous teaching: The Foundations of Spiritual Life. Exactly like saint Teresa of Avila went through them, in the three first Mansions of the Interior Castle (In fact the teaching of the First Level Course starts at the Fourth Mansions).

What fosters this thought is what the Lord himself did with the Rich Young man:  when he asked for "Eternal life", Jesus didn't immediately direct him toward "perfection", i.e. toward "following Him" (He didn't call him). Strangely (but wisely) He first checked up if the "foundations" are ready, strong and sound: "did you practice the Commandments?" He said to the young man. I still do believe that we can and have to check if the "foundational structure" of the persons who want to follow the First Level Course is "completed". Because if before the right time one starts to give the "Pearls" of the Fourth Mansions, one can just later throw them and go ("Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Mt 7:6)) .

In order to ensure that the "foundations" are sound, we may have to work a little bit with the First and the Third parts of the Catechism, or just take the Three first Mansions of Teresa of Avila's book: The Interior Castle.

Question: Reading what you have just said again and again I have just been thinking if it would not be better to focus completely on the Catechism for a semester and work on giving the “Pearls” the following semester? I know you prefer not to change anything for now but surely there can be no harm in strengthening the foundations first so that people can be more receptive to the more “advanced” material.

Answer: Setting up the foundations for Spiritual Life doesn't mean that God the Father and Jesus are not present and active right from the Beginning of the Journey. We won't ask people to become "Jewish" first, then, when they fulfil the Commandments, we turn them toward Jesus.

We only have to accept that in Christian Life we have like two phases: 1- Before the "Second conversion" and 2- After the "Second conversion".

Note: The "Second conversion" is to receive Jesus' call to follow Him from Closer. It means that as an adult, I do discover the "personal relationship" with Jesus, feel His Call, and decide, by His Grace to follow Him... (The "first conversion" is to become Christian.)

* Theresa of Avila in the Journey she offers us toward Perfection (Union with Jesus), sets 7 steps. The first one is to enter in the Castle (to enter in ourselves, in our interior. Jesus lives in our centre and often we are outside of ourselves)). The Fourth step, is to enter in the "Personal Relationship with Jesus"; she calls it "the supernatural", and she means by that that the way the Holy Spirit is communicating Himself to us is new, more powerful, direct and personal. But you need to notice that all the book is written to her nuns. Technically, any nun should be placed after the Fourth Step. Strangely, when she writes to them, she does go through the 3 first steps: 1- people who are out of the Castle, 2- people who enter in the first mansions (that are still quite dirty) in the Castle and 3- People who put some order in their christian life.

* Saint John the Evangelist does the same. Before receiving Jesus' Body (John 6) and embarking with Him (passing the sea, John 6), there are 3 fundamental Signs:

1- Cana of Galilee, 2- Healing the son of the officer (and the officer) 3- Healing the paralysed man (38 years of paralysis). So, from the beginning, Jesus and Mary are present.. From the beginning (even if nobody knows yet who is Jesus) Jesus performs miracles, heals, prepares the human being to follow Him (there are levels of depths in "following Jesus").

Laying down the foundations of Spiritual Life, we have to understand that we can't just drop Jesus and Mary. Of course, technically, the modality in which the Holy Spirit acts is "softer", we call it the "general help of the grace of God". It is a preparative grace, to THE grace, which is "receiving the Holy Spirit Himself", THE grace of entering in a direct and personal relationship with Jesus.

* And if you go to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew (chapters 5 through 7), you have the whole Trinity present: the Son (chapter 5), the Father (chapter 6) and the Holy Spirit (chapter 7). Of course the action of the Trinity will develop and mature later, with the Parables, and then with the Passion of Jesus, but still, the Trinity is right from the beginning, and the Grace of Jesus is mentioned right from the beginning. We can't set two types of Baptisms (even if the people who lived in Jesus time had John the Baptist who opened the way, and then Jesus), one would be the "first conversion", more like a Jewish Christian life, and the "second conversion": meeting Jesus.

Instinctively, I would respect the fact that saint Matthew, saint John and saint Teresa of Avila chose to put everything right from the beginning.

In one word, this means: I wouldn't drop the teaching of the First level Course for the sake of laying down the foundations for Spiritual Life. I would do both, together, in parallel (combined), in order not to deprive anybody from the Grace of Jesus and the precious knowledge that there is plenty to come... "grace upon grace".

I hope this helps

16b: The "eyes" of the Guide

Yesterday I was in a hospital, following the case of a friend. His doctor couldn't understand why he had fevers, going up and down. After trying antibiotics for 10 days, thinking of an infection, seeing that the fever is still there the doctor deduced it can be that. He then had a guess, and ordered a Scan. The scan revealed a stone between the kidney and the bladder. The stone measured exactly 5,5 mm. We know now exactly where it is and what was happening. Quite urgently my friend will have to go through a surgery to extract that calculus, avoiding possible complications.

We know as well that the development of Neuroscience (and many other sciences) boomed these last 20 years because of the development of new generations of scanning machines (the fMRI).

Few years ago (without these machines) we wouldn't have been able to diagnose (at least so rapidly) many diseases.

What is a scanning machine? It is a machine, that allows us to delve in the human body, and see, with greater detail and precision, what the naked eye can't see.

_________________

Well that fact made me think a lot about Spiritual Theology. All what it addresses, is directly non-visible: the soul (mind and will, memory, imagination, inner senses) and the spirit (the upper part of the soul). The "Master in Spiritual Life" is like a Doctor : he needs to diagnose the state of the person he sees. And in order to diagnose, he needs to see inside.

Only few saints had that special gift of seeing in the heart. Would this mean only very few people can offer Spiritual Direction? Only few people can teach Spiritual Theology? “a blind man cannot guide another blind one, they will both fall” (Luke 6:39) says Jesus.

Without these "scanning machines" and "powerful analysis means" they have today available Doctors were sort of “blind”. They had to use other means in order to “see” (in fact: “guess” or “deduce by more visible symptoms" and "gathering knowledge fro the greatest number of cases”).

How does a human being access his own soul and the soul of the others? The same for the spirit (this highest part of the soul that enters in the direct contact with God, and is, by definition, super-conscious) how can we access it?

For sure one cannot dismiss the help of the Holy Spirit in order to help the Spiritual Master, to remind him, to open his eyes, in order to “see” what is happening. But the Holy Spirit doesn't work in a miraculous magical way. He supposes the presence of our effort, that is: our correspondence to the Grace of our state and call: our study, our experience and our discernment received through spiritual direction.

Do you see what I mean? In order to build, in the “Spiritual Master”, these eyes that will help him/her see what is happening in this mysterious, mystical, world of "spiritual life", the Holy Spirit is asking him to do three things, to grow in the practice of them, and to excel in them:

1- experience: delving in the experience of God, and not just reading or studying. And growing in the experience of God.

2- science: learning about the experience of God by reading, studying, and receiving the grace of understanding what he/she reads and the grace of recognising (connecting what he reads/knows with what he experiences). And on top of all that, studying and doing research in that area.

3- discernment: becoming first a disciple, seeking “spiritual direction”; receiving the needed discernment. Humility is necessary, and listening to God who speaks, teaches and corrects through the spiritual director.

As we see, this is a combined effort, not just a Grace given from Above. This combined effort between the Holy Spirit and the person called to that service, for years, will end up by building "new eyes" that will help him recognise, see, analyse and measure what is happening in the soul of his brothers and sisters.

So we have the call, received, to follow the steps of the “spiritual masters”, starting to go down in humility, experience, science, recognition, discernment, growing in all these elements, for years. This will generate like new eyes. The eyes of the Guide.

This requires an effort. Studying requires an effort. Holiness requires an effort. This is how the salt remains salty (see Mt 5).

13: Teaching "Spiritual Theology"

Not any person receives this prophetical « munus » (function, responsibility, task …) in the Church: ‘Teaching Spiritual Life’.

It is not an obvious, systematic, automatic, easy task/vocation in the Church. ‘Teaching spiritual life’ is not the property of Priesthood, even if all priests have a share in that responsibility of teaching some “spiritual life” to their flock. It is a specific Call/Vocation that one receives, clearly or in a more progressive way. It belongs not to the ‘Sacerdotal function’ of the Church, but to the ‘Prophetical function’.

Note: To know more about the three functions of the Church, (Royal, Sacerdotal, Prophetical) please see John Henry Newman, ‘Preface to the Second or Third Edition’ to his “Via Media” from §2 n°4 when he says: “With this introduction I remark as follows…”.

The ‘Prophetical function’ of the Church provides some important elements in the Church’s vitality: the Universities (Institutes, Schools, …), all types of Consecrated life (except Parish Priest vocation). Name it: Monks, Religious, Virgins, Hermits, Secular orders, and some forms of consecration in the recent movements in the Church.  You may add the private consecration as well. And we  have to add: Spiritual Institutes, Retreat places,..

Amongst all the people who belong to this great lateral (or diagonal, diachronic) wing of the Church, this 'Prophetical function' of the Church, you’ll find that Call to serve in a very specific way the 'teaching of spiritual life'. Not all who belong to the 'Prophetical Function' of the Church are called to teach Spiritual Life. Only some of them.

Normally, the “Parish Priest” is supposed to be able to teach at least the 4 sections of the Initiation into Christian life:

                     1- the Creed,

                     2- the Sacraments,

                     3- the Commandments, and

                     4- the Our Father.

You’ll happily find that these 4 traditional parts of the mainstream teaching of Christianity composes the 4 Parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

If you study theology, the mainstream theology, the 4 first years, to become “Licentiate in Theology”, you’ll find that a lot of what you receive is simply summarised in the 4 parts of the Catechism.

I am sure, you’ll easily admit that the Fourth Part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the one that teaches Prayer, the Our Father, and a bit of “spiritual life” only gives a small glimpse of the immense richness of the Church in this field.

Note: Lateral thinking: Shaping “Integral Theology”

The actual teaching of theology in the Catholic Universities, engineered (shaped) and lead by theologians who often belong to the Sacerdotal Function of the Church (or at least who shifted towards it), gives the teaching a more 'Sacerdotal' nuance than a 'Prophetical' one. In the sense that, if you belong to the 'Prophetical Function' of the Church, you’ll find that the Curriculum is particularly poor in “Spiritual life”, and that all its sections (Dogma, Bible, Sacraments, Moral Theology,...) should be taught in a more “spiritual way”, without though loosing any scientific or academic quality.

You can’t imagine a different teaching of theology, a different ordinary ‘magisterium’ (teaching) else than what you’ve got. This is why it is very difficult for you to imagine what would be the teaching of theology (Integral Theology), or/and the teaching of “Spiritual life”, made by a Master in “Spiritual life”, a proper teacher of “Spiritual Theology”. He forcibly belongs to the Prophetical function of the Church.

I am sure that we can have a “Theology” made by the 'Prophetical function' of the Church, and it would be really wonderfully made. Integral Theology. Just imagine…

10: Jesus, the Great "Twister"

Hi, how are your “taste buds” today? Did you jump yesterday?

Praying todays Readings of the Mass (http://dailygospel.org) in English (and not in French) I had a slight moment of hesitation reading this verse of the Psalm “Because he clings to me”… I thought the Psalmist is speaking about God. So I saw it: “Because He clings to me”. It is true that God loves us, and that God loves us in a very “foolish” way… to the point that He died this way (on the Cross) for each one of us.

To cling is: “to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking”

To cling is as well: “to remain in contact (with each other)”.

You may prefer this sense: “to be or remain physically or emotionally close”.

It is the very case of God. Otherwise he wouldn’t have done what he did to us. His love for us is simply incredible...

Then we can read the Psalm this way “God clings to me”. Yes.

But I hear you saying: "the rest of the passage doesn’t seem to work". This is the least horrible reaction you’ll have to my “chatter”. Well it is not that much of a chatter, I am serious:

“Because He clings to me, I will deliver Him;

I will set Him on high because He acknowledges my name.

All who call upon me I will answer;

I will be with him in distress.” (Ps 91)

You’ll say: all this puts everything upside down. You are right, but the first one to put things upside down is Jesus himself when he said: “each time you do this to the smallest, you did it for Me” (Mt 25).

Each time I deliver Jesus who dwells in the heart of a person, each time I make a effort (walking the extra mile) with a person, I set Him (who dwells inside) on high….

My name is: "Christian…". I bear the Name of Jesus Christ…

All the people who call upon me I will answer and not act deaf.

"God", Who Is buried in many hearts, "God" Who Is in prison in many hearts, hearts who are thirsty, who want to breath: "I will be with Him" (Him being in them) "when He is in distress".

How are your taste buds? Did you wear your swimming trunks?

I know that seems quite a twist… but the great twister is Jesus not me. Let us worship Him dwelling in them… Give your friends some good food (not abstract concepts, pleaaaaase), some good Spiritual Theology that is understandable, practical, useable; you’ll free your friends. Teach them how to pray. You don’t know how to do it? Well, learn then how to “cook”. I mean the good Bread of Spiritual Theology. Quite a challenge. But this is Love.

“Because He clings to me, I will deliver Him;

I will set Him on high because He acknowledges my name.

All who call upon me I will answer;

I will be with him in distress.” (Ps 91)

Bon appétit!

Jean

09: The immersion in the Trinity

The very Palpable Trinity

Don't you think that we often look at the Trinity as an abstract distant “object”? Strangely, in the early Church, the Trinity was a reality Christians were immersed IN all the time. The Trinity was very palpable, lived, tasted: an experience. How did it happen?

“Immersed”, according to the dictionary, is “to be covered completely in a liquid”.

The liquid can cover you, but it may sometimes penetrate in you as well, no? (i.e.: oil)

It can penetrate you, but it may transform you into it, no? (i.e.: chemicals)

Baptism was done (and is still done in various Churches) by a triple immersion: one had to be immersed a first time: “in the name of the Father”, a second time “in the Son”, and a third time “in the Holy Spirit”, one God.

Note: in Greek, "baptised" means being immersed.

Baptism is not about being immersed and then coming out. It is meant to be a constant state of immersion. One remains baptised (immersed) all his life.

Saint Paul greets his fellow Christians in Corinth this way: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.” (2 Co 13:13) He mentions Jesus first: because Jesus is the one sent by the Father to reveal to us the Trinity , to open the Trinity to us; He is the entrance Gate to the Trinity. Then Matthew mentions the Father. Then, the Holy Spirit. This is a very genuine primitive order. Indeed kept by Matthew in his stunning presentation of the triple Immersion (Mt 5 through to 7).

Note: The teaching on the Son (Mt 5), the teaching on the Father (Mt 6), and the teaching on the Holy Spirit (Mt 7) are one teaching and not three.

To baptise somebody is to introduce him/her IN the life of the Trinity, to immerse him/her and to hand over to him/her the responsibility of remaining immersed. This depends on us. The teaching on how to remain immersed in each Person of the Trinity is presented by Matthew in his Gospel in the Sermon on the Mount:

- The Son: Mt 5 (right after the beatitudes)

- The Father: Mt 6

- The Holy Spirit: Mt 7

At the end of saint Matthew's Gospel (see the quote below), what Jesus asks his Apostles to do is: to help new Christians remain immersed in each one of the Persons of the Trinity. In order to do so there is a teaching that is all one and triune: Mt 5 through 7.

It is our responsibility to put into practice the teaching of each immersion, in order to REMAIN immersed. (“Dwell in me” Says Jesus in John 15. We can say as well: “Dwell in the Trinity”, Dwell in the Son (by putting into practice Mt 5) Dwell in the Father (by putting into practice Mt 6) Dwell in the Holy Spirit by putting into practice Mt 7))

The end of Matthew's Gospel and his three chapters 5 to 7 are one of the very first forms of Spiritual Theology…: teaching people how to dwell in the Trinity, how to dwell in each of the Persons of the Trinity. This is Baptism. Here is the text (end of Mt):

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising (immersing) them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (end of Mt, and is as well the summary of Mt 5-7)

Note: “baptising” and “teaching to observe” are in fact one thing, they mirror each other.

One last thing

A very early tradition, found in St Irenaeus (130-202), says that the Hands of the Father are the Son and the Holy Spirit. (St Irenaeus is the disciple of the disciple of St John the Evangelist.) Now, imagine the Father holding you, as a little baby with His Hands (the Son, and the Holy Spirit), immersing you, and always holding you.

This is one of the early spiritual ways of being for Christians. This is the earliest form of catechesis. Very practical. Understanding that God has two Hands - the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and that He holds us with them. We should never escape from His Hands. Each hand has 5 fingers. In order to remain in the Hands of the Father, we need to put into practise the 5 + 5 commandments we find in the Sermon of the Mountain:
You find the Son's 5 commandments in the second part of Mt 5, and the 5 of the Holy Spirit in the five sections of Mt 7. We need to learn to count on the fingers of each hand: 1, 2, 3,...5, then again: 1, 2, 3...5. This way, the Father can hold us, we are facing Him, and we can live the 7 sections of Mt 6, dedicated to the Father and having in it the "Our Father". (Please check Mt 5-7 text, with these divisions here) Counting, remembering, putting into practise, will allow us to remain in the Hands of the Father, all the time, Facing him.

So, when we say the Our Father, we say it in this position shown above. The Father is holding us - his little children - with His First Hand: the Son, and with His Second Hand: the Holy Spirit. We are Facing Him.

Hope that helps not only your neurones but your “taste buds” as well. Let us taste the Trinity: get your swimming trunks (Mt 5-7) and jump in the Triune Well.

Jean

Note: “Dogmata” for the Greek Philosophers was like advice, a great piece of wisdom to be put into practice, a short sentence, to reflect and ponder on, put into practice until it becomes part of us. The 3 dogmata (the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit) are indeed to be put into practice, by living Mt 5, 6 and 7.

08: A Science

A pleasure again to speak about Spirituality, especially "as a science".

This science is not just a pure science. Or better said, it is the Science of the Master in Spiritual life.

In order to become a master (an Elder Monk, or Starets, or simply a Spiritual Master) it is important to combine three things, or at least two of them (1 & 3):

1- Experience of God,

2- Science (Spiritual Theology) and

3- Discernment.

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Eccle 4:12)

The combination of these three qualities, might make a "Spiritual Master". Then after, if he/she is very good at the "Science", then he can teach it. If you remove the "experience of God",  you are sort of then teaching cooking without ever having tasted any dish. Ridiculous, but it happens.

This is why it is important to have the experience of God, to practise real prayer, real contact with God, according to the Living Tradition of the Church. If you don't have the Fire, you can't transmit it, you can't show it, you can't explain it. Your words will be empty. Right?

Starting the experience of God will certainly bring 2 things:

- wanting to learn more and more about Spiritual life (the science of it): by reading, by studying and by doing research

- wanting to be guided by a Spiritual Guide, or Master: this will bring discernment

Seeking Spiritual Direction (you can call it as you like: "spiritual accompaniment", "spiritual counselling", ...) is fondamental, because one needs living discernment, or if you prefer: applied discernment. One thing is to study medicine and another is to go to the doctor.

We are not born with spiritual discernment. We can be very smart, we can be very practical, we can have very good common sense. They help, of course, with no doubt. But they are not "spiritual discernment". 

"Spiritual discernment" is something that takes time to "enter" in us, and it has various steps in it - it grows in us, paralel to our spiritual growth. The needed discernment in the beginning of the spiritual journey, is not the same at all after a while: when one needs a different spiritual food. Who decides? Who notices the new need?

Without seeking discipleship, if one dives into spiritual life, this is to be considered seriously risky. It is like entering in a dark room, not being able to see the furniture in it. While the Spiritual Master (or the Spiritual Guide), sees better than us and can guide us and help us move in this huge dark room, and lead us to the following rooms. It is a huge gift from God to find good Spiritual Guides. One has to pray a lot for that Grace.

So,... back to what I was saying in the beginning: "Spiritual theology" is a science, yes, but it is not a science that one learns just by his/her own brain effort. Not at all. While having its rationality, it is about the Action of the Holy Spirit in us, and it requires (and can grow with the condition of) : experience and discernment.

One can read Spiritual Theology books, study it, and have diplomas (which it good), but with no experience and no discernment received through discipleship, he/she cannot be good in teaching "Spiritual Theology". He won't be transmitting Life, Fire...

Hope that helps...

Pray for me...

(to be continued)

07: The journey of the gift of ourselves to God

I received today a very kind message from a lady, thanking me for a text I have posted years ago on my website, and forgot about it to the point that rearranging my site, I totally missed that text and forgot to put a link to it. It is still stored, but doesn't appear as a link. She found it just by googling 'giving yourself totally to God'. What a luck!

The title of the text is: 'The journey of the gift or ourselves to God' It was a reply to a question that a young Egyptian Christian lady asked me: 'How can I give/surrender myself Completely to Him - I insist on 'completely' - to accept His will, with pleasure and peace of heart' (her own words)

In the email I received today the other lady (I guess from the USA) was saying that the text described her exact personal experience of God. Wow... so humbling. This shows that teaching spiritual life is not something done in vain, and that it is possible to describe for wide range of persons - in a useful way - the main aspects of the experience of God, and the various steps of growth.

I went to read that text (yes! don't laugh, its written ages ago). Truly one can say that it is a real summary of Christian spiritual life (audacious to say that, but when you read it you'l tell me).

I should really amend few errors, but from where I am now, I can't access my website. I'll do it later. So you'll have to bear with me.

You can find the text here: https://schoolofmary.org/the-journey-of-the-gift-of-ourselves-to-god/

And here is how it starts:

"You asked me a very deep question: "how can you realise completely the gift of yourself to God, and you add "I insist on "completely", to accept His will with pleasure & peace of Heart". Maybe you didn't expect how important is that question, and how it needs a long explanation! It is the basic question for us Christians, and we need to understand clearly a very basic element of our life, the heart of the Gospel. I divided my explanation in 7 parts. They are all linked together, and they are all equal in their importance and need to be understood carefully, in order to have see the whole picture!

1- Introduction

As a starting point I would like to recall the deep meaning of Marriage according to the western theological Tradition: "it is the mutual gift of a man and a woman!" He gives himself to her, and she gives herself to him. This is the very essence of marriage for the western Church! So, as you see, it is a mutual gift of themselves.

Let us now understand in a deep and truthful way what Jesus is for us! The Son of God, came from haven, became a man, and gave himself to each of us on the Cross! He gave Himself totally on the Cross, to you, to me, to every human being! This is very important! This is why he is called the Groom, the Spouse! Because he gave everything to you! He would like you to be his Bride, so He invites you… he calls you, deep deep in your heart! So, your reply to Him, your response to His amazing Love, is to give yourself to him, totally!"

(check the rest of it here: www.amorvincit.com/journey_of_the_gift_of_ourselves.htm)

I hope you like it...

Spirituality 06: Teaching with "greater precision"

If one teaches (prepares a good meal for you) I like it to be done with "greater precision" or if you prefer "more accurately".

Here is the passage:

"A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way (of God) more accurately." (Acts 18)

He knew only the baptism of John". So no Holy Spirit. Not very accurate indeed. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no possibility to reach God!

I like as well the notion of "the Way of the Lord". He is a Way, there is a Way, a Journey... (this is what is "Spiritual Theology" is about: teaching the way, the goal, the steps, the means, the discrnement that help us reach the goal and not deviate or slow down)

It is then very important not to remain with an amateurish way of doing "Spiritual Theology". It is a science that requires precision. One cannot explain how to pray with a vague presentation.

Precision, accuracy...

Not only eternal salvation depends on it, but as well our life on earth (remember: it is about eating, food, growth) depends on it...

Tell me what you eat?

How did they prepare your meal? with "greater accuracy"? I hope so... :-)

cheers

Jean

PS: Teaching "Spiritual life" is about: preparing words to be said, given, offered as FOOD. Are they edible? are they fat? healthy? tasty? well presented? clear? useful? applicable? 'incarnable' in us? can we digest them?

05: Teaching how to comtemplate

Some people have as a motto: "Contemplating and sharing what we contemplated". This means: one needs to have a personal spiritual life, and a deep prayer life, and therefore become able to contemplate God, have an experience of God, and then he or she can share it, speak about it, about what he or she saw, experienced.

Wow... 

Saint Dominic de Guzman

Others have a slightly different motto. They say: "Contemplating and teaching others how to contemplate". I would put it this way: "teach the poor how to fish, better than feeding him". A bit harsh no? Or: "teach people how to cook good meals, better than feeding them", or selling them good meals. One would argue: 'we don't have time to cook'. - Rightly so. In the case of spiritual life, learning how to contemplate is certainly higher than just reading a book speaking about God or listening to a talk.

I feel it makes more sense to me if somebody is treating me like a human being, and not like an "under human being". I don't want to be harsh, but I find it difficult to just drop it, renounce to a higher call: learning how to contemplate.

People are often fed up with what they find in the "market" of religion and spirituality, they want to do it by themselves, they don't want people dictating to them what to think, what to do, what to eat. They want to be treated as adults... 

My feeling is that today (and tomorrow), the motto is more this one: "Contemplate, and teach people how to contemplate".

Fr Marie-Eugène: "my vocation is theological, to unite people with God"

Or, if you prefer: "Learn to contemplate, see how it works, perfect your art, grow, reflect and ponder upon your art, and then start to teach it to others".

What would you do?

JK

PS1: By the way, "teaching how to contemplate" is the core of "Spiritual Theology".

PS2: On that same note, one can see the spread of a new "virus": books that have on their title: "Lectio divina", and when you open them, you find that they are offering you their own "lectio divina". It feels to me like a person ate and is just offering you what they ate (direct from their stomach). Disgusting no? A book on "lectio divina" should teach people "how to listen to God".

04: A Science

It is always a real pleasure and a passion to speak to you about Spiritual Theology and share my thoughts on it.

What is Spiritual Theology (or Mysticism)?

It is a Science.

Till today, it is considered a branch of Theology. (I speak of course only for the Catholic Church) A minor branch sadly, and quite weak today.

It should be not only a Major Branch in Theology, but it has in itself enough capacity and resources to be an independent Faculty, equivalent to Theology, Psychology, Philosophy,... It can provide a complete first Cycle in University Studies.

What defines a Faculty, a new Faculty is a new science. One can easily understand this by studying the (recent) history of Psychology. This Science, and its Faculty didn't exist before Freud's efforts and discoveries and what came after.

A science is defined by its object and by the light under which one can see the object.

In the case of Psychology the object that we study is the Soul. In the case of Spiritual Theology, the object is the Soul and the spirit (or heart). The lights here and there are different.

Spiritual Theology, or Mysticism is very close to Theology of course, because it relies on the supernatural light of Faith. But is goes much beyond the simple light. The more God gives His graces, the more the light that results is greater.

It is a Science. What for?

It helps us in our journey to reach God, to receive God himself and be united with Him.

This Science teaches us the journey (and its steps) toward the Union with God and the Fullness of Love. It shows us the means to use in order to grow and be transformed and reach the Goal (Union with God).

As we can guess, being a science, doesn't mean that it is at the reach of any person. It is a supernatural Science (it uses the super-natural Light of God), and much much higher than mere Theology. It requires a deeper experience of God in order to be understood properly.

This science is about the experience of God. It has a theoretical aspect, certainly, a rational side, but only because the Loving Light of God falls in our brain. But without that loving light, it turns to be a real ordeal for the person who delves in it. It is all practical, in the sense that it explains what to do in order to grow, to make one more step toward the Union with God.

Spiritual Theology is the science of the Masters of spiritual life. Formators/Educators in Spiritual Life should be Masters in Spiritual Life.

A Spiritual Master is the person that forms into spiritual life, transmits it to another person, by teaching, by spiritual direction, by his prayer. The Master in spiritual life has in himself three characteristics, united and combined harmoniously in him: Experience of God, Science of Spiritual life (Spiritual Theology), and finally Discernment.

As we can see, Spiritual Theology is the most important Science, the most useful one.

For me, "The Good Samaritan" symbolises "Spiritual Theology" that takes great care of the human being, bringing him from a "half dead" state to the participation to Divine Life

There is a great thirst today to learn about the ways to reach God, to enter in contact with Him. This is why there is a real urge to revive Spiritual Theology, to change its situation from poor to very healthy and Leader of other Sciences.