108: Bringing the Mind into the Heart

Just as the vertebral column keeps the human body standing upright, so too “The Prayer of the Heart is the backbone of the Church”. This image means that the Prayer of the Heart keeps the Faithful in constant contact with God, allowing the First Commandment to be constantly working in us and bearing fruit: “to love God with all our Heart, soul and energy”. It keeps us, the branches connected to Jesus the Vine, absorbing the constant flow of the Holy Spirit (the sap) (see John 15). It allows us in our turn to give that constant stream of Holy Spirit to the world: 'He who believes in me [...] out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' (John 7:38).

Bringing the Mind into the Heart

We often dwell in our brain/mind and don't understand the central advice of the Spiritual Masters, the Eastern Christian Monks who advise us to put our spirit/mind into our heart.

Theophan the Recluse embodies the teaching of the Eastern Christian Monks when he says: “I will remind you of only one thing: one must descend with the mind (Gr. Noûs) into the heart, and there stand before the face of the Lord, ever present, all seeing within you. The prayer takes a firm and steadfast hold, when a small fire begins to burn in the heart. Try not to quench this fire, and it will become established in such a way that the prayer repeats itself: and then you will have within you a small murmuring stream.”

Others say: “bring your mind (Gr. nous) into your heart”. Some comment: “The descent of the mind into the heart is taken quite literally by the practitioners of Hesychasm and is not at all considered to be a metaphorical expression.”

This is an important part of the teaching of the Prayer of the Heart, a fundamental indication that comes from the Great Christian Masters. They had the experience, they had the discernment and the teaching.

Why is this? These Masters have an interesting anthropological understanding of the fall, Adam's fall, when he is expelled from the Garden, away from access to the Tree of Life: they say that in the human being, instead of having the spirit/nous dwelling in the chest, it is now caught up in the net of the mind. Indeed, Adam and Eve were tempted by knowledge, by a knowledge not given by God, but a knowledge taken, grabbed, personally, by our own efforts: the Serpent very clearly said: you will see, you will know: “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)

Temptation here could be understood as tempting our noûs/spirit (i.e. where we are, where we focus and concentrate, where our desire leads us) to come out of its dwelling place, in the chest, where it is united to God. Moreover, the temptation to see (eyes will be opened), to know is very strong. It seduces us but in fact it creates the opposite to the Garden (heaven): it creates hell for us: absence of the Presence of God, absence of being united with God.

One can physically see it represented in the diagram (see below):

There are two different defined areas of dwelling: the Mind (represented by the square box) and the chest, represented by the heart. God dwells in the chest, not in the mind. Surprised? Indeed. How many times when we want to pray we actually start by “saying things to God” while in fact we need first to be connected to Him, then to express our deep desire (that comes from the spirit/noûs), and not from the mind. Dwelling in the mind/brain is something very painful. It induces us to act as if we are the Light of God, we are the Boss, we are the Head. While in fact the mind is just the servant of the Light of God, a channel for it. It is absolutely possible to have our attention, our focus, our presence in the heart/chest, and continue to think. But this new thinking is totally different.

Let me take an example: imagine that your life is a Gift from God and that it is like being in a Hotel, on the beach. Remaining in the mind (the opposite of being a child) means that we dwell in a room that doesn't have even a sea view. The better way is to remain in our heart (to be at the beach, looking at the immensity of God (the Sea) while thinking. The process of thinking in this case is completely different. Instead of being entrenched in a rather narrow place, we are in the open, expanding our chest to the Sea of God and in the same time learning to see the Light of God and follow it in a new way.

Descending into the Chest

How then can we bring our spirit/noûs down into our heart/chest? The simplest way, accessible to everybody is, while offering ourselves to Jesus/Mary, to “change and become like little children” (see Matthew 18:3). This is an adult decision, a decision that only an adult can make. The child is a child and can only do what he does instinctively, not choosing. On the other hand the adult has the freedom to choose to do it or not. This act improves the adult who becomes more adult, and not less so. It is not a psychological regression, on the contrary, it is “bringing the spirit/focus point/noûs into the chest, where God is, where Jesus is in order to light the wick of our spirit by the Fire of the Love of Jesus. When we imitate the little child, we in fact escape from the net and control of the brain/mind and slip into the heart/chest, just as when you rub some soap onto a bracelet in order to remove it, the spirit escapes from that “prison” and reaches the heart.

Jesus is a Furnace of Love, full of the Fire of the Holy Spirit. He desires immensely to receive us back into the Fire of His Love. We are outside of Him, outside of our chest, and we are carrying too many things/burdens/worries/extra-responsibilities. This wets the wick, so the Fire of Love of Jesus can't take in the wick of our heart.

Summing up: whenever we make ourselves like little children and offer ourselves to Jesus, entrust ourselves to Mary, we are already inside of our heart/chest (we have achieved the journey of arrow N°1), and Mary comes and takes us and introduces us into Jesus' Heart, and we receive the Holy Spirit, Fire of Love (the journey of arrow N° 2).

Question: Are we aware that we are not in our mind/brain? Are we aware that we have left the mind/brain and that we are now in our chest?

Answer: We feel that there is now more peace dwelling in the mind, that our mind is more relaxed and enjoying a different way of working. We are led by God, and not leading. We are following God and not leading. We are on the beach watching the immensity of the Sea, having the entire horizon of God in front of God instead of being entrenched, in a shaded narrow place.

How to do it?

Put yourself in front of the Icon of the Mother of God, holding the Divine Child-God, Take up your Rosary , sign yourself with the sign of the Cross, invoke the Holy Spirit to come and help you pray:

“O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.”

or:

“Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and kindle them in the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord, Amen. “

Then, get rid of all your burdens by entrusting them to Jesus, to Mary. “Entrust” is to give with total trust and to forget about them.

Now it is all about the Fire of God and you, the wick.

Offer yourself, entrust yourself to Mary, to Jesus, like a little child.

Hold the beads of your Rosary and choose a short prayer, that has the name of Jesus and the name of Mary. Say for instance: Jesus, … Mary... (breathing in, breathing out)... or just say your Rosary, without thinking of any mystery because you are IN the Mystery: Jesus' Fire of Love. Repeat that prayer, from the bottom of your heart, with desire, yearning... ask for the Holy Spirit to light your heart with the desire of Jesus... keep repeating gently... you are in your chest, in Jesus.

Take heed one can come out of that fiery encounter. Just repeat peacefully the entrusting of yourself like a little child.

Like the gentle waves of the sea against the shore, repeat from time to time the gift of yourself.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Mary the “Hodeghetria”

The Eastern church's tradition considers Mary as the “Hodeghetria”: "She who shows the Way". It is important here to understand the correct dynamic meaning of “to show”. "To show" could be understood as a static thing, like a sign post on the road. However in the case of Our Lady the difference is huge. She doesn't show only, she leads us to Jesus. If Jesus is the moon, she is the rocket that takes us to the moon. So, instead of leaning on our personal efforts to go to Jesus (thinking that as we are doing it directly we will reach Him directly) we rely on Mary, the Rocket in whom Jesus dwells. Leaning on our knowhow is like leaning on the sand. Leaning on Mary is in fact leaning on Jesus the Way, who is the Cornerstone, dwelling in her. The rocket can take off to the Moon, while the bicycle (our means) never takes off, never reaches the moon.

This is why Mary's place is important/vital in that meeting with Jesus (the Prayer of the Heart). She is as important as are the Annunciation or her waiting for the Resurrection.

She is the mould in which we (Jesus' body) are re-formed in Jesus' likeness. God's logic continues to be the same, like in the incarnation. He uses the same way to come to us, through Mary's intervention.

Mind you, she is full of the Holy Spirit, constantly moved by Him, and Jesus dwells in Her firmly and fully, acts in her and through her constantly. Whenever we offer/entrust ourselves to Her, she takes us immediately and lights the wick of our heart with the Fire of the Love of Jesus.

21: Defining Spiritual Theology 2

Let us continue to define “Spiritual Theology" (ST).

1- ST takes care of our Spiritual Life

The object of Spiritual Theology: our Spiritual Life. It is meant to take care of our spiritual life, its growth, its healthy and steady state.

2- ST manages a relationship between Christ and each one of us

Our Spiritual Life is the life of God in us, Jesus' life in us. This life is generated by the combined action of two persons: Jesus and each one of us.

This is why it is important to know what Jesus wants to achieve, how He works, what he wants. And it is as important to know 'how a human being can answer to His Call', reply to him, act, react, in a synergetic, harmonious, way.

3- ST's goal is to make our Spiritual Life grow

Spiritual Theology has various goals. Final, remote goals, and daily goals. It is only by achieving the daily goals that we can reach the final ones.

3.1 Final Goals: 1- Union with Jesus, 2- Fulness of Love

Spiritual life has two main goals:

1- Reaching first the top of the Mountain of the Union with Jesus Christ, God.

2- Reaching, with Jesus, and in Jesus, the bottom of the Mountain, serving our brothers and sisters reaching the fullness of love.

3.2 Intermediate Goal: each day, achieving 'the daily measure'

The intermediate Goal is each step we make, in order to reach the final goal. We have three measures in spiritual life: the act and the day (you may add 'the week').

- The act, any act, we make during the day should be synergetic. It should be done from Jesus, with Jesus, achieving Jesus.

- The real measure though is the day. “Today's effort is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34). I chose to translate here: “effort” and not "trouble" or other words. Showing that there is a measure of correspondence to the Holy Spirit we are called to achieve everyday.

No doubt the lectio divina, and the lectio divina well made, helps us achieve that goal, of adding every day one more synergetic act. Jesus states it: you can't do anything without me (John 15). He invites us to imitate Him by contemplating the will of God and then by his Grace putting it into practice. Lectio divina is completed by the Prayer of the heart. Like sun and water nourish the tree, Lectio divina and prayer of the heart, respectively, nourish us.

It is by accomplishing the “intermediate goal”, the measure of the effort of each day, that our Spiritual Life grows in us and that we can reach the final goals, otherwise, we are not growing properly.

4- Recognising the stages of Spiritual Life

When a mother has a baby, she starts to go, on a regular basis to a paediatrician, because she needs to know if her baby is healthy, doing well, growing … She doesn't always have all the sufficient knowledge in order to take care of her baby.

In the meantime, the Paediatrician has enough knowledge and experience in order to be able to do this checkup. He/she measures and weighs the baby and performs all sorts of checkups in order to be sure that the baby is growing. The Spiritual Master does almost exactly the same work. The faithful goes to him, in order to show his/her inner life and practices. Like the mother goes with her baby.

4.1 Knowing the stages

As the Doctor knows the 'normal' stages of growth of the baby, the 'Spiritual Master' knows them as well. Without knowing the stages and what characterises them, the Doctor cannot ensure the check up, cannot ensure that the baby is healthy and that all is fine. It is the same for the 'Spiritual Master'. It is part of his/her training to know the stages of spiritual life. This comes with study and learning.

4.2 Recognising the stages

One thing is knowing the stages, learning them (scientifically, theoretically), and the other is being able to re-cognise them. This comes with a lot of experience and discernment. The future Master has to become first a Disciple, for various years, in order to receive the discernment. Otherwise it is simply 'hell' (a great confusion). This is a very delicate art, and mistakes could be done very easily.

The “eyes” of the future Master, 'the capacity to see', and then 'the capacity to discern' have to grow. This can only happen under a training with another Master. It is the transmission of the living Tradition of Spiritual Masters.

Reflections

I think, that these simple lines, help define the framework of Spiritual Life and Spiritual Theology.

Wondering too much out of that framework can create confusion and loss of time and energy.

After reading these few lines, you can easily conclude that this "science" (Spiritual Theology) is the queen of all sciences, or better said: if you still consider 'Spiritual Theology' as a branch of Theology (it is your right to do so), wouldn't you consider that this Branch (ST) is not only a fundamental branch, but the Queen of all Branches of Theology? Anyway, the most useful one, the one that most of the faithful claim, wait for, and hardly receive in their lifetime. Look around.

Wouldn't you then wonder : where did it go in the big forest of Theology?

Why Theology divorced from Spiritual Theology? (I thought in the Catholic Church we didn't have divorce !!!!!) The actual Pope laments this divorce and is trying his best to mend it!

Why Spiritual Theology today is a 'half-dead' body lying on the road? (see the Parable of the Good  Samaritan Luke 10:30)

Ok, I will stop lamenting, and get up early, and work, work, work, in this Field - with the Help and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is My CREED.

20: Defining Spiritual Theology 1

It is true that 'Spiritual Theology' is a science. For many it is a branch in Theology, like Neurology or Cardiology is a Branch in Medicine. For others it can be named 'Mysticism' and can be categorised as another Faculty, as Psychology's Faculty is different from the Faculty of Medicine.

The definition of a Science comes at least from two criteria:

1- The Light under which an object is seen, considered, studied,

2- The Angle under which the object is seen. (see: Jacques Maritain, 'Degrees of Knowledge') This is why some consider 'Spiritual Theology' as a different science from Theology because both the Angle and the Light are different.

Since this science is not enough developed in the Church, it remains, conservatively, considered as a branch of Theology. Sadly, and strangely, it is not one of the main branches of Theology (Bible, Dogma, Sacraments, Moral Theology). What an odd fate for such a great Lady.

A 'Great Lady'

As we previously explained in many posts, 'Spiritual Theology' is the science of the 'Master of Spiritual Life' and requires from him/her to develop two more capacities: the Experience of God and the Discernment.

Formation in Spiritual life is much more than being catechised. It is a deeper phase in our spiritual life (a 'phase two' if you will). This phase starts when we decide as adults, to reply to Jesus' Call, put our hands in His Hands, and follow Him toward holiness, the Union with Him.
'Spiritual Theology' is the science that guides our formation in Spiritual Life. I would like to compare her to a Lady, a Lady who is in charge of our formation, that show us the Way (Jesus) and show us how to know Him, how to Love him, and let Him grow in us.

I have no hesitation in unifying the two figures: 'Mary' and 'Spiritual Theology'. 'Spiritual Theology' is THE science, par excellence, that leads us to the goal of Christian life: holiness. No other science or branch of theology can. We forget that very often, and therefore, strangely, neglect this science.

Like a real mother, 'Spiritual Theology' bends and gets close to us, gives us first the milk, and then a stronger food. She takes care of us, and provides all what is needed to reach the goal.

She is much more than Mary's first daughter. She is the 'garments' that Mary wears to serve us as our real Mother, given to us from Jesus (see John 19:27). Mary takes care of 'Spiritual Theology' and is in charge of 'her'. This is why I prefer to consider them as the same person.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus speaks this way about the 'science of Love':

"Sometimes a word comes to console me, such as this one which I received at the end of prayer (after having remained in silence and aridity): "Here is the teacher whom I am giving you; he will teach you everything that you must do. I want to make you read in the book of life, wherein is contained the science of LOVE. The science Love, ah, yes, this word resounds sweetly in the ear of my soul, and I desire only this science. Having given all my riches for it, I esteem as having given nothing [Ct 8.7]... as did the bride in the sacred Canticles. I understand so well that it is only love that makes us acceptable to God that this love is the only good I ambition. Jesus deigned to show me the road that leads to this Divine Furnace […].” (Manuscript B,1)

The 'science of love'

This is another name for 'Spiritual Theology'. To love God is to act accordingly to the desire of God. To do what is needed in order to achieve God's plan for us.

(to be continued...)

19: Spiritual Theology, “the explanation of everything”

After mentioning the main Parables told by Jesus, Mark says: “with many such parables he spoke the Word to them as they were able to understand it. 
Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. “ (Mk 4:26-34)

“he spoke as they were able to understand”

One can say about Jesus: “two weights, two measures”. Why Jesus speaks to everybody in parables, but, privately, to his own disciples He explains everything? (Mk 4:26-34) Why does Jesus make a difference between people? One can find it unfair, non equitable. Why Jesus never tries to say something? (“Without Parables He did not speak to them”)

The text still adds a possible explanation: Jesus spoke to people “as they were able to understand it”. He adapts what He wants to say to their capacity and ability. “Whoever has will be given more” (Mk 4:25). I hear it this way: whoever has capacity to hear will be given more. This is why Jesus invites us to pay attention to the way we hear things (see Mk 4:24). He invites us to pay attention not to “what we hear”, but to “the way we hear it”. I like that! It is much more than a simple nuance. He adds that the measure with which we hear will be used for us (see Mk 4:24): “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. This has the great effect of increasing the capacity of receptivity: “and still more will be added to you”.

As a conclusion, for that apparent unfair treatment, one can say that in a way, it is up tu us to increase our capacity of receiving. It is by the effect of a magnanimity that one can change. I would define this virtue this way: believing that I am worth it, that I deserve it. It is a kind of a self-esteem decision. Do you see yourself, your soul, big or small? “magna” = big. “Anima” = Soul. Magna-anim(a)ity.

This is a very interesting advice: telling us how a good decision can snowball. The more one gives attention to how he listens, the more he receives a greater capacity for attention. It is a “positive thinking” method.

Spiritual Theology, “the explanation of everything”

Can we consider that “Spiritual Theology” is “the explanation of everything”, as stated by saint Mark passage? Let us remember first that this passage is about the Parables and their explanation. The Parables are like 'phase two' of the development of Jesus teaching. 'Phase one' is the Sermon on the Mount, a 'Baptismal Predication', a first teaching about the fundamentals of Christianity. The Seed is given.

In phase two, the Seed will have to grow, develop and open new dimensions in us, in our soul. 'Phase two', by definition, witnesses a growth in our soul, it is enlarged and its horizon grows.

Let us remember the fact that the parables spoke a lot about growth: "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." (Mk 4,30-32) (see as well the parable mentioned before)

The Science that is in charge of describing the development of the Seed of Baptism, until it reaches its completion in the Union with Jesus, is “Spiritual Theology”.

Indeed studying and putting in practice, with discernment (with the guidance of a Spiritual Master), what we learnt about spiritual growth should make us understand that this is “Spiritual Theology”.

Throughout the ages, “Spiritual Theology” gave us many interpretations of various subjects, and developed our understanding of the journey of growth, inner growth. How the 'new man' in us grows, how Jesus in us transforms us and grows in us.

One has then to investigate and decide:

1- Is Spiritual Theology important? Why? How?

2- If so, how far is it important? Why? How?

3- One has to draw the conclusion, with positive thinking, to open the possibility of learning it. Magnanimity...

I hope that 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).