Hand in Your Man Card Three

I did not expect the feedback about this subject.

One reader gave good advice for all husbands with have married into Man-Eating families, or men considering marrying into such a family.

First of all, do not marry into one of those families.

Second, if you have, take your family and move away from the family a.s.a.p.

Third, pray and fast, fast and pray.

Four, move away farther.

More later....

Father Z asks for prayers for the Pope's family

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2014/08/prayers-for-pope-francis-family/

Hand in Your Man Card, Dude--Two

Having received amazing feedback on the first post with this title, I am sharing some of the insights from various readers, some of whom ask me not to publish their comments. But, I can share general input.

One, there are many men who married or married into families with "Man-Eaters". These men struggle with the balance of loving their wives and having to deal with sisters-in-laws and cousins who basically hate men.

Why has this happened?

Two, some men's wives "wake-up" and either move away from families, see them less or totally drop those who are attempting to undermine the marriage. Yes, that is what it is. These families see the husbands as threats to the Man-Eater Kingdoms.

Three, some wives suffer watching their husbands deal with this in the husband's families. In some cases, the M-E syndrome is inherited through certain ethnic groups, such as the Italians or Irish. Where there have been matriarchies in cultures, there seems to be Man Eaters.

Four, only God and the power of the Holy Spirit can heal, even deliver, these women from such hatreds. These feelings are connected to the rebelliousness of modern women and to ancient sins of witchcraft and disobedience.

Five, some men have said they did not know the families were going to demand handing in the man card until after the marriage.

Why did that happen? Where was the man's discernment?

Six, contraception and abortion are connected to the Man-Eater syndrome.

Seven, these men do not know what to do.

Well, when in doubt, go to your local priest, get a spiritual director, pray and fast.

I did not realize how common this syndrome was across generational lines. I thought it was a relatively new phenomenon. Not so, I am finding out.

I come from a family of dominant men and obedient wives. The men in the family on both sides definitely were and are in charge. None of my friends are the type to demand the emasculation of their husbands. On the contrary, most of my married friends and cousins, and so forth, support their husbands, sacrifice for them, and are excellent wives.

 One cannot underestimate the sins which are connected to the Man-Eater syndrome. I shall pray for those who ask for prayers and pray for young men not to marry such women. These women break up families on purpose.

maybe, to be continued...

Perfection Series IV: St. Bernard of Clairvaux Again in Part Eight

Those readers who have been following this blog know that St. Bernard is, after Our Lord and Our Lady, my favorite saint. Many, many posts are on his thoughts, sermons, prayers on this blog. His feast day is tomorrow.

In honor of him, I share this selection from this great Doctor of the Church. In his first sermon on the Song of Songs, St. Bernard shows that he understands first-hand the steps towards perfection.

But there is that other song, which, by its unique dignity and sweetness, excels all those I have mentioned and any others there might be; hence by every right do I acclaim it as the Song of Songs. It stands at a point where all the others culminate. Only the touch of the Spirit can inspire a song like this, and only personal experience can unfold its meaning. Let those who are versed in the mystery revel in it; let all others burn with desire rather to attain to this experience than merely to learn about it. For it is a melody that resound abroad by the very music of the heart, not a trilling on the lips but an inward pulsing of delight, a harmony not of voices but of wills. it is a tune you will not hear in the streets, these notes do not sound where crowds assemble; only the singer hears it and the one to whom he sings-the lover and the beloved. It is preeminently a marriage song telling of chaste souls in loving embrace, of their wills in sweet accord, of the mutual exchange of the heart's affection.

In this passage, from Sermon Four, Bernard refers to the illumined senses, which have been purified, and are now operating in grace.
 
The things we speak of are divine, totally unknown except to those who have experienced them. While still in this mortal body, while still living by faith, while the content of the clear interior light is still not made clear, we can, in part, still contemplate the pure truth. Any one of us who has been given this gift from above may make his own the words of St. Paul: "Now I know in part;" and: 'We know in part and in part we prophesy." But when the spirit is ravished out of itself and granted a vision of God that suddenly shines into the mind with the swiftness of a lightning flash, immediately, but whence I know not, images of earthly thin fill the imagination, either as an aid to understanding or to temper the intensity of the divine light. So well-adapted are they to the divinely illuminated senses, that in their shadow the utterly pure and brilliant radiance of the truth is rendered more bearable to the mind and more capable of being communicated to others. My opinion is that they are formed in our imaginations by the inspirations of the holy angels, just as on the other hand there is no doubt that evil suggestions of an opposite nature are forced upon us by the bad angels.

People ask me how one can enter into these states while being busy at work, in the home.

One hour a day of prayer can be set aside by all people. That would be a daily practice necessary for all who have been baptized.

Bernard states this about the love perceived in Illumination. The senses, the affections have been changed in order to accept the love of God.

This bond is stronger even than nature's firm bond between parents and children. 'For this', it says in the Gospel, 'a man will leave his father and his mother and cleave to his bride.' You see how strong this feeling is between bride and bridegroom-it is stronger not only than other affections, but even than itself. Sermon 83

to be continued...

Perfection Series IV: Part Seven: Simple Signs of Illumination

Garrigou-Lagrange points to three characteristics of a person in the Illuminative State, a person who has gone through the Dark Night of the Senses and Spirit. Of course, the freeing of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the life of the virtues point to a person living in the Illuminative State.

I want to enlarge on his points.

In such a life the soul loves God, no longer only "with its whole heart" in the midst of sensible consolations, but "with all its soul," with all its activities, not yet however "with all its strength," as will happen in the night of the spirit, nor as yet "with all its mind," for the soul is not yet established in this superior region. That it may be established there, the passive purification of the higher part of the soul will be needed, a purification that brings about the disappearance of all the spiritual or intellectual pride which still mingles in the facility for prayer and action, which we have just mentioned. The soul has still a long road to travel, like Elias who had to walk forty days and forty nights even to Mt. Horeb; but the soul grows, its virtues develop and become solid virtues, the expression of a love of God and souls, which is not only affective, but effective or efficacious.

One, the heart has been totally renewed and is centered on God Alone. No other attachments get in the way of God, His Will, His Providence.

But, beyond that, the soul, involving the intellect, memory, understanding and will, is focused totally on God. These two characteristic traits were achieved through the intense suffering of the Dark Night.

Only in the Illuminative State is the soul strengthened by the unleashing of the virtues and the Gifts. The mind is then taken over by the Holy Spirit, the mind which has been purified in the Dark Night of the spirit.

As the soul walk on, God shows His Love to the lowly, humble, purified person. Such is the second conversion referred to in other posts, and such is the beginning of the Illuminative State.

Have you ever seen a person like this? Totally focused on God, this person moves in the virtues. The soul avoids and perhaps does not commit even venial sins. She is free to love and love she does.

She radiates joy and love to all she meets. And, in her presence, evil cannot abide. In fact, evil sees the light of those in this state.

I am thinking of one young person I know like this. She is only 35. But, she has suffered and become humble. She was re-coverted to Catholicism after years of intellectual pride and error.

She is an example of the Illuminative State and God gives her love and infused knowledge. She works in a simple store and she is married. She and her husband live in Ireland. She will never be able to have children, and this is her cross. The fact that adoption costs about 20k Euros means that she and her husband will be childless, something they did not expect to happen in their excellent Catholic marriage.

When she goes to Holy Communion, she is in another world after reception. But, few noticed her deep goodness.

I have been privileged to meet her.

The virtues are natural to her and when she speaks of Christ, one knows she is one of His brides.

With her whole heart, and mind and soul, she serves Christ and others.

May God continue to bless her and her husband.

to be continued....

Perfection Series IV: Part Six; St. Augustine And Persecution

Garrigou-Lagrange refered to Augustine's Sermon on the Mount in his section on the Beatitudes, but before I had read the footnotes, I was reading some of Augustine's sermons and came across it myself. I have also been dipping into The Confessions again as well, and did not realize until I have been re-reading it after so many years how much Augustine has to tell us of the way of perfection in an immediate manner.


I love synchronicity. I had read this section in Garrigou-Lagrange and shared some of this with you almost, if not, two years ago, but the bringing about of the insights as to the reality of their meaning had to "sit" in me for awhile.

Here is the Dominican's footnote. He uses this sermon extensively in his section on the Illuminative State

26. St. Augustine, In sermonem Domini in monte (Matt. 5). De quantitate animae, I, chap. 33; The Confessions, Bk. IX, chap. 10; Soliloquia, I, chaps. 1, 12 f.
.
But, the topic of this post has to do with Augustine on persecution and the stages of holiness.

In Sermon 96, the great Doctor of the Church preaches on persecution, a reality in his day and the need for holiness.

As in the City of God, Augustine in this sermons talks about two worlds, the world of the good and the world of the bad. God created the world good, but men created the bad world.

He states that man made the world bad and Christ came and made it good. But, the world persecutes the world of Christ.

We see this daily. The main thrust of this sermon is on the renunciation of self, which happens in the Dark Night. Augustine points out that only the person who has already picked up his cross and is following Christ can face martyrdom.

The Church is the world reconciled to Christ and this is the Church which is persecuted by those who choose evil in the world.

What has to do with the Illuminative State? Those who have entered this level of holiness willingly accept the cross which Christ has given, in joy. Those in the Illuminative State do the work of God and not the work of their egos.

A true martyr dies for Christ, not for himself. A true martyr dies for the Church, the Pope, the redeemed world of Christ, which is His Church.

Only those who in some way have already died to self can face the ultimate test of the renunciation of the body, and the likely pain involved. The Illumination of the mind, the senses, the heart, the soul, the intellect allow one to freely choose, in joy, death.


In Sermon 296, Augustine tells his congregation to have patience, to grow in patience. This patience is connected to the Will of God.  He actually refers to the capture of Rome in this sermon. Augustine is preaching in a great time of persecution and diaspora.  He says, "What Christ is guarding for you, can the Goth take away from you?"

This is going to become one of my pet phrases. Die to self and you will be able to die for Christ. Allow God to bring you into the state of Light which will overcome any persecution.

Augustine notes that although it seems like the wicked prosper, in reality God is holding back correction because of His Just Wrath.

Those who have the Eyes of Christ, those who have put on the Mind of Christ, will withstand persecution to share in Christ's Glory.

Out of the Dark Night, comes such Light full of the virtues and graces to do the Will of God in the world.

The book I am using for these is St. Augustine, Essential Sermons, translated by Edmund Hill.

to be continued....

Perfection Series IV: Part Five; St. Augustine on The Beatitudes

Recalling Garrigou-Lagrange's dividing of the Beatitudes as seen in the previous posts, one can relate to St. Augustine's great sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. One can read the entire sermon here. The first one I have chosen is still one of the Beatitudes of the purgation of the Dark Night. One is stripped of self in the cleansing of the spirit. St. Augustine, as we shall see in the section on the Unitive State, also divides up the Beatitudes according to the workings of the Holy Spirit in a person.

The second and third one chosen refers to the Illuminative State, wherein one is working for God. When one receives humility, one understands the mercy of God in one's life. When one lives in a mourning, one waits for the fullness of the love of God to the extent that one can be open to it on earth. The work of justice and mercy pour out of one when one is in the Illuminative State, working for God and not for one's self.

5. “Blessed are they that mourn:²¹ for they shall be comforted.” Mourning is sorrow arising from the loss of things held dear; but those who are converted to God lose those things which they were accustomed to embrace as dear in this world: for they do not rejoice in those things in which they formerly rejoiced; and until the love of eternal things be in them, they are wounded by some measure of grief. Therefore they will be comforted by the Holy Spirit, who on this account chiefly is called the Paraclete, i.e. the Comforter, in order that, while losing the temporal joy, they may enjoy to the full that which is eternal.²²

 

6. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Now He calls those parties, lovers of a true and indestructible good. They will therefore be filled with that food of which the Lord Himself says, “My meat is to do the will of my Father,” which is righteousness; and with that water, of which whosoever “drinketh,” as he also says, it “shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.” ²³

7. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”²⁴ He says that they are blessed who relieve the miserable, for it is paid back to them in such a way that they are freed from misery. 

I would think that one in the Illuminative State has some assurance of the coming union with God. Then the rest of the Beatitudes come into reality, the Beatitudes of Contemplation and Union, but I shall hold off on those until I have finished this part of this fourth series on the Illuminative State.

to be continued...

Good Stuff

1. Bishop Raymond L. Burke - On the Dignity of Human Life and Civic Responsibility On 8 Jan 2004 Bishop Raymond L. Burke of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, published a pastoral letter to Catholics in his Diocese on their political responsibility in upholding the value of human life. The Bishop also issued a canonical notification that Catholic lawmakers who continue to support procured abortion or euthanasia may not receive Holy Communion. See also Bishop Burke's Notification. 2. Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. - How to Tell a Duck From a Fox In his weekly column (14 April 2004) for the Denver Catholic Register, Archbishop Chaput warns Catholic voters that not all politicians claiming to be Catholic, act like Catholics in office, particularly in legislating against human life. 3. Bishop Samuel J. Aquila - 3rd Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2004 In view of Catholic politicians claiming to believe one thing while publicly supporting another, Bishop Aquila, of Fargo, North Dakota, presents the Church's teaching on the proper relationship between our faith and professional life. 4. Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan - On the Duties of Catholic Politicians and Voters In a Pastoral Letter to his Diocese (1 May 2004), Bishop Sheridan of Colorado Springs clearly states that not only Catholic politicians who advocate abortion, illicit stem cell research, euthanasia, and/or homosexual marriage, but those who vote for them, "jeopardize their salvation" and may not receive Holy Communion until they have repented of their sin and confessed it in the Sacrament of Penance. 5. Bishop Thomas Wenski - Politicians and Communion Bishop Wenski, the coadjutor bishop of Orlando Florida, has published a pastoral statement (3 May 2004) in which he compares the position of some Catholic politicians, (personally opposed to abortion, but don't want to impose their views on others,) to the stance of Pontius Pilate, who was personally opposed to Christ's crucifixion. 6. The Most Reverend John J. Myers - A Time for Honesty In a Pastoral Statement, printed in The Catholic Advocate (5 May 2004), the archdiocesan newspaper, Archbishop John Myers of Newark, wrote, "That some Catholics, who claim to believe what the Church believes, are willing to allow others to continue directly to kill the innocent is a grave scandal." Covered in his Statement were the personal and communal aspects of faith, the correct development of conscience and the nature of dissent, the meaning and purpose of the Eucharist, the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, and the grave injustice of abortion. 7. Most Reverend John Vlasny - Public Dissenters Should Themselves Refrain From Communion In the 6 May 2004 issue of the Catholic Sentinel, Archbishop Vlasny, of the Portland, Oregon, addressed the problem of "reception of Holy Communion by those who stand in public opposition to church teaching" on abortion and other moral issues. They should themselves refrain from receiving Communion, rather than approaching the altar, since they are not living in communion with the Church. 8. Most Reverend Elden F. Curtiss - The Candidacy of John Kerry: A Dilemma for Catholics In a pastoral letter of 7 May 2004, Archbishop Curtiss refuted the specious argument that a Catholic politician may have personal moral beliefs based on Church teaching, and yet support legislation directly to the contrary, as if that were required by the "separation of Church and State." 9. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick - If the World Loves You In a statement dated 13 May 2004, Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington DC, demonstrates the impropriety of "pro-choice" Catholic politicians receiving Holy Communion, while placing the responsibility on them not to approach the Sacrament. 10. Cardinal Dulles on Communion and Pro-Abortion Politicians Cardinal Dulles, Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University, shared with ZENIT what important steps need to be taken to defend human life, protect the sacraments, uphold the teachings of the Church and respond to pro-abortion politicians. 11. Most Reverends John F. Donoghue, Robert J. Baker, and Peter J. Jugis - Worthy to Receive the Lamb: Catholics in Political Life and the Reception of Holy Communion On 4 August 2004, the Archbishop of Atlanta and the Bishops of Charleston and Charlotte declared that "Catholics serving in public life espousing positions contrary to the teaching of the Church on the sanctity and inviolability of human life, especially those running for or elected to public office, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in any Catholic church within our jurisdictions." 12. Bishop Robert J. Carlson - The Responsibility To Have a Well Informed Faith Life In a recent bulletin to his diocese (August 2004), the Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, declared that "opposition to abortion binds every Catholic under pain of mortal sin and admits of no exceptions." Catholics need to have their consciences formed not by popular opinion or an article in a newsmagazine, but by Scripture and the teaching of the Church. 13. Most Reverend John F. Donoghue - On Conscientious Voting In a Letter of 16 September 2004, to the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archbishop Donoghue urged all Catholics, to vote their conscience in the General Election, and in all elections, and to form their conscience in light of the Word of God. In particular, there must be no formal cooperation with evil, by voting for a candidate who supports abortion (or other policy violating human life) precisely because he/she supports abortion. 14. Bishop Rene Henry Gracida - A Twelve Step Program for Bishops The Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas, outlines a schema (published 4 October 2004) in which Bishops may remedy the crisis in which politicians, professing the Catholic Faith in theory while opposing it in practice, may be reconciled or disciplined by the Church. 15. Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke - On Our Civic Responsibility for the Common Good Archbishop Burke, of St. Louis, addresses the dichotomy between the faith that many profess and the practice of their daily lives, with a particular concern for Catholic politicians and voters. They risk their eternal salvation by refusing to uphold the inviolability of the human person. 16. Most Reverend John J. Myers - The Moral Choices Faced by Catholic Voters Archbishop Myers of Newark, in an article originally published in The Wall St. Journal (17 September 2004), examined the question of what "proportionate reason" could justify Catholics in voting for pro-abortion candidates. No other issue in American civil life bears comparison with the annual death of "1.3 million yearly abortions plus the killing that would take place if public funds were made available for embryo-destructive research." 17. Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap - Divided Hearts: Americans, Religion and National Policy Archbishop Chaput of Denver shows the fallacy of arguing that Catholics are violating the separation of Church and State, when they try to impose their religious views on others. It ignores history, that religion has inspired political action in this country from the beginning, and provided the "ideals that make us a nation and a people, rather than just a mob of individuals." 18. Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap - Faith and Patriotism In a column published in the New York Times, 22 October 2004, Archbishop Chaput, raises the question of why people who support permissive abortion laws may impose their views on society, but those who oppose these laws may not.

Provided Courtesy of: Eternal Word Television Network 5817 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL 35210 www.ewtn.com

Sigh, sometimes fighting the net is worth it....

Michael Voris interviewed, speaks of the role of singles

Posted on 18 August 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here is something you don’t see everyday.
A frequent commentatrix here, Supertradmum, has interviewed Michael Voris.  HERE
Of interest are the questions on the vocation and role of single people in the Church.
A sample:

Question One: I want to concentrate on a subject perhaps not discussed too much and that is the role of single people in the Church. I hope you do not mind sharing a few aspects of this tonight. 
I guess two things pop to my mind. Look at this as a positive and a negative, at the sacraments which are the traditional vocations of the Church, which include graces needed to sustain those roles. (These are marriage and the priesthood.) The single life poses its own unique challenges, but is sustainable by a different application of graces of by Our Lord. Many of us are single, some of us forever.
Nuns and sisters live underneath a sacrament. However, I do believe there is an opportunity to grow in grace in a non-sacramental grace. There is a type of intimacy which can develop between a soul and our Lord, not in the traditional vocations, a non-distracted companionship. You can grow very deeply.  You cannot talk about a single vocation. I do not think it is proper to talk about a vocation to the single life. A single person may be living a consecrated life, but that is not the same.
A person may not be the marrying kind. There are probably some people, lide those with same-sex attraction who would have to come to this place–how to incorporate living according to the Church’s teaching in their daily spiritual lives.
Most people do not stay there (single)

Just In Case You Have Never Seen This

http://www.usccbpublishing.org/client/client_pdfs/Marriage.pdf

Perfection IV: Part Four: St. Augustine

If there is a saint who clearly shows us the struggle through the Dark Night, the purgation of the senses and the spirit, it is St. Augustine.

Here is a snippet from The Confessions. In this passage, we see his new entrance into the Illuminative State, through the deep suffering of the Dark Night. His words remind one of the Song of Songs, when the bride is seeking the Bridegroom, who is also described as beautiful.

Too late loved I Thee, O Thou Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! too late I loved Thee! And behold, Thou wert within, and I abroad, and there I searched for Thee; deformed I, plunging amid those fair forms which Thou hadst made. Thou wert with me, but I was not with Thee. Things held me far from Thee, which, unless they were in Thee, were not at all. Thou calledst, and shoutedst, and burstest my deafness. Thou flashedst, shonest, and scatteredst my blindness. Thou breathedst odours, and I drew in breath and panted for Thee. I tasted, and hunger and thirst. Thou touchedst me, and I burned for Thy peace.

A better description of a man coming out of purgation into light would be hard to find.


When I shall with my whole self cleave to Thee, I shall no where have sorrow or labour; and my life shall wholly live, as wholly full of Thee. But now since whom Thou fillest, Thou liftest up, because I am not full of Thee I am a burden to myself. Lamentable joys strive with joyous sorrows: and on which side is the victory, I know not. Woe is me! Lord, have pity on me. My evil sorrows strive with my good joys; and on which side is the victory, I know not. Woe is me! Lord, have pity on me. Woe is me! lo! I hide not my wounds; Thou art the Physician, I the sick; Thou merciful, I miserable. Is not the life of man upon earth all trial? Who wishes for troubles and difficulties? Thou commandest them to be endured, not to be loved. No man loves what he endures, though he love to endure. For though he rejoices that he endures, he had rather there were nothing for him to endure. In adversity I long for prosperity, in prosperity I fear adversity. What middle place is there betwixt these two, where the life of man is not all trial? Woe to the prosperities of the world, once and again, through fear of adversity, and corruption of joy! Woe to the adversities of the world, once and again, and the third time, from the longing for prosperity, and because adversity itself is a hard thing, and lest it shatter endurance. Is not the life of man upon earth all trial: without any interval?

The ego is being smashed. The great saint is experiencing the second conversion. The realization of mercy is a sign of the beginnings of the Illuminative State. Here, one sees the purgation of the senses and the purgation of the spirit leading to light. 

Obviously, St. Augustine has known moments of the Love of God at this point.

And all my hope is no where but in Thy exceeding great mercy. Give what Thou enjoinest, and enjoin what Thou wilt. Thou enjoinest us continency; and when I knew, saith one, that no man can be continent, unless God give it, this also was a part of wisdom to know whose gift she is. By continency verily are we bound up and brought back into One, whence we were dissipated into many. For too little doth he love Thee, who loves any thing with Thee, which he loveth not for Thee. O love, who ever burnest and never consumest! O charity, my God, kindle me. Thou enjoinest continency: give me what Thou enjoinest, and enjoin what Thou wilt.

And, the great saint sees the opening up of the life of the virtues.

Art Thou not mighty, God Almighty, so as to heal all the diseases of my soul, and by Thy more abundant grace to quench even the impure motions of my sleep! Thou wilt increase, Lord, Thy gifts more and more in me, that my soul may follow me to Thee, disentangled from the birdlime of concupiscence; that it rebel not against itself, and even in dreams not only not, through images of sense, commit those debasing corruptions, even to pollution of the flesh, but not even to consent unto them. For that nothing of this sort should have, over the pure affections even of a sleeper, the very least influence, not even such as a thought would restrain, -to work this, not only during life, but even at my present age, is not hard for the Almighty, Who art able to do above all that we ask or think. But what I yet am in this kind of my evil, have I confessed unto my good Lord; rejoicing with trembling, in that which Thou hast given me, and bemoaning that wherein I am still imperfect; hoping that Thou wilt perfect Thy mercies in me, even to perfect peace, which my outward and inward man shall have with Thee, when death shall be swallowed up in victory.

Of course, we all know this man reaches the Unitive State, becoming one of the greatest lights in our Church. So, we need such men and women today-those willing to let God mold them, purify them, bring them to such humility that they can be used for the building of the Kingdom of God.

to be continued....

Incarnational Theology, Beauty, and Art: Perfection IV: Part Three

Thinking about the problem with art today, and so-called religious art, I have been pondering the problem of utilitarianism and ugliness. Years ago, I wrote an essay on this point when Shrek came out, showing how dangerous this movie and the sequels were to the modern child's mind.


The fact that the princess became ugly is a complete inversion not only of Western mythology, but the truth of Catholic teaching. We become more beautiful in goodness, in virtue and love transforms one into beauty, not into ugliness.

Many people objected to my article, stating I was against "ugly" people. No. Where ugliness is chosen, beauty is misunderstood. Where ugliness is chosen, the soul is dead or dying. Monsters redeemed would become beautiful in stories for a reason. Love transforms.

The inversion of choosing ugliness over beauty is an undermining of two pillars of our Catholic Faith-revelation and reason. Tradition flows from both.

God inspired the Greeks to define harmony and create an aesthetic of beauty which has lasted until modern times. Throughout the history of the West, the ideals of symmetry and order in architecture and art dominated society and were the basis of the greatest artistic achievements made by men.

It was not until the totalitarian ideal of utilitarianism that we saw ugly buildings honoring those who had lost their souls. The monumental structures of the tyrants, such as Hitler and Stalin ruined the concept of beauty, as both fascism and communism do not care about beauty, only power.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to have Classical Education in the liberal arts, the arts which free the mind to think, learned the great heritage of the Greeks regarding beauty, and when those of us who studied our Jewish roots, we saw in the Old Testament, the theme of beauty as well.

In Psalm 25, David shows us the insights into beauty from the Illuminative State.

[1] Unto the end, a psalm for David. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence: and I have put my trust in the Lord, and shall not be weakened. [2] Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins and my heart. [3] For thy mercy is before my eyes; and I am well pleased with thy truth. [4] I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things. [5] I have hated the assembly of the malignant; and with the wicked I will not sit.
[6] I will wash my hands among the innocent; and will compass thy altar, O Lord: [7] That I may hear the voice of thy praise: and tell of all thy wondrous works. [8] I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house; and the place where thy glory dwelleth. [9] Take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked: nor my life with bloody men: [10] In whose hands are iniquities: their right hand is filled with gifts.
[11] But as for me, I have walked in my innocence: redeem me, and have mercy on me. [12] My foot hath stood in the direct way: in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord. 

 Some modern commentators have written that the Hebrew tradition, the creation by God in the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, eschewed beauty. 

Not at all. Many of the woman were described as beautiful, but more than that, the Hebrews knew that Beauty was an Attribute of God.

Looking at David's psalm, one sees several indications that the Illuminative State allows one to begin to glimpse God's Beauty.

The Greeks did not have Revelation, but they had Reason. And these two great pillars uphold our Faith.

First of all, innocence underlies beauty, which is why I  had so many rants about the bad art on the famous television network. If a person is innocence, the beauty of the soul shrines forth, not in a sensual manner, but in a clear simplicity. Both the Hebrew writers and the Greeks understood simplicity are revealing innocence.

David claims his innocence, having been purified by God. David is the man in the Old Testament "whose heart was most like God's" or "a man after God's own heart." Love in him was purified so that he could experience what we are all called to experience, a renewed innocence which reveals a beauty of the soul, mind, and heart. 

David is referring not to the temple, which was not built yet, but to the Tent of Glory, the place of the Ark of the Covenant. But he was also referring to his own soul.

It is not until the Incarnation that most men, not the chosen few prophets of the Old Testament, understood the complete renewal of the mind and body, the heart and soul, through Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

If you have friends who hate beauty, beware.

Second, to confuse beauty with ugliness is a sign of the decadence of our times. So much music, clothing, architecture, art is glorifying ugliness and not God, who is Beauty.

When I  visited England in 2011, after being gone many years, I was shocked at one thing. The women had stopped wearing skirts and dresses and were dressing like American women in trousers and those jackets I call "athletic wear". I had a strange experience in Walsingham that summer of watching hundreds of women pilgrims getting out of coaches with their spouses and I could not tell who was a woman and who was a man.

Now, in Europe, skirts and dresses and "being feminine" are "in" again. God created women to grace the world with beauty. Our Lady is the epitome of grace and beauty.

The soul is reflected in the body. And, David, in the Illuminative State, sees the connection between grace, beauty, innocence and God's glory.

Third, those who are on the path to perfection re-discover beauty if they have lost it. I have seen women change in their walk to God and perfection. They set aside "pants" and begin to wear women's clothing. They are not obsessed with make-up but with pleasing God in every way-in their minds, their bodies, their hearts, their souls. Every woman I know who harbored self-hatred in some way, or did not have a loving relationship with God dressed like a man. They were and are denying their call to be women, to be someone beautiful. When the ego is subdued and the predominant fault faced and conquered, a new beauty is set free in the soul, the Beauty of the Indwelling of the Trinity.

It is said of St. Bernard of Clairvaux that he was an exceedingly handsome man. God chose him to renew an order which went back to the basics.  Stephen Harding's Cistercians moved away from the excesses of Cluny. But, beauty was not thrown out in minimalism. The beauty of the chant and the words of the Divine Office, the beauty of the Rule of St. Benedictine all came to fruition in Bernard's sermons on the Song of Songs, proof of his Unitive State. 

Like the Greeks, the Benedictine Rule, and, by extension, the Cistercian Rule, show us beauty in order.

David understood this order as well. Go back and read the section of the psalm above.

and I am well pleased with thy truth.

My foot hath stood in the direct way: in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord. 

A people who do not value or see the ideal of beauty as from God are a people with shriveled hearts. Catholics whose lives do not reflect order in their day cannot be pursuing God, but themselves and the maker of disorder. Remember that the maker of disorder, the first disobedient creature, perverts and lies and cheats to get a soul. And, he horribly rejoices in ugliness and sin.

Those who pursue perfection will become more beautiful.  

Look at Psalm 44:

[1] Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the sons of Core, for understanding. A canticle for the Beloved. [2] My heart hath uttered a good word I speak my works to the king; My tongue is the pen of a scrivener that writeth swiftly. [3] Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. [4] Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty. [5] With thy comeliness and thy beauty set out, proceed prosperously, and reign. Because of truth and meekness and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully. 

This is a prophetic psalm referring to Christ. He is the Beloved. The psalmist experienced Beauty, in God. Grace and beauty, blessing and reign, through truth, meekness and justice. These are clearly words of one in the Illuminative State.

[6] Thy arrows are sharp: under thee shall people fall, into the hearts of the king' s enemies. [7] Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. [8] Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. [9] Myrrh and stacte and cassia perfume thy garments, from the ivory houses: out of which [10] The daughters of kings have delighted thee in thy glory. The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety.

 So, one is reminded strongly of the Songs of Songs, the great love song of God's love for each person.
 
[11] Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: and forget thy people and thy father' s house. [12] And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty; for he is the Lord thy God, and him they shall adore. [13] And the daughters of Tyre with gifts, yea, all the rich among the people, shall entreat thy countenance. [14] All the glory of the king' s daughter is within in golden borders, [15] Clothed round about with varieties. After her shall virgins be brought to the king: her neighbours shall be brought to thee. 

 We must all forget our "father's house", which is the heritage of Adam, the sin of the old man in us, and for some, it literally means leaving home and finding God outside the family. It does mean detachment, which is learned in the Dark Night. It means an objectivity, and a total following of Christ.

[16] They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing: they shall be brought into the temple of the king. [17] Instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee: thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. [18] They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever. 

A sign of the Illuminative State is joy. One is now centered on Christ and not on the self. The ego is gone.

For those who have settled for sensuality instead of beauty, this path is not found. For those who follow Christ into the desert and out again, into the temple of the king, from the Dark Night to the Illuminative State, these words belong to them as well as to David.

If one is confused about beauty, look to Mary. Look to the fact that the soul is the form of the body. 

Why have women and men chosen ugliness? Because they are trapped in some type of sin. 

 Why have  some artists succumbed to a sort of political correctness regarding the avoidance of depicting beauty? Because they do not understand the route of perfection and the goal of perfection. 

to be continued...









 

Perfection Series IV: Part Two The Beatitudes

Garrigou-Lagrange's long definition of the Beatitudes, which I put on this blog yesterday or the day before, clearly shows that the second set of the Beatitudes lived out are the sign of the Illuminative State.

No one can really live the Beatitudes without the period of purgation. All efforts are tainted by the ego and most of the virtues are blocked by venial sin.

The Person Who shows us how to live out the Beatitude is Jesus Christ Himself. Another person is Our Lady Mary.

Do not deceive yourselves into thinking that all those who are doing ministries are in the Illuminative State. In fact, few are.

I have met a handful of people in the Illuminative State, which I have shared on this blog before.

Most are young, under forty.

Interesting.

Let us go back to Garrigou-Lagrange and look at the three categories more in depth in light of the Illuminative State. He notes that the first are those of purgation from sin.

The beatitudes of the deliverance from sin correspond to the purgative way, which is proper to beginners and which is prolonged in the way the proficients and the perfect ought to follow. Whereas the world declares that happiness is in the abundance of exterior goods, of riches, and in honors, Christ states without any other preamble, with the calm assurance of absolute truth: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

He points out in this section that the Beatitudes on poverty of spirit, meekness, and mourning are those of purgation, when one learns humility.

The meekness we are discussing is not that which does not offend anyone because it is afraid of everything; rather, it is a virtue which presupposes a great love of God and of one's neighbor, the flower of charity, as St. Francis de Sales says.

And, 

Blessed are they who, like the beggar Lazarus, suffer patiently without consolation from men, for their tears are seen by God. More blessed still are those who weep for their sins, and through an inspiration of the gift of knowledge know experimentally that sin is the greatest of evils, and by their tears obtain its pardon. Lastly, more blessed, says St. Catherine of Siena,(14), are those who weep for love at the sight of the infinite mercy, of the goodness of the Savior, of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd, who sacrifices Himself for His sheep. These receive even here on earth consolation infinitely superior to that which the world can give.

I have experienced these types of mourning in the past nine months in an intense manner. Tears of non-consolation are not as severe as tears concerning one's sins. I am moving towards the deeper awareness of sin and the great love of God, which I have seen as from afar, and in minutes. The Goodness of the Lord in His Love for all people has been an experience of mine. 

One must mourn. One must. Only God can take away sin and the tendencies, the habits of sin.

One God can destroy the predominant fault in the Dark Night. The moments of clarity come and go, and until that state of light is permanent, I know I am still being purged.

When the light comes, one knows it.

The next set of Beatitudes are those of the Illuminative State, when one is working freely and moving in the life of the virtues. Here is part of that section again from Garrigou-Lagrange.

THE BEATITUDES OF THE ACTIVE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN

There are other holy joys which the just man finds when, freed from evil, he seeks the good with his whole heart. The man of action, who allows himself to be carried away by pride, declares that happy is that man who lives and acts as he pleases, who is not subject to anyone, and who imposes his will on others. Christ says: "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill." Justice, in the broad sense of the word, consists in rendering to God what is due Him, and then for the love of God giving also to the creature what is due him. In recompense, the Lord gives Himself to us. This is the perfect order, in perfect obedience that is inspired by love which enlarges the heart. Blessed are they who desire this justice, even to the extent of hungering and thirsting for it. In a certain sense, they will be filled even in this life by becoming more just and more holy. This is a blessed thirst, for Christ says: "If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture saith: Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (15) That we may keep this thirst when sensible enthusiasm falls away, and preserve this hunger and thirst for justice in the midst of contradictions, hindrances, and disillusions, we must receive with docility the inspirations of the gift of fortitude. This gift prevents us from weakening, from letting ourselves be disheartened, and it lifts up our courage in the midst of difficulties. St. Thomas says: "The Lord wishes to see us hunger and thirst for this justice to such an extent that we can never be satiated in this life, as the miser never has enough gold." These hungering souls "will be satiated only in the eternal vision, and on this earth in spiritual goods. . . . When men are in the state of sin, they do not experience this spiritual hunger: when they are free from all sin, then they experience it." (16)

The two Beatitudes on mercy and justice are those of the Illuminative State.

I have met a few people in this State. Very few, too few to make the Church strong as She should be in this world.

Think about your own examples of those in the Illuminative State.

By the way, all the passages are from the Douay-Rheims and I am not going to repeat DR from now on.
 
[6] Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. [7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Here is the great Dominican again on the second part of this set of Beatitudes:

In our life, as also in that of God, justice and mercy should be united. We cannot be perfect without going to the help of the afflicted, of the sick, as the good Samaritan did. The Lord will give the hundredfold to those who give a glass of water for love of Him, to those inviting to their table the poor, the crippled, the blind, who are mentioned in the parable of the guests. The Christian should be happier to give than to receive. He ought to pardon offenses, that is, to give to those who have offended him more than is due them; he ought to forget insults and, before offering his gift at the altar, go and be reconciled with his brother. The gift of counsel inclines us to mercy, makes us attentive to the sufferings of others, makes us find the true remedy, the word that consoles and uplifts.

to be continued...

Perfection Series IV Part One-Rational Love

One cannot rush the stages. One cannot jump, go past jail, or skip being purified. The purification stage allows for the Illuminative State.

Before reviewing and adding to some of the points which you can find in the myriad postings on this subjective, I want to refer to two aspects of the Illuminative State.

The first has to do with age and God's Plan for us. Yes, we can delay purification by being afraid of suffering and by not willing to embrace humility. But, God may allow a person to sit in the Dark Night for a very long time, only bringing the person to Illumination and Unity at the end of life.

Why? Some say that a certain mission in life may be more perfectly fulfilled if one is suffering. For example, St. John Paul II became a saint. He was not, like some of the younger and purer saints, like Gemma Galgani, a saint early. His long life, and particularly his long suffering in old age, was allowed by God to show the dignity of growing old and the call for all of us to love the aged.

St. John Paul II suffered purification publicly. That was part of his call in serving the whole Church. He had to endure illness and pain as part of his way, God's way, for all of us to learn many, many lessons.

In an age which idolizes youth, St. John Paul II brought our attention to the honor we need to give the elderly and the ill.

His old age and infirmities taught us that God's timing for purification may not be our timing.

We cannot compare saints. They all have their own way, but we can learn from them.

St. John Paul II's Illuminative State was less dramatic than one might expect. But, his life of patience and the living out of the virtues became more and more obvious as he aged.

Interestingly, one of his contemporaries, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very long Dark Night and short Illuminative and Unitive State. Ralph Martin suggests God allowed her long suffering because she was called to serve the most suffering of humans on earth-the homeless, those dying in the streets, the "unwanted."

She could identify with them in her long dryness of the Dark Night. But, the life of virtues must come after we set aside the ego, and it does.

The second point is that some saints come to this state early and show us in their lives the fruits of the Illuminative State. Now, I humbly differ with Ralph Martin, who writes that the states of purification overlap. I do not think so. The demarcation is the death of the ego and the growing of God's love in us.

Suddenly, one understands Scripture, the teachings of the Church, certain aspects of Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. One may experience "infused knowledge" which God gives to the pure of heart.

In the Illuminative State, which we see in such saints clearly as St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese the Little Flower and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the life of the virtues blossoms into an everyday lifestyle.

It is "easy" to be virtuous, but one is not without temptation, until one dies, by the way. But, these do lessen, considerably.

I do want to mention one clear sign of the Illuminative State not mentioned in my other posts. St. Bernard teaches us that the carnal, affectionate love we have for Christ becomes rational, spiritual.

This type of love is a sign of the Illuminative State. It is still connected to the desire for God, but the love has been purified in the Dark Night.  Some people have experienced this in marriage. One no longer feels the romance or the emotion of love, but wills to love. In that willing comes a zeal, a strength and a deep peace. One is grounded in love, a love which surpasses moods and difficulties.

Love becomes all the attributes found in St. Paul, in 1Corinthians 13, who is describing the love of the Illuminative State. I always find it interesting that married couples frequently choose this passage as one of their wedding readings, when in reality, this is the goal, not the reality of the day.

Charity is to be preferred before all gifts.

[1] If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [3] And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. [4] Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; [5] Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. [9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. [10] But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. [12] We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known. [13] And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. 

 This is a perfect description of a person in the Illuminative State. This is the "automatic" life of the virtues which happens at this point, after the Dark Night. How many married couples come to love each other more after trials? Many. That is the point of the graces of the sacrament of marriage.

How wonderful it must be to be known by and to know another person in such intimacy? 

St. Paul is describing perfection, which becomes obvious after the Dark Night, through the freedom of the virtues, which hitherto were bound up by habits of sin and the predominant faults.



To be continued....

Hello to Readers in Luxembourg

I might be related to one of you--lol.

I am half Luxembourgian!

Hey, we had painted cows in Calgary in 2000....http://members.shaw.ca/picscandlish/cow.htm

Unitive State LIst Review as A Preview

I shall repeat this again before the section on the Unitive State.

Etheldredasplace: On the Unitive State-a short post

15 Nov 2013

On the Unitive State-a short post. Posted by Supertradmum. A last few words on the Unitive State from St. John of the Cross before leaving him for awhile follow: “It should be known that God dwell secretly in all souls and is ...

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Etheldredasplace: A brief summary of the unitive state

25 Nov 2012

Garrigou-Lagrange would fall into the category of theologians who believe that God is calling all to the unitive state. The reason one should read these books with the approval of a spiritual director is to avoid deceit in one's life ...

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On the Beatific Vision and the Unitive State A Bit

06 Jun 2013

On the Beatific Vision and the Unitive State A Bit. Posted by Supertradmum. Last year, a friend of mine had a remarkable experience of his particular judgement. The man, who is young middle age, told me he cried for days ...

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Rose of Lima, Young Saints and The Way of Perfection

22 Aug 2013

For most of us, especially in these times of chaos in the Church regarding liturgy and catechesis, the road to perfection, to the Unitive State, which is the mark of the saint, will be long and arduous. Many of us are climbing out ...

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Part Eight Doctors of the Church - Etheldredasplace - Blogger

08 Feb 2013

Catherine describes the Unitive State here: we see the characteristics of the enlightened mind and soul, purified in the Love of God and exhibiting a fullness of caritas. Humility and love, peace and tranquility of mind and purity ...

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Etheldredasplace: Perfection Series II: liii

15 Mar 2014

Some of the great saints, such as Bernard of Clairvaux, experienced this state, before moving on to the Unitive State, very early in life, of course, and were fortunate in their ability to share in words what this stage involved.

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Back to Garrigou-Lagrange in the Perfection Series

18 Apr 2013

I am assuming that readers have cottoned on to the purgative and illuminative states, so that I can move on to the descriptions and definitions of the unitive state. I am returning to Garrigou-Lagrange in the next few days.

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Etheldredasplace: Postscript on The Dark Night of the Soul

20 Aug 2013

There is an illumination before the Dark Night, but the great Illumination happens only after purgation, and for many saints, this illumination quickly moves into the Unitive State, union with God in love. See the link below.

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