Lifetime Reading Plan
Direct linking is not working, but T.S. O'Rama has posted for us a Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan. I hope that this list will prove to be the foundation for much discussion on the issues it brings up.
Another New Blog
Jcecil3's Progressive Catholic Reflections (you can tell from its very title that it is not everyone's cup of tea) promises to be a literate, articulate voice for viewpoints I don't hold. I would love to read John da Feisole's reflections on some of the things already posted.
Mr. Cecil has identified his blog as a place for progressive Catholics to be at home and his first post clearly identifies places of agreement and disagreement with established Catholic teaching. Reasonable, clear, fair, and agreeable dialogue, even if it will not lead to resolution and agreement puts us all in a better place to pray for brethren we disagree with with greater compassion and integrity than might otherwise be possible.
WARNING!!!!! If you are easily disturbed by disagreements with the Magisterium, if your blood boils at the thought of female altar servers, you would be well-advised to give this site a miss.
If Your Annoyance Quotient Has Been Too Low The Past Few Days
Indulge yourself in this little piece of vitriolic vituperation from the infinitely annoying, endlessly self-important Margaret Drabble. You'll be sorry you did.
Male or Female Brain
If these test results are (a) accurate and (b) meaningful and interpreted correctly, my brain is incorrectly hardwired.
E= 59
S= 26
Later Coming back to it seems that the S score is not measured by very good parameters. After all, I spent and have spent many years as a systematic paleontologist studying the taxonomy of echinoderms. Would seem that I might be very good at systematizing. Moreover, my career of choice and my first jobs were all librarian positions in all manner of systematic configurations (LOC, Dewey, and any number of private, proprietary configs). So, there's something wrong with the measure--just because I don't need to dissect frogs, worms, or car engines to discover how they work and I'm not particularly adept at DIY, I hardly think that 26 is a good reflection of my love of and ability to systematize. And Ms. Knapp was a one-time librarian if I recall correctly. If this is meant as a real diagnostic, it may need adjustment.
With some remarkable words of St. Raphael Kalinowski. St. Raphael Kalinowski spent many years in Siberia for participation in a rebellion. He joined Carmel after returning from Siberia. He was certain that unity of the Orthodox and Catholic churches could be attained through the devotion to Our Lady that the churches held in common.
from Drink of the Stream A Prayer of St. Raphael KalinowskiJesus, hope of suffering humanity, our refuge and our strength, whose light pierces the black clouds that hang over our stormy sea, enlighten our eyes so that we can direct ourselves toward You Who are our harbor. Guide our bar[que] with the rudder of the nails of Your cross, lest we drown in the storm. With the arms of this cross rescue us from the turbulent waters and draw us to Yourself, our only repose, Morning Star, Sun of Justice, for with our eyes obscured by tears, we can catch a glimpse of You there, on the shores of our heavenly homeland. Redeemed by You, we pray: Salvos nos fac propter nomen tuum--"Save us for the sake of Your holy name." And all this through Mary.
I am stunned by the remarkable consistency of the metaphor. Had John Donne composed this prayer, I would call it a metaphysical conceit (although that may be taking the matter a bit too far.) The elements all appeal, and the truth is stunningly brought home with the line "we catch a glimpse of You ther, on the shores of our heavenly homeland." Sometimes we need to be vouchsafed a glimpse of that homeland, if only to know what we steer toward. And even if only vicariously.
A Word of Thanks
To all who were kind enough to leave a message yesterday--you cannot begin to know how much it means--thank you.
Prayers for All in St. Blog's
A time of great trial is upon many. Again, I request and urge all to prayers for the many in St. Blog's who are facing very, very difficult times, decisions, and events in their lives. Pray for me, and pray for those others that you know are suffering.
Oh What Can Ail, Thee, Good Christian Man?
You knew it before you read the title:
La Belle Dame Sans Merci John Keats Ballad I.O WHAT can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.
II.O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms!
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.
III.I see a lily on thy brow
With anguish moist and fever dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.
IV.I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful--a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.
V.I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look'd at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.
VI.I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.
VII.She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said--
"I love thee true."
VIII.She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept, and sigh'd fill sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.
IX.And there she lulled me asleep,
And there I dream'd--Ah! woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dream'd
On the cold hill's side.
X.I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried--"La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!"
XI.I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.
XII.And this is why I sojourn here,
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Today, "I awoke and found me here/on the cold hill's side." And no birds sing (despite what the Beatles might have you believe).
A Day When I Could Do With Conviviality
And I have the lowest population I've had in months (even through Lent). St. Blog's seems to be suffering a Dark Night, as many have already noticed, and my prayers go out to all those affected.
My Quote du Jour
"That transcends meaninglessness to forge brave new defintions of vacuity."
Another Carmelite Prayer
This time from the Blessed Titus Brandsma--another sacrifice on the altar of Nazi Megalomania, an offering for the People of God. Brandsma was a subject of medical experimentation in Dachau and died by an injection of carbolic acid--one who did not seek martyrdom, but who ultimately accepted it when it happened.
Before a Picture of Jesus in My Cell by Titus Brandsma February 12-13, 1942 (About 5 months before his death)A new awareness of Thy love
encompasses my heart:
Sweet Jesus, I in Thee and Thou
In me shall never part.No grief shall fall my way but I
Shall see thy grief-filled eyes;
The lonely way that Thou once walked
Has made me sorrow-wise.All trouble is a white-lit joy,
That lights my darkest day;
Thy love has turned to brightest light
This night-like way.If I have Thee alone,
The hours will bless
With still, cold hands of love
My utter loneliness.Stay with me, Jesus, only stay;
I shall not fear
If, reaching out my hand,
I feel thee near.
Talk about dark nights! I can't conceive of a less inviting image than "still, cold hands of love." And yet, this man of God (may he be canonized soon!) perservered to the end and lived out a life of witness--the strongest possible witness to abandoning everything to the Lord. Most of us are not called to this degree of abandonment. Most of us don't even like to think about this degree of abandonment. But the measure of our love is the degree to which we follow His commandments. One of the greatest of these took the form of an admonition rather than a direct requirement, "Greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." And so, the martyrs, Blessed Titus among them, are the greatest friends, the greatest lovers of Jesus and of God--those who have witnessed to the very end and whose courage and spirit supports the church during times of crisis and times of calm. Thank goodness of that communion of saints that gives us so much life!
Events in my life have arranged themselves in such a way as to be able to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the passage below:
from Ascent of Mount Carmel Book 1 Chapter 13 St. John of the Cross6. Strive always to prefer, not that which is easiest, but that which is most difficult;
Not that which is most delectable, but that which is most unpleasing;
Not that which gives most pleasure, but rather that which gives least;
Not that which is restful, but that which is wearisome;
Not that which is consolation, but rather that which is disconsolateness;
Not that which is greatest, but that which is least;
Not that which is loftiest and most precious, but that which is lowest and most despised;
Not that which is a desire for anything, but that which is a desire for nothing;
Strive to go about seeking not the best of temporal things, but the worst.
Strive thus to desire to enter into complete detachment and emptiness and poverty, with respect to everything that is in the world, for Christ's sake.
And I can tell you that this is a lot better in the abstract than in the concrete. Moreover, I suspect that it is a lot better voluntarily entered into rather than being offered such opportunities. However, the Lord has a plan even if it seems obscure to me, and so I can avail myself of this opportunity or not at my choice. It seems that whichever choice I make in the event will fulfill the requirements of this passage--so, that is the long way of asking for your prayers and your thoughts as I enter into the next couple of weeks.
From Another Lesser Known Carmelite Saint
I suppose it will come as no surprise that we have about a million Saints named Teresa, Theresa, or Therese. Here's a prayer from one less well known, who died quite as young as St. Therese of Lisieux.
from Drink of the StreamA Prayer of Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart
O my God, reflecting that You have made me to love and serve You, I am determined to renounce my own inclinations in order to follow the way it pleases You to lead me. I shall strive always to obey. May I learn from You, my God, Who made Yourself obedient for me in far more difficult circumstances.
May I also learn from the God Who made Himself obedient to the point of sweating blood and dying. There is much to be learned in the school of Love of the Lord.
A Real Treasure for Carmelites and Others
I've excerpted prayers from Drink from the Stream. I cannot say how wonderful I am finding it. Although it is ostensibly a book of prayers, they are more than words to be recited. They are powerful words to make our own through personalization and meditation. The following excerpt from the Foreward makes the intent clear.
from Drink from the Stream "Foreward"
Kiernan Kavanaugh O.C.D.As you take this book and begin to read, you soon become aware that the content requires much more than a mere quick reading. These prayers of Carmelite saints do not favor those of us who like to skim; rather they take hold and plunge us into deep abysses, enabling us to catch glimpses of the jewels of God's mysteries. They overwhelm with their power and theological depth. How true it is that God who is Love is only attained through love. In the words of Joh, "Love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has had knowledge of God.." (1 Jn 4:7)
These poems are a school of love. They provide insights and byways. They provide perspectives and places from which to look at our own meager accomplishments. They provide a launching pad for meditation and for growing in love. In a word, they are a "School of Love," and as such the book comes with highest recommendations. There are a great many things here that have touched my heart deeply.
Prayers That Leads to Definition
from Drink of the StreamPrayers of Theresa Benedicta of the Cross
I will go unto the altar of God. It is not myseld and my tiny little affairs that matter here, but the great sacrifice of atonement. I surrender myself entirely to Your divine will, O Lord. Make my heart grow greater and wider, out of itself into the Divine life.
*****O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new propsect will open before me and I shall meet with peace.
Abandonment, utter reliance upon the will of God, complete surrender--these are the hallmarks and necessities of a life lived in God. Anything less is not worthy of Him. He is owed all that we are and all that we have and all that we can do. Of ourselves, we are nothing--but in Him we are All. Our place in the world is to serve Him by saving souls, and by worshipping Him, by imitating Christ. Absent these things, life has little, if any, meaning. But with these things in place priorities are set and our paths are somewhat clearer. This is what Jesus was about when he told us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."
Another from Père Jacques
Père Jacques was a Carmelite Father and an active member of the French Resistance. He was arrested by the Nazis for this crime and for the crime of harboring Jewish children in his school. Louis Malle's Au Revoir Mes Enfants is based on his life.
from Drink of the StreamA Prayer of Père Jacques
O my Christ,
Communion
is the mystery of Your love,
is life for souls,
is the sure salvation for those who
understand and receive It.
Therefore place in my mind
Fervent and clear thoughts,
put on my lips ardent and enlightening words,
that I may illumine all these souls,
That I may enkindle in them
Love for Your divine Sacrament;
And that in them, Your work
of transformation may be fulfilled.(1929 Eucharistic Congress of Le Havre)
Another Carmelite Prayer
A very brief prayer taken from the work of the Venerable Seraphina of God.
from Drink of the StreamA Prayer of Venerable Seraphina of God
Speaking of the Trinity. . . O brightest of Truths! O bright obscurity, so apparent to the person who loves you!
Another, Clearer Moment from the Same
Spiritual Combat Revisited is filled with much advice and many tips and hints about how to go about some of these things many of us just mill about trying to do. The following passage was a gem:
from Spiritual Combat Revisited Jonathan Robinson of the OratoryHow do we use these first principles in such a way that they will serve as a basis for our spiritual lives and affect our practice? Well, we have to consider them attentively, or meditate on them; that is, we have to think and ponder on those truths of our faith and try to see how they could affect us personally. I do not think it matters whether we call these considerations or this meditation prayer or a preparation for prayer. The important thing is actually to consider and meditate on the first principles and to do so in a regular way. We should be actively engaged, actually using our heads, and not sitting around trying to make the mind a blank in the hope of receiving some ill-defined and comforting illumination.
There is something very homey, and very Teresa of Avila about this down-to-Earth, unnuanced, and possibly terribly unpopular advice. The road to God is not an ethereal parkway that one drifts along, pushed by winds of the spirit. It is a rough-hewn road over which we tread, step by step. No progress is made outside of Divine help, but neither is progress made if we do not exert ourselves, exercise ourselves, and make some solid attempt to align our wills with the will of God. This was one of the great errors of the Quietists, who, as with all heresies, had some things very right and almost everything else quite wrong. We do not sit around waiting for Divine enlightenment, but we actively seek it among those things we know belong to Him. Thus, the words of scripture, the great writings of the saints, and even the words of some modern books and articles can guide us in ways to exert ourselves. I like practical, solid advice such as is offered later in this book when the author tells me--"Here think about these things, and don't just think, meditate on them. Here are some scriptures to help." It's very Ignatian, and reads much like the Spiritual Exercises in some ways. I look forward to using it properly and reporting back to everyone as to its efficacy in at least one case. But don't expect a quick report. If used properly, it may take many months to work through.
Higher Math and Spiritual Combat Revisited
A brief comment on this passage:
from Spiritual Combat Revisited by Jonathan Robinson, based on the orginal by Lorenzo ScupoliIn the face of this neglect, or ignorance, of the first principles of the spiritual life, we have to restate what should be at the basis of any spirituality that claims to be Christian. Scupoli says that the spiritual life consists in:
1. "the knowledge of the goodness and the greatness of God, and of our nothingness and inclination to all evil";
2. "the love of him and the hatred of ourselves";
3. "subjection, not to him alone, but, for love of him, to all his creatures";
4. "entire renunciation of all will of our own, and absolute resignation to all his divine pleasure";
5. "willing and doing all this purely for the glory of God and solely to please him, and because he so wills and merits thus to be loved and served."We see that there are four first priniciples, and none of them is, at first sight, particularly attractive. If we are to accept them as the basis for the realignment of our lives, then we will have to begin by understanding what they mean. In the first place, we are told that the spiritual life consists in knowledge about God and ourselves; then, secondly, that we are to love God and hate ourselves; thirdly, that our love for God must show itself in uniting ourselves to him by trying to do what he wants us to do; and finally, the motive for doing all this is for the glory of God and because God, just because he is who he is, deserves to be so loved and served.
Besides a quibble about the Ignatius Press house style that does not capitalize pronouns related to God ( a preference of mine), this presents one other problem. No matter how I look at it, Scupoli enunciates five first principles, the most problematic and tantilizing of which is remanded to obscurity with nary a comment. Why include it if not to comment on it? What does number 3 above mean? And is it a foundational prinicple? I am disturbed by this elision without comment.
Did Robinson wish to be complete and fair to Scupoli's teaching and then abridge it as appropriate to modern understanding? (For reference, passages further on in the book do not appear to refer back to this point.) I am intrigued by it because it is so suggestive. Are we called for love of God to be subject to all His creatures? If so, in what does this subjection consist? If not, can the statement be modified to more accurately reflect what we ARE called to? For example, are we called to be servants to all our brethren? Cursory reading of the Bible would suggest that this is exactly the role each of us is to serve.
The point here is not to make a mountain out of a molehill, but to examine carefully what the first principles of Christian Life really are. If we are to meditate upon them, as Robinson suggests, then perhaps we should give some thought to assuring that what we are examining are indeed the first principles and are worthy of the time and attention of meditation during prayer.
Brief Assurances
At this point, I have no intention of going away, but I did want everyone to know that there is a struggle going on, so if things are not so regular or so sprightly as once before, you will know the reason. But until led otherwhere, this blog shall continue to be shepherded along.
From a Weekend Purchase
Depuis longtemps I have considered the purchase of this book. Finally, I bought it along with another remarkable little work--Spiritual Combat Revisited.
from Drink of the Stream: Prayers of CarmelitesA Prayer of Pére Jacques de Jesus Bunel
In the twilight of this life, I shall appear before Thee with empty hands, for I do not ask Thee, Lord, to compare my works. All our justices are tainted in Thine eyes. Hence, I wish to wear the cloak of Thy justice and receive from Thy love eternal possession of Thyself. I wish no other crown or throne by Thee, my Beloved.
I never fail to be amazed and humbled by the humility expressed in prayers such as these. I could say these words, but there is part of me that resists their underlying truth. Deep down, I know that what they say is true. And yet.. . . part of me fights tooth and nail against the truth of them. It is simply too hard a truth for my present state in life. But God continues to lead, and I grudgingly follow, at once wanting more than anything in the world to race after Him, and wanting to run as fast as I can away from Him.
A Place of Some Great Interest
The Literarium added to the side column as a matter of intense interest. This is one person who is very interested in literature and has some very clearly defined opinions about it. Both admirable qualities. Go and visit and see what you think. The reading is eclectic, at least, and one might even call it catholic.
The Best is Silence
I am strongly tempted to give up this blog and blogdom altogether. Tempted, because it seems to be the wrong thing to do for several reasons. The blog can serve as a vehicle for communication amongst members of the local Carmelite Community; it can also serve to inform others about Carmelite issues.
The sources of the temptation are myriad--but not one of them provides a single good REASON for discontinuing. The only good reason to cease writing this blog would be that it had become an obstacle toward advancement toward union with God. However, so far, quite the contrary is true. By writing this I stay in contact with many people whose writing and reason continually redirect my thoughts toward God. If blogging were not here as a central treasure, I would return to my old habits of continually scouring the web for anything of interest--that is, quite simply, a waste of time.
The reason for writing this entry is unclear to me, but perhaps to state that there is a battle going on and so things might become erratic here and there, particularly as my mind tends to go completely blank under conditions similar to these. C'est la vie--or more appropriately, C'est la guerre.