It's Cold Outside: How Do I Get Warm? With Jesus' Fiery Love



Thomas concludes Chapter 1 of Book two with a challenge:  Can we at least once try to enter into the Fiery love which Christ offers us?  Because if we go there, we will quickly find our pettiness so distasteful that we will as quickly drop our inordinate affections that we tether so closely to our daily lives of comfort.  This makes me think of Scrooge, in "A Christmas Carol", where, in Stave 1, Marley's ghost talks about the chains that he wears.  Then Scrooge looks down at his own feet, imagining what his own chains must look like.  Scrooge knows the righteousness of which Marley speaks.  And so do we know, of those "favorite sins" we love to hold onto.

Thomas then moves, logically and thoughtfully, to advise us what the world will tell us, and how we must weigh it against God's wisdom.  He concludes that it is our unnatural attachments and corrupted affections that keep us from the Joy of living in the Spirit. 

This is not to say that Thomas condones a puritanical view of material goods.  Not at all.  Rather, he's telling us not to hold too tight to any "created thing" such that it interferes with our relationship with Jesus.  He wants us close enough that we feel the flames of Christ's love for us.

Sacred Heart Of Jesus,
Have Mercy on Me



6. If you had only once entered into the mind and heart of Jesus, and had tasted even a little of His fiery love, then you would care nothing for your own comfort, but would rather rejoice at those troubles brought upon you, because the love of Jesus makes you review your own life and easily see its defects.

      A lover of Jesus and of truth and a true internally focused disciple, that is free from inordinate affections, can freely turn to God and in spirit be elevated above the self and rest in fruitful peace and enjoyment.

7. Those who know things as they really are and not as they are stated to be or seem to be, are truly wise. They are taught of God more than of men. Those who know how to walk interiorly, and to set little value upon outward things, do not require places nor must they wait for seasons, but rather wait – anticipating communion with God.

The inwardly reflected disciple quickly recollects, because that disciple is never entirely given up to outward things. No outward labor and no necessary occupations stand in their way, but as events fall out, so do they fit to the event. Those who are rightly disposed and ordered within - they care nothing for the strange and perverse conduct of others. They are hindered and distracted in so far as they are moved by outward things.

8. If you had a right spirit within you, and you were purified from evil, all things would work together for your good and profit (Rm 8:28).

For this cause do many things displease you and often trouble you; that you are not yet perfectly dead to yourself nor separated from all earthly things. Nothing so defiles and entangles your heart as impure love towards created things. If you reject outward comfort you will be able to contemplate heavenly things and frequently to be inwardly joyful (Jas 1:2).

Until next time,
thanks for reading and praying along with me.
Be Imitators of Christ!

A Pilgrim's Progress: Imitating Christ

Book 2:  Chapter 1, Interior Conversation, continued.

The conversation this week turns to detaching ourselves from seeking the high opinion of others.  It is only in trusting God that we will find fulfillment.  Thomas tells us to be like pilgrims and wanderers, expecting nothing but the journey.  And what is the remedy Thomas suggests?  Prayer and contemplation of the wounds of Christ.  He then dares us to complain or whine.  Rather, Thomas calls us to face our adversity by hiding ourselves in the wounds of Christ.

3. There is no great trust to be placed in a frail mortal followers, even though you might be useful and dear to our community (Ps 146:2-3), neither should much sorrow arise within our community if sometimes you oppose and contradict the community. Those who are on your side today, may tomorrow be against you, and often are turned around like the wind.

Therefore, put your whole trust in God and let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you Himself, and will do for you what is best (Jer 17:7). Here you have no continuing city(Heb 13:14), and wherever you are, you are a stranger and a pilgrim, and you shall never have rest unless you are closely united to Christ

4. Why do you cast your eyes here and there, since this is not the place of your rest?  Heaven should be your home, and all earthly things should be looked upon as if these were passing by.  All things pass away and you with them. Look that you do not cleave these things or else you will be taken with them and perish.  Let your contemplation be on the Most High God, and let your ceaseless supplications be directed to Christ.  If you cannot behold high and heavenly things, rest in the passion of Christ and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds.  For if you devoutly direct your attention to the wounds of Jesus, and the precious marks of the nails and the spear, you shall find great comfort in tribulation, nor will the slights of others trouble you much, and you will easily bear their unkind words.

5. When Christ was in the world, He was despised and rejected, and in His greatest necessity was left by His acquaintance and friends to bear these reproaches.  How will you be the Christ’s friend if you are unwilling to face any adversity? Therefore, sustain yourself with Christ and for Christ if you will reign with Christ.

• Christ willingly suffered and was despised: dare you complain of anything?

• Christ had many adversaries and detractors: do you wish to have everyone as your friends and benefactors?

• When will your patience receive its crown if you never encounter any adversity?

From here, Thomas will take us deeper into the conversation, by challenging us to enter into Christ's burning love, and chasing wisdom.
Thanks for reading and praying along with me today.
Until then, be Imitators of Christ!
tim


 

The King of Hearts Wantts to Talk with You

THE SECOND BOOK OF THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INTERIOR LIFE

CHAPTER I: Of the Interior Conversation

“The kingdom of God is within you,”(Lk 17:21) says the Lord. Turn


Jesus and the Rich Young Man

 with all your heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable world, and you shall find rest unto your soul (Joel 2:12 &tc). Learn to despise outward things and to give yourself to things inward, and you shall see the kingdom of God come within you. For the kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and it is not given to  the wicked. Christ will come to you, and show you His consolation, if you prepare a worthy mansion for Him within you. All His glory and beauty is from within, and there it pleases Him to dwell. He often visits the inward disciple and holds there sweet discourse, giving soothing consolation, much peace, and exceedingly wonderful friendship.

Abraham is Visited by Angels

2. Go then, faithful soul, prepare your heart for the Bridegroom that He may safely to come to you and dwell within you, for so He says, if any love me and will keep my words: “my Father will love you, and we will come to you and make our abode with you.”(Jn 14:23) Give, therefore,  primary place to Christ and refuse entrance to all others. When you have Christ, you are rich, and have fulfillment. Christ shall be your provider and faithful watchman in all things, so that you have no need to trust in others, for they will soon change and swiftly pass away, but Christ remains forever and stands by us firmly even to the end.

Commentary:
In this second book, Thomas opens with a bold statement that the Kingdom of God is within us. We really have no excuses as The Lord has revealed Himself to us through the Natural Law, through our ethical inclinations, through the goodness we see in each other. So Thomas calls us to listen closely to what the Spirit of The Lord is telling us. Turn down the noise of the world.


Like Abraham, God will visit us at our very homes, both figurative and literal. We have to invite Him in.  Go ahead and put up the crucifix, a holy water fountain, a picture of some sacred scene from the Bible.  Put the Bible out in a place of honor....then read it!

Clean out your house by going to Confession.  How much more intimate can you get than telling God of your heavy heart and then receiving Holy Communion? Jesus is the King of Hearts!

My prayer for us during this Year of Faith is that we look to these two key Sacraments to strenghthen us on our journey, our pilgrimage (click here for the plenary indulgence offered in conjunction with the Year of Faith). 

Until next time, be Imitators of Christ!
tim

I Am The Way: Book II of The Imitation of Christ

I AM THE WAY

Book II of The Imitation of Christ
Admonitions Concerning Interior Things

An Overview:
This book is the shortest of the four, but no less important.  We've just finished Book One, where we got a grip on sorting through our vanities, the world, and what it means to seek God's Will as His follower.  In fact the last chapter was on amending our lives through facing our more sinful propensities and then turning these propensities into moments of self-conversion.  Usually this is accomplished more readily by service to God by service to others.

In short, Book One got us on the right path.  Book One got us into answering the question "What must I do to be a follower of Christ?" In Thomas' world, book one got us into the abbey as an acolyte.

In Book Two, Thomas will ask us to look deeper into our very soul for interior conversation and conversion ("The Kingdom of God is within you!" Lk 17:21).

Now that we've rejected the world out-right, Book Two deals with our self-submission, peacefulness, purity, self consideration, having a good conscience, loving Jesus, befriending Jesus, desiring grace over comfort, and being grateful for that grace. 

At the end of Book Two, Thomas talks about the small numbers of those who love the cross of Christ, and then deals with this notion by examining the Royal Way of the Cross. (During Lent, we will take a detour and use these two chapters in our meditations on the Way of the Cross).

From here we progress to Book Three on Interior Consolation, which is the longest book, and for good reason. Book Four will examine the Holy Eucharist.

But for now, we will turn our attention to Book Two and see what we can find out about how we are going to turn our hearts over to Him, who is Love. 

In this book, we will resolve to subdue our senses and get rid of the vain distractions of mind and body and spirit.  We will learn to open the door to The Spirit, to guard our heart from those things that do not promote the love of Christ within us.  And as we imitate Him in embracing our cross, we will learn to walk the royal way of the cross.

Until next time, when we will look at Chapter One, thank you for reading and praying along with me.

Be imitators of Christ!  Especially as we walk deeper through Advent toward Christmas.
tim

Crayons in Hell

A little off the beaten path today:  a huge shout out to the "artist" who created this year's cover to our 2013 Missal (http://www.ocp.org/products/BB-P).

It's so awful, it looks like a second grade crayon-on-wax-paper-melt gone bad. Or, think of it as Crayons in Hell.

One of the comments on the FB page discussing this was that it looked "Like the skull out of a Santeria ritual"

What is wrong with the beautiful art which eminates from the Church's 2000 year history?



Adoration: DaVinci



The Nativity: El Greco

 Inspirational, faith-based art is supposed to be both true and beautiful.  According to Peter Kreeft, one of the many ways to know God is through beauty, as typically expressed in art - be that musical or visual (e.g., There is the music of Mozart, therefore, there must be a God.  There is the art of DaVinci or El Greco, therefore, there must be a God.)

I can think of many pieces of art that could've been used instead of the crayon puke in a blender, shown above.

Or, perhaps an icon could've been used, or a simple picture of the Eucharist in the Monstrance, to remind us of the source and summit of our Faith.  The point is, OCP, quit trying to be edgy.  Try to inspire.

Laughing Jesus

Finally, I can't help but think of an edgier picture than this one, where Jesus is laughing at us for our silly attempts to "empower" artists to think outside the frame.  What's next?  A Crucifix in a Jar of Kool-Aid?  Sorry, that's already been done, only with urine.  Sorry, I'm not going to show that!  But here's an image of Jesus laughing at us!

Until next time.  Thanks for reading and praying along with me:Yours in Christ.
tim

Disciple = Discipline

Thomas a'Kempis wraps up Chapter 25, of Book 1 (and therefore Book 1 is done!) with his final "useful admonitions" on how to amend our life.

In short, a disciple is disciplined.  It's obvious, you can see, that the two terms are related, not only to each other, but to the spiritual walk (Mi 6:8)

Thomas points out that when you take on the role of a follower of Jesus Christ, that you have a new standard to uphold, and that in order to uphold that standard, there are a few items you may want to try...some of which will be uncomfortable.  But the exchange comes when in adopting of the rules of the faith you reap the result of joy and spiritual refreshment.

7. Whoever is a sincere person receives and bears well those burdens laid upon him. Whoever is careless and lukewarm has numerous troubles, and suffers anguish upon every side, because there is no comfort within, and seeking outward comfort is forbidden. Whoever is living without discipline is exposed to dreadful ruin. Whenever you seek easier and lighter discipline you will be in distress, because one thing or another will inevitably displease you.

8. How do so many devout persons live under strict monastic discipline?
They seldom go abroad; they live very retired; their diet is very poor; their habit is coarse; they labor much; they speak little; they watch long; they rise early; they spend much time in prayer; they read often and keep themselves in all discipline.

Cistercian Coat of Arms

Consider the Carthusians, the Cistercians, and the monks and nuns of different Orders, how every night they rise to sing psalms to the Lord. It would, therefore, be a shame for you to be sluggish at so holy a time when such multitudes of devout disciples begin with joy and give praise to God.

9. O! if no other duty lay upon us but to praise the Lord our God with our whole heart and voice! Oh! if you never had need to eat or drink, or sleep, but were always able to praise God, and to give yourself over to spiritual exercises alone; then you should be far happier, when for so many necessities you must serve the flesh. O! that these necessities were not tied to the flesh, but only that we could taste the spiritual refreshments of the soul, which alas we taste too seldom.

11. When you have come to this, that you seek comfort from no created thing, then you will perfectly begin to enjoy God, then also will you be well contented with whatsoever shall happen to you. Then you will neither rejoice for much nor be sorrowful for little, but you shall know the commitment to yourself and with full trust in God, who is all in all to you, to whom nothing perishes nor dies, but all things live to Him and obey His every word without delay.

12. Always remember your end, and how the time which is lost does not return. Without care and diligence you shall never obtain virtue. If you begin to grow cold, it shall begin to go ill with you, but if you give yourself to zeal you shall find much peace, and shall find your labor the lighter because of the grace of God and the love of virtue. A zealous and diligent disciple is ready for all things. It is greater labor to resist sins and passions than to toil in bodily labors. He who does not shun venial faults falls little by little into greater faults. At eventide you shall always be glad if you spent the day profitably. Watch over yourself, stir yourself up, admonish yourself, and no matter how it is with others, do not neglect yourself. The more discipline you enter into yourself, the more you shall profit.

Amen.

And so we end Book 1, of the Imitation of Christ.

Thank you for reading, praying along with me in uncovering the keen insights of this great and holy disciple of Christ. 

May we all be Imitators of Christ!

Next month, I'll begin book 2, which is much shorter (12 chapters), and deals with the Interior life.

Until til then, pray hard, life is short.
tim

How to Clean A Messy Room: Curb Your Passions and Imitate Christ

As Thomas gets into the meat of Chapter 25,  we should recall the previous paragraph, where he tells us that what's holding us back from a closer walk with The Lord is often times the dread of difficulty. 

Not to minimize this, but I instantly thought of my children struggling with cleaning up their room.  Especially when you cannot see the floor for the dirty laundry.  So I tell them to spend fifteen minutes working on the clothes, put in a load, and repeat.  And soon the project will be well on its way to completion.

In the same manner we know what we need to do to walk closer with Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is groaning for us to do so (Rm 8:26).

So Chapter 25 continues to offer ways to amend our lives: Recognize our passions, our "bent" and work on curbing these excesses. Running away from sinful occasions.  Imitating holy people.  Note those things that bother us about other people and endeavor to NOT enter into that activity ourselves.

Thomas then reminds us to honor our baptismal promise to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul (Dt 6: 4-5, Mark 12:29-31).

Book 1, Chapter 25, Amendment of Life, continued.

4. But we all do have not the same passions to conquer and to subdue, yet those who are diligent shall see more progress, even though one person may have stronger passions than another person who is more temperate but less fervent in the pursuit of virtue.

Two things particularly bring about improvement in holiness: namely the ability to firmly withdraw ourselves from the sins to which we are most inclined by nature, and earnestly to work toward that good which one wants most.

Strive to guard against and conquer those faults of your own which bother you  – that you see most often in others.



St Juan Diego's Image in the Eye of
Our Lady of Guadalupe



5. Turn all occasions to your spiritual profit wherever you are, and whenever you see or hear good examples, tell yourself to imitate these actions. But where you see anything which is sinful, take care that you do not imitate these actions; or if at any time you have entered into it, strive quickly to amend yourself. As your eyes observe others, so also are the eyes of others observing you.

How sweet and pleasant is it to see devout and godly believers who are temperate and of good discipline; and how sad it is and serious to see them walking in a disorderly manner, not practicing the duties to which they are called. How hurtful a thing it is to neglect the purpose of their calling, and turn their inclinations to things which are none of their business.

 6. Be mindful of the duties which you have undertaken, and set before you always the remembrance of the Crucified Christ (1 Cor 2:2). Truly you ought to be remorseful as you look upon the life of Jesus Christ, because you have not yet tried to conform yourself more to His pattern, although you have been a long time in the way of God.  Those who are religious, who conduct spiritual exercises seriously and devoutly in the most holy life and passion of our Lord shall find there abundantly all things that are profitable and necessary. There is no need to seek anything better beyond Jesus. Oh! if Jesus crucified would come into our hearts, how quickly, and completely would we learn all that we need to know!

Next time we will finish Chapter 25 and Book 1!  Thomas will tell us an easy way to overcome our faults.

Until then, thanks for reading and praying along with me.

Be imitators of Christ!
tim

p.s.  Special prayers for my friend Greg, who is delivering a talk on metanoia today.