How do you win the humility award?

The Humilty of Jesus, by Ariel Agemian

One of the shortest chapters in all four books, Chapter II of Book 2, is, appropriately, about humility. 

Good Thomas takes through a quick lesson on this key concept. Thomas prompts us to rely on The Lord to keep us humble: For example, keeping our mouth shut is easier than apologizing for an errant comment.  Ultimately, Thomas calls us to rely on God's deliverance when we are under attack. Thomas warns against being overly defensive, and says its OK to admit your defects, even having some trusted friends hold you accountable for your faulty behavior.

When we go this way of humility, God shelters us with His mantle of grace: protecting us, lifting us out of our dour moods from the pit and redirecting our eyes to Him (see, e.g.Psalms 40, and 27).

Finally, Thomas puts a "p.s." at the end of this chapter, telling us not to get too puffed up in what a great job we are doing being humble!

 

Book 2, CHAPTER II

 Humble Submission

Do not worry yourself with counting who is for you or who is against you, but be mindful only of the present and take steps for God to be with you in whatever you do (Rm 8:31).  Have a good conscience and God will sufficiently defend you. For those whom God will help no man's malice can hurt.  If you know how to hold your peace and to endure suffering, you shall, without doubt, see the help of the Lord. God knows the time and the way to deliver you, therefore you must resign yourself to Him.  It belongs to God to help you and to deliver you from all confusion.  When others know and hold us accountable for our faults, it is often very helpful for keeping us in greater humility.

2. When you humble yourself for your defects, you then easily

pacify others and quickly satisfy those that are angry with you.  God protects and delivers the humble, He loves and comforts the humble, to the humble He inclines Himself, on the humble He bestows great grace(Prov 29:23): and when you are cast down God raises you to glory.

God reveals His secrets to the humble, and sweetly draws and invites you to Himself.  The humble, having received reproach, are yet sufficiently at peace, because the humble fix their gaze on God and not on the world.

Never think you have made any progress in the interior life until you look upon yourself inferior to all others.

Enjoy your weekend, and until next time, keep praying.
Be imitators of Christ!
tim 

What's Your Favorite Scripture Passage?

What's Your Favorite Scripture Passage?  Below is mine.

It was the Gospel Reading for today (Jan 27, 2013).  I like it for many, many reasons.  Perhaps a podcast on this would be best.  Hmmm.  There are some interesting aspects to this story, which only appears in Luke's Gospel.

First, I love that Jesus walks into the home synagogue and they hand him the Scripture to read.  Probably, the scheduled lector was home with a sick kid.  So Jesus steps up and they hand Him the Scripture.  He opens it to Isaiah, and begins to read from Isaiah, Chapter 61:1-2, and 58:6.  Dr. Luke doesn't tell us whether this was the scheduled reading, or if it was Jesus' call on the passage.  I think it was the later,since the locals were amazed at Jesus quickly turning to the passage at hand.  Mary would know, since she was probably there.  When we get to Heaven, we will ask them this question.

Second, because God moves outside of time, when Jesus says that "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing," it literally applies to THIS DAY and the present time.  That gives me hope.

Third, after these local yocals make a snide remark about St. Joseph, kind of amazed that this Carpenter's Son is so well versed in Scripture, so eloquent, Jesus quickly schools them on a short history of cures, and how those prophets more often than not, chose to heal gentiles over Jews.

Last of all, because of the above, the citizenry are completely torqued at Jesus, since he just told them that His first priorities lie elsewhere.  So they chase Him out of town, and he disappears from within their midst.  So I'm thinking that Jesus knew some serious martial arts...Or, more poetically, I imagine that several Guardian Angels simply surrounded Jesus and escorted him out of the danger zone.


Luke 4:16-30

16 He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read 17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

20Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.

21He said to them,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

23He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”

24And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 25 Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. 26 It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”



Martial Arts Jesus

 28When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. 29They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. 30But he passed through the midst of them and went away.



Guardian Angels

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

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