Saint Martin of Tours. Wood cutting
(1995) by the late Icelandic artist Thorgerdur Sigurdardottir.
The twelve windows of the holy deed's accomplished by the saint are as windows into his saintly life.
The twelve windows of the holy deed's accomplished by the saint are as windows into his saintly life.
Meditation 13
The Growth of the Virtues
It is most urgent that the soul take heed of the precious
message of the three foundation stones of the Celestial City because
only thus God the Holy Spirit will infuse grace and skill into her
heart in order to restore this Sanctuary of her Living God, “If Yahweh
does not build a house in vain do its builders toil. If Yahweh does not
guard a city in vain does its guards keep watch” (Ps 127 1, 2). In
these guidelines of the Holy Spirit the “builders” and “guards” are the
soul's powers which must be purified in the illumination of the
jewels of the breastplate by God's infused virtues. Thus the the twelve
jewels become a ladder to heaven as windows to God in the infused
prayer. How integral an part of ancient Christianity this truth really
was flowing through the veins of the Church to the fringe of the
habitual world to as a remote place as Iceland, is clearly apparent by
the wood cutting above, a replica of a thirteenth century wall cloth
from northern Iceland now persevered in Louvre in Paris. There we can
see how Martin of Tours (316-397), the founder of western monasticism,
collected these jewels of his breastplate by his good deeds on
earth by picking them up from the river of death as the ancient Hebrews
did from the dry bed of Jordan before entering the Promised land (Js 4.
5-7). Thus the ancient Hebrews had to go through two prefiguration of
baptism: one during their passage through the Red Sea and another on
entering the Promised land. This fact was also revealed by the two
altars in the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle: by the altar of burnt
offerings and the golden altar of incense referring to the Christian
baptism as a participation both in the death of Jesus and His
resurrection and charisma.
The high priest of the Old Covenant prefigured thus the sacrificial death of the egoistic self and the resurrection in the union of love in the purity of the Royal Image of the Christification. Thus Jesus came in flesh to do His Father will, “but you gave me a body . . . to do your will, God” (Heb 10. 7). Thus He became the “High Priest over all the Sanctuary of God” (Heb 10. 22) and no created being has submitted as completely before this will as the Blessed Virgin, “LET IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID” (Lk 1. 38). Thus the four Evangelists submitted also before God's will as well as all the holy angels and apostles. In the Icelandic Book of Homilies the ancient author refers to the names of the apostles in this context and “rightfully are the names of the twelve apostles written above the gates of the Celestial City” as they opened the way to God by their teachings and good works. We have already encountered the name of Peter above (Meditation 2) as a living stone in the temple of God,
This is the precious message of this Way of humbleness in the three fundamental virtues of the spiritual life: the obedience, spiritual poverty and purity.
The high priest of the Old Covenant prefigured thus the sacrificial death of the egoistic self and the resurrection in the union of love in the purity of the Royal Image of the Christification. Thus Jesus came in flesh to do His Father will, “but you gave me a body . . . to do your will, God” (Heb 10. 7). Thus He became the “High Priest over all the Sanctuary of God” (Heb 10. 22) and no created being has submitted as completely before this will as the Blessed Virgin, “LET IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID” (Lk 1. 38). Thus the four Evangelists submitted also before God's will as well as all the holy angels and apostles. In the Icelandic Book of Homilies the ancient author refers to the names of the apostles in this context and “rightfully are the names of the twelve apostles written above the gates of the Celestial City” as they opened the way to God by their teachings and good works. We have already encountered the name of Peter above (Meditation 2) as a living stone in the temple of God,
But every man who is
used as a building material in God's house of mercy must be like
Andrew, that is courageous, sicut
David said, “Be brave, take heart,
all who put your hope in God” (Ps 31. 24). But no one can be courageous
otherwise than to be like Jacob, that is tramples the sin under his
feet and drives evil thoughts from his heart and behavior. No one is
able to trample the sin under his feet otherwise than like John, that
is, looking at his good deeds as the fruits of God's mercy, sicut Paul
said, “But what I am now, I am through the grace of God” (1 Cor 15.
10). One who gets participation in God's misericordia will be a Thomas,
doubled and filled by God's love and love for his neighbors. But no one
will be filled by God's love otherwise than being like Philip, that is
a shining light in words. One is a shining light in words who
illuminates his neighbors as a pattern in good works, sicut Dominus
said Himself, “In the same way your light must shine in people's sight,
so that, seeing your good works” (Mt 5. 16). But the one who lights up
the hearts of his listeners become like God as Bartholomew, that is a
son of Him who holds up the waters, just as Dominus proclaims in the
Gospel, “Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be recognized as
children of God” (Mt 5. 9). Because God holds up the waters when He
stops rain and snowfall. But he is son of God who is a peacemaker and
already a Matthew, that is filled by the numerous gifts of mercy. A man
who gets share in God's lovable gifts becomes a Simon, that is
obedient to God's will. But a man who is obedient as to God's will does
not grouse about proclaiming God's will and His name, and thus he
becomes Judas, that is confesses God before men. Sicut Dominus says,
“So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of human beings,
I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven”
(Mt 10. 32). But a man who daringly confesses Christ's name will not
suffer from pride but be like Matthew, that is small before God. One is
small before God who does not estimate himself highly because of God's
love. [1]
This is the precious message of this Way of humbleness in the three fundamental virtues of the spiritual life: the obedience, spiritual poverty and purity.