Meditation 38
A Lasting Friendship with the King of Eternal Life
A soul who in her
presumptuousness reputes to be fed on the infused grace of the heavenly
manna is a protesting soul – a protestant – just as the first
human beings,
Adam and Eve, and choices rather the piggish nourishment of human fantasies and
the sour bitterness of demonic cunnings. That is why God placed the
bronze laver exactly at this place in His Sanctuary: in front of the
Second entrance! The laver is thus a red warning light on this Sacred
Way, an admonition to all souls to walk this way in accordance with
God's precepts and degrees and in no other way! At this place it are
the first words coming from the lips of her confessional father which
are the soul's golden chain to follow in the live of grace as he is the
represent and ambassador of the Son of God in this earthly Tabernacle –
the Living Body of the Church. Only thus the soul can attain the
eternal life by the spiritual council of her confessional father.
As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Confession the bronze laver reveals the power which our Lord and Redeemer gave His Church on earth: the apostolic power to forgive sins, the keys of life and death as a safe way to eternal life,
This God does to ensure that the citizen of this new state in the live of grace, the ekklesia or qahal – the community of His brothers and sisters – will be freed from the fetters of something which is far worse then corporeal death by leading the souls “into á heritage that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away” (1 Pt 1. 4) by avoiding “the disordered natural inclinations that attack the soul” (1 Pt 2. 11).
These “disordered natural inclinations” are the harvest of the egoistic self, this self that continuously cries “I” and nothing but “I”. It covers the purity of the heart like a dark veil in this Sanctuary of our Living God. In the prayer of inner recollection at the bronze laver the soul learns at first to say “We” until God becomes its “I” in the prayer of union in the Holy. Here at the bronze laver the soul attains “recollection” when her powers flock together around the shepherd staff of her Redeemer in obedience,
These words of the Founder of our faith conceal in them both an exterior and interior meaning and refer in this case to the soul's powers which become recollected when she looks to her Royal Archetype as reflected in the pure water mirror of the laver. It is in the mirror of the pure water of the bronze laver were God teaches the soul to study her own image and compare it to the purity of her Royal Archetype in the live of grace. Thus the soul realizes all her impediments. We can compare His Majesty to a shining white and faultless milk and the soul to a dirty and foul water. It is at the bronze laver were the soul remembers as the disciples what was written, “I am eaten up with the zeal for your house” (Jn 2. 17). This is the only and true movement of the Holy Heart of Jesus: to abolish the sin and lead the souls to God, that is, to drive the mongers – the demons and their evil incitements – out of this Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit with all their evil thoughts and incitements.
When Abba Chearemon discussed this mystery in the desert 1750 years ago he referred to the parable of the prodigal son above. The prodigal son had lived among strange people of a foreign nation and customs, but when he returned home to his father again he didn't follow the customs of this strange people any longer – despised the food of the pigs. In her exile in the exterior world of the senses the soul lost sight of her true nature which stands far closer to God than the sinful nature of the ego of the flesh. This is the proclamation of the silver clear water surface of the laver where the soul can study herself in her sensuous impurity as in a pure mirror. When she compares her own impurity with the purity of God she involuntarily rejects her former habits and conducts in the world of the fleshly nature,
As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Reconciliation the bronze laver secures that this citizenship becomes a permanent state, is a continuous admonition regarding the inheritance of the divine Son ship – by enkindling the love and trust between the soul and God with its message. This can also truly be maintained regarding the sacrament of Confession when the confessional child listens to the “first words” coming from the lips of the confessional father in pure faith as a representative of our Lord and Redeemer on earth, “Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God” (Mt 5. 8).
In human relationship friendship enkindles love as it deepens, but a broken relationship between a man and a woman leads seldom to friendship but hatred in numerous instances. This is indeed the state of a soul living in enmity with God, or by the words of St. James,
This is the profound message of the bronze laver. As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Reconciliation the bronze laver secured that the citizenship and loving relationship with God was a permanent state,
After the confession of her sins the conscience of the soul becomes like a pure mirror reflecting the image of our Lord Jesus Christ as the High priest of all blessings in the purity of her faith. Thus and only thus she can discern Him in pure faith as He stands beside her as exposed on Fig. 37 above as the High Priest of all blessings as King of Life sitting on His throne of eternal life in order to lead her through the Second entrance into the Holy where He gradually reveals Himself to the soul in an authentic way in the prayer of union.
As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Confession the bronze laver reveals the power which our Lord and Redeemer gave His Church on earth: the apostolic power to forgive sins, the keys of life and death as a safe way to eternal life,
In truth I tell you,
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose
on earth will be loosed in heaven (Mt 18. 19).
This God does to ensure that the citizen of this new state in the live of grace, the ekklesia or qahal – the community of His brothers and sisters – will be freed from the fetters of something which is far worse then corporeal death by leading the souls “into á heritage that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away” (1 Pt 1. 4) by avoiding “the disordered natural inclinations that attack the soul” (1 Pt 2. 11).
These “disordered natural inclinations” are the harvest of the egoistic self, this self that continuously cries “I” and nothing but “I”. It covers the purity of the heart like a dark veil in this Sanctuary of our Living God. In the prayer of inner recollection at the bronze laver the soul learns at first to say “We” until God becomes its “I” in the prayer of union in the Holy. Here at the bronze laver the soul attains “recollection” when her powers flock together around the shepherd staff of her Redeemer in obedience,
For where two or
three meet in my name, I am there among them (Mt 18. 20).
These words of the Founder of our faith conceal in them both an exterior and interior meaning and refer in this case to the soul's powers which become recollected when she looks to her Royal Archetype as reflected in the pure water mirror of the laver. It is in the mirror of the pure water of the bronze laver were God teaches the soul to study her own image and compare it to the purity of her Royal Archetype in the live of grace. Thus the soul realizes all her impediments. We can compare His Majesty to a shining white and faultless milk and the soul to a dirty and foul water. It is at the bronze laver were the soul remembers as the disciples what was written, “I am eaten up with the zeal for your house” (Jn 2. 17). This is the only and true movement of the Holy Heart of Jesus: to abolish the sin and lead the souls to God, that is, to drive the mongers – the demons and their evil incitements – out of this Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit with all their evil thoughts and incitements.
When Abba Chearemon discussed this mystery in the desert 1750 years ago he referred to the parable of the prodigal son above. The prodigal son had lived among strange people of a foreign nation and customs, but when he returned home to his father again he didn't follow the customs of this strange people any longer – despised the food of the pigs. In her exile in the exterior world of the senses the soul lost sight of her true nature which stands far closer to God than the sinful nature of the ego of the flesh. This is the proclamation of the silver clear water surface of the laver where the soul can study herself in her sensuous impurity as in a pure mirror. When she compares her own impurity with the purity of God she involuntarily rejects her former habits and conducts in the world of the fleshly nature,
So you are no longer
aliens or foreign visitors; you are a fellow citizens with the holy
people of God and a part of God's household. You are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, and Christ himself is the
corner stone. Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy
temple in the Lord; and you to, in him, are being built up into a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ep 2. 19-22).
As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Reconciliation the bronze laver secures that this citizenship becomes a permanent state, is a continuous admonition regarding the inheritance of the divine Son ship – by enkindling the love and trust between the soul and God with its message. This can also truly be maintained regarding the sacrament of Confession when the confessional child listens to the “first words” coming from the lips of the confessional father in pure faith as a representative of our Lord and Redeemer on earth, “Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God” (Mt 5. 8).
In human relationship friendship enkindles love as it deepens, but a broken relationship between a man and a woman leads seldom to friendship but hatred in numerous instances. This is indeed the state of a soul living in enmity with God, or by the words of St. James,
Do you not realize
that love for the world is hatred for God? Anyone who chooses the world
for a friend is constituted an enemy of God . . . The nearer you go to
God, the nearer God comes to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and
clear your minds, you wafers. Appreciate your wretchedness, and weep
for it in mystery. . . Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will
lift you up (Jm 4. 4-10).
This is the profound message of the bronze laver. As a prefiguration of the sacrament of Reconciliation the bronze laver secured that the citizenship and loving relationship with God was a permanent state,
• It ensures that the
soul's
communion with God will never be cut off although the soul stumbles or
falls on her walk on the Sacred Way, if she cleans its stains
continuously by confessing her sins in the presence of a spiritual
father.
• It ensures constant renewal of lovable friendship with God and enkindles a lasting disposition of remembrance of God, attention, watchfulness, perseverance and discrimination in the live of grace in the soul's growing awareness.
• It proclaims the gradual death of the ego of sin. It is only by the sacrificial death of this ego of sin that the soul can attain a true participation in the live of grace in order to approach the Light of Glory in God's Sanctuary.
• It reveals the mystery of being dressed in the armor of the Lord which is necessary in the warfare against the master of darkness and the incitements of Satan's black angels. In the courtyard the soul wages a spiritual warfare against these powers of darkness.
• It ensures constant renewal of lovable friendship with God and enkindles a lasting disposition of remembrance of God, attention, watchfulness, perseverance and discrimination in the live of grace in the soul's growing awareness.
• It proclaims the gradual death of the ego of sin. It is only by the sacrificial death of this ego of sin that the soul can attain a true participation in the live of grace in order to approach the Light of Glory in God's Sanctuary.
• It reveals the mystery of being dressed in the armor of the Lord which is necessary in the warfare against the master of darkness and the incitements of Satan's black angels. In the courtyard the soul wages a spiritual warfare against these powers of darkness.
After the confession of her sins the conscience of the soul becomes like a pure mirror reflecting the image of our Lord Jesus Christ as the High priest of all blessings in the purity of her faith. Thus and only thus she can discern Him in pure faith as He stands beside her as exposed on Fig. 37 above as the High Priest of all blessings as King of Life sitting on His throne of eternal life in order to lead her through the Second entrance into the Holy where He gradually reveals Himself to the soul in an authentic way in the prayer of union.