Meditation 45
The Souls as Mirror Beings in the Life of Grace
Once
God was so gracious to reveal to me the nature of a pure and clear
conscience after confession. I was standing by a little pond in a park
and the sky was overshadowed by clouds. Thus the water in the pond was
dark as the sky itself. But suddenly the sun started to shine and the
clouds were driven away and the sky became heavenly blue and lucent. As
in a pure mirror I saw the sky reflected in details in the pond. And I
heard a voice within say, “This is the power of a true confession. Walk
a little bit further,” the voice then said. And that is what I did and
saw a large bed of white flowers. And the voice said, “Look at them!
These flowers are image of my saints in heaven who have nourished
themselves on the glory of my Uncreated Light, just as these flower
have done in order to be a praise of the grace of my glory. Every
morning I walk outside the walls of my heavenly abode to inspect the
growth of the virtues in human hearts on earth.”
On Fig. 45 above we see what takes place when the veil of egoism – the ego centric attitude of the old man of sin – is gradually removed by its mortification: the Uncreated Light of Glory illuminates the soul as a true Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. This will only be fully realized at the golden altar of incense in the Holy of Holies in the Night of redemption following in the wake of the Night of the spirit in the Holy when the soul is allowed to go behind the curtain or the Third entrance of the Sanctuary into the Holy of Holies. But already here in the first stage of the infused prayer some rays of the Uncreated Light of Glory escapes through holes or small openings resulting from the purification of the soul in the Night of the senses, enough light in order to urge the soul to go on in the live of grace in her eternal straining in pure faith which is nothing but the love suspensions of the heavenly Bridegroom.
On Fig. 45 we can see the state of the soul before the Night of the senses and its purifying effects marked as (I). On the right (II) the Christification is exposed when the veil or curtain into the Holy of Holies has been teased apart. Now the consciousness or the soul’s spiritual awareness has been fully awakened in the live of grace. The letters (A) and (D) refers to the descending and ascending effects of sanctifying grace when the soul is enraptured to God’s transcendence just to be thrown again down to the uttermost level of humility. These are always the effects of sanctifying grace: as the soul humble herself more her vision of the Celestial City becomes clearer and clearer in the live of grace.
The letter (D) refers to the core of the soul’s being, the center of the heart, where God lives in His immanence in the Christification. The letter (A) refers to the All-Holy Trinity in its transcendence and as St. John said, “And we shall come and make a home in him” (Jn 14. 23). It is this truth which the soul experiences already in an authentic way in the first state of the infused prayer as discussed above (Med. 42). When the soul descends from the top of the Mountain of purity down to the Valley of the Balsams before entering the Holy she learns the value of humility in the live of grace: the authentic effects of Christ like humility. Only thus she can advance further in the live of grace.
The super mundane illumination at this stage is twofold in nature, an enrapture to heaven by the illumination and infusion of the nine celestial hierarchies, which is nothing but a gradually ascension up the Jacob’s Ladder of Love by the illumination of the nine jewels of human sanctification as discussed above (Med. 11) where the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle is exposed as the soul’s Jacob’s ladder to heaven. The effects of this spiritual infusion of the celestial hierarchies appears as a gradual development of the prayer when it deepens in accordance with this super mundane illumination. As the prayer deepens the soul approaches gradually more the core of her being (D) and discerns the Celestial City – the new Jerusalem – in gradually clearer way as her spiritual eyes or senses become more active. There is still another and far more sublime spiritual illumination which awaits the soul in the Holy, but before it can discern its gracious effects it is obliged to go through the purification of the Night of the Spirit as this is a direct contact with God Himself when the soul goes through its Christification. This illumination will be discussed further in proper time.
Thus Thomas Aquinas spoke of the influx of the grace as growth of the love of the charity as the soul get gradually fuller participation in the Light of Glory – the glory of the Uncreated Light,
The last word of the excerpt above shed light upon the fact why Gregory of Nanzianzus (d. 390) called the Vision in the contemplation makaria (beatifying) or hagia (holy) theamata. The Greek word theamata is derived from the reflective verb theomai which means to see, visit or to speculate.
The noun theama means thus show, vision or to become aware of something. We can take a modern English word which is derived from this same Greek root as a still further example, the word “theatre.” Gregory’s definition means thus that the human soul becomes a “theater” or “arena” where God and His court attendants – the Blessed Virgin and the holy angels – can watch closely the eternal birth of the Word, “We have been exhibited as a spectacle (theatron, theater) to the whole universe” (1 Cor 4. 9).
Soul living in its alienation from God is thus as a “veiled off” theater, but when she turns herself to the Lord this “shield” of ignorance is removed. This is what takes place when the Light of Glory begins to shine in the darkness of a human heart,
This same truth St. Paul emphasized in his second letter to the Corinthians where he calls the Vision an unveiled face,
It is this precious truth which David expressed with so lofty and sublime words in Psalm 84,
On Fig. 45 above we see what takes place when the veil of egoism – the ego centric attitude of the old man of sin – is gradually removed by its mortification: the Uncreated Light of Glory illuminates the soul as a true Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. This will only be fully realized at the golden altar of incense in the Holy of Holies in the Night of redemption following in the wake of the Night of the spirit in the Holy when the soul is allowed to go behind the curtain or the Third entrance of the Sanctuary into the Holy of Holies. But already here in the first stage of the infused prayer some rays of the Uncreated Light of Glory escapes through holes or small openings resulting from the purification of the soul in the Night of the senses, enough light in order to urge the soul to go on in the live of grace in her eternal straining in pure faith which is nothing but the love suspensions of the heavenly Bridegroom.
On Fig. 45 we can see the state of the soul before the Night of the senses and its purifying effects marked as (I). On the right (II) the Christification is exposed when the veil or curtain into the Holy of Holies has been teased apart. Now the consciousness or the soul’s spiritual awareness has been fully awakened in the live of grace. The letters (A) and (D) refers to the descending and ascending effects of sanctifying grace when the soul is enraptured to God’s transcendence just to be thrown again down to the uttermost level of humility. These are always the effects of sanctifying grace: as the soul humble herself more her vision of the Celestial City becomes clearer and clearer in the live of grace.
The letter (D) refers to the core of the soul’s being, the center of the heart, where God lives in His immanence in the Christification. The letter (A) refers to the All-Holy Trinity in its transcendence and as St. John said, “And we shall come and make a home in him” (Jn 14. 23). It is this truth which the soul experiences already in an authentic way in the first state of the infused prayer as discussed above (Med. 42). When the soul descends from the top of the Mountain of purity down to the Valley of the Balsams before entering the Holy she learns the value of humility in the live of grace: the authentic effects of Christ like humility. Only thus she can advance further in the live of grace.
The super mundane illumination at this stage is twofold in nature, an enrapture to heaven by the illumination and infusion of the nine celestial hierarchies, which is nothing but a gradually ascension up the Jacob’s Ladder of Love by the illumination of the nine jewels of human sanctification as discussed above (Med. 11) where the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle is exposed as the soul’s Jacob’s ladder to heaven. The effects of this spiritual infusion of the celestial hierarchies appears as a gradual development of the prayer when it deepens in accordance with this super mundane illumination. As the prayer deepens the soul approaches gradually more the core of her being (D) and discerns the Celestial City – the new Jerusalem – in gradually clearer way as her spiritual eyes or senses become more active. There is still another and far more sublime spiritual illumination which awaits the soul in the Holy, but before it can discern its gracious effects it is obliged to go through the purification of the Night of the Spirit as this is a direct contact with God Himself when the soul goes through its Christification. This illumination will be discussed further in proper time.
Thus Thomas Aquinas spoke of the influx of the grace as growth of the love of the charity as the soul get gradually fuller participation in the Light of Glory – the glory of the Uncreated Light,
Hence the intellect which has more
the Light of Glory will see God more perfectly; and he will have a
fuller participation of the Light of Glory who has more charity;
because where there is greater charity, there is more desire; and
desire in a certain degree makes the one desiring apt and prepared to
receive the object desired. Hence he who possesses the more charity,
will see God more perfectly, and will be more beatified. [1]
The last word of the excerpt above shed light upon the fact why Gregory of Nanzianzus (d. 390) called the Vision in the contemplation makaria (beatifying) or hagia (holy) theamata. The Greek word theamata is derived from the reflective verb theomai which means to see, visit or to speculate.
The noun theama means thus show, vision or to become aware of something. We can take a modern English word which is derived from this same Greek root as a still further example, the word “theatre.” Gregory’s definition means thus that the human soul becomes a “theater” or “arena” where God and His court attendants – the Blessed Virgin and the holy angels – can watch closely the eternal birth of the Word, “We have been exhibited as a spectacle (theatron, theater) to the whole universe” (1 Cor 4. 9).
Soul living in its alienation from God is thus as a “veiled off” theater, but when she turns herself to the Lord this “shield” of ignorance is removed. This is what takes place when the Light of Glory begins to shine in the darkness of a human heart,
It is God who said, ‘Let light
shine out of the darkness,’ that has shone into our hearts to enlighten
them with the knowledge of God’s glory, the glory on the face of Christ
(2 Cor 4. 6).
This same truth St. Paul emphasized in his second letter to the Corinthians where he calls the Vision an unveiled face,
And all of us, with our unveiled
faces like mirrors reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the image that we reflect in brighter and brighter
glory; this is the working of the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor 3. 18).
It is this precious truth which David expressed with so lofty and sublime words in Psalm 84,
As they pass through the Valley
of the Balsam,
they make there a water-hole,
and – a further blessing – early rain fills it.
Their make their way from height to height,
God shows himself to them in Zion.
(Ps 84. 6, 7).
they make there a water-hole,
and – a further blessing – early rain fills it.
Their make their way from height to height,
God shows himself to them in Zion.
(Ps 84. 6, 7).
