The universe
as an
emanation of God as its First Cause or Mover in the jewels of the
breastplate. The human being is on the outskirts of this divine
ordinance after having lost its baptismal grace. (a)
Angels; (b) Archangels; (c) Virtues; (d) Dominions; (e) Principalities;
(f) Powers; (g) Thrones; (h) Cherubim; (i) Seraphim.
Meditation 46
The Illumination of the Celestial Hierarchies
The
Holy Spirit gave the soul a profound lesson already in the beginning
when she began to “go round Zion” (Ps 48. 12) in her first
attempts to scrutinize the mystery of the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle
(Med. 6). It is in this circumambulation where God gradually shines
forth in the perfection of beauty from this Zion of the heart” (Ps 50.
2). In her growing sobriety in the prayer the soul realizes gradually
that this circle is simply an expansion of the Sacred Heart as her
source of being and shares gradually more in its perfection when the
she returns to her origin in the depth of her essence.
It is this truth which is exposed by the creation as an emanation of God's glory in the live of grace where the center refers to the primeval mover and the nine consecutive concentric circles refer to the celestial hierarchies – and their illumination in the jewels of the breastplate – as well to the Mystery of the Tetramorph. Or by the words of Hildigard of Bingen,
In the Liturgy of the Mass the faithful renew themselves in this escalation from praise to praise and thus their hearts are lifted to heaven on the wings of love. This is the only and true movement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the First Mover in creation or by the words of the Prince of the theologians, “All movements, both corporeal and spiritual, are reduced to the simple First Mover, Who is God.” [2] And Thomas adds, “Not only is every motion from God as from the First Mover, but all formal perfection is from Him as the First Act” (ibid.).
God is thus the origin of all glory that streams from Him as rays of grace to whole of His creation shining from the Holy Trinity when the Father of glory (Ep 1. 17) shines forth in the Son as the brightness of His glory (Heb 1. 3) in the Spirit of glory (1 Pt 4. 14). It is thus how God gives the souls a “spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him” (Ep 1. 18). It is this truth which Philaret of Moscow spoke of as the circumvolution in the live of grace in beatitude when “day discourses of it today, night to night hands on the knowledge” (Ps 19. 2),
In this glory, uniquely proper to Himself, God dwells in perfect felicity above all glory . . . But as in His mercy and His infinitive love He desires to communicate His blessedness to create for Himself beings capable of sharing in the joyfulness of His glory, He calls forth His infinitive perfection and they disclose themselves in His creatures; His glory is manifested in the celestial powers, is reflected in man, and puts on the splendor of the visible world; He bestows it, and those who become partakers thereof receive it, it returns to Him, and in this perpetual circumvolution, so to say, of the divine glory, the blessed life, the felicity, of the creature consist. [3]
In this glory “God comes out in the full flower of His joy and glory, as He is Himself” [4] and thus we see with what sublime words St. Paul referred to this mystery in his letter to the Colossians, “He is the Beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he should be supreme in every way; because God wanted all fullness to be found in him and through him to reconcile all things to him, everything in heaven and on earth, by making peace through his death on the cross” (Col 1. 19, 20). It is in this divine emanation and circumvolution that the soul returns to her lost paradise when the three great giants of her heart – the ignorance, forgetfulness and laziness – have been mortified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus the soul can climb this Jacob's Ladder of Love which John of the Cross named la escala de amor or the Ladder of Love in his Dark Night (chapters 2. 19-21). This mystery sheds light upon the fact how God literally draws all His created beings to Himself (see Jn 12. 32), that is, all created beings that do not resist and open their hearts in order to receive the fullness of His emanation which means nothing but not to be protestants in their hearts, “LET IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID” (Lk 1. 38). This is Ludis Amoris of God (game of love) with His created beings or by the words of John of the Cross,
“O, Lord, teach us by Thy Holy Spirit to be obedient and sober. Give us Adam's spirit of repentance. Give us tears to weep for our sins. Give us to praise and thank Thee world without end. Thou didst give us Thy most holy Body and Blood that we might live with Thee for all eternity, and be where you art, and behold Thy glory. O Lord grant all the people of the earth to know how greatly Thou lovest us, and know the wondrous life Thou dost prepare for them that believe on Thee.” [6]
It is this truth which is exposed by the creation as an emanation of God's glory in the live of grace where the center refers to the primeval mover and the nine consecutive concentric circles refer to the celestial hierarchies – and their illumination in the jewels of the breastplate – as well to the Mystery of the Tetramorph. Or by the words of Hildigard of Bingen,
For God, the omnipotent sets the
heavenly hosts into various ranks according to His divine will. Some of
these ranks are intended to practice special service, but each of them
is meant to be a mirror rank of the seals of each other. In each of
these reflections lie hidden mysteries which each angelic rank cannot
completely see or know or sense or bring to completion. For this reason
they wait in amazement and climb from praise to praise and continually
renew themselves in this way, and their praise will never be exhausted.
[1]
In the Liturgy of the Mass the faithful renew themselves in this escalation from praise to praise and thus their hearts are lifted to heaven on the wings of love. This is the only and true movement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the First Mover in creation or by the words of the Prince of the theologians, “All movements, both corporeal and spiritual, are reduced to the simple First Mover, Who is God.” [2] And Thomas adds, “Not only is every motion from God as from the First Mover, but all formal perfection is from Him as the First Act” (ibid.).
God is thus the origin of all glory that streams from Him as rays of grace to whole of His creation shining from the Holy Trinity when the Father of glory (Ep 1. 17) shines forth in the Son as the brightness of His glory (Heb 1. 3) in the Spirit of glory (1 Pt 4. 14). It is thus how God gives the souls a “spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him” (Ep 1. 18). It is this truth which Philaret of Moscow spoke of as the circumvolution in the live of grace in beatitude when “day discourses of it today, night to night hands on the knowledge” (Ps 19. 2),
In this glory, uniquely proper to Himself, God dwells in perfect felicity above all glory . . . But as in His mercy and His infinitive love He desires to communicate His blessedness to create for Himself beings capable of sharing in the joyfulness of His glory, He calls forth His infinitive perfection and they disclose themselves in His creatures; His glory is manifested in the celestial powers, is reflected in man, and puts on the splendor of the visible world; He bestows it, and those who become partakers thereof receive it, it returns to Him, and in this perpetual circumvolution, so to say, of the divine glory, the blessed life, the felicity, of the creature consist. [3]
In this glory “God comes out in the full flower of His joy and glory, as He is Himself” [4] and thus we see with what sublime words St. Paul referred to this mystery in his letter to the Colossians, “He is the Beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he should be supreme in every way; because God wanted all fullness to be found in him and through him to reconcile all things to him, everything in heaven and on earth, by making peace through his death on the cross” (Col 1. 19, 20). It is in this divine emanation and circumvolution that the soul returns to her lost paradise when the three great giants of her heart – the ignorance, forgetfulness and laziness – have been mortified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus the soul can climb this Jacob's Ladder of Love which John of the Cross named la escala de amor or the Ladder of Love in his Dark Night (chapters 2. 19-21). This mystery sheds light upon the fact how God literally draws all His created beings to Himself (see Jn 12. 32), that is, all created beings that do not resist and open their hearts in order to receive the fullness of His emanation which means nothing but not to be protestants in their hearts, “LET IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID” (Lk 1. 38). This is Ludis Amoris of God (game of love) with His created beings or by the words of John of the Cross,
A palace for the bride
made with great wisdom
and divided into rooms,
one above, the other below.
The lower was furnished
with infinite variety,
while the higher was made beautiful
with marvelous jewels.
That the bright might know
the Bridegroom she had.
The orders of angels
were placed in the higher. [5]
made with great wisdom
and divided into rooms,
one above, the other below.
The lower was furnished
with infinite variety,
while the higher was made beautiful
with marvelous jewels.
That the bright might know
the Bridegroom she had.
The orders of angels
were placed in the higher. [5]
“O, Lord, teach us by Thy Holy Spirit to be obedient and sober. Give us Adam's spirit of repentance. Give us tears to weep for our sins. Give us to praise and thank Thee world without end. Thou didst give us Thy most holy Body and Blood that we might live with Thee for all eternity, and be where you art, and behold Thy glory. O Lord grant all the people of the earth to know how greatly Thou lovest us, and know the wondrous life Thou dost prepare for them that believe on Thee.” [6]
[1]. Patrologia Latina 197, 960D-961A.
[2]. Summa theologiae, I-II, 109, 1.
[3]. Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, p. 75.
[4]. Meister Eckhart (Pfeiffer), p. 291.
[5]. De la creación, Collected Works, p. 62:
[6]. Prayer of St. Silouan the Athonite, Wisdom from Mount Athos, p. 97.
