Meditation 47
The Vision of the New Jerusalem
It
is in her super mundane circumambulation in the inner meditation in her
heart when the soul goes “round Zion” (Ps 48. 12) that she approaches
gradually the center of the Celestial City and the abode of its King.
This is how His Majesty's Sacred Heart draws the soul closer to Himself
in His boundless love, as He said He would do, “I will draw all to
myself” (Jn 12. 32). It is obvious that this applies only to souls that
do not resist: submit completely to the will of God in perfect
humility. This movement in the prayer is not only circular, but also as
an helix, that is, spiral shaped and circular attraction within to the
center point of gravity: the fountain and source of eternal love.
On the figure above we see how this takes place in the illumination of the jewels and foundation stones of the Celestial City, the new Jerusalem. Gradually the vision of the soul becomes clearer as she gazes to Christ Jesus. In the prayer of outer recollection she sees him by her side in pure faith (Fig. 35,), in the prayer of inner recollection within in her heart as the King of the heart (Fig. 38), and now in the first stage of the infused prayer as the Total Christ, as the Mystical Body of the Church, just as St. Paul experienced this mystery on the way to Damascus,
Christ identifies Himself so profoundly and inseparably with His Church on earth that He looks at the community of the Church as His own body.
And those who persecute His Church persecute Him! In the Church the soul is standing on earth as in heaven as the Holy Spirit lives in the Church and He is all in everything. It is only in the purifying grace of the Holy Spirit that a soul can be transported from low and earthly things to heavenly and invisible vision of the Celestial City, not “weighted with faults that touch it, and the cares of this world, or damaged by the moisture of injurious lusts,“ as Abba Isaac said formerly,
This was the holy or blessed vision of the saintly Francisco Palau O.C.D. (1811-1872) on earth whom Pope John Paul II. raised to the number of the blessed 10th of November 1986. The faith makes us one with Christ Jesus and at the same time one in Him. “God and the neighbor” is “Christo Total”. And the Church is “one in God in Three and One” and “the Trinity has engraved its image in the Church and is beautiful as God, lovable as the Divinity”. The Blessed Francisco Palau discerned the new Jerusalem “hidden in veils” in the Church as the Mystical Body of “Christo Total.” We are one! That is the profound truth and our eternal calling, this is “our heavenly Jerusalem”.
The All Holy Trinity engraves its own image in the heart of the Church and makes it as its own: a heart burning in love for all created beings filled with the same desire as is burning in the Heart of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In the Trinitarian mystery each individual soul becomes a replica of the Church in its wholeness: a reflection of the beauty of the Celestial City. In the heart of such a soul the holy city, the new Jerusalem, appears gradually in all her glory and this soul is both in heaven as on earth and on earth as in heaven simultaneously as she becomes the Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit fills all in everything and is everywhere in the mystery of totum simul (Med. 23) where limits of time and space are no more. Such a soul has become a theological being: a little christ.
This is to live in Christ and for Christ, in Christ like humility and Christ like love. This is the Life in Christ. In such a soul the praise has become her mother tongue in the silence of the heart where she listen continuously on the song of praise at the Heavenly Throne. The nature of such a soul has become a sweet song. Such a soul has become a nightingale of sweet songs praising the glory of the grace of her Heavenly Father (see Ep 1. 6) and she recites with the elders as she throws her own crown of glory before Him sitting on the Throne,
Let us scrutinize in following meditation what actually took place when the soul sent her spies into the Holy where she dwelt at the bronze laver in the courtyard (see Med. 42).
[1]. Collatio.
On the figure above we see how this takes place in the illumination of the jewels and foundation stones of the Celestial City, the new Jerusalem. Gradually the vision of the soul becomes clearer as she gazes to Christ Jesus. In the prayer of outer recollection she sees him by her side in pure faith (Fig. 35,), in the prayer of inner recollection within in her heart as the King of the heart (Fig. 38), and now in the first stage of the infused prayer as the Total Christ, as the Mystical Body of the Church, just as St. Paul experienced this mystery on the way to Damascus,
It happened that while he was
traveling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light from
heaven shone all around him, and then he heard a voice saying, SAUL,
SAUL, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME? WHO ARE YOU, LORD? HE ASKED AND THE
ANSWER CAME, ‘I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING’ (Ac 9. 3-5).
Christ identifies Himself so profoundly and inseparably with His Church on earth that He looks at the community of the Church as His own body.
And those who persecute His Church persecute Him! In the Church the soul is standing on earth as in heaven as the Holy Spirit lives in the Church and He is all in everything. It is only in the purifying grace of the Holy Spirit that a soul can be transported from low and earthly things to heavenly and invisible vision of the Celestial City, not “weighted with faults that touch it, and the cares of this world, or damaged by the moisture of injurious lusts,“ as Abba Isaac said formerly,
It will be raised as it were by
the natural blessing of its own purity and borne aloft to the heights
by the light breath of spiritual meditation; and leaving things low and
earthly will be transported to those that are heavenly and invisible. [1]
This was the holy or blessed vision of the saintly Francisco Palau O.C.D. (1811-1872) on earth whom Pope John Paul II. raised to the number of the blessed 10th of November 1986. The faith makes us one with Christ Jesus and at the same time one in Him. “God and the neighbor” is “Christo Total”. And the Church is “one in God in Three and One” and “the Trinity has engraved its image in the Church and is beautiful as God, lovable as the Divinity”. The Blessed Francisco Palau discerned the new Jerusalem “hidden in veils” in the Church as the Mystical Body of “Christo Total.” We are one! That is the profound truth and our eternal calling, this is “our heavenly Jerusalem”.
The All Holy Trinity engraves its own image in the heart of the Church and makes it as its own: a heart burning in love for all created beings filled with the same desire as is burning in the Heart of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In the Trinitarian mystery each individual soul becomes a replica of the Church in its wholeness: a reflection of the beauty of the Celestial City. In the heart of such a soul the holy city, the new Jerusalem, appears gradually in all her glory and this soul is both in heaven as on earth and on earth as in heaven simultaneously as she becomes the Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit fills all in everything and is everywhere in the mystery of totum simul (Med. 23) where limits of time and space are no more. Such a soul has become a theological being: a little christ.
This is to live in Christ and for Christ, in Christ like humility and Christ like love. This is the Life in Christ. In such a soul the praise has become her mother tongue in the silence of the heart where she listen continuously on the song of praise at the Heavenly Throne. The nature of such a soul has become a sweet song. Such a soul has become a nightingale of sweet songs praising the glory of the grace of her Heavenly Father (see Ep 1. 6) and she recites with the elders as she throws her own crown of glory before Him sitting on the Throne,
Worthy is the Lamb that was
sacrificed
to receive power, riches, wisdom,
strength, honor, glory and blessing (Rv 4. 12).
to receive power, riches, wisdom,
strength, honor, glory and blessing (Rv 4. 12).
Let us scrutinize in following meditation what actually took place when the soul sent her spies into the Holy where she dwelt at the bronze laver in the courtyard (see Med. 42).
[1]. Collatio.
