Meditation 62
The Southern Quarter of the Tetramorph
The
standard of arms in the southern
quarter is the Winged man who refers directly to the Son
of God in the Divinity of His Assumption. In conformity with the super
mundane geography of the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle the southern
quarter of the Tetramorph refers to the participation of the soul in
His Divine nature in her Christification. Everything in this
place is covered by the gold of the glory of the Son of God in the
shining radiance of the Uncreated Light of Glory.
It is the archangel Uriel who watches over this southern quarter in the live of grace. He is the least known among the archangels as he avoids by all means to cast a shadow on the Son of God as our Royal Archetype. The humility – but also the boldness – is dominant in this part of the Ladder of Love as the soul is very close to God as John of the Cross emphasized, when she “feels the interior favor of the King's scepter extended to it, lest perchance it fall from the other steps which it has mounted up to this point.” [1]
In Hebrew the name Uriel means the “Light of God” and he is usually shown as a pilgrim. In this most holy place the soul apprehends fully that she is a pilgrim on earth and her “homeland is in heaven” (Ph 3. 20). Uriel’s tree is the pomegranate tree. It are its fruits which refers to the twelve fruits of the Spirit which the soul is endowed with and makes her able to go “from height to height until God shows Himself to her in Zion” (see Ps 84. 6). Under the watchful eyes of Uriel the soul flies on the golden wings of prayer and praise to the divine Beatitudes. It are these sublime and super mundane graces which will lead her through the curtain into the Shekinah Glory in the Holy of holies.
From here the soul will again go out in her strength to serve as a pillar in the courtyard. It is thus the intercession and praise which are predominant in the southern quarter of the Tetramorph. Here the Seven days sun of glory shines in its splendor as never before in the burning heat of the noonday. It is here where the soul learns to become a true high priest in the Royal Priesthood of the New Covenant when she places her heart on the golden plate of the golden altar of incense. All the intentional plan of God in His Sanctuary has been aimed at accomplishing this mystery: the complete crucifixion of the soul because there is no ascension to glory otherwise than by the Way of the Cross.
Still the soul is fettered with a thin string, not as the rich farmer in the parable who was unable to live in the redeemed time of Christ or in the now of passing time – this window to eternity – fettered by the profits of the past and hopes of still further gains in the future (Lk 12. 16-20). This blessed soul and becoming bride is not fettered to earthly belongings as the young rich man in the parable (Mk 10. 17-21) who asked, “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The soul has lived in obedience, poverty and purity on her pilgrimage on this Sacred Way. She is not fettered as the the Nazirite representing a soul who only enters the live of grace on her own terms, or as the Levite fettered by his sensuous disposition. She is still fettered by three impediments or imperfections and these must be completely uprooted or wiped of, however slight they are in order to attain to a complete union with God in her Christification, or by the words of John of the Cross,
It are the three last impediments mentioned above (Med. 15): scab, running sores and being a eunuch which plague still the soul. The word of God is always alive and active, “The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgment on secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom me must give account of ourselves” (Heb 4. 12).
This is actually what has been going on in the prayer of union – in this operating room of this heavenly Surgeon. The scabs and running soars are the marks of these incisively cuts when the wounds which divided soul from spirit are healed and their cause is traced to secret emotions and thoughts in the core of the soul’s substance which are fully uncovered and stretched open for healing. Thus and only thus the soul does not have to live as an eunuch anymore and can be invited into the bridal chamber in the Holy of holies in order to bear the fruits of eternal life.
It is indeed this which takes place in the prayer or as one of my spiritual friends said so rightly, “The effect of prayer is usually simply the desire to return and pray again because we sense that eventually something will happen. Then one day we realize what we were hoping would happen has been happening all along . . . we’ve become God centered, God desiring, and God loving. God has been revealed in a desire that has changed the way we live our lives.” The heavenly Bridegroom gives us actually and literally speaking a share in His own live: the Live in Christ. We can now easily discern how God fulfills His intentional plan in the illumination of the foundation jewels of the holy city Jerusalem when He so to say consumes the soul in the flames of His divine love. The soul is as a burning log in these flames where the last remain of her imperfections are consumed in this fire, or by the words of John of the Cross,
This we will experience in an authentic way on the golden plate of the altar of incense. It is here where the soul becomes as a Winged man in the live of grace and can fly to God on the wings of love, just as His holy angels as she has been raised to a dignity above the angels as a member of the tenth choir of praise in the heavenly Tabernacle.
In this fourth quarter of the Tetramorph God manifests His Kingdom of power in human hearts. It is the emblem of the Evangelist Matthew that reigns in this southern part of the Divine Order of March and he is also the Evangelist of Christ the King. Just as the jewels of human sanctification are nine in number St. Matthew divides his gospel into nine parts or section,
This is actually the realization of the Our Father, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven.” Thus the King of Life touches His becoming bride’s and becoming queen’s heart with His golden scepter of power and says as when queen Esther appeared before his throne, “What is the matter, Queen Esther? Tell me what you want; even if it is half my kingdom, I grant you” (Est 5. 3, 4). This He grants His becoming bride here in this southern quarter of His divine ordinance.
It is the archangel Uriel who watches over this southern quarter in the live of grace. He is the least known among the archangels as he avoids by all means to cast a shadow on the Son of God as our Royal Archetype. The humility – but also the boldness – is dominant in this part of the Ladder of Love as the soul is very close to God as John of the Cross emphasized, when she “feels the interior favor of the King's scepter extended to it, lest perchance it fall from the other steps which it has mounted up to this point.” [1]
In Hebrew the name Uriel means the “Light of God” and he is usually shown as a pilgrim. In this most holy place the soul apprehends fully that she is a pilgrim on earth and her “homeland is in heaven” (Ph 3. 20). Uriel’s tree is the pomegranate tree. It are its fruits which refers to the twelve fruits of the Spirit which the soul is endowed with and makes her able to go “from height to height until God shows Himself to her in Zion” (see Ps 84. 6). Under the watchful eyes of Uriel the soul flies on the golden wings of prayer and praise to the divine Beatitudes. It are these sublime and super mundane graces which will lead her through the curtain into the Shekinah Glory in the Holy of holies.
From here the soul will again go out in her strength to serve as a pillar in the courtyard. It is thus the intercession and praise which are predominant in the southern quarter of the Tetramorph. Here the Seven days sun of glory shines in its splendor as never before in the burning heat of the noonday. It is here where the soul learns to become a true high priest in the Royal Priesthood of the New Covenant when she places her heart on the golden plate of the golden altar of incense. All the intentional plan of God in His Sanctuary has been aimed at accomplishing this mystery: the complete crucifixion of the soul because there is no ascension to glory otherwise than by the Way of the Cross.
Still the soul is fettered with a thin string, not as the rich farmer in the parable who was unable to live in the redeemed time of Christ or in the now of passing time – this window to eternity – fettered by the profits of the past and hopes of still further gains in the future (Lk 12. 16-20). This blessed soul and becoming bride is not fettered to earthly belongings as the young rich man in the parable (Mk 10. 17-21) who asked, “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The soul has lived in obedience, poverty and purity on her pilgrimage on this Sacred Way. She is not fettered as the the Nazirite representing a soul who only enters the live of grace on her own terms, or as the Levite fettered by his sensuous disposition. She is still fettered by three impediments or imperfections and these must be completely uprooted or wiped of, however slight they are in order to attain to a complete union with God in her Christification, or by the words of John of the Cross,
For it comes to the same thing
whether a bird be held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even
if it be slender, the bird will be well held as though it were stout,
for so long as it breaks it not and flies not away. [2]
It are the three last impediments mentioned above (Med. 15): scab, running sores and being a eunuch which plague still the soul. The word of God is always alive and active, “The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgment on secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom me must give account of ourselves” (Heb 4. 12).
This is actually what has been going on in the prayer of union – in this operating room of this heavenly Surgeon. The scabs and running soars are the marks of these incisively cuts when the wounds which divided soul from spirit are healed and their cause is traced to secret emotions and thoughts in the core of the soul’s substance which are fully uncovered and stretched open for healing. Thus and only thus the soul does not have to live as an eunuch anymore and can be invited into the bridal chamber in the Holy of holies in order to bear the fruits of eternal life.
It is indeed this which takes place in the prayer or as one of my spiritual friends said so rightly, “The effect of prayer is usually simply the desire to return and pray again because we sense that eventually something will happen. Then one day we realize what we were hoping would happen has been happening all along . . . we’ve become God centered, God desiring, and God loving. God has been revealed in a desire that has changed the way we live our lives.” The heavenly Bridegroom gives us actually and literally speaking a share in His own live: the Live in Christ. We can now easily discern how God fulfills His intentional plan in the illumination of the foundation jewels of the holy city Jerusalem when He so to say consumes the soul in the flames of His divine love. The soul is as a burning log in these flames where the last remain of her imperfections are consumed in this fire, or by the words of John of the Cross,
The soul is purged and prepared
for union with the divine light just as the wood is prepared for
transformation into the fire. Fire, when applied to wood, first
dehumidifies it, dispelling all moisture and making it give off any
water it contains. Then it gradually turns the wood black, makes it
dark and ugly, and even causes it to emit a bad odor. By drying out the
wood, the fire brings to light and expels all those ugly and dark
accidents that are contrary to fire. Finally, by heating and enkindling
it from without, the fire transforms the wood no longer as an activity
or passivity of its own, except for its weight and quantity that is
denser than the fire. It possess the properties and performs the action
of fire: It is dry and it dries; it is hot and gives off heat; it is
brilliant and illumines; it is also much lighter in weight than before.
It is the fire that produces all these properties in the wood.” [3]
This we will experience in an authentic way on the golden plate of the altar of incense. It is here where the soul becomes as a Winged man in the live of grace and can fly to God on the wings of love, just as His holy angels as she has been raised to a dignity above the angels as a member of the tenth choir of praise in the heavenly Tabernacle.
In this fourth quarter of the Tetramorph God manifests His Kingdom of power in human hearts. It is the emblem of the Evangelist Matthew that reigns in this southern part of the Divine Order of March and he is also the Evangelist of Christ the King. Just as the jewels of human sanctification are nine in number St. Matthew divides his gospel into nine parts or section,
1. St. Matthew begins by
speaking of the person and identity of the King (Mt 1. 1-4.25).
2. Then follows the preaching of the King of Life (Mt 5. 1-7. 29).
3. Next he sheds light on the proof of His Kingdom (Mt 8. 1-9. 38).
4. Then he speaks about the mission of the King (Mt 10. 1-16. 12).
5. Then he sheds light on the economy of the King or house rules (Mt 16. 13-20. 26).
6. The presentation or appearance of the Kingdom follows next (Mt 20. 29-23. 39).
7. St. Matthew discusses next the forecasts of the King (Mt 24. 1-25. 46).
8. Next he sheds light on the passion of the King (Mt 26. 1- 27. 66).
9. And finally he discusses the power of the King (Mt 28. 1-20).
2. Then follows the preaching of the King of Life (Mt 5. 1-7. 29).
3. Next he sheds light on the proof of His Kingdom (Mt 8. 1-9. 38).
4. Then he speaks about the mission of the King (Mt 10. 1-16. 12).
5. Then he sheds light on the economy of the King or house rules (Mt 16. 13-20. 26).
6. The presentation or appearance of the Kingdom follows next (Mt 20. 29-23. 39).
7. St. Matthew discusses next the forecasts of the King (Mt 24. 1-25. 46).
8. Next he sheds light on the passion of the King (Mt 26. 1- 27. 66).
9. And finally he discusses the power of the King (Mt 28. 1-20).
This is actually the realization of the Our Father, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven.” Thus the King of Life touches His becoming bride’s and becoming queen’s heart with His golden scepter of power and says as when queen Esther appeared before his throne, “What is the matter, Queen Esther? Tell me what you want; even if it is half my kingdom, I grant you” (Est 5. 3, 4). This He grants His becoming bride here in this southern quarter of His divine ordinance.
[1]. The Dark Night, II. 20, 2.
[2]. Ascend of Mount Carmel, I. 11, 4.
[3]. The Dark Night, II. 10. 1.
[2]. Ascend of Mount Carmel, I. 11, 4.
[3]. The Dark Night, II. 10. 1.