The Church Stands for the Truth as Indicated by Humanae Vitae

Throughout history, there are many instances in which it is shown that there are times in which it is necessary for the Church to show that she holds fast to her teachings, even when world views change.  In 1968, Pope Paul VI did just that when he wrote the encyclical Humanae Vitae.  In it, the Pope addresses issues that married couples face when it comes to child bearing in the modern world.  He shows that the Church recognizes the many ways that people and societies are changing their views on matters such as the way women were being viewed at that point in time as opposed to the past.  Also, he wrote about the many difficulties that couples face when it comes to having children, including health and economic problems.  With all of this noted, he still maintains the Church stands firm in her understanding of human sexuality.

                In this writing, the Holy Father expresses that the teaching on marriage is “founded on natural law, illuminated and enriched by divine revelation” (Humanae Vitae, 4).  The significance of this is while many in the world, particularly in the US, believe that they are entitled to control their body by any means that they wish, and that relationships can be defined according to any inclination one may have, there remains truths that can never be altered. 

                While considering the nature of the human body, he writes that “responsible parenthood means the knowledge and respect of their functions; human intellect discovers in the power of giving life biological laws which are part of the human person” (10).  Today, it seems as though to take away this “power of giving life” through artificial means is a way of “progressing” or “evolving” the human race.  However, when one considers the functions of the body, it still produces the same results when healthy and unaltered by unnatural devices.  What does this say?  It says that nature does not conform to the opinions of people and so doesn’t natural law.  And if these do not change, it cannot be a right for someone to adjust it to their opinions. 

                Pope Paul VI also says that “man, growing used to the employment of anticonceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and…may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion” (17).  This has been considered to be prophetic as it has been proven to be correct since standards for morality have been lowered after the increase of birth control usage increased. 

                He emphasizes the “two meanings of the conjugal act:  the unitive…and the procreative” (12) and that “to use this divine gift destroying…its meaning and its purpose is to contradict the nature both of man and woman…and therefore it is to contradict …the plan of God and His will” (13).  In this, he is stressing where the Church truly stands on the issue, regardless of pressures from the world to change her position on it. 

                So, is this a huge, dramatic event in the history of the Church?  Not seemingly so, however, it is an inspiring example of how she remains true to her teachings and is unwavering even in the midst of the ever changing world. 

Work Cited

Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Letter, Humanae Vitae.  1968.  Pauline Books & Media.  Print. 

St. Francis de Sales on Living a Life of True Devotion

The book Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales is a beautiful instruction by the saint to lead readers to have an understanding of what devotion is and how to truly go about practicing it.  This writing is divided into five sections:  the first being to show what is needed to be done to fully accept this devout way of life, the second is focused on the Sacraments and prayer, the third is about practicing virtue, the fourth is about how to avoid temptation and the fifth is to confirm the devotion. 

In the first section, he first gives a warning about false devotion and how to go about avoiding it in order to find true devotion.  He tells of those who are able to, in a way, put on a show in order to fool everyone into thinking that they are devout.  But one who is practicing authentically has, by God’s grace, the perfection of charity in their soul that “not only makes us do good but also do this carefully, frequently, and promptly” (pg. 28).  Careful, frequent and prompt responses out of love from a person are the characteristics of being devout.  He goes on to talk about devotion as making mortifications sweet just as a bee takes a bitter liquid from a thyme blossom and makes it into sweet honey. 

When de Sales speaks of beginning devotion, he focuses on the need for one to cleanse their soul of all sins, mortal and venial, as well as all affection for it.  He offers a way to pray with ten meditations in order to clear one’s soul from these affections and to resolve to permanently reject them.  The meditations include considering our creation and how “God has drawn you out of…nothingness to make you what you now are and he has done so solely out of his own goodness and without need of you” (pg. 41).  He also suggests meditations on Paradise, Hell, and judgment among others. 

He begins the second section by writing, “Since prayer places our intellect in the brilliance of God’s light and exposes our will to the warmth of his heavenly love, nothing else so effectively purifies our intellect of ignorance and our will of depraved affections” (pg. 70).  This surely is a beautiful description of the importance of prayer.  He goes on to tell of the importance of mental, interior prayer and that even if drawn to do so during vocal prayer, to not turn away the inspiration to do so.  And in order to do so, he details his method of the meditations that he gave in the previous section.  He also speaks of having an oratory within the very heart of a person, as St Catherine of Siena had when she was deprived of having anywhere to pray and meditate.  He says, “withdraw your spirit from time to time into your heart and there, apart from the world of men, you can converse heart to heart with God on the state of your soul” (pg. 87). 

The third section is on virtues and how to go about practicing them.  While many people seem to revere those who exercise extreme virtues, as many saints have, it is more necessary to not focus on these, but to look to those that are less extreme and obvious in the spirit of humility.  For example, he mentions that “to give alms and to forgive injuries are both charitable acts, yet the first is held in honor by everyone while the second is despised by the eyes of the world” (pg. 129).  This shows that, even though giving to the poor is a great action indeed, it is much easier to accomplish and is perceived as showing greater strength than forgiving someone, which may be thought of as weak. 

St. Francis also focuses on friendship in this portion of this writing.  He warns against friendships that are frivolous and do not have much meaning or true spiritual benefit to them.  Also, he warns of the dangers of flirtatious friendships or “fond loves” that can lead to carnal sins.  But he does write of “true friendship” in which there are “mutual and reciprocal exchanges [that] concern charity, devotion and Christian perfection” and that they will be “excellent because it comes from God, excellent because it leads to God, excellent because its bond will endure eternally in God” (pg. 162). 

To flee from temptation is the focus of the fourth segment of this book.  He talks about why it is that we can want to give in to it as “we can never please the world unless we lose ourselves together with it.  It is so demanding that it can’t be satisfied” (pg. 223).  To give in to the world is to satisfy it; until then, to fight temptation and to live a devout life is to be ridiculed constantly by the world.  The three steps of temptation that he gives are the proposal of sin, pleasure or displeasure of it and consenting to it or refusing it.  While no one can avoid every thought or occasion of sin, as long as it is displeasing to the soul, it can be conquered, just as St. Catherine of Siena was, by God’s grace, filled with grief when presented with many temptations by the devil. 

The fifth and final part of this book on devotion includes exercises in order to be renewed in one’s devotion to God.  It contains examinations to consider concerning the affections of the soul, the soul when it comes to neighbors among others, as well as considerations for virtue, the saints’ examples and Jesus’s love.  After this renewal de Sales encourages the reader to repeat “with all your heart the ardent words of St. Paul, St. Augustine…and others:  ‘No, I am no longer my own.  Whether I live or die, I am my Savior’s.  I no longer have anything in me or of me; my very self is Jesus and my being is his being…’” (pg. 275).  These words show the depth of the devotion that is proposed by this saint.

Of this book by St. Francis de Sales, there can be much more said, so much more reflected upon and considered.  The readability of this book is that in which when one reads it today, it would not seem as though it was from the 1600’s, but from recent years.  It is so relevant now as it was then.  In this way, it is quite simple.  Yet, in the spiritual and devotional wisdom given by this saint, it is deep, beautiful and rich.  This is truly a timeless book and every Catholic would benefit greatly from reading it if they wish to practice an authentic life of devotion to God. 

Work Cited

De Sales, St. Francis.  Introduction to the Devout Life.  Trans. John K. Ryan.  New York:  Doubleday, 2003.  Print. 

The Influence of Pope John Paul II on the Youth of the US and the World

In the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado, next to the majestic Rocky Mountains, an event that can be described as a great phenomenon in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States occurred:  World Youth Day (WYD), 1993.  What was so great about it and how did it affect the Church?  I, who was looking at it from the eyes of a fifteen year old and very interested in living the Catholic faith, was blessed to witness this event and it couldn’t have been more miraculous.  From seeing all of the people from around the US and the world, including so many bishops walking around the Colorado Rockies’s baseball field before the first Mass at Mile High Stadium—a very impressive sight, indeed—to seeing the Bishop of Rome himself, the now Blessed John Paul II, arrive at the stadium for the papal welcome, it was a particularly remarkable occasion. 

Looking back at it as an adult, I can remember the hot sun, the colorful traditional clothing of a group from Poland, seeing many groups of religious sisters, the music, the food, the many churches--Catholic and otherwise—that volunteered to help in the event.  I also remember how welcoming most of the people in Denver were, as they had done such things as providing water for very thirsty pilgrims.  I even remember trying to speak German to someone from Italy (and yet it worked, but that’s another story).  Also, the message that came from the Holy Father to us, the youth, is something that will always be a part of my life.

There was the speech that he gave at Mile High Stadium, which can be read here:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1993/august/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19930812_saluto-denver-gmg_en.html.   In it, the Holy Father says that “Jesus Christ, the true Life who gives hope and purpose to our earthly existence…in a love that goes beyond all limits of time and space, to eternal unassailable happiness” (“Papal Welcoming Ceremony”).  This is certainly something for someone who is young to contemplate—that Christ is the reason for us to live and that His love is absolutely timeless and eternal. 

Well, that might seem to be a lot for a teenager to think about, but we can consider the many plights that young people have, such as all of the pressures around them to live contrary to how our Lord commands us to.  But to be told the reason for existence at a time when one is questioning this and to be told that they are loved when they may not feel as such is a powerful comfort to receive—and not just a comfort, but an inspiration as well.  Also, to know that we have the source of “eternal unassailable happiness” is a comfort to those who have been through many difficult things in which could cause the loss of hope and happiness. 

He goes on to say, “Young people of America and of the world, listen to what Christ the Redeemer is saying to you! ‘To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God’. The ‘World Youth Day’ challenges you to be fully conscious of who you are as God’s dearly beloved sons and daughters” (“Papal Welcoming Ceremony”).  This is so important for someone who is young to learn of this identity and to be given the courage to live their lives accordingly.  As many youths are challenged by those around them to find their identity through many different means, many of which is harmful to the soul, so too does the Pope challenge those present at WYD to find their identity as God’s children.  This impression on the mind and soul of young people is so essential at this stage in their lives, where one can very easily go astray. 

Pope John Paul II’s challenges and encouragements really come down to the theme of WYD ’93, and this is that Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).  This doesn’t pertain to living life to the fullest in a way that the world would suggest, that is, giving into any temptations that would give us such temporary pleasures.  But rather than that, he says, “go in search of God, because he can also be found in the heart of a modern city; recognize him in so many young people full of hope and noble ideals; feel the breath of the Holy Spirit among so many different races and cultures, all united in acknowledging Christ as the way, the truth and the life of every human being.”  In doing so, we are living our lives as we ought, recognizing the dignity of all persons who are also on this pilgrimage through life, so that we all may be united with God at the end of our lives. 

From this visit to the United States as well as his entire papacy, Pope John Paul II helped to awaken a new sense of a mission in the lives of the youth.  At least I know that he did this in my life as well as many people around me.  Also, he proved to anyone who might have doubted, the Catholic Church is very much alive in the US and around the world among the youth.  Through this, it is proven once again that the Church will remain strong and will always be there because God will always be with us.  This was one of the things that inspired us to have “the courage to go and spread the Good News among the people of the last part of the twentieth century, in particular among young people of your own age, who will take the Church and society into the next century” (“Papal Welcoming Ceremony”).  Now that we are in that next century, let all of the youth of Blessed John Paul II continue on this mission. 

Work Cited

“Papal Welcoming Ceremony at the Mile High Stadium of Denver:  Address of His Holiness Pope John Paul II.”  1993.  Web.  Accessed 5 December 2012. 

The Eyes of Faith

John Paul II has written many letters and quite a few foundational encyclicals of the church. In addition, he has written many poems, one of which I will address. “When You Open Your Eyes Deep in a Wave,” was written by John Paul II.

 

When you open your eyes deep in a wave

poem #2 in the series Song of the Brightness of Water
by Karol Wojtyla

Transparent after fresh rain, the stones glisten
as each passing step touches them slightly.
Soon in will be evening. Banging. Doors open.
How many people will enter? How many will
thaw in the light from the windows?
Evening has come. Now and again the face
of a passer-by opens the human wall – then
window lights carry it over
to some other place nearby.
The wall now contracts, now widens; still the same.
Eyes can break out of the dark, only just -
the wall is easy.

But, I tell you, your sight alone
scarcely catches people as they flow
on the wave of fluorescent lights.
They are revealed by what is most concealed
within them, that which no flame
will burn out.

When your eyes are half-closed, space
fills again with substance beyond understanding -
the darkness of men is drawn back
cradling that goodness
which feeds you from each in the crowd
as long as you are silent,
which your shouts
turn to dust.

No, no, it is not simply you, each of you,
and were it so,
your presence not only exists, it reveals.

And yet – if eyes could only be opened
not from habit, but differently;
then, then not to forget
their vision filled with delight.

            A the opening of the poem we are presented with the stanza, ”Now and again the face
of a passer-by opens the human wall – then window lights carry it over to some other place nearby. The wall now contracts, now widens; still the same.” We see that there is some sort of opening. The doors opening could indicate our degree of openness for taking people into ourselves and our eyes. However, I think John Paul II was getting to a deeper issue, “looking into someone verses looking through someone.” He is trying to teach us how to see with the eyes of faith. In Fides Et Ratio he writes, “But our vision of the face of God is always fragmentary and impaired by the limits of our understanding. Faith alone makes it possible to penetrate the mystery in a way that allows us to understand it coherently.” Therefore, just as we need the vision of faith to see God, we also need it to see our fellow human beings. The wall that he writes of seems to be in reference to the human will. In other words, it remarks on what we allow to penetrate us, people and teaching. In order to be open to people and teachings entering us we need education and faith (faith and reason).

            He also writes, “the darkness of men is drawn back.” This could indicate that when we take people on the surface we may just see the darkness and imperfections. But in order to find what is deep within, we must find a place of silence. When we find this silence we can see what is “most concealed.” What is most concealed is the goodness of man! The goodness of man can sometimes be concealed by our own sight, which left unaided may lead us to only see the surface of men. He is asking us to learn how to see again. He is asking us to break the habit of the word to only see on the surface and to let him guide us with the eyes of faith. This new world that we see soon allows us to see goodness as a distinguishing factor. “This is light amidst the darkness!” In a way, we see a new dimension with a fresh pair of eyes. And as we learn how to see with these new eyes we can teach others.

            I absolutely love the work of John Paul II, especially his poetry. My love for his poetry is quite new, considering that I studied most of his poetry this semester along with Regina. However, I find his poetry especially revealing when it comes to true faith, theology and TRUTH. His poems are truly profound and easy to get lost in. He manages to portray fundamental truths in the form of poetry. On some level, this is also what I find most difficult about his poetry. I find that it can be somewhat overwhelming. He packs so much into his poems that it can be hard to know where to start. Also, one needs to have a basic knowledge and sometimes even more basic knowledge of theology and the encyclicals to understand his poetry and what he is trying to say. In general, although his poetry can be difficult to muscle through, he definitely gives us a fresh pair of eyes after what he says is revealed.

 

Work Cited:

 

-          Fides Et Ratio

 

-          “When you open your eyes deep in a wave,” Poetry of John Paul II.

 

"Amazing Grace," Not So Amazing

 

            When I was a little girl I attended mass with my parents and brother. At a young age it was hard to enjoy mass because I thought it was “boring.” However, when the song “Amazing Grace” was played I became excited because I knew the song and loved it! It was not until much later in life that I had the change to re-examine the origins of this song and realized, there are some serious problems with singing this song at a Catholic mass. Below: lyrics of the song.

 

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

 

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Vidmar writes,

“Traditional Catholic teaching can be highlighted by contrasting Luther’s moral outlook with that of St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas saw moral life as a coexistence with God. God is good, and therefore we are good insofar as we share in his goodness, which we do imperfectly. Morality, in other words, is part of our being. Since God made us in his image, the more “human” we are, the closer we are to being Godlike. Ockham (and Luther after him) held that morality is not the perfection of human nature (which has no reality), but conformity on the part of an individual to God’s laws, which is external to us and arbitrarily laid down by him. Goodness, therefore, is not a property of being, but something as it ought to be, just as a knife is a good knife if it does what it is supposed to do. Since God’s will  determines what a thing ought to be, or do, thus the notion of goodness is tied up with that of will. We are good, therefore, if we conform to God’s will. We are good if we do what we are supposed to do and God decides what we are supposed to do. Human action is good not because it is in conformity with our nature, but because it is in conformity with God’s will.” Pg 186.

 

In the first stanza of Amazing Grace we can see the presence of these beliefs when singing, “That saved a wretch like me.” Catholic teaching does not say that we, in our fallen natures, are wretches. The Catholic Church does however teach that we are inclined to sin in our fallen nature. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this as concupiscence, “Christian theology has given it a particular meaning: the movement of the sensitive appetite contrary to the operation of the human reason. The apostle St. Paul identifies it with the rebellion of the "flesh" against the "spirit."³⁰² Concupiscence stems from the disobedience of the first sin. It unsettles man's moral faculties and, without being in itself an offense, inclines man to commit sins.^” Luther’s belief is hidden in this one word which deems us human beings as a filthy being that is separate from God. In reality though, we are far from separate from God.

In the second stanza we sing, “How precious did that Grace appear. The hour I first believed.” Again, we are presented with another problem. Grace does not appear to us when we chose to start believing. Grace is a gift of God, freely presented to us by Him and Him alone (also through the sacraments).

I thoroughly enjoyed the “picking apart” of this song because it is very important to know the truth. However, I did find it difficult to find out that a song that I use to love so dearly is tainted with incorrect theology. In addition, the melody of the song certainly does not help us “get out of our emotions” and focus on the facts. It seems as though it is very easy to get swept away by the melody and the tune and forget to focus on WHAT the song is saying.

 

Work Cited:

 

-          Catechism of the Catholic Church

-          songlyrics.com

-          Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church through the Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2005.

Dark Night of the Soul

            Dark Night of the Soul, written by John of the Cross is almost like a narrative or an instruction manual. I know it may seem odd to reduce something so complex and meaningful down to something like an instruction manual, but I think there is an important correlation to be made between the two. It seems as though many people that are blessed in the dark night of the soul experience will most likely feel as though they are without God and are in deep despair. I mean, why wouldn't they? Being in such a state of desolation would certainly leave many people feeling unworthy, despairing and lonely. This is where the instruction manual portion comes in. If a person that is experiencing this darkness reads this book, they may be able to locate where they are in their journey, what comes next, and how they can attain it. Although it is not as simple as saying, “step one, step two step three,” there are many stages and I think it would be very helpful for a person that is in the dark night of the soul (at any stage).

            John of the Cross breaks the book down into various developmental stages. The first being “Purgation: The love of God for Pleasure’s Sake.” The stages within this stage include, “The Beginner, The Spiritual Sins of the Beginner, The Dark Night of the Senses.” The second stage is, “Illumination: The Love of God for Love’s Sake.” Within this stage we see, “Illumination, The Dark Night of the Spirit.” Last, we are presented with, “Union: The love of God for God’s Sake.” John of the Cross identifies the stages of the dark night of the soul with various types of love for God.

            In the first stage, John of the Cross remarks, “Some of these beginners, too, make little of their faults, and at other times become over-sad when they see themselves fall into them, thinking themselves to have been saints already; and thus they become angry and impatient with themselves, which is another imperfection. Often they beseech God, with great yearnings, that He will take from them their imperfections and faults, but they do this that they may find themselves at peace, and may not be troubled by them, rather than for God’s Sake; not relaxing that, if He should take their imperfections from them, they would probably become prouder and more presumptuous still.” I thought this was a great quote to identify with because it addresses many of the aspects of the dark night of the senses. Beginners will often be controlled more by their senses than their intellect. That is why John of the Cross remarks that this stage is for the sake of pleasure. However, thanks to Aristotle we know that pleasure is not the same as happiness and it can be all consuming and very dangerous. So beginners might often be in a state of danger, in which the devil will tempt them by the use of their passions. In addition, John of the Cross seems to write these passages as if he were talking about a spiritual child. Meaning, the beginners may certainly be compared to a child but by the end, it seems as though union would signify a sense of adulthood and maturity. It seems as though age, although not irrelevant in some circumstances, may not be a huge circumstance when it comes to the dark night of the soul/senses.

            I found the first book of The Dark Night of the Soul to be a very easy read because, as a young adult, I can relate to being driven by the passions and anxieties of everyday life. Even Thomas Aquinas says that the passions can be very misleading and extremely influential. So, if you are in a state of excited passions, it is better to wait, relax and then proceed with a decision or action. It is very often that the passions, if acted upon in the moment, will lead us into doing something that is wrong or immoral. In this case, Thomas Aquinas would say that if an immoral act was committed based on the deception of the passions, the wrongfulness of the act is greatly diminished. As stated above, I enjoyed this part of the book a lot because I saw the truth with every word I gathered. However, I did notice that it is easy to get lost in the book and texts because of the way it is written. On one hand, it is written in a narrative form. On the other hand, it is split up into sections that are numbered which, at some points, can seen a bit disjointing.

            I think it is important to address the section of the dark night of the soul with regards to the spirit. John of the Cross says, “this dark night is an inflowing of God into the soul, which purges it from its ignorance’s and imperfections, habitual natural and spiritual, and which is called by contemplatives infused contemplation, or mystical theology. Herein God secretly teaches the soul and instructs it in perfection of love without its doing anything, or understanding of what manner is this infused contemplation. Inasmuch as it is the loving wisdom of God, God produces striking effects in the soul for, by purging and illuminating it, he prepares it for the union of love with God.” It seems as though, just with the senses, an extreme purifying is going on within the soul/spirit. In a way, they spiritual desires are mortified and frozen so that God can intervene and sift through the soul. However, at the souls level of maturity he may feel as though he is without God and in a deep state of darkness.

            I think the presence of darkness is important to touch on because it can be seen as a very bad thing. All in all, evil is the absence of good. However, God plunges these souls into such a deep state of darkness so that they will arise in unison with him. This brings me to thinking about Flannery O’Conner, who believed that such an extreme as violence brings about the action of grace. She presents this in one of her most famous short stories, A Good Man is Hard to Find. One of the main characters is brought to her knees by a man with a gun. Up until this near death experience, her thoughts were very self-centered and perverted. However, as death approaches her it seems as though her sights clear and she sees clearly. Therefore, as violence is to grace, darkness of the soul is to union with God.

            Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I believe something as profound as darkness bringing us into union with Christ certainly deserves some thought and attention. I did find it difficult, as stated above, to read the book in one continuous sitting. At times, it seemed to read like a very personal narrative, at others it seemed to take a step back and focus on the big picture. Perhaps this was necessary in order to present all aspects and stages of the dark night of the soul. After all, I am a huge fan of going from the particulars to universals.

 

Work Cited:

Cross, St. John of the. Dark Night of the Soul. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 2003.

Our Catholic Mission in the Year of Faith

The Messages of Pope Benedict XVI in His Apostolic Letter PORTA FIDEI for the Induction of the Year of Faith

    On October 11, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced the Year of Faith. The Holy Father wrote in his apostolic letter for the occasion that he has “spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ.”

    Regarding the Second Vatican Council, Alan Shreck writes in his book The Compact History of the Catholic Church that “[t]he greatest impact of the council with regard to the world has been the impetus for Catholics to get more involved in the affairs of society, especially to promote justice, peace and the defense of human life.” (p. 146) With these two things in mind, taking into account Pope Benedict’s message to the world and keeping in mind the fact that Catholics long ago were called to get more involved in matters such as those listed above, why would we not jump on the call to evangelize others? Why would we not want to bring others to the fullness of truth? 

    Pope Benedict speaks of the Second Vatican Council in his apostolic letter for the Year of Faith. He wrote in his letter, quoting Bl. Pope John Paul II, ‘“I feel more than ever in duty bound to point to the Council as the great grace bestowed on the Church in the twentieth century: there we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning.”’ Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II ask that by following the proper guidance, we can assist in the “necessary renewal of the Church.” (Apostolic Letter for the Year of Faith) In his Letter, the current Holy Father offers to us beautiful words of guidance in how we can “open wide the doors to Christ," and he begins with the words “patience” and “love.” By these things, we, as Christians, can bring to the world the light of Christ and open the doors to Him.

    We are summoned to renew conversion to the Lord. This is what the Holy Father tells us. We are called to “press forward” in the Church and cooperate with God, and we must have “Faith working through love.” (Gal 5:6) The Holy Father’s message is that it was through the greatest of loves that God saved us and calls the world to a conversion through the forgiveness of their sins. (Acts 5:31) Many people say that God will not forgive them because they have just done too many bad things in life. Others say they don’t need forgiveness because they just don’t believe in God anyway. It is our duty as Christians to bring these people to the truth. But how can we do this?

    Pope Benedict tells us that we must evangelize in love, not pride or force. Some say that the best way to preach is by doing so always, but using “words when necessary,” as St. Francis of Assisi is credited as having said. But whether by words or actions, we are called to preach the gospel. As Christians, our mission is to love. The pope asks us to be inspired by and have in our hearts the love Christ has in His own. This is what “impels us to evangelize.” We are called to be joyful and loving, patient and kind; not forceful, demeaning, with an in-your-face type of attitude. This would often be the wrong approach. We are called to attract others to the Faith through love. Pope Benedict writes that “[f]aith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy. It makes us fruitful, expanding our hearts in hope and enables us to bear life-giving witness.” In love, we can help others to realize that their hearts, like that of St. Augustine, will not be at rest until they rest in Christ.

    The Holy Father’s next message is that we must believe to bring others to believe, too. He writes that “Only through believing, then, does faith grow and become stronger.” We are told that “reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing.” Part of the message for Christians is to profess our faith publicly, in “fullness and with new conviction, with confidence and hope.” We are called to be witnesses. The early Christians professed their faith to the point of death, and we, too, must be ready to live our faith at each moment of our lives. Pope Benedict XVI tells us we must “entrust ourselves fully to God.” God gave us free will, but we have to cooperate with Him and accept the grace He gives to us in the call to evangelize others. When we say “I believe” in the Creed at Mass, we have to mean it with all of our hearts and be ready to do anything for the Church in following the magisterium and the Word of God.

    We are called to safeguard the teaching of the Church. Time and time again in the course of history, we have seen or read of many occasions during which the Church could have fallen apart. God, however, was upholding it then and continues to uphold it now, and we are called to do our part in safeguarding it. We are called to continue to live the Faith through the sacraments and liturgy. These are what can give us grace and the courage we need to fight for the Church.The Mass, the Eucharist-- with these we will have strength. 

    The next message of the Pope? Continue believing, evangelizing, and defending the Faith and bringing others to know of the mercy of God. Again, only in God will our hearts find rest. The pope writes: “in [Christ] all the anguish and all the longing of the human heart finds fulfillment. The joy of love, the answer to the drama of suffering and pain”-- all of this can be found in Christ. St. Augustine knew this when he wrote in his beautiful work  Confessions, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord. Our hearts are restless until they rest in You." To relate this concept to real life situations, the Pope provides examples of the many incredible saints and holy people who lived by faith in God. He writes of Our Lady and her fiat, he writes of the apostles leaving everything they had to follow Christ; he writes of the disciples who followed in the footsteps of the apostles, and of the martyrs who “gave their lives, bearing witness to the truth...” By the examples of these many wonderful witnesses, we can learn how to bring others to the faith through charity and selflessness. Pope Benedict tells us that “Faith without charity bears no fruit, while charity without faith would be a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt.” Pope Benedict tells us to love others, to not be afraid of evangelizing and bringing others to the truth. Through love, we are “capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end.” In love, we have to defend and fight for all we believe in. We must defend the truth, life, and the unborn. We cannot give up; rather, we can look to all the beautiful witnesses to the Faith and be inspired by them always, praying for the grace to never shirk our moral obligations and duties to the Church. If we are called to die for our faith, then let us do so with joy.

    We have faith. We have hope. We have love. We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; we believe in the Church, in Heaven, the forgiveness of sins, the communion of saints. So what are we waiting for in bringing our Faith to others? In communion with the saints in heaven and the faithful on earth, as well as Our Lady and Christ, let us in Christ, through Mary, follow our call and “open wide the doors to Christ” so that all hearts might rest in Him. Pope Benedict, as Christ's servant, asks this of us in the Year of Faith. We are called to be patient, but we are called to act now. Let us respond to that call by living our faith more deeply, hoping in God, and bringing souls in union with Him through love.

Works Cited

Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, (11 October 2012). Retrieved from Libreria Editrice Vaticana: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html. Online. Retrieved 30 November 2012.

Shreck, Alan. The Compact History of the Catholic Church, Ohio: Servant Books, an imprint of St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2009. Print.

 

In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue, All that is not holy, all that is not true; Crown Him as your Captain in temptation’s hour; Let His will enfold you in its light and power.

Book Review on St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle

St. Teresa of Avila

“I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond...in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions.”

Those are the words of St. Teresa of Avila in her remarkable spiritual autobiography and book on mystical theology, Interior Castle. Through her writing, the reader encounters such beautiful experiences of the soul on the quest for heavenly perfection and ultimately a perfect union with God. One may find guidance from and inspiration in the words of this incredible saint and Doctor of the Church who explores themes of self-knowledge, sacrifice and suffering, achievement of humility, and self-surrender to God and detachment from this world leading one to the next, praising and blessing God endlessly. St. Teresa of Avila offers to her readers a means of gaining spiritual perfection, being able to stand in the innermost and chiefest mansion, the place of unity with Christ.

How can the soul achieve eternal dwelling in this place? There is a process and a progression, St. Teresa explains. Considering souls in the feminine sense, St. Teresa describes the progress and transformation from an imperfect creature weighed down by sin and darkness to a soul made beautiful by the light of God’s grace, a soul united to Christ as a bride is united to her husband. St. Teresa tells us that we can enter the mansion through the door of prayer. Once we have entered, we discover new rooms as we travel on. She instructs us to roam about to find self-knowledge and “begin by entering the room where humility is acquired rather than flying off to the other rooms. For that is the way to progress.”

And thus the journey begins.

First Mansions. “The door of the castle is prayer,” we read. We also read of the beauty and dignity of souls, and of the beauty of all persons as they were made in the image and likeness of God. St. Teresa points out that we have a lack of comprehension of this beauty as we will only have a minute comprehension of the castle with mansions. In this chapter, we discover the fact that as we had separated ourselves from God in sin, we too separated ourselves from the understanding of our bodies and souls, our being as a whole. The rough set of the diamond in the outer castle is the body of ours, but what of our souls? The fact of the matter is that we must make an attempt to carefully preserve the soul’s beauty. Teresa asks us to imagine this castle and delve more deeply inside of it as we continue our spiritual journey. 

 

St. Teresa tells us that in order to go deeper, we must trust in the mercy and love of God, be humble and ask for the grace to know His greatness. Her message is to follow the will of God and He will indeed lead you along the right path. We are given an explanation of the many ways of “being” in a place. The answer of how to enter the castle is through “prayer and meditation,” striving to realize and remedy the present condition of a soul weighed down and barred from God by sin. This prayer must be true prayer; not from the lips, but rather from the heart and mind.

We learn in the first chapter the importance of self-knowledge. When the soul falls into mortal sin, St. Teresa writes, there is no knowledge of self, no unity with God. There is a “thick darkness,” and although Christ is still within the soul, He is lost, shut out almost. St. Teresa writes of a soul who wanted all persons to realize the utter horror of distracting the soul from God, sharing with the world the image of a crystal, a black cloth, and the sun shining brightly. The soul, the sin, and the Son of God-- these are what her image represents. How is the soul to receive grace if it is to separate itself from the Son? St. Teresa teaches that we can learn to understand ourselves, our souls redeemed by Christ’s Precious Blood, and remove that black cloth begging God to deliver us from evil, asking him to give us grace to have fear if we were ever to think of offending Him. This, St. Teresa says, is requesting of Christ humility, placing all of our trust in Him Who is at the centre of the mansion, and not in ourselves. Christ’s light will reach us if only we are to open our doors wide to Him. The author writes, “As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.” Through these things, we will be ready to embrace the good and move to the second mansions. Set your eyes upon Christ and His mother and learn true humility; do not let the devils or reptiles enter your soul so as to puff up your pride and absorb you in wrongdoing. St. Teresa invites us to be zealous, fill our souls with love, learn to know ourselves so that we might know Christ all in the hopes of reaching the greatest possible perfection.

In the chapter on the Second Mansions, we learn of the importance of perseverance. The  soul puts prayer into practice. Although devils and reptiles do continue every attempt to infiltrate the soul and win it over to sin, the soul and God are working together to resist and fight the devil. These mansions are warmer and filled with more light than the First. There are still trials, but the souls tries to absorb himself in good conversations, in sermons, in reading good books. God calls us by means of these things. He might also call us through sickness and prayer. He loves when souls pray, but we must remember, too, that the devil is trying to attack good; any chance he can take he tries to confuse the soul. Reason and faith, however, long with memory, lead us along the proper path. St. Teresa tells us that “[t]he will inclines to love One to Whom it has seen so many acts and signs of love, some of which it would like to return. In particular, the will shows the soul how this true Lover never leaves it... Then the understanding comes forward and makes the soul realize that... outside this castle it will never find security or peace...”Let us ask for God’s assistance, His mercy, and light in dark times. Let us be ever ready to conform our wills to that of God and be determined to never be defeated by the devil, always fighting “by the Cross” which souls carry when they are the spouse of Christ.

St. Teresa tells us here that because the soul’s progress is still at the beginning stages and one may fall, not to let ourselves “lose heart,” but rather strive for Christ’s peace, trusting in His Mercy. She says that “[i]t is absurd to think that we can enter Heaven without entering our own souls -- without getting to know ourselves, and reflecting upon the wretchedness of our nature and what we owe God, and continually imploring His Mercy.” We are told that we can ascend to the Father through Christ.

Third Mansions. We learn here the goodness of walking in fear. This brings a soul to the “straight road of salvation,” where our “only pleasure consists of pleasing God.” St. Teresa tells us here to imitate Our Lady and teaches us to not rely on ourselves but rather on God and Our Lady. She tells us that even if we are in constant conversation about God and continuously remaining in prayer, even if we hate sin and things of this world, we need to walk in fear, although leaving our reason and fear in the hands of God. When we consider the aridities of prayer, we learn that God tests souls and brings them to humility through recognition of their faults. God grants these souls in the Third Mansions special favors in their attempt to overcome difficulties. St. Teresa believes there are many souls who have received theses favors and grace; these souls “avoid committing even venial sins; they love doing penance; they spend hours in recollection; they use their time well; they practice works of charity toward their neighbors; and they are very careful in their speech and dress and in their government of household if they have one.” St. Teresa speaks again of humility and she tells us that the greatest stumbling block to the next mansion is pride and weariness, and unhealthy fear. St. Teresa tells us we are undeserving beings, but God asks of us resoluteness of our will, and not our works in life, and for this He rewards us. We are told, however, that the more He gives to us, the more we remain in his debt. We need to focus on our faults and not the faults of others, and we must abandon the things of this world, the things which will make us fall backwards, and instead abandon ourselves entirely to God and His will.

Fourth Mansions. Prayer of Quiet, meditation, and spiritual consolations. Here St. Teresa begins to touch the supernatural. These Mansions are beautiful, being essentially free from evil creatures trying to enter, although when they do the temptations are in a way welcome, for God gives great reward to the souls who directly turn to Him. We see that we can do nothing without God, and while earthly things may bring joy to us and make us happy, St. Teresa tells us that it seems “that the feelings which come to us from Divine things are as purely natural as these, except that their source is nobler... worldly joys have their source in their own nature and end in God, whereas spiritual consolations have their source in God...” . She tells us that even “tears and longings sometimes arise partly from our nature and from the state of preparedness we are in,” but “eventually lead one to God.” These ideas are written of in comparison to two basins filled with water; one basin contains water through human skill, the other through ever-flowing water from it’s source- God. This second basin overflows with water and goodness from God and it is by this that souls can enjoy sweetness and consolation. In desiring God’s glory and praising Him, in doing all things to please Him, we have signs of love. We need to not let our intellect interfere with desires and passions and proper reasoning in order to be closer to God. Finding peace in God will allow for no unrest to be present and strifes and trials can be borne in our desire to imitate God and to suffer for and serve Christ. St. Teresa writes of prayer of recollection, seeking God within ourselves, enlarging our hearts. She notes, too, though, that we can relapse, whether it be from physical weakness or that of the intellect and imagination, and tells us that we must abandon ourselves to the will of God and He will restore our strength.

Fifth Mansions. Closer unity to God. “Riches, treasures, and delights.” A sort of spiritual betrothal or preparation for betrothal. Love of neighbor, charity, and profiting other souls as it leads a good life. Higher contemplation. Proceeding carefully so that the devil can in no way win souls back by weakening wills and darkening understanding. These are all topics which St. Teresa touches on in these chapters. The faculties of the soul may be asleep for a while to the things of the world, but when they are, they are completely possessed by God, in a “death full of delight.” The devils have less if any opportunity to enter these mansions. As in the union with God, He protects and guards the soul from sin entirely, and the devils are too frightened. God is protecting us, but St. Teresa says to “trust God more and more” and that “we must serve His Majesty with humility and simplicity of heart, and praise Him...” Here God “implants Himself in the interior of that soul” by grace. St. Teresa tells us that she understands these mansions as being the cellar where the King brings His bride in the Songs. The Bride wanders about seeking her Beloved. She says the cellar is “where the Lord is pleased to put us, when He wills and as He wills.” God places us there in the centre, and He enters, too. The silkworm metaphor is St. Teresa’s next idea. She describes the process of a worm being transformed into a butterfly after the warmth of the weather comes and likens it to a soul which gets new life when the Holy Spirit nourishes it until it is “full grown” and can build up the Body of Christ. He gives the soul “frequent confessions, good books and sermons, for these are the remedies for the soul dead in negligences and sins and frequently plunged into temptation.” Prayer of Union spun by souls is what St. Teresa describes here. She says, “Let us renounce our self-love and self-will, and our attachment to earthly things. Let us practice penance, prayer, mortification, obedience, and all the other good works that you know of... Then we shall see God and shall ourselves be hidden in His greatness” closely united to Him, fixing our eyes on His greatness.

The soul “finds itself so anxious to praise the Lord” and “finds itself longing to suffer great trials.” Not being given the full capacity to conform with God’s will, though there is still room to grow and tears and sorrows to get past before arriving at the next Mansions and before attaining perfect unity with God.

Sixth Mansions. Lover and Beloved grow in intimacy. With “greater favours”come “greater trials.” The soul “has been wounded with love for the Spouse and seeks more opportunity of being alone, trying.....to renounce everything which can disturb it in this its very solitude.” God is the soul’s whole desire. The soul prizes God’s honor and glory more than its own. God sends many infirmities and interior sufferings to the soul here, but giving us no more than what we can handle, and always giving us patience. Suffering purifies us and enables us to make it into the seventh mansions. St. Teresa describes here the care a soul must have in sharing such personal matters with confessor, much like St. Faustina in her diary. St. Teresa says the best medicine for these souls is not to remove the trouble but rather to “occupy oneself with external affairs and works of charity and to hope in God’s mercy, which never fails those who hope in Him.” Here is where God, Who is in the Seventh Mansion, awakens and calls the soul to Him, leaving no room for the devil. The devil may try to tempt the soul, and the soul as a result may become anxious, but God will calm it by speaking to it, communicating with it in different ways, and providing intellectual visions (even possibly revealing deeper truths about God) which the soul will understand as genuine and not just in the imagination per criteria St. Teresa describes, but which should be kept secret and not sought out. With trust and meditation on Christ’s most sacred Humanity and love, through prolonged meditation and prayer on Christ’s Passion, God allows the soul to be suspended in prayer and rapture or ecstasy, confirming the betrothal, cleansing the soul entirely, blessing the soul with courage, uniting the soul with Himself, “fanning [the will of the soul brightly] into flame” a flame ready for the Seventh Mansions. St. Teresa writes that “Our Lord grants the soul favours like these because He is pleased to treat her like a true bride, who is determined to do His will in all things, and to give her some knowledge of the way in which she can do His will and of His greatness.”

Seventh Mansions. Spiritual Marriage. Transformation. Peace. The rain becomes one with the river. These are concepts of another Heaven. This other Heaven is the Seventh Mansions. God’s greatness, works, mercies and wonders are without limit here. The more we learn to know Him here the more we praise Him. Here God grants the soul special favours of Divine Marriage and brings it to His home. God enkindles and illumines the spirit and soul to true unity. St. Teresa says that they are the souls who, “by God’s mercy, have done penance for their sins and are in grace.” In this mansion, “[o]ur good God now desires to remove the scales from the eyes of the soul, so that it may see and understand something of the favour which He is granting it...by means of an intellectual vision, in which...the Most Holy Trinity reveals Itself.” The soul feels within itself a “Divine companionship...she has great confidence that God will not leave her.” The presence of God might not always be fully realized, but it knows of God’s companionship. St. Teresa tells us here that souls and spirits are, though different, one, and we also learn of the subtle differences between spiritual marriages and spiritual unions. She says, “there is the same difference between the Spiritual Betrothal and the... Marriage as there is between two betrothed persons and two who are united so that they cannot be separated any more” and goes on saying that “[b]etween the Spiritual Marriage and the body there is even less connection, for this secret union takes place in the deepest centre of the soul, which must be where God Himself dwells.” In Spiritual Betrothal the persons are often separated.

The communication of God in this most interior and chiefest mansion is a great secret and favour, and the soul is truly made one with God in a way different from any way before. Christ “gives the soul that kiss for which the Bride besought Him.” St. Teresa quotes St. Paul in writing the following: Mihi vivere Christus est, mori lucrum, which means “For to me, to live is Christ; and to die is gain.” In the seventh Mansions, the soul, writes St. Teresa, may say these words because “it is here that the little butterfly to which we have referred dies, and with greatest joy, because Christ is now its life.” Here Christ lives in us, and the presence of the Lord is everlasting. There is ultimate perfection and peace. God and the soul cannot be separated.

So how can we get here? Humility, patience, perseverance, trust, courage, detachment from the world, self-giving, offering the Lord any interior and exterior sacrifice we can give Him. God unites these things with His offerings which He gave to God on the Cross, and in this unity, His great blessings overflow into souls, uniting souls to Himself. Let us make a throne for God in our hearts which will not be at rest until resting in Our Lord, in that inmost room in our soul, our interior castle which belongs entirely to God. He will enfold us in His mercy so that we may become one with Him.

“May He be forever blessed and praised by all His creatures. Amen.” -St. Teresa of Avila