The New Mysticism, Part III

+JMJ

"What we await are new heavens and a new earth where, according to his promise, the justice of God will reside. So, beloved, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found without stain or defilement, and at peace in his sight. Consider that our Lord's patience is directed toward salvation."

~ 2 Peter 3:13-15a

As I prayed Morning Prayer I was struck by this reading from Peter. It really speaks to the mystical reality which we live.

Yesterday, Fr. Angelo finished his reflections on Theology of the Head and Heart. In speaking of the Theology of the Heart, Father commented on how women, more so then men, have been gifted in deep mystical insights, particularly the Passion of Our Lord. The nature of a woman is to nurture, and it seems women have a particular gift in nurturing the mystical tradition of our Faith.

What is Peter saying in his letter? If we await new heavens and a new earth, then what we have here must be temporary, fleeting. Yet, that doesn't proscribe that we ought to ignore our natural reality. Rather, it is as if the world around is a trail, a test, to see just how serious we are about reaching the new heaven. That is where Peter's direction to keep ourselves sinless comes in. Only those who are pure of heart will enter into the new heaven.

I think reading between the lines in scripture, one begins to note the depths of mysticism to which we are called. If you've ever read Adrienne Von Speyr's commentary on the Gospel of John, you will begin to note this in a profound way...she leaves no stone unturned in her quest to understand the depth of Jesus' actions and words, and she is very intentional with the relationship of Jesus and Mary, inviting the reader to realize just how integrated the mission of the Son and Mother truly are.

I don't think Peter and Paul's epistles need as much commentary for us to realize what we are being invited to, because they directly address the reader...inviting them to grasp the mystical reality that is embedded in our Catholic Faith.

"Consider the Lord's patience is directed toward salvation." He isn't rushing us. God is perpetually inviting us into a deeper union with Him. He allows us all the time and grace that is necessary for deep conversion to take place--that does not mean we should delay our choice, for we know not how much time we have. God often works in a gentle manner, but let us not forget what happened to Paul--God had to hit him with a ton of bricks to get him on the right path!

Yet, God is ever patient because there is nothing more that he desires than to share with us the new heaven. God loves us more than we could ever conceive it possible to love. The more we allow ourselves to be captivated by His word, the more we will be invited into contemplation and asceticism. This will open up new doors in the mystical reality that we are a part of, even if we are unaware of this mysticism.

What we are seeking is a new heaven and a new earth. Just stop and think about it for a moment. How differently would you approach life if you allowed yourself to be perpetually aware of this goal? Even walking down the street would change drastically, because you'd begin to notice things you'd never been aware of before. Your world view changes when you begin to live the life of a Christian Mystic. If you desire to truly learn what you were created for, I would suggest that through contemplation, asceticism and good works, you will find the answer...and the path toward the new heaven. As St. Augustine says, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord."

Time to Hit the Streets!

This morning as I walked through Chicago's Loop/Buisness Area, I was suprised to see a parade of colorful butterflies and other pretty objects hoisted upon long polls--at 6:45 a.m.! Who were these people? Buddist Monks.

I've seen them before...and the Mormons, and the Jews for Jesus. They are on the streets during the early A.M. hours as we rush to our offices, or at hot mid-day when we leave the A.C. to run and get a quick lunch. They stand there on street corners, excited to share the message about the Religion they call their own.

I was kind of shocked by the colorful pagentry this morning. The first thing I thought was, "Geeze, I'v never seen a Catholic out on the streets doing Evangelization."

Yes, I do know that there are many groups that do this. Yet, I find it ironic that in the 5 years I've been in down town Chicago on a regular, and even DAILY basis, I've never had anyone approach me about Catholicism.

I've asked friends before if they'd want to hit the streets to do some Catholic Q&A. They responded, "We aren't wearing habits."

Well...let me tell you--we don't need to be priests and nuns to be on fire for Christ. I think there was a big Counsel about that...um, Vatican II anyone?

The work of the laity is the work of Christ! We are in the fields people. We come in contact with people every day who may never step foot in a Church--we may be the only time they encounter an invitation to know Christ.

Call me crazy, but it is time to take the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith to the streets in a radical way. I know not everyone may be called to this kind of Evangelization, but I am sure that MANY are called and feware answering...so its time to step up to the plate!

Joy

+JMJ

It has to be the most simple thing, really--I mean, look at someone like St. Francis. He was so very simple, yet known for his joy.

I wonder if we deny ourselves joy. If we want so very much to be sophisticated and accomplished that we loose that simple gift, that little way that colors life perfect.

Remember the Lilies of the Field? Didn't Jesus say that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was arrayed as one of these?

Beauty is supposed to point the beholder to God. What a victory for a beautiful person to recognize his or her gift, and desire it to totally glorify God, and to lead others to only desire God...and in that, to attain Joy.

It is funny, St. Alphonsus remarks that God may have withheld beauty from some, because if they were beautiful, it would have lead to the demise of their sanctity.

Yet, others like Rose of Lima and Maria Goretti were known for their beauty...and they would allow it to only point to God and His desires!

How much would the world change if young women saw their beauty as a gift to lead others to the Lord?

As one of my good friends likes to say, "Modest is Hottest." A little brash, but you get the point.

What is holy is attractive, and what is wholly, holy attractive can lead to God, and to joy.

We must learn how to sanctify our desires and allow our natural human tendencies to be directed to God, no matter our vocation. In this, we will find that Joy that Francis found, and the simplicity for which our soul was made.

Silence

+JMJ

I wonder if there are different types of silence...two different types.

As I sat in the adoration chapel today, I felt filled up with something I not only deeply needed but desired. It was both consolation and confirmation. Not pain-free, but peaceful. It was silence pregnant with the living God.

Before I began to write this post, I recalled something I said earlier today about music. I do love music, but lately I am more prone to silence. There was a part of me in the past that loved to have music on at all times...

Now as I was reflecting on silence, I remembered "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. Aware that I'd never really caught all of the lyrics, I looked them up and read them very intentionally.

Paul Simon wrote the song to capture the feelings of the nation after the assassination of President Kennedy. It was a time of great sadness and loss of hope.

What I gleaned from the lyrics was a battle between two silences...as if there is a silence that is good, and one which is evil. Maybe they speak about an "empty" silence that captures the world and promises nothing, a silence screaming to absorb humanity by darkness when people are in a state of sorrow or on the brink of despair.

Darkness is also a theme in the song...it is about darkness and silence. From a theological perspective, neither of these are bad in and of themselves. Yet there seems to be something diabolical about the darkness and silence of "Sound of Silence." Even the way that the music crescendos and the beat keeps time elicits a sense of urgency and chaos.

The song is perfect. It was probably perfect for 1964...and I would argue even more so for 2008. Here is a song about people who have lost a leader that they love. People looking for anything to offer a sense of direction and guidance...and what to do they turn to? Empty messages found in shoddy lights directing them to the hieroglyphic graffiti of subways and slums.

Perhaps we haven't lost a great world leader, but we have lost a great deal of faith in God. People look here, there and everywhere for direction. And often, they turn to a silence filled with emptiness and a darkness that leads to death...so blinded by their own misguided passions, and all too often realizing their misstep when at the point of no return.

I've always thought someone should write an encyclopedia on the theology of contemporary music. After all, these are just my musings. But I am absolutely sure that there are very deep, and often very dark, realities embedded in much of what we hear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of
A neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one deared
Disturb the sound of silence.

Fools said i,you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said, the words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whispered in the sounds of silence.

Fearfully Detained

“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops..."

From Matthew 10:26-33

I awoke this morning as I usually do, exhausted. Another long dreary day of tiring duty, as Thomas a Kempis would say...yet, the same God would walk with me, as he has during every other moment of my life.

Currently in my old neighborhood, I went to Mass at St. Ignatius. It had been a while, and I knew in my heart I was supposed to hear Fr. Jackson's homily.

Yesterday I saw part of Fr. Cantalamessa's reflection on today's scripture readings, and I knew the theme of fear would be reflected upon. When I got into the Church, a lady I had asked to hold me in prayer came up to me delighted. She looked into my eyes with the love of Christ and assured me that she prays for me every morning...

As the scriptures were read, I closed my eyes and listened. Then Fr. Jackson began to preach. He started off with a quote from Chesterton, and I smiled...but what he went on to say moved me far more than G.K.

He reflected on fear and its limitations, types of fear, what is healthy...and what is not. I began to cry as what he said touched part of my soul that has been in pain for quite a while. You see, the more we desire to cooperate with God's holy will, the more we must become detached from our own will. As humans, we have a tendency to fear the unknown...and when you say yes to God...just as Our Lady said yes, without understanding the mystery...you too accept the mystery to which God is inviting you. The unknown can cause fear.

It seemed that as the homily went on, Jesus was inviting me to shed layers of fear. Truly, fear holds us back from happiness. When we become "fearfully detained" from progressing on our journey to Heaven, life not only becomes difficult, but we can fall into depression and doubt.

Father Jackson reminded us that we are not alone. Christ so often repeated "Be Not Afraid." It was the hallmark of Papa John Paul's pontificate, and dear Papa Benedict often repeats this phrase. If nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, if Christ is true to His word...than things shall not remain a mystery forever. Complexities arise due to fear, when in essence, the invitation which God offers is the most simple ideal that we could ever be presented. And, it is the most simple way for our souls to achieve Eternal Life.

We must proclaim Christ, proclaim hope. We have to be witnesses to love in a world that is enslaved by fear. As I spoke the words of the Creed outloud, near the middle of the prayer I began to find it difficult to continue, as I could feel I was going to cry again...and in that moment, Father began to pray, loud and strong, over the microphone. Before Mass as Father walked to the back of the Church, I had a sense of how he would be Christ to all of us during the Liturgy. In that moment when I almost could not pray, the strength of Father's voice helped me to persevere.

How much more of a reality is God's love for us? We must trust that we can accomplish that great adventure to which God summons us. The world is bleeding, and who will bandage the wounds? If we cannot live with a spirit of urgency...if we continue to put off God's invitation, perhaps our own fear will prevent us from being Christ's face to another person.

True, God will not withhold grace or salvation from anyone due to our sin and fear, but how much better it is to do God's best in the moment! If we can truly, fearlessly say yes...then we can so much better cooperate with grace.

It is all so very much easier to say than to do. Father left us with three counsels: Practice, Presance and Prayer. We must put our love into practice through our actions, we must be present to those around us--being witnesses to Christ's love, and we must live a life of prayer, in which we will find the answers to the deepest mysteries of life. For those questions which cannot be answered in this life...we will be put at rest through prayer, knowing that it will be revealed not here, but hereafter.

Model of Purity

My Guide and My Sovereign

Blessed Virgin, my guide and sovereign,
I cast myself into the depths of your mercy, and to place henceforth and for ever more,
my soul and body in your safekeeping and special protection.
I entrust into your hands all my hopes and consolation,
all my troubles and woes, and the course and end of my days.
So that, by your intercession and the great credit you have gained, all of my works
may be done according to your will and therefore please your Divine Son.

~ St. Aloysius Gonzaga, (1591)

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Aloysius, that beautiful young Spanish Jesuit Scholastic who is a model of purity. Only 23 years old when he died from contracting the plague from those whom he served, this young man excelled in virtue and love.

Often I hear young men and women struggle with discernment, especially regarding how to reconcile natural human desires with an inclination towards celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom. I think St. Aloysius is an excellent example to learn from...he did not at all deny who he was as a man...virtuously serving those around him. He was a model of asceticism and deep prayer...really living a mystical life on earth. When he joined the Society, he actually was forced through obedience to give up some of his usual ascetic practices! Yet, amidst even this he remained virtuous--particularly excelling in purity.

The measure of a person truly is how he or she can sanctify personal desires for the sake of the Kingdom. If one is called to celibate life, what a challenge! Yet, it is a particular charismatic gift, a gift challenging the person to live their sexuality in a unique way. May St. Aloysius inspire all youth, especially those who feel a call to the priesthood or religious life.

Beware the Enemy

+JMJ

Yesterday I had an encounter with evil...while I was posting the piece on Bl. Bartolo.

I have a tendency to use Google to do spell check on difficult words. I was trying to figure out how to spell seance. Now, I didn't spell it that way, which is the correct way. I typed something else into not Google, but to the web-browser bar. I don't usually do this. Immediately, the misspelled word brought up an atrocious website with a horrific image in the middle of the page...and I felt a surge come over my body as if something unholy were trying to enter me...it felt like an electric current around me, but it did not penetrate.

Immediately I looked away and navigated to close the window...simultaneously praying Hail Marys out loud. I grasped my Rosary tightly and closed my laptop, leaving the kitchen.

I came back a few minutes later with Holy Water and blessed the computer, and prayed over it. I knew 1) The enemy definitely wanted to scare me from posting about dear Bl. Bartolo and 2) Wanted to cast me into a spirit of doubt.

Refusing to comply, I finished the post and then prepared for bed. I kneeled before my Crucifix and asked Mary to cover me with her protective mantel. Whenever I would close my eyes, that evil image would be in my mind's eye. I had to sleep, and I again entrusted myself to Our Lady...clutching a rosary in each hand, with my Bible on the pillows beside me...

Soon, in an uncharacteristic manner...the moon shone a glorious beam through the blinds and right upon me. I felt a sense of ease, as if Mary were sending the moon beam to assure me of her love and protection...and I was able to sleep with no night mares.

The enemy likes to take what is good and pure and twist it...and the image I saw was a disgusting, evil twist of the face of Our Lady...But we cannot be fearful--we must invoke upon Jesus and Mary in times of attack, and know that they can combat the enemy. Alone, we are weak, but with them, we are strong.

Just as we read in Night Prayer last night, "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith (1 Peter 5:8-9a)."

Now more aware of the evils worked through the internet, I will be more cautious--and I implore the same of you.

From Priest of Satan to Saint

+JMJ

Ever feel like you were beyond salvation? Well...here is a saint for you.

Imagine, it is late 19th century Italy. You are a bright 16 year old youth raised in a strong Catholic family...you were so captured by the love of Christ at your First Communion that you spent an hour and a half in thanksgiving!

Here you are...a few years later at the University of Naples, where a fallen away Catholic Priest introduces you to many questions in philosophy class...that lead you to doubt all you know as truth...

Who has the answers? You fall in among a cult group of peers, and in the midst of a seance, actually converse with a demon being channeled through a medium. You ask him if Jesus Christ is God...he says yes. You ask if the commandments are true...he says all, except the 6th commandment...you ask him which religion is true, Catholic or Protestant--he says neither.

This dialogue with the demon lead our young friend into a downward spiral...he had fallen into bad company, and now he began to live their lifestyles...and soon, he was ordained a priest of satan. While leading the life of a lawyer in Italy, this man, through his worship of Satan, lead many souls astray, while leading a life of terrible sin.

Years later a good Catholic professor he had met at university ran into him...and was shocked! He looked insane. The professor asked the lawyer what was wrong, he replied, "I hear my father's voice, and he is saying repent." His father had died years earlier...and in that moment, the lawyer told his old professor of the life he was leading.

The professor was disgusted at how evil had overtaken this once innocent life. How amazing it is--one man, a fallen away priest, had set off a chain reaction that would lead a soul to devil worship!

Yet, another priest was to come into his life. The professor brought the man to a good and holy Dominican he knew--and using St. Thomas, the Dominican priest dispelled all the lies that the priest of Satan had adopted...and became his confessor and spiritual director. He strictly forbade him to reflect on his past life...because that could surely lead to despair.

Soon enough, he was tempted to this sin while witnessing a Baptism. He ran out of the Church and nearly took his own life when he remembered Our Lady's promise--that those who are devoted to the Holy Rosary, and who pray this prayer, she will protect from the enemy and from the depths of hell. In the midst of the field he had run to, he dropped to his knees and promised Our Lady that he would spend the rest of his life spreading devotion to her...and that he did.

In 1980, Papa John Paul II beatified dear Bl. Bartolo Longo, who he called, "Man of Mary."

Dear Bl. Bartolo, pray to Mary for us, and for the conversation of all sinners!

A little Sex Talk goes a Long Way

+JMJ

Currently I am compiling extensive data on the sexual attitudes and behavior of U.S. college students broadly, with a particular interest in students at Catholic institutions.

I'll admit, the conclusions are not delightful. Finding myself ear-to-ear in the trends of the "hook-up" culture complete with live porn parties and condom slippage does not thrill me. But there is hope in the midst of the chaos.

What I do see, in an initial comparison, is that the driving factor of the sexual deviation on American campuses is a horse-blinder world view. Students are morally relative, this we already know. Coupled with that, students tend to perceive that their peers are engaging in more RSB (Risky Sexual Behavior) than they actually are, and that they truly want to participate in such a lifestyle. However, evidence thus far indicates these perceptions do not make an accurate analysis of reality. It seems students often go with the flow of sex-on-demand, rarely stopping to actually ask their peers if they really want to "do it."

I venture to guess that if these kids stopped trying to read one another's minds and started actually asking one another what they really wanted in dating and relationships, the campus landscape would look wildly different.

What it all boils down to is lack of Truth with a capital "T." The climate of hopelessness about future and family that is the fruit of the hook-up reality can only be combated by objective facts. Not only does science support the reality that these folks are unhappy (check out Donna Freitas' new book Sex and the Soul), but also that they can choose to alter their behavior.

How do you do that, though, when you've been operating via mob-mentality since high school? The concept of community is being ushered out the door more and more as young adults stop attending Mass and other religious services. And curiously enough, folks feel painfully isolated on college campuses when it comes to the most intimate questions of life. If we don't know what community is, how can we strive for common good that is only supported by individual good-will? And if everyone has their own truth, how can we discover the Truth?

Call me crazy, but the Catholic Church has the best answer. Just like Papa Benedict reminded us when he came to visit the U.S. in April...Truth is the source of our hope, and Truth is a person, Jesus Christ.

The New Mysticism Part II

In light of Fr. Angelo and Jeremy's comments, I'd like to keep reflecting on The New Mysticism.

Jeremy pointed out that often Christian Mysticism is thought of as a personal experience. Yet, the Liturgy is indeed the key element to this Mysticism--it is truly the event in which Heaven and earth come together. He also recalled that the Extra Ordinary form of the Mass truly is an ideal expression of this mystical reality, albeit, not excluding the ordinary form.

Fr. Angelo pointed out how all the elements of the Mystical way--purgative, illuminative and unitive--are incorporated into the Liturgy, particularly in the Franciscan tradition. Father also reminded us that the word belongs to the order of knowledge and the Eucharist belongs to the order of love--so the Liturgy is really an archetype of marriage--both earthly marriage and even more so the Heavenly Marriage. In all of this, we recall the ultimate examples of what it means to be male and female: Jesus and Mary.

Suffering, I believe, is integrated into all the elements of Christian Mysticism, and truly reflected in the Liturgy. In her book Light and Images, Adrienne--a true Christian Mystic--reflects upon this theme, and how it is related to our prayer and contemplation:

"In suffering, prayer acquires the form of suffering; it is perhaps nothing more than a cry of suffering, a groan, a word that has dried to a trickle in the space of an hour, and yet God can invest this prayer with so much of the spirit's power that it opens up new and unprecedented space for that contemplation and the emptiness of suffering is filled by the Lord, by his life, his teaching and his Church."

It seems our generation is constantly trying to run away from suffering...yet it is in learning that suffering truly is redemptive that we grow in the Mystical Way. Did not Christ die on the cross for us--if he is the archetype of masculinity, that says much about what it means to be a man. And, did not Mary endure her own passion, intimately, spiritually united to the sufferings of her Son? There is a profound lesson as to the meaning of being a woman.

It seems that in the desire to grow in the mystical way, we will soon discover that there are roles with which men and women have been ordained that carry profound meaning. That might help us in our task of understanding motherhood, fatherhood and vocation.

And, what of suffering? Adrienne goes on to reflect that as long as there is sin in the world, there will be suffering. Perhaps it is not presumptuous to propose that the sins of the 21st century are among the most diabolical in human history. This may explain the suffering of the world...but then, how do you reconcile that with head and heart? Turn to the Cross.

A dear friend of mine once wrote "Our vocation is nailed to the foot of the Cross." Reflecting on that in the presence of Our Eucharistic Savior, the first thing that came to mind was

"We must cling to the reality that is the Cross." Everything else is for not.

Imagine, our whole world view truly ought to be oriented upon the Cross. We must grow in joyful acceptance of suffering, and consider it a gift. I do not propose some sort of deviant or disordered pleasure from our suffering, but rather true suffering in union with Christ. And, what better teacher do we have than Our Lady?

Papa John Paul said that the task of the 21st century is "To contemplate the face of Christ at the school of Mary"...and we must share the fruit of that contemplation with the whole world.

Anthony's Spirit of Joy

+JMJ

Today we celebrate the guy that helps you find lost things...who is also a Doctor of the Church, St. Anthony of Padua.

Anthony was born in Portugal during the latter half of the 12th century, and well loved as youth. At 17, he entered the Augustinian Community. But when he was 20 years old, he was inspired by the martyrdom of the St. Francis' Friar's Minor, who had given their lives for Christ while ministering to the Muslims in Africa.

Anthony left the Augustinians and joined the Friars, becoming well known as an amazing preacher, and traveling throughout Europe proclaiming the Gospel. He was also the first Franciscan to teach theology to his brother friars.

What made Anthony so amazing? His joy. When asked who he was among a crowd of the 'Gray Friars' (as the Friars Minor where known-the Friars never wore brown until for some reason in the 18th century the switched over, the original friars always wore gray, the color of unbleached, simple wool), those who knew him would say, "Anthony is the one who laughs the most."

The more I learn about Franciscans, the more I realize St. Francis was all about Joy. It is the Joy of Christ that will lead the world to salvation. Francis himself said there are only three times when we ought to be sad: 1) Sorrow for our sins; 2) Sorrow for the sins of the world; 3) Sorrow that we are not yet united with God in Heaven.

These sadnesses are legitimate, yet Francis counseled his brothers never to be sad in public--that was for private time with God. When with the people, they ought always to exude the Spirit of Joy which is the Spirit of Christ. This, truly, is the legacy of Francis.

It seems that this Spirit of Joy is just what todays world needs. Anthony never held back the joy, but lived that joy, and he attracted others to Christ that way. We have no reason to be negative if we are truly with Christ...this is the message of Anthony's life. If we are joyful, others will be attracted to us, because we shine forth Christ...and in turn Christ will allow us to lead others to Him.

From Darkness to Light

+JMJ

"Modern times will be dominated by Satan and will be more so in the future. The conflict with hell cannot be engaged by men, even the most clever. The Imaculata alone, has from God, the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls who will consecrate themselves entirely to her, who will become in her hands, effective instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spreading of God's kingdom upon earth." ~ St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Darkness is all around us. It seems a veil has been lifted to reveal the deception of the world...this is something that has been progressive in my own experience, but has accelerated recently.

As I stand to wait for the bus, I hear a young man make sexually perverse promises to a young woman...and I see a man chase another man who owed him money, jacking the perpetrator up on a stalled car. I walk down Michigan Avenue with a close friend, talking about discernment and God's will...and before our very eyes we witness a woman, scantily clad with a Boa Constrictor (yes, a serpent) wrapped around her body...walking down the street, in broad daylight. Diabolical.

Sometimes I feel surrounded by a spiritual vortex...like the enemy is at bay, just waiting for a lack of vigilance. But because I feel this, doesn't mean this is only my experience. The entire world is under attack. As we progress in technology, we digress in faith...and the enemy waits for us to stumble and fall into his traps.

I by no means intend to be a bearer of doom. As a Christian, I beleive in the Second Coming of Christ. I beleive that, as Our Lady has said (at Fatima), "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." We are living in apocalyptic times--even if this is not the end of the world. Perhaps every generation has felt that, but that by no means infers that we ought to ignore this very boding reality.

St. Max really has it right when he speaks of Satan's domination over modern times. The evil spirit is constantly taking what is good, true and beautiful and slowly twisting it, deforming it...such that it reflects a sickly-sweet darkness that is pure evil. I think much of the world just does not realize what is going on...but it truly is. Human history has been a constant battle for souls...a battle for salvation. It is easy for us to congratulate our efforts to evangelize and be good Catholics, but at the end of the day--do accolades save souls?

We live in a time when prayer and fasting need to come back in a radical way. It has been prophesied that during the latter times, the Church will see the rise of her greatest saints...saints that will endure terrors of mind, body and spirit known only to Christ Himself.

How will we gird ourselves? I am not predicting the end of the world, but I am very seriously saying that there is a battle going on all around us, a battle between good and evil, and, quite frankly, if you intend to be mediocre--I shudder to think what may be your fate. Christ himself said the mediocre He will spit out. Strong statement, but true none the less.

We MUST be saints. We must be champions of purity in mind, body and spirit. We must trust that God is inviting us to play a priceless role in the salvation of mankind--God is asking each one of us to be a saint. We must be saints. There is no other way.

The marks of the modern saint must be joy in the face of sorrow, conviction in times of confusion, resolve in times of persecution, and love in the face of all that attacks the greater glory of God.

This is the age of spiritual chivalry, of mystics who must walk the streets and share the fruit of their contemplation to a wold bleeding for the truth. Maybe we cannot see the wounds, but they are there...and they are deep.

Through the guidance of Mother Mary, may we have the courage to answer the call to sanctity, and be among the new generation of mystics, modern day saints.

The New Mysticism

Recently I've been contemplating the concept of spiritual motherhood and fatherhood. It seems that for my generation (the "Millennials") the lived definition of mother and father are quite skewed. We've grown up post-Sexual Revolution, many of us with parents who didn't know how to reconcile their own gender roles with the newfound 'freedom' brought about by contemporary feminism and the curiously passive role which the feminist movement forced men to adopt.

There is a profound crisis in regards to the necessary roles of mother and father. Examples of the Christian concept of mother and father are few and far between, leaving young adults hoping to have families of their own with a very vague understanding of these roles so necessary for healthy families and a healthy society.

This also causes a grave challenge for those who hope to enter the priesthood or religious life--and those who live these vocations. The concept of spiritual motherhood and fatherhood in the celibate/virginal state is fundamental to how consecrated men and women and ordained men relate to the world around them.

Often, their spiritual motherhood/fatherhood satisfies the hunger for parenting which so many have yearned for during their lives. Both young and old are often denied 'mother' and 'father', and those living the celibate state in the world are called to fulfill a spiritual parenthood that is difficult to understand and even more so to practically live.

In light of post-Sexual/Feminist revolution realities as to the confused state of male/female roles, I beleive my generation more than any other must learn to practice Christian mysticm. In the Christian tradition, mysticism can be understood through integrating contemplation/meditation, asceticism (fasting/mortification) and works/almsgiving.

One could explain mysticism also in terms such as St. Therese of Avlia would speak of in "Interior Castle", moving through states in the spiritual life--purgative (ascetic/casting off all that which impedes our union with God), illuminative (contemplative/growing in the graces of mental prayer) and finally unitive--beholding, as it were, God, face to face.

The mystical reality indeed is mysterious. It transcends what we know as tangible and normative in our daily lives, and leads us to an interior gaze--discovering what it is about who we are that draws us closer to God, and what impedes this growth. Mysticism is not about denying the reality of our world, but rather inviting God to illuminate the truths He reveals through creation, and ultimately accepting the truth that we were made for perfect union with God--which is ultimately attaining Eternal Life in Heaven.

Why, then, is mysticism so important for my contemporaries? Precisely because we live in a world that is so darkened by lies about who we are as men and women and what our place/role/vocation is in this world.

As a woman, I have few examples to look toward as I try to grasp what spiritual motherhood even means. In seriously discerning a vocation to religious life, I am surrounded by people who are greatly suffering from so many things--and I am filled with empathy. I want to embrace them, lead them to that loving God I know--the God who is the answer to their pain and confusion. Yet, how do I do that? The same would hold for men and women seeking marriage and young men seeking priesthood. "Father" and "Mother" have been so abused and cast to the wayside, we cannot truly understand their meanings.

In the mystical reality, we are invited on a journey of purification. In that purgative state, those things that keep us from understanding our role in the world are stripped away, layer by layer. We are introduced to what we were truly made for-intimate union with God.

Through contemplation of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints, we engage in mystical relationships with men and women who model the motherhood and fatherhood we so desperately desire to learn of. These mystical relationships empower us to live as God created us to in the world, complementing one another as men and woman, learning how as a man or woman we can best relate to others, serving the role of mother or father in the various ways in which we are called to be 'mother' or 'father.'

It seems "reality" is less and less real. Truly we are all created for Heaven, and the natural way to embark on a progression towards Eternal Life in this world is through learning the ways of Christian mysticism. Exploring and engaging the concepts of mental prayer (meditation/contemplation), asceticism and service serve as a means of growing in a mystical state of life. I propose that growing in a mystical spirituality is truly the only way that my contemporaries and I will be able to fulfill the vocations to which we are called in this life.

A Decree

+JMJ

Time is of the essance today, as I must scoot to a 1:00 p.m. appiontment shortly. However, I wanted to dispel any fears that I had dropped off the blogging planet!

I've had the opportunity to witness many amazing things in the last week or so--particularly the unveiling of the Monstrance at St. Stansislaus Kostka Parish.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to present concepts of Trinitarian Theology and Sexual Morality in the Marriage Covenant to Jewish Young Adult Leaders--which was a fascinating experience!

I'd like to touch more on these themes, as well as some profound things I've been reading lately from Papa Benedict--especially an address he gave to Religious and one he gave to the Youth while in Genoa on Trinity Sunday...I'll leave you with his words to the youth:

"Dear young people, venture forth into the milieus of life, your parishes, the
most difficult districts, the streets! Proclaim Christ the Lord, the hope of the
world. The further people drift from God, their Source, the more they lose
themselves, the more difficult human coexistence becomes and the more society
crumbles. Stay united to one another, help one another to live and to increase
in faith and in Christian life to be daring witnesses of the Lord. Be united but
not closed. Be humble but not fearful. Be simple but non ingenuous. Be
thoughtful but not complicated. Enter into dialogue with all, but be yourselves.
Remain in communion with your Pastors: they are ministers of the Gospel, of the
Divine Eucharist, of God's forgiveness. They are
fathers and friends for you,
your companions on the way. You need them and they - we all - need you."