Posted by johnboy on May 11, 1999 at 16:58:55:
as regards lives of exceptional virtue and extraordinary beatitude, the types of lives that are often beatified and canonized, i would suppose there is most often a record of mystical graces abounding, be those graces forms of infused contemplation, various charismata, or what have you
but i think i might could fall into error by supposing the converse, by suggesting that where there is a record of mystical graces, various charismata and all manner of outpouring of spiritual gifts that there will of necessity be found lives of exceptional virtue and extraordinary beatitude
for the rain falls on the unjust and on the righteous and the seed is sown, sometimes on fertile but sometimes on rocky ground ...
the Spirit blows where it will and the manner of our justification, sanctification and glorification and the nature of our purgation, illumination and unification are steeped in profound mystery ... these are processes which we can and will know something about, for sure, especially following the teachings of the Doctors and Fathers ... but which we will never know everything about ... especially as regards either the sanctity or destiny of any given soul
we are admonished in the Gospel not to judge and that is the first hint that our sanctity is known to God alone; we are even taught not to be overly anxious or curious about our own salvation or sanctity but to simply continue doing the good we know we should and that even moreso suggests that we refrain from forming certain judgements
even when another soul cooperates with Grace we never know how much of the resulting beatitude results from the *Grace* or from the *cooperation with*
when Grace is operative, there is no guarantee that a human will be co-operative ... this has been known from the dawn of time
the gifts of the Spirit, both those listed in Scripture (1 Cor 12) and those explicated in our Tradition via the great spiritualities (Benedictine, Carmelite, Cistercian, Franciscan, Ignatian and many, mant others) are manifold and varied but they are not always normative or prescriptive, some are obviously not intended for all people in every situation
the fruits of the Spirit, both those listed in Galations 5:22 and in the Gospel retelling of the Beatitudes, are always normative and prescriptive, intended for all people in every situation and are ordered, like the gifts, toward our justification, sanctification and glorification
within this context, i can accept what some have taught as regards sanjuanist infused contemplation and that is that it is pure gift and as such does not lend itself to appropriation via technique or methodology
at the same time, i can understand John of the Cross' consternation at those who would, through poor direction, prematurely snuff out this gift in its infancy in this soul or that and i can also appreciate those who help dispose a soul for the reception of this gift through various nondiscursive meditative practices or through what some call (rightly or wrongly, not my concern here) contemplative meditation
still, as regards any gift of prayer, there is the Holy Spirit's prompting ... how this prompting is mediated through body, soul and spirit via the unconscious or not and what epiphenomena other than charity might be elicited makes for an interesting study with real implications that are beyond the scope of these observations
so, to make the point, all gifts of prayer are unmerited and to choose to embark on this or the other journey of prayer, discursive versus nondiscursive, is a decision which requires much discernment regarding all things both psychological and spiritual known to director and directee
as far as choosing one manner of discoursing with God or the other of relating to God, as far as selecting one way of listening or another way simply being in love ... we need not concern ourselves with spiritual efficiency or with which route is the most efficacious path to sanctity, we don't have to worry about our place on Mt. Carmel or about which Interior Mansion we occupy and we certainly don't have to equate the receipt of any gifts of the Spirit with the determintaion that they are revealing, in and of themselves, of any holiness or sanctity or state of transformation of our souls, for even if our life abounds in the fruits of the Spirit and utmost Beatitude, that which derives from *Grace* and that which results from *cooperation with* is known, at least in this life, to God alone
various forms of meditation are a good bridge between the apophatic and kataphatic experience such that we can cross over and back for ongoing nurturance and sustenance ... i offer this as an alternative metaphor to the prayer ladder because i think people have too often mistakenly viewed prayer methods and gifts as some indication of holiness or sanctity or as some seal of approval by the Holy Spirit on their every utterance ... we can only begin to glimpse where any given person *was* on the ladder of sanctity in their life through exhaustive beatification and canonization investigations and even then run the risk of misjudgement and, again, the fact that they appeared high on the ladder of virtue and beatitude gives us a rudimentary appreciation for where they may have been on the ladder of prayer ... however, where they may have been on the ladder of prayer does not ever, by itself, lead us to a proper understanding of where they would necessarily have been on the ladder of virtue and beatitude
and probably one of the greatest efficacies of the Dark Night of the Spirit is to impress upon the sojourner her radical dependency on God, the true virtue of humility is indeed passively and painfully infused and any remnant of spiritual pride is vanquished
elitist attitudes as regards one's spiritual disciplines are an invitation to downfall; pride-filled hearts as regards unmerited gifts are an abomination; rash judgements regarding special sanctity and exceptional holiness are no less groundless than those judgements regarding another's lack thereof (or even our own)
a presumption of innocence and exculpability and an inclination toward unconditional forgiveness is really all we need concern ourselves about as regards our disposition toward others ... test all spirits, hold fast to what is good: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control ... shake the dust off your feet when necessary but pray for your enemies and do good to those who hate you and however you discourse with God, a place will be prepared for you in heaven
i know this sounds quite pedantic, but i really offer it in the spirit of a musing for discussion purposes
shalom, jboy