Posted by johnboy on May 12, 1999 at 09:35:59:
In Reply to: Prayer and Holiness posted by johnboy on May 11, 1999 at 16:58:55:
Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and can not be known except by faith. We can not therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved. However, according to the Lord's words-"Thus you will know them by their fruits"-reflection on God's blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of *trustful poverty*." A pleasing illustration of this is found in the reply of Joan of Arc to a question asked as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges."Asked if she knew that she was in God's grace, she replied:'If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; if I am, may it please God to keep me there.' " paragraph 2005 Catechism
it is clear that ALL are called to mystical union "even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of the mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all" paragraph 2014
so there are many gifts but the same Spirit and to each is given what is needed for sanctification and for building up the Body
there are some gifts of the Spirit that do seem to be intended for all, just for the asking: foremost is love, the seal of the Spirit, and the theological virtues of faith and hope, and the gifts of the Spirit that are given through sacramental grace at Confirmation, and the sanctifying and actual graces; and once justified with the unmerited grace given at conversion, we all can receive those *merited* graces which we obtain for ourselves and others, both eternal and temporal ---can you think of others?
are there certain of the charisms and charismatic gifts that are intended for all? gifts that differ according to the grace given us for exercising the responsibilities of Christian life and of the ministries within the Church? which would general experience consider more ordinary and which extraordinary?
what about the gift of prayer? are there some prayer gifts that appear intended by God for all? certainly common prayer and liturgical prayer are for all? and all manner of praise and adoration and thanksgiving and petition? and lectio? what about meditatio? what about nondiscursive meditative prayer for all? maybe our prayer life is something that grows out of *spirit* and our need for transcendence but is otherwise very much grounded in our *embodiment* and our *soul* and hence our practices and disciplines very much will be related to our particular cultural and social milieu, maybe to our internal milieu and temperament? i tend to feel that, for me, an optimal discipline is found in a rhythm between the apophatic and kataphatic prayer experiences; i couldn't really conceive of not being nurtured by nondiscursive meditation and glossolalia as well as through liturgy; i certainly believe that we invoke because we have been convoked and that all are called to prayer in solitude as well as in community ... but what about radical apophaticism? the Church seems to see some danger in this ... and is there such a thing as radical kataphaticism? ... can we not lose sight of prayer as relationship? as communication? as 2-way communication? can we not lose sight of the Giver as we focus on the gifts? what about sanjuanist infused contemplation? what about the contemplative path? ... can't everyone benefit from some moments of letting go? not judging? not identifying with feelings or opinions?
well, of one thing i'm certain ... and i have not formed too firm an opinion regarding most of those questions listed above ... the purgative, illuminative and unitive ways will be traveled by each human ---body, soul & spirit--- and each is called by Name and though each sojourn is different and unique, there is One Bread, One Body, One Suffering, One Cross, One Ecstasy, One Joy ... and we can NOT take the Mystery out of it all! Alleulia!!! (but it is fun to swim around in)