Some of the greatest Saints of the Catholic Church led lives of spiritual aridity, and suffered great persecutions even from within their own families and Religious Orders. But even though their souls were immersed in the depths of darkness, where they were deprived of all consolations, yet they did not fall into despair.
For it is these souls who learned to love God for who He IS, rather than what He could give them. It is these privileged souls who held within their hearts, the Pearl of Great Price. They did not seek after the glitter or the glory of their encounter with the Divine. In fact most of these noble souls were silent about their struggles and inner aridity.
It is those who seek spiritual 'highs' who are in most danger of falling into despair, for it is not God they seek, but the 'feelings' of exultation through the manipulations of emotions, rather than their dependence on God. This hunger for spiritual 'highs' is a form of unhealthy spirituality, in that one can become addicted to the 'ecstasy' that a spiritual high can engender. This is a poor substitute for the true Mystic who is being called and wooed by God into a higher state.
But before the soul can reach this Mystical completeness with God, they must first be purified, which entails great spiritual and emotional suffering, as the ego is destroyed and in its place a pure love for God is born, for out of the ashes of the ego, the soul is reborn in Christ.
It is the soul who when invited into this Mystical unity, will find more thorns strewn on their path than rose petals. This calls for much perseverance from the individual to place their Trust in the Goodness of God, whilst they disregard their emotional clinging to the ego!
This is why the great Mystics of our Faith eschew any longing for 'feelings', in that they recognise that these 'feelings' will lead them astray, from the purpose of which God is drawing them into union with the Divine.
Neither do these great Mystics promote a cold 'attachment' in that a soul who is on fire for love of God is not cold towards others, but deeply humbled towards ALL. There is much misunderstanding in what detachment is: we are to become detached from a longing of 'things' but not to foster a coldness or chilliness towards anyone. Detachment is to appreciate that all things made by God is good but they do not become dependent upon the created, but, instead they remain dependent upon the Creator.
This teaches us that we are called to detach ourselves from 'longings' but not to detach ourselves from Love, for God cannot reside fully in a soul that has chilled out all love and holds itself aloof from others.
A true Mystic is not one who hungers for neither spiritual highs nor consolations; instead the person has a burning and zealous love for God, which cannot be quenched by outside forces. This is a person who recognizes their own unworthiness and their littleness, whilst embracing and acknowledging that it is God who is Great and not themselves!
God's Love is a fiery furnace which consumes the soul completely, without nullifying the uniqueness of the individual, for the Church has had many Mystics, but, no two have been the same, in that St. Catherine of Siena is not St. Therese of Lisieux, yet both are Mystics of the one Faith.
In order for God to work within the soul uninterrupted He first has to empty the soul of any egoism, emotionalism and attachments, the soul in effect becomes an empty vessel and it is then that God fills the empty vessel with the Essence of the Divine. This does not 'divinize' the person, but it does make them a living reflection of the Triune Spirit, indwelling within them.
In the end it is the Mystic who dies to self will, and arises with the spark of the Divine Love, which then spills itself out for love of others, so they can truly say 'I have been Crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me'!
Peace of Christ to you ALL
Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.
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