i want to see god – st. teresa of avila. who has anything to say on this? what does the world...
TRANSCRIPT
ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFEI want to see God – St. Teresa of Avila
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Who has anything to say on this? What does the world say?
What does the music say? What do the movies say?
What does God say? Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered
into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him. (I Corinthians 2:9)
God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, so as to be happy with Him forever in the next – Baltimore Catechism
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Instant Gratification Eat, drink, and be
merry for tomorrow we die!
You’re an animal, so act like it!
Eating, drinking, sex No possibility of any
other satisfaction
Eternal Gratification Good things come to
those who wait. Immortality of the soul Desire for complete
truth and perfect goodness
Earthly things do NOT satisfy our desires
Having more does NOT solve the problem
Desire for eternity
DEATH
I want to see God, and in order to see Him, I must die – St. Teresa of Avila You will not live forever Your earthly life has a definitive
end There is a stopping point
You will die…any questions?
What is death? Separation of body and soul
JUDGMENT
Matthew25 – Judgment on the Nations Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.
At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love – St. John of the Cross
HELL
You can go to hell! Vatican II (LG, 48); Paul VI (Credo)
Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,” (Mt13:41-42) and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!”(Mt25:41) CCC, 1037 – God predestines no one to go
to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.
It’s FOREVER! AND IT’S SUFFERING THAT IS INCOMPARABLE!
ST. FAUSTINA ON HELL
The First Torture that constitutes hell is: The loss of God.
The Second is: Perpetual remorse of conscience.
The Third is: That one's condition will never change.
The Fourth is: The fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it. A terrible suffering since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger.
ST. FAUSTINA ON HELL
The Fifth Torture is: Continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own.
The Sixth Torture is: The constant company of Satan.
The Seventh Torture is: Horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.
ST. FAUSTINA ON HELL
Indescribable Sufferings: There are special Tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings related to the manner in which it has sinned. I would have died
ST. FAUSTINA ON HELL
No One Can Say There is No Hell: Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like...how terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O My Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend you by the least sin." (Diary 741)
PURGATORY
CCC, 1030 – All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. Those who die with unforgiven venial sins or with unpaid
temporal punishments How can we be perfectly purified on earth? CCC, 1031 – …entirely different from the punishment of
the damned…the tradition of the Church speaks of a cleansing fire:
Rev21: 22, 27 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God
the Almighty and the Lamb. …But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
How are we avoid being unclean?
HEAVEN
A.K.A. – Eternal Life, Eternal Glory, the Beatific Vision, Eternal Beatitude, Seeing God face-to-face CCC, 1023 – Those who die in God's grace and
friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face
HEAVEN
Rev21:3-4 – Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.
HEAVEN
The joy will be greater than we can conceive. We shall enter into a great sea of divine and eternal joy, which will fill us within and without, and surround us on all sides. – St. Robert Bellarmine
Heaven is not divided by the number of those who reign, nor lessened by being shared, nor disturbed by its multitude, nor disordered by its inequality of ranks, nor changed by motion, nor measured by time. – St. Bonaventure
FINAL JUDGMENT & RESURRECTION OF THE BODY
When Christ returns, we shall rise again …all who are in the tombs will hear [the
Son of man's] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment (Jn5:28-29)
4 Qualities of the Resurrected Body Subtlety – able to pass through matter Agility – move by thought Luminosity – light of glory Freedom from pain and suffering
CCC, 1041 – The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them "the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation.“ (2Cor6:2)
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 My brothers, we beg and
exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, even as you learned from us how to conduct yourselves in a way pleasing to God – which you are indeed doing – so you must learn to make still greater progress. You know the instructions we gave you in the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you grow in holiness…
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
Who is called/able to go to Heaven? A. Only Catholics B. Old Ladies C. People that are not “cool” D. Everyone E. Only Christians
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
The universal call to holiness: BE HOLY Lumen Gentium, No. 40: Thus it is evident to
everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity…They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor.
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
The universal call to holiness Bl. JPII – …since Baptism is a true entry into
the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity. (from his Apostolic Letter at the Close of the Jubilee Year 2000)
HOW TO SUCCEED: AIDS TO HOLINESS
Grace God’s life in us John 15:5 – Jesus said: Without Me, you can
do nothing. Penance
1 John 2:16 – for conquering the world, the flesh, the Devil
Luke9:23 – If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me
HOW TO SUCCEED: AIDS TO HOLINESS
Life of Virtue Habitual inclination to do the good with ease,
promptitude, and joy Cardinal & Theological Virtues
God’s Guidance Commandments Beatitudes Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Prayer (private & public) Daily conversation with God Sacraments (esp, the Eucharist & Confession)
7 CAPITAL SINS Pride Lust Greed Gluttony Envy Anger Sloth
JOHN 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain
of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Charity Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness
Generosity Gentleness Faithfulness Modesty Self-control Chastity
THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE
6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
TYPES OF PRAYER
VOCAL Personal – Formal & Informal Public (Liturgical)
MEDITATIVE CONTEMPLATIVE
VOCAL PRAYER Formal (traditional prayers) & Informal
Formal – liturgical prayer & traditional prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.) – teach us how to think, act, and pray, what to pray for
Informal – words from the heart “Prayer is a conversation with Him whom my heart
loves”
Involving the whole person (body & soul) Most readily accessible to groups An initial form leading to contemplative prayer
VOCAL PRAYER: THINGS TO SAY
To adore / praise To ask pardon To give thanks To make petitions
Adoration Contrition Thanksgiving Supplication /
Petition
ADORATION: TO ADORE Recognition (praise) of
God’s perfection and our dependence upon him. “the first attitude of man
acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator” – CCC, 2628
Arises from love of God for who He is
Consider the language of two who are in love: “I adore you”
ADORATION: TO ADORE From “latria”, Latin word
used only with reference to God Distinct from “dulia” and
“hyperdulia” Should consume most of
our time in prayer
CONTRITION: TO ASK PARDON Begging pardon for our sins
Love Story – “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” – WRONG!!!
We confess our faults because we trust in the love of Him to whom we confess We are reluctant if we think they’ll stop
loving us, reject us “He will love me only if I perform well
enough, only if I prove that I deserve His love, only if I am worthy”
Requires humility and honesty
THANKSGIVING: TO GIVE THANKS
Recognizing and appreciating what God has done Arises from love of God for what He has
done Recognizing that we have been loved and
have been given an abundance of gifts freely and lovingly
Characterizes the prayer of the Church (eucharistia – thanksgiving)
THANKSGIVING: TO GIVE THANKS
This could take awhile – there’s ALWAYS something to be grateful for… Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you – 1 Thess5:18
JPII: Thank you, Jesus, for loving me in that way
Gratitude is always good medicine for depression, resentment, fear, doubt, and lovelessness
SUPPLICATION: TO MAKE PETITIONS Praying for temporal goods that will lead
us to God Temporal goods for ourselves or for others
(intercession) Should be the shortest of all our prayers
Acknowledges our dependence upon our Father “We are creatures who are not our own
beginning, not the masters of adversity, not our own last end” – CCC, 2629
SUPPLICATION: TO MAKE PETITIONS Spend less time on “ourselves” and
more time on “others” b/c there are more of them In intercession, he who prays looks "not
only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm. – CCC, 2636
The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions," (1 Tim2:1) for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel. – CCC, 2636
VOCAL PRAYER Remember that, in spite of all your words, there’s still
need to listen Be still and know that I am God – Ps46:10
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN STOP: Stop doing everything else you are doing; perhaps
the hardest thing to do! We cannot simply pray on the run; God is not background music.
LOOK: you cannot communicate with someone unless you make eye contact with them
LISTEN: If you’re speaking to a wise man, the wise should speak; the dumb should listen – listen to the Word
LITURGICAL PRAYER Formal, vocal prayer – official
public prayer of the Church The voice of the Bride speaking to
her Beloved Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours The Sacrifice of the Mass / 7
Sacraments Goal: to give honor and praise to
God (worship) & to obtain blessings for humanity (sanctification)
MEDITATIVE PRAYER St. Basil the Great: Silence is the beginning
of purification in the soul …the mind seeks to understand the why
and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking. The required attentiveness is difficult to sustain – CCC, 2705 Use Scripture; sacred art; writings of the
Fathers, Doctors, and Saints; book of creation; book of history – CCC, 2705
About passing from thought to life “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
MEDITATIVE PRAYER Lectio Divina – silent, meditative prayer with
Sacred Scripture Dates from the time of the monks & hermits in the desert
(2nd-3rd Centuries) The Steps
Prepare: get your Bible & find a quiet place Read: read the passage you’ve selected slowly & quietly Meditate: Put yourself in the passage; use your senses to
help Pray: talk to God about what you’ve discovered Rest: silently wait and listen for something from God Act: decide on a way to put this little insight into place in
your daily life
MEDITATIVE PRAYER The outcome of the fruit of reading Holy Scripture
is by no means negligible: it is the fullness of eternal happiness…The purpose of the Scriptures, which come to us from God, is to lead us to this fullness according to the truths contained in those sayings of the Apostles…In order to achieve this, we must study Holy Scripture carefully, and teach it and listen to it in the same way. – St. Bonaventure
Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ – St. Jerome
MEDITATIVE PRAYER
…necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. – CCC, 2708
Aids us in drawing closer to God From knowledge of Him to love of Him /
union with Him
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Two types Natural / acquired – being recollected, at
peace within our soul Supernatural / infused – God making us
aware of His Presence with us This is the ultimate goal of contemplative
prayer
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Contemplative prayer is a close sharing between friends…taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us – St. Teresa of Avila One makes time for the Lord, with the firm
determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter
our attention is fixed on the Lord Himself (as opposed to His words)
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER Prayer is a simple look
turned toward heaven – St. Therese
We let our masks fall…so as to hand ourselves over to him The poor and humble
surrender to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with his beloved Son.
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER Contemplative prayer
is… Prayer of the sinner having
been loved, who wants to give back (Love is repaid by love alone)
A gift from God accepted by the humble heart
The pre-eminently intense time of prayer
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER Contemplative prayer is…
A gaze of faith: I look at Him and He looks at me
Hearing and responding to the word of God
Silent love – St. John of the Cross
Communion with Christ in the night of faith
ON THE RIGHT PATH Just as the body matures through
physical/ biological changes, so the soul must mature
We can’t wait till the last minute 3 Stages of the Interior Life
Purgative Illuminative Unitive
THE PURGATIVE STAGE: THE BEGINNING I train my body and bring it into subjection – 1Cor9:27 Penance and mortification/self-discipline inspired by
fear of the Lord to subject the flesh and purify the soul through self-denial Amount of mortification based on the sins we have
committed after Baptism Denying our passions & desires (which are contrary to God) Making room for Him who wishes to fill us with Himself
Marked by MEDITATION Living in the state of grace (no mortal sins), certain
desire for perfection, but some attachment to deliberate venial sins
THE PURGATIVE STAGE: THE BEGINNING Objection: I feel like a liar when I claim
to want perfection because I don’t think it’s a possibility for me. 'Your inconstancy ought not to alarm you,
but inspire you to keep very near to him who is all your strength. He loves to see that we are making efforts to be pleasing to him, even when these efforts are not always as happy as we would have them‘ – Bl. Columba Marmion
THE ILLUMINATIVE STAGE: ADVANCING Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ –
1Cor4:16 Principle duty: imitation of Christ
Must have a profound conviction to remain on the path Practicing the virtues
Faith, Hope, & Love; Prudence, Temperance, Justice, & Fortitude
Marked by AFFECTIVE PRAYER Expressing our love of God & our desire to glorify Him Gratitude, praise, and delight in God Spirit of sacrifice – desire to give ourselves for God
THE UNITIVE STAGE: THE GOAL
I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me – Gal2:20 Not just fearing God or imitating Him, but Him alive in
me Living always in God’s Presence, love of God is
the “only” virtue, life is a perpetual prayer I do always the things that please Him – Jn8:29
Marked by CONTEMPLATION A loving, lingering thought of God
Such people have: a great purity of heart, great mastery over self, constant need of thinking of God
HOW TO GAUGE SUCCESS: ST. PAUL
THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (Galatians5:19-21) Now the works of the flesh are plain:
fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
HOW TO GAUGE SUCCESS: ST. PAUL
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (Galatians5:22-23) The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
1Cor13:4-8 – Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…
Last thoughts on PrayerAlmost anyone can love God partially. A saint loves God totally.
ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
WHEN TO PRAY Pray always, without ceasing –
1Thess 5:16 Start where you are, but don’t
stay there… Start where you are; worst-case
scenario: Start with 10 minutes a day
Reasonable goal: 30 minutes a day Consider how much time you give to
other things… BUT don’t stay there…
It should continue to increase depending on your vocation
WHAT TO SAY Start with the basics: A.C.T.S.
It’s okay to use others’ words to get started; it’s like using training wheels…but you don’t use training wheels forever!
If others’ words are the only words lovers use to each other, they are not lovers but performers.
It’s a relationship of love: I have called you friends (Jn15:16) It will become easier; as the friendship deepens, it’ll
just become natural
WHERE TO PRAY The Church or other
Holy sites Being in the
(Sacramental) Presence of Him to whom we are speaking
A personal “prayer corner”
Everywhere (because…pray always)
WHY PRAY He who prays will be saved; he who does not
pray will be damned. – St. Alphonsus Ligouri If you’re looking to stop sin in your life, PRAY
He who does not give up prayer cannot possibly continue to offend God habitually. – St. Alphonsus Liguori
Perfection and simplicity is not an option for the elite few; it is the prerequisite for Heaven …the only alternative is hell
QUIZ 1 REVIEW
The 4 last things Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell
What is death? (according to the teaching of the Church) Separation of body and soul
How many judgments? What are they? 2: particular judgment (right after death) and general
judgment (end of time) Purgatory 4 characteristics of the resurrected body The universal call to holiness Who will go to Heaven?
TRUE FALSE Union with Christ is the key to growing in holiness because He is a “nice guy.”
TRUE FALSE Those who get to purgatory are assured of going to Heaven eventually.
TRUE FALSE The things which will make you happy (according to the majority of today’s movies, music, television, etc.) are only mirages that quickly fade and leave us dying of spiritual thirst.
TRUE FALSE The daily choices we make a directly related to our finding the happiness we desire.
TRUE FALSE The majority of today’s movies, music, television, etc. regularly make reference to the one, true God.
TRUE FALSE When we are not satisfied with having acquired “enough” of the thing we desire, we think that if we simply get more of that thing, we will be happy.
TRUE FALSE Man is made to know God and to love Him. TRUE FALSE From his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul
shows that he wants the Church at Thessalonica to make greater progress as this is God’s will for them.
TRUE FALSE The perfection of holiness is the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity.
TRUE FALSE The majority of today’s movies, music, television, etc. suggest that happiness is found only in a relationship with God.
TRUE FALSE The perfection of holiness consists only in being nice to others when we feel like it.
TRUE FALSE Every Catholic is guaranteed to go to Heaven if they are baptized.
TRUE FALSE What we do in this world does not matter because God already knows whether we’re going to Heaven or hell when we die.
TRUE FALSE From his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul shows that he was satisfied with the progress in holiness that the Church at Thessalonica had made.
TRUE FALSE At the end of our lives we will be judged on our popularity and our talents.
TRUE FALSE The majority of today’s movies, music, television, etc. ignore God and/or make no reference to Him.
TRUE FALSE It is possible for anyone to go to hell. TRUE FALSE God would not be so mean as to let anyone
go to hell. TRUE FALSE There are certain things which only Catholics
can do to avoid death (separation of body & soul). TRUE FALSE At the end of our earthly life, God will judge
us on how we have loved God and all those around us. TRUE FALSE Even if one is sent to hell, he can “get out”
by being good and asking God for forgiveness. TRUE FALSE Those who go to Purgatory may still end up in
hell. TRUE FALSE Purgatory is for those who die with mortal
sins. TRUE FALSE The suffering of Purgatory is meant to purify
us of unforgiven venial sins or of temporal punishments not made up for.
TRUE FALSE After we die, everyone gets to go to Heaven.