glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- old blood the narrow gate "7. This chalice is death to the natural self, a death attained through the detachment and annihilation of that self, in order that the soul may travel by this narrow path, with respect to all its connections with sense, as we have said, and according to the spirit, as we shall now say; that is, in its understanding and in its enjoyment and in its feeling. And, as a result, not only has the soul made its renunciation as regards both sense and spirit, but it is not hindered, even by that which is spiritual, in taking the narrow way, on which there is room only for self-denial (as the Saviour explains), and the Cross, which is the staff wherewith one may reach one's goal, and whereby the road is greatly lightened and made easy. Wherefore Our Lord said through Saint Matthew: 'My yoke is easy and My burden is light'; which burden is the cross. For if a man resolve to submit himself to carrying this cross -- that is to say, if he resolve to desire in truth to meet trials and to bear them in all things for God's sake, he will find in them all great relief and sweetness wherewith he may travel upon this road, detached from all things and desiring nothing. Yet, if he desire to possess anything -- whether it come from God or from any other source -- with any feeling of attachment, he has not stripped and denied himself in all things; and thus he will be unable to walk along this narrow path or to climb upward by it. 8. I would, then, that I could convince spiritual persons that this road to God consists not in a multiplicity of meditations nor in ways or methods of such, nor in consolations, although these things may in their own way be necessary to beginners; but that it consists only in the one thing that is needful, which is the ability to deny oneself truly, according to that which is without and to that which is within, giving oneself up to suffering for Christ's sake, and to total annihilation. For the soul that practises this suffering and annihilation will achieve all that those other exercises can achieve, and that can be found in them, and even more. And if a soul be found wanting in this exercise, which is the sum and root of the virtues, all its other methods are so much beating about the bush, and profiting not at all, although its meditations and communications may be as lofty as those of the angels. For progress comes not save through the imitation of Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him, even as He Himself says through Saint John.[250] And elsewhere He says: 'I am the door; by Me if any man enter he shall be saved.'[251] Wherefore, as it seems to me, any spirituality that would fain walk in sweetness and with ease, and flees from the imitation of Christ, is worthless." St. John of the Cross from his treatise The Ascent of Mount Carmel Bk. II chapter 8 I had a normal vacation day-this morning I got up around six o'clock in the morning to get Josiah off to work-spent the rest of the morning doing nothing-Carol got home from work around 8 o'clock AM-she looked through the morning paper and went to bed-I left the house around 9:30 AM to visit bookstores in Grand Rapids-I visited the Bookstore first and looked around-I did not buy anything since every book I wanted I already had-I did see one book I do plan to buy next week if I am not dead titled "First Theology: God, Scriptures & Hermeneutics" by Kevin J. Vanhoozer-after the Bookstore I drove to the Dominican Center at Marywood to visit their bookstore-did not see anything at this Catholic bookstore to add to my book collection either-by this time I was feeling sick of everything and decided to go home and forget my nowhere existence-I was home by 12 o'clock-I ate lunch and read St. John of the Cross all afternoon and into the evening hours-existence keeps flowing by-a hot night here in Holland Mich. Josiah is in the basement-Carol took Mack for a walk-and Bethany is out roaming the streets of the dead american world. In the mail I got the Mayday CD "old blood"-well I got to close to feel dead. 8:43 p.m. - 2002-06-28 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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