Catholic spirituality is too limiting?

[FCEGM]

We must recall St. Teresa of Jesus’ statement that if you would desire supernatural contemplation you’d best cultivate the virtues! It is not in prayer that the self-emptying is to be pursued, but in the life of the will, i.e., in the virtues to be accomplished: denial of self is to be of the senses and passions and pride of mind, and this follows essentially from the goal, which is not union of consciousness with the energy of the cosmos behind all the definite manifestations seen as an illusion, but, rather union of love with the Trinity of Divine Persons dwelling within by grace, a union of wills. Self-emptying of the will of desires contrary to or besides the love of God is the task.

Prayer, active prayer, fosters this by placing before us the One Whom the heart desires, so that for His sake everything one does in one’s state of life is done first for the love of God. And this does not eliminate all other desires a la Buddhism; far from it. It orders the desires, especially for those whose vocation is to bring the love of Christ into the arena of family life and work. The acquired “contemplation” possible is thus the prayer of simplicity, in which all the particular desires of the affective faculty are gradually unified in a loving regard when one prayers. And it is this state of acquired affective unity that is dried up by the passive purification of the senses and the approach of the supernaturally infused prayer of quiet. Thus there is an essential correlation of means to end in acquiring the prayer of simplicity, i.e, loving gaze of united affections available to our wills to love the One Lord.

Maritain says it well:

“The Soul in order to arrive at her last end must act, whether she make use of her own activity aided by Grace, or whether God reserve to Himself the initiative of moving her, of placing her in the state we call passive because the activity of the soul when placed in it, although in reality raised above itself is characterized by its complete dependence on the Divine Action, and the suspension of its human method of production. Until God shall introduce us into his repose we should ourselves make use of all our faculties with a view of our sanctification and that of our neighbour. ‘O Love, O God,’ cried St. Gertrude, ‘he who is courageous and alert in the labour of they love, will keep himself continually before the Royal Face.’
“We must therefore consecrate the whole effort of our intelligence, as of our will, to know and love God, to make him known and loved.
“But the intelligence itself can only develop its highest powers in so far as it is protected and fortified by the peace given in prayer. The closer a soul approaches God by love, the simpler grows the gaze of her intelligence and the clearer her vision.
“’None,’ says Tauler, ‘understand better the nature of real distinction than those who have entered into Unity.’ But no one enters into Unity save by Love,” Prayer and Intelligence, pp. 3-5.

This is most important. There is no shortcut to union. At first there is the arduous carrying of each bucket of water from the well to the watering space. Only with infused supernatural prayer, first of recollection and later of quiet, do we get “indoor plumbing”, as it were.

continued. . .

 

[FCEGM]

The wisdom also is different since it is the wisdom of Trinitarian Love: “Wisdom opened the mouth that was dumb, and made the tongues of babies speak, Alleluia! (Wisdom 10:21) - entrance antiphon of Easter Thursday.

It is not in prayer, then, that one should look for help or similarity from the East unaware of God of Israel and His Christ. It is rather in the practices that curb the passions and ego and anger and lust and self-indulgence, i.e., in the asceticism of detachment that one can find the bridge. Our Saints and mystics already have this and have it better, since they do it out of Love, and not from the impersonal work of attaining emptiness.

There is a great imprudence in using the laity as guinea pigs in novel ways of prayer, ways that have not produced a canonized saint. In fact, there is little need to put aside lectio divina or St. Teresa’s teaching on prayer. More than that, the Holy Spirit seems to be telling us specifically that St. Teresa’s spiritual daughter, the Little Flower (St. Therese of Lisieux) is to be followed, in having the Church declare her to be a Doctor of the Church. She, of course, found only the Scriptures and the sacraments as digestible food in her mature state.

Western religious can become restless and wandering (like Merton) when after many years they have not reached the infused state of simple union. More penance and humble abdication of self-will is likely to bring better results, so the Catholic Doctors teach, rather than using methods designed for very different and inferior goals. Such foreign methods do not lead to union; it goes directly against what Maritain stated, wisely following the tradition that one ought not stop being active in prayer until GOD ordains, and the activity should be always placing the One Who is Love before us, or rather we before Him (therefore the importance of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[Fergal]

Hello, all-

I am still relatively new to these forums, so please redirect me if I am posting in the wrong place.

I am currently enrolled in a pastoral ministry master degree program. While the university is Catholic, the theology department is, well, not as much.

During my Intro to spirituality class last night the priest teaching the class brought in two guest speakers-a nun and a brother who are part of some kind of retreat program here. Anyway, they were going through methods and tools to offer people seeking spiritual direction, including weslyan spirituality, some new age stuff, and books on generic spirituality which lacked any kind of religious identity, but never mentioned anything about popular pieties, the sacraments, or specifically catholic reading resources, etc.

Noting this, I said “as a Catholic, I would prefer to limit my spiritual direction of others to specifically Catholic resources.” and asked “Why, as Catholics, would we want to direct someone coming to us for spiritual direction to seek their spirituality through non-catholic traditions. Shouldn’t we, as Catholics, have confidence that the Church has within itself all that is necessary to lead a person to God? After all, if you go to a jewish, muslim, or buddhist spiritual director, you wouldn’t be surprised or offended if they presented a spiritual direction model specific to their tradition.”

I was stunned when all three presenters (teacher and two guests) started talking simultaneously, along with two other students in the class who couldn’t contain themselves either. The responses varied between cautioning me against being “closed minded,” clarifying that “spirituality is not the same as religion,” “they are coming to you for spiritual direction, not catechesis.” Other interesting comments included “well, the catholic church doesn’t have the answers for everything to do with spirituality,” “you can’t just have them read encyclicals and take the sacraments and expect them to be closer to God,” and “well, what would you tell a catholic who feels they are closer to God when they’re walking out in the woods and don’t like to go to mass-would you just tell them to be more catholic?”

Anyway, these types of comments continued for about 1/2 an hour of classtime, and spilled out onto the break. The general attitude was that I am closed minded, and that I “just don’t get what spiritual direction is all about.”

Where did I go wrong? I feel like I was percieved as a religious zealot, but I don’t think that my attitude toward spiritual direciton is off base. Any ideas on this?

Yup it is limiting because it limits the numbers of those who take it seriously and follow it with all their hearts. Therefore, those so called directors you were talking of, are off the path and walking way out on the grassy verge.

By the way, the right path mentioned in Psalm 23 is limiting since it is narrow. The gate that leads to everlasting happiness is limiting as it too is narrow.

Memorize this truth: ***“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” ***(Matthew 7:13-14).

 

[mercygate]

Since Catholic spirituality is grounded in and directed toward the Person of Jesus Christ, I fail to understand how it could be considered limiting by any standard.

 

[Gene_C]

HI Oscar (meow),

I sympathize with you. I have returned to the Church after around 30 years as an evangelical Protestant. I attended theologically conservative congregations/denominations, i.e., churches that believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, inerrant, etc.

I know that there are priests/bishops/organizations that hold to Church teaching and uplift the Scriptures instead of tearing it down but I am running across those who don’t have such a high view of Scripture. For instance, I believe that Moses wrote 4 of the 5 books of the Torah and acted as an editor on the other one (Genesis), using documents that had been handed down from generation to generation.

Now, I am enrolled in an official Diocesan training program and I see that the Bible we have to use holds to the Documentary Hypothesis of the Torah, a liberal view that, IMHO, tears down Scripture instead of upholding it.

I haven’t come to the OT class yet but I can see I am going to have a problem.

I thank God for men like Dr. Scott Hahn. I am using his material for a Scripture study class and plan on ordering his new book of Bible study.

Peace,
Gene

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Hello, all-

I am still relatively new to these forums, so please redirect me if I am posting in the wrong place.

I am currently enrolled in a pastoral ministry master degree program. While the university is Catholic, the theology department is, well, not as much.

During my Intro to spirituality class last night the priest teaching the class brought in two guest speakers-a nun and a brother who are part of some kind of retreat program here. Anyway, they were going through methods and tools to offer people seeking spiritual direction, including weslyan spirituality, some new age stuff, and books on generic spirituality which lacked any kind of religious identity, but never mentioned anything about popular pieties, the sacraments, or specifically catholic reading resources, etc.

Noting this, I said “as a Catholic, I would prefer to limit my spiritual direction of others to specifically Catholic resources.” and asked “Why, as Catholics, would we want to direct someone coming to us for spiritual direction to seek their spirituality through non-catholic traditions. Shouldn’t we, as Catholics, have confidence that the Church has within itself all that is necessary to lead a person to God? After all, if you go to a jewish, muslim, or buddhist spiritual director, you wouldn’t be surprised or offended if they presented a spiritual direction model specific to their tradition.”

I was stunned when all three presenters (teacher and two guests) started talking simultaneously, along with two other students in the class who couldn’t contain themselves either. The responses varied between cautioning me against being “closed minded,” clarifying that “spirituality is not the same as religion,” “they are coming to you for spiritual direction, not catechesis.” Other interesting comments included “well, the catholic church doesn’t have the answers for everything to do with spirituality,” “you can’t just have them read encyclicals and take the sacraments and expect them to be closer to God,” and “well, what would you tell a catholic who feels they are closer to God when they’re walking out in the woods and don’t like to go to mass-would you just tell them to be more catholic?”

Anyway, these types of comments continued for about 1/2 an hour of classtime, and spilled out onto the break. The general attitude was that I am closed minded, and that I “just don’t get what spiritual direction is all about.”

Where did I go wrong? I feel like I was percieved as a religious zealot, but I don’t think that my attitude toward spiritual direciton is off base. Any ideas on this?

You didn’t go wrong at all!

I went on a retreat last year where a lay-woman gave a talk on meditation and imaging.

Her jaw droppped open as I explained that what she was saying was contrary to St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. When I explained why, she just nodded in agreement and said thanks. Then talk ended with a guy who had no clue about the forum he was in, asking totally unrelated questions.

 

[Melanie01]

Check out a St Ignatius spiritual exercises retreat…these will transform your life…I am addicted to my yearly dose.

Look to the 3rd Orders out there if you wish to deepen your spiritual life.

Having said the above, I did not know such existed whilst growing up, attending Catholic schools, church etc. I was raised in a mixed Catholic/christian family the onus of my religious teaching being through my Lutheran mother. after falling away and my eventual return to Catholic faith…then I found what I was searching for

 

[bindybox]

A quick mention:

Scott Hahn described in his book Rome Sweet Rome how he felt “more Catholic” than fellow co-students (in a Catholic university) after his conversion. Ouch!

 

[InLight247]

During my Intro to spirituality class last night the priest teaching the class brought in two guest speakers-a nun and a brother who are part of some kind of retreat program here. Anyway, they were going through methods and tools to offer people seeking spiritual direction, including weslyan spirituality, some new age stuff, and books on generic spirituality which lacked any kind of religious identity, but never mentioned anything about popular pieties, the sacraments, or specifically catholic reading resources, etc.

Noting this, I said “as a Catholic, I would prefer to limit my spiritual direction of others to specifically Catholic resources.” and asked “Why, as Catholics, would we want to direct someone coming to us for spiritual direction to seek their spirituality through non-catholic traditions. Shouldn’t we, as Catholics, have confidence that the Church has within itself all that is necessary to lead a person to God? After all, if you go to a jewish, muslim, or buddhist spiritual director, you wouldn’t be surprised or offended if they presented a spiritual direction model specific to their tradition.”

I was stunned when all three presenters (teacher and two guests) started talking simultaneously, along with two other students in the class who couldn’t contain themselves either. The responses varied between cautioning me against being “closed minded,” clarifying that “spirituality is not the same as religion,” “they are coming to you for spiritual direction, not catechesis.” Other interesting comments included “well, the catholic church doesn’t have the answers for everything to do with spirituality,” “you can’t just have them read encyclicals and take the sacraments and expect them to be closer to God,” and “well, what would you tell a catholic who feels they are closer to God when they’re walking out in the woods and don’t like to go to mass-would you just tell them to be more catholic?”
…
Where did I go wrong? I feel like I was percieved as a religious zealot, but I don’t think that my attitude toward spiritual direciton is off base. Any ideas on this?

It is sad to read your report of the deviated views from priests and nuns.
They even encourage new age stuff? Oh, Lord have mercy! That could easily open doors to the dark power.

The most profound spirituality is found in the Catholic Church.
A Protestant pastor friend once said to me, ‘Talking about spirituality, it is you Catholics.”

You are not narrow-minded, you are clear minded!

Christ centered Catholic spirituality is a deep ocean to explore. When everything we need is at home, why travel far for wasting time? Don’t allow their twisted view to confuse you in any way.

If you have to remain in this class, I encourage you to present your authentic view and make a difference.

 

[Scottgun]

This is similar to an earlier thread where the claim was made that it is ok to keep Tarot cards in your house even though you don’t use them. The claim being they are just pictures on paper. I made the point that this is like keeping pictures of ex-girlfriends on your wife’s dresser and saying because you never plan to go out with them again, it’s ok. Adultery and idolatry are closely linked, and going outside the Faith in order to fulfill some spiritual void is cheating on God in a manner of speaking.

I would write a few polite but pointed letters to those in charge.

Scott

 

[BLB_Oregon]

In a program like that, surely you have a spiritual director who is familiar with the program you are in, correct? Have you spoken to your spiritual director or mentor about this?

 

[havemercy]

The only way I can see Catholic spirituality being too limiting is that you can go bonkers trying to take all the richness and diversity in.