I know this sounds silly, but you could just give him a copy of the book and tell him, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who get it, and those who don’t. Which one are you?”The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Explains the way to Christian perfection. What is the best way to explain this, To someone newly baptized?
I don’t think giving John of the Cross to a neophyte is a good idea. That is pretty advanced mystical theology and could kind of scare off a newbie. It’s not a book you can just read. It took me six months to get through it, slowing devouring it. Dark Night of the Soul took even longer. And I am not a newbie by any means.I know this sounds silly, but you could just give him a copy of the book and tell him, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who get it, and those who don’t. Which one are you?”
St. John of the Cross seems to disagree…I don’t think giving John of the Cross to a neophyte is a good idea. That is pretty advanced mystical theology and could kind of scare off a newbie. It’s not a book you can just read. It took me six months to get through it, slowing devouring it. Dark Night of the Soul took even longer. And I am not a newbie by any means.
I would suggest the Imitation of Christ.
“With God’s help, then, we shall propose doctrine and counsel for beginners and proficients that they may understand or at least know how to practice abandonment to God’s guidance when He wants them to advance. For some spiritual directors are likely to be a hindrance and harm rather than a help to these souls that journey on this road. Such directors have neither enlightenment nor experience of these ways. They are like the builders of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). When these builders were supposed to provide the proper materials for the project, they brought entirely different supplies, because they failed to understand the language.”
However,The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Prologue
However,He explains that,
Those who are already detached,
From temporal things,
Will more easily,
Grasp it.
For example,He refers to examples of the hidden pride, spiritual avarice, lust, anger, spiritual gluttony, envy, and sloth, explained in The Dark Night.
Not the, a way, and a spiritual director or other guide is necessary because we no longer have regular basic instruction in the ways of prayer.The Ascent of Mount Carmel,
Explains the way to Christian perfection.
What is the best way to explain this,
To someone newly baptized?
All people desire,Not the, a way, and a spiritual director or other guide is necessary because we no longer have regular basic instruction in the ways of prayer.
Do you intend to imply that Following St John of the Cross is necessary for salvation? The Church has a rich variety in approaches to the spiritual life, of which St John of the Cross presented one (and his mysticism is not even particularly close in time or manner to the spirituality presented in the Gospel). These diverse manners of following the Way (that is Christ) are complimentary, not contradictory.All people desire,
And have always desired,
A Good Existence in Principle,
Existence is the principle of reason.
Therefore, it is self-evident that,
Any two ways that contradict,
Can not both bring,
A Good Existence.
Your religion states, “Catholic.”
Catholic dogmas do not change,
And detachment is a dogmatic principle.
No.Detachment as a dogma?
These diverse manners of following the Way (that is Christ
) are complimentary, not contradictory.
Principles unite compliments.Dogmatic Theology can be defined as, "the scientific exposition of the whole theoretical doctrine revealed by God about God Himself and His activity
Contradictory principles do not unite compliments.
(Pursuing Goodness can never be pursuing an evil (lack of Goodness),
Since Goodness can never lack Goodness).
Dogmas describe God and His activity.
What do you think are the dogmas,
Which give complementarity,
To diverse manners?
[Formatting edited for readability]No.
Detachment is a principle which is dogmatic.
According to Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma…
Since detachment is loving God above all other goods, Then detachment is dogmatic.
- It is dogma that all that exists outside of God (goods) were created out of nothing.
- It is dogma that God is Goodness itself.
Principles unite compliments. Contradictory principles do not unite compliments.
(Pursuing Goodness can never be pursuing an evil (lack of Goodness), Since Goodness can never lack Goodness).
[Formatting edited for readability]Dogmas describe God and His activity. What do you think are the dogmas, Which give complementarity, To diverse manners?
“All that exists outside of God was, in its whole substance, produced out of nothing by God. The Vatican Council declared against the ancient pagan and gnostic-manichaean dualism, as well as against modern monism (materialism (material is God), pantheism.)”“God is absolute ontological Goodness in Himself and in relation to others. The Vatican Council teaches that God is infinite in every perfection and that in the creation He communicates His goodness to creatures.”Fundamentals of Catholic DogmaSo you do not have a citation for your statement that detachment is dogmatic? I don’t have access to Ott (other than the summary), but it seems to fail to support your assertion.
Discipline is shaped by dogma.The variances are not of a dogmatic nature, rarely are they even of doctrinal nature, but shaped at level of discipline and emphasis.
Detachment has not been defined as dogmatic (or as a dogmatic principle). Not everything derived from dogma, particularly with amazing logical leaps, is itself dogmatic, to the contrary, dogma requires authoritative definition. Where I believe you are in error is this: The relative value of the material world does not *necessarily *dictate the detachment of ascetics.How does it not support my assertion?
Material things are good, In that they can lead us to knowing Goodness (God), But they can also be an obstacle, If they become our ultimate goal.
I don’t deny that detachment is good, perhaps even necessary to any higher development of the spiritual life. But I repeat that the manner of walking of the Way of the unknown Master, St Basil, St Benedict, St. Robert of Molseme (but I repeat myself), St Francis, St Dominic, or St Ignatius (and more) is equally accepted by the Church as good and holy.The Way (of the Cross), Is a Way of mortification, A dying with Christ on the Cross, But sharing in His life-giving blood, Which flowed from His heart (John 19:34), To His lung from which He breathes (John 20:21-23), And is symbolic of His Love.
Not all discipline is defined by dogma, eg,: the celibate priesthood, while a good and holy discipline in the Western Church is not dogmatic, as readily seen by the acceptance of equally acceptable discipline of married men being ordained in the East.Discipline is shaped by dogma. Since these variances are shaped by dogma, These variances must include dogma.
dogmatic 1. characterized by or given to the use of dogmatism, 2. of or relating to dogma.
Since dogmas define God,Webster’s Dictionary
You cannot separate dogma from any true way to God,All I ask is that you don’t dogmatize St John of the Cross, or rather that you don’t present his writings as dogmatic to others.
The relative value of the material world does not necessarily dictate the detachment of ascetics.
It is dogma that,…“The 4th Lateran Councils declared: ‘together, in the beginning of time (God) founded out of nothing the double order of creatures, spiritual and corporal. In this eternity of the world is clearly rejected.’”
Material is not God.
God is the Perfect Good (Goodness).
So, if we are to have that Perfect Good (lacking no Goodness),
Then dogma necessarily dictates detachment from the material world.
The Ascent of Mount Carmel,Not the, a way, and a spiritual director or other guide is necessary because we no longer have regular basic instruction in the ways of prayer.
Explains the Way to God (Jesus),
Because it is a way to God,
Related to dogma.
It is dogmatic.
“The totality of the Bishops is infallible, when they, either assembled in general or scattered over the earth, proposed a teaching of faith or morals as one to be held by all the faithful (declared by the Council of Trent)”
So,Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH
LUMEN GENTIUM
SOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS
POPE PAUL VI
ON NOVEMBER 21, 1964
"Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission. This it intends to do following faithfully the teaching of previous councils. The present-day conditions of the world add greater urgency to this work of the Church so that all men, joined more closely today by various social, technical and cultural ties, might also attain fuller unity in Christ. "
From this Vatican Council document,
But I repeat that the manner of walking of the Way of the unknown Master,…
God is called a mystery,"The Vatican Council says of God that in reason and will and in every perfection, He is infinite. Psalm 146:5 ‘Of His wisdom there is no measure.’ Psalm 144:3, ‘Of His greatness there is no end.’ "
Not because He is unknown,
But because He can not be fully known,
Because He is infinite, and we are not infinite.
(Even as a group, we are limited, and need guiding principles)
But each of us are a way to God,The Ascent of Mount Carmel,
Explains the Way to God (Jesus),
Because it is a way to God,
Related to dogma.
It is dogmatic.
An imitation and likeness of God (Jesus),
When united to dogmas.
“When I brought you into the garden land to eat its goodly fruits, You entered and defiled my land you made my heritage loathsome.”
Jeremiah 2:7 (The New American Bible)“And I brought you into the land of Carmel, to eat the fruit thereof, and the best things thereof: and when ye entered in, you defiled my land, and made my inheritance an abomination.”
Jeremiah 2:7 (The Douay-Rheims Bible)“At the time this book was compiled (copyright, 1908) there was only one English Catholic Bible in universal use, and that was the Douay-Rheims version, which this concordance uses… The Douay-Rheims Bible is an exact, literal, word-for-word (slavishly faithful, if you will) translation of St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate Bible (translated approximately 375-415 A.D.). In turn, the Vulgate was a faithful, word-for-word literal translation of the Bible from its original texts.”A Textual Concordance of the Holy Scriptures - Thomas David Williams
There is a direct relationship between less concern for God (evil),“The more their appetite and thirst increases, the further they regress from God, the fount which alone can satisfy them. God Himself refers to these individuals through Jeremiah: ‘They have abandoned Me, the fount of living water, and dug for themselves leaking cisterns that cannot hold water.’” (Jeremiah 2:13 - The Douay-Rheims Bible)
*
The Ascent of Mount Carmel*
According to the Ascent of Mt. Carmel,Not the, a way, and a spiritual director or other guide is necessary because we no longer have regular basic instruction in the ways of prayer.
“Our knowledge of God here below is not proper but analogical”Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma“If a man born blind were told about the nature of the color yellow, he would understand absolutely nothing no matter how much instruction he received.”The Ascent of Mount Carmel
Union with God occurs at the summit of Mt. Carmel,
Within this river,From which an endless river of grace flows.
Contains the Precious Blood,
Which flows from the Heart of Jesus
At his death on the Cross, His Holy Sacrifice,
But returns back up to Him at His Resurrection.
In this Precious Blood,
Dying with Christ (Mortification),
We too can ascend to the summit of Mt Carmel,
To that most perfect union with Him in heaven (Perfect Happiness).
“As servant and representative of Christ, the minister is in conscience bound to minister the Sacraments in a worthy manner, that is, in the state of grace. (Exodus 19:22, Leviticus 19:2, 21:6). The administration of a Sacrament (with exceptions found in Baptism) in the state of grievous sin is a sacrilege.”Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma"An unworthy Communion is a sacrilege (irreverence to God) (1 Corinthians 2:27).Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
“Heretical, schismatical, excommunicate or even sinful priest, although they have the power to consecrate the Eucharist, yet they do not make a proper use of it; on the contrary, they sin by using it. But whoever communicates with another who is in sin, becomes a sharer in his sin.”Summa Theologica: Volume V, Question 82, Article 9"Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. If any one come to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; for he who greets him shares his wicked work. "2 John 11
“Consequently, it is not lawful to receive Communion from them (ministers), or to assist at their mass… By refusing to hear the masses of such priests, or to receive Communion from them, we are not shunning God’s sacraments; on the contrary, by doing so we are giving them honor (hence a host consecrated by such priests is to be adored, and if it be reserved, it can be consumed by a lawful priest: but what we shun is the sin of the unworthy ministers.”Summa Theologica: Volume V, Question 82, Article 9“Although they are suspended by the Divine sentence, yet they are not suspended in regard to others by any ecclesiastical sentence: consequently until the Church’s sentence is pronounced, it is lawful to receive Communion at their hands.”Summa Theologica: Volume V, Question 82, Article 9
“Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.” The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the practice of Israel; and not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the alter? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
Communion with The Precious Blood,1 Corinthians 10:14-21
This person should be ignored as a director, with whom we give obedience.However, a spiritual director,
Who accepts monism (materialism, pantheism, etc.)
In good conscious, should be ignored regarding spiritual matters,
Because monism accepts that we,
With material bodies,
Are God.
“The Church resorts to excommunication to repair and not to destroy… in certain matters wherein communication is lawful, viz. in those which concern salvation, for one is allowed to speak of such matters to with an excommunicated person.”
It is allowed for the clergy and laity,Summa Theologica: Volume V, Question 23, Article 1
“The best method of assisting at Mass is to unite with the priest in offering the Holy Sacrifice, and to receive Holy Communion (Baltimore Catechism).”
And this sacrilege,
“But striking a shoal they ran the vessel aground; the bow struck and remained immovable, and the stern was broken up by the surf.”Acts of the Apostles 27:41“The present-day ‘St. Paul’s Bay’ on the island of Malta exactly fits the description St. Luke gives here. The sailors tried to steer the ship into the small inlet but ran it aground on a sandbank before they could get there. Although they were within striking distance of the beach, the sea was so rough that it broke up the ship, whose prow was trapped. ‘This is what happens to souls given to this world who do not strive to despise worldly things: the prow of their intentions is completely locked into the earth and the force of the waves completely demolishes all the work they have accomplished’ (St. Bede, Super Act expositio, ad loc.)”Navarre Bible Commentary, Acts 27:41
“Corporal matters are subordinate to spiritual matters. Wherefore the power which extends to spiritual things, can also extend to matters touching the body.”“Not to even eat with such a one (1 Corinthians 5:11)”Summa Theologica: Volume V, Question 23, Article 1"However, a spiritual director,
Who accepts monism (materialism, pantheism, etc.)
In good conscious, should be ignored regarding spiritual matters,
Because monism accepts that we,
With material bodies,
Are God.