Not holding mental images during prayer

[hazcompat]

Hello, friend,

Good for you! But beware…One day the Lord will take away both the images and the feelings, plus the sense of his presence that are so vital to your interior life right now. The Saints tell us that it will be painful, but not to worry- that this is actually very good news!

If you co-operate with the Lord, he will take away (for your own good) all the things you lean on now interiorly- Images, discursive reasoning, nice feelings, the sense of his presence etc- and replace them with himself! That is: true, direct, immediate and experential knowledge of him (contemplation), abundant increase in Divine love or charity, great progress in sanctity and rapid growth of the virtues, and unimaginable spiritual consolations that will make you despise all the wonderful feelings of love and closeness that you experience at this point.

May we get there as soon as possible-

Peace!

Beyond this the desert, then the crucifixion, death, and Resurrection…

peace

 

[Hesychios]

I didn´t know that in Western Christianity this concept of prayer with no mental images also existed…so I thank you all for having enlightened me.

I was once surprised to see this concept expounded in the writings of a modern Roman Catholic priest and hermit, father Gabriel Bunge OSB. His book Earthen Vessels is a classic in my opinion.

Many scholars attribute the establishment of western monasticism to Saint John Cassian, who learned from the early eastern hermits and monastics. Also, Gaul (today France) was largely missionized through the efforts of eastern Christians, particularly from the ‘churches of Asia’ (the ‘seven churches of Revelation’ famous also for being among the Quartodeciman ) .

Not surprisingly, much of eastern Christian spirituality still runs near to the roots of western Christianity, particularly through the communities of monastics and hermits who learn, quite naturally, from their own spiritual fathers going back the generations. This may be occasionally revealed through their writings.

However, today it has largely been forsaken. Imagineering in religion is much more popular going forward.

 

[Marybeloved]

Not surprisingly, much of eastern Christian spirituality still runs near to the roots of western Christianity, particularly through the communities of monastics and hermits who learn, quite naturally, from their own spiritual fathers going back the generations. This may be occasionally revealed through their writings.

This strikes me as inaccurate. The concept of deliberately ridding oneself of images rather than a gradual, natural growth of prayer from that to the loving attention to contemplation (which no one acquires for himself and depends largely on God’s initiative, though we cooperate with it) is condemned in Western monasticism as dangerous.

However, today it has largely been forsaken. Imagineering in religion is much more popular going forward.

Why does this come off so condescending? The interior lives of the saints are certainly no product of imagineering. And I see nothing among the early mystics and dessert fathers and mothers that contradicts, in the least, classic Western spirituality- Indeed they say the same things.

 

[hazcompat]

His light is greater than life.

peace

 

[hazcompat]

This strikes me as inaccurate. The concept of deliberately ridding oneself of images rather than a gradual, natural growth of prayer from that to the loving attention to contemplation (which no one acquires for himself and depends largely on God’s initiative, though we cooperate with it) is condemned in Western monasticism as dangerous.
Why does this come off so condescending? The interior lives of the saints are certainly no product of imagineering. And I see nothing among the early mystics and dessert fathers and mothers that contradicts, in the least, classic Western spirituality- Indeed they say the same things.

Curiuos, i read the same post and sensed no condescension.

Saint Albert the Great

On the highest and supreme perfection of man, in so far as it is possible in this life
De ultima et summa perfectione hominis, quantum in hac vita possibile est.

I have had the idea of writing something for myself on and about the state of complete and full abstraction from everything and of cleaving freely, confidently, nakedly and firmly to God alone, so as to describe it fully (in so far as it is possible in this abode of exile and pilgrimage), especially since the goal of Christian perfection is the love by which we cleave to God.

peace

 

[hazcompat]

Saint Albert the Great

On Cleaving to God

Members of religious orders have committed themselves in addition to evangelical perfection, and to the things that constitute a voluntary and counselled perfection by means of which one may arrive more quickly to the supreme goal which is God. The observation of these additional commitments excludes as well the things that hinder the working and fervour of love, and without which one can come to God, and these include
the renunciation of all things, of both body and mind, exactly as one’s vow of profession entails. Since indeed the Lord God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth, in other words, by knowledge and love, that is, understanding and desire, stripped of all images. This is what is referred to in Matthew 6.6, ‘When you pray, enter into your inner chamber,’ that is, your inner heart, ‘and having closed the door,’ that is of your senses, and there with a pure heart and a clear conscience, and with faith unfeigned, ‘pray to your Father,’ in spirit and in truth, ‘in secret.’ This can be done best when a man is disengaged and removed from everything else, and completely recollected within himself. There, in the presence of Jesus Christ, with everything, in general and
individually, excluded and wiped out, the mind alone turns in security confidently to the Lord its God with its desire. In this way it pours itself forth into him in full sincerity with its whole heart and the yearning of its love, in the most inward part of all its faculties, and is plunged, enlarged, set on fire and dissolved into him.

peace

 

[hazcompat]

Saint John of the Cross

Ascent of Mount Carmel

PROLOGUE

IN order to expound and describe this dark night, through which the soul passes in order to attain to the Divine light of the perfect union of the love of God, as far as is possible in this life, it would be necessary to have illumination of knowledge and experience other and far greater than mine; for this darkness and these trials, both spiritual and temporal, through which happy souls are wont to pass in order to be able to attain to this high estate of perfection, are so numerous and so profound that neither does human knowledge suffice for the understanding of them, nor experience for the description of them; for only he that passes this way can understand it, and even he cannot describe it.

peace