We already are, but don’t see how.
Your view conflicts with the Gospel text though. It’s not true that you possess the direct, immediate vision of the Blessed Trinity. Your resistance to that fact says something … are you so arrogant as to present yourself as one who has achieved the spiritual perfection that Unity requires? I’m sorry, but that’s certainly the way it sounds.
You’ve fallen very short of the mark, Gaber. I’m forced to talk about you because that’s the only topic you offer us. It’s all about your world, and not about God, not about His Church, not about orthodox teaching, not about the moral imperatives that Christ gave us – but all we have is what we can know about you.
As Catholics, we’re taught to discern spirits. How do we know a person is a true prophet or a false one? How do we know a visionary is true or false?
The first, fundamental rule is to test what the self-proclaimed prophet says.
Second, test what he is.
If the prophet argues against the Catholic Faith, we know that cannot be the work of God.
We can discuss that if you want – it’s a different topic, but I can show you why orthodox Catholic teaching is the measure of true spirituality, and a deviation from Catholic belief is proof that there is error and falsehood in the spiritual claim.
If the prophet does not reveal the basic, fundamental virtues that are absolutely required of a true spiritual foundation – then that is a very strong indication that there is falsehood and deceit involved, either intentional or not.
That’s all we’re left with in discerning what you have to say.
Do you speak about God? Not really.
Do you speak about a burning love of Christ and of His teaching. No.
Are you interested in submitting, purely and simply, to the divine truths given through the Church? No.
Do you place your own esoteric, ambiguous opinions above the doctrines of the Magisterium of the Church? Yes.
Do you prefer to focus on mental awareness than on the beauty, power, love and nature of God? Yes.
These are all indicators that you do not possess the divine vision. Of course – that should be obvious. You’re struggling to find the truth.
There’s nothing wrong with that Gaber. What is wrong is that you won’t admit that, and you pretend that you don’t need to engage in that. You pretend that you can actually see the truth when it’s obvious that you don’t.
How can you not keep the commandments from a state of Unity?
You are not in a state of Unity. Period. It’s up to you do deny that and assert the opposite. You do not possess the direct, immediate vision of the Blessed Trinity.
I’m not trying to embarrass you, but this is necessary for you to recognize and admit.
Only by being ignorant that that is a pre-existing condition occluded by identifying with the changeability of the mind.
The direct vision transcends the changeability of the mind – it’s the Unity with the Unchanging. “… we will be like Him”. We no longer need to talk about the limits of reason because we have the Vision. Again, you do not possess that vision. Period. That is a clear and obvious fact.
To refute me, just point me (off line to protect confidentiality) to one Catholic priest who will attest that you authentically possess the Divine Vision – directly. That should be easy.
Why do all those contemplatives go and meditate **on **Silence
Here’s where you’re completely wrong and offering false teaching.
None of the Catholic Saints mediated ON silence. You capitalize Silence like it’s a god of some kind – that’s the idolatry I’m trying to show you. You’re meditating on a natural thing – something created. That’s the evil that is subtle but very real.
The saints meditated IN silence – and they mediated ON God alone. ON the perfection and fullness of God. They forgot themselves, they had NO NEED for mental techniques or even understandings of their own awarness or lack of reason. If they meditated on On themselves, or ON silence, or ON awareness or ON their own minds – they removed themselves from God.
That’s a beautiful example of your problem in a nutshell. You’re always talking about mind and awareness but never on God. You cannot love God fully until He is everything and you realize you are His creature. You need to submit and subject yourself to Him - not to your own opinions.
But unfortunately, it’s all about your own opinions in every one of our discussion and never about submission to Him (correction – you do admit that He introduced you to awarness, but you substitute that awareness for Him).
Where is the gratitude, Gaber? How do you thank Christ for what He gives you? By rejecting the Church He died for?
How does your assessment of where I’m at constitute any semblance of actuality?
I think I’ve offered some clarity for you to consider. Go and read what I said.
They are your problems because you make them so.
I don’t consider myself the maker of reality. Again, I am a creature, not the Creator. This the arrogance that you seem to be presenting. Supposedly, you are the Creator of your own reality – this leaves no room or need for God. This explains why you never refer to Him or to His moral law. You dismiss the Church because it’s “not your problem” – you’ve made your own church, which is yourself.
You’re cut off from the Community of the Faithful – the Communion of Saints. Because you have no need for them. Again, that’s just simple arrogance and egoism. We all face that temptation, but yours is public and affirmative. So I feel the need to point that out in hopes of correcting you.
They are not problems to me, as you have not yet once accurately described what I’m about, and can’t.
You’re a lapsed Catholic. You avoid going to Mass. You don’t confess your mortal sins. Those are accurate descriptions based on facts.
You have an excellent mind.
Gaber, I am trying everything I can to open **your **excellent mind – because I think you’re worth it. I am praying for you because you’re not on the right path – although I think in your heart you truly want to be.
And what could be the remedy to that is what I keep harping about. I don’t know what the most excellent Saint meant or intended by what is translated as “reason.” I’d love to talk with him now that he had that insight during the Mass that changed his life just before he left us. Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Yes, it would be. Keep in mind, what you’re harping about is not new (as you know) and it’s also completely unnecessary for you to keep harping, especially when your own views are in need of reform and improvement.
True prayer is a communication of Love. That’s basic. We know that. We can know that fully without disparaging reason. You continue to attack reason, you continue to act as if reason is unnecessary. But in the Catholic view, BOTH reason and transcendence are necessary. Dogma and Mysticism must work together. Doctrine without mystical love is empty legalism. Mysticism without true doctrine is fanaticism.
We have to have a balance of both. Not reason alone, not intuition alone.
A powerful, heartfelt post, Reggie. All of us need the virtue of humility to recognise the limitations of our reasoning but to deny its basic role is a form of pride. As Jesus Himself used it so must we.