One more thought on the words of St. Gregory of Nazianzus: God is Light, the Most High, the Unapproachable. God cannot be conceived in the mind or spoken by the lips. God is the Life-giver for every rational creature. God is to the world of the spiritual intellect what the sun is to the sensory, material world. And God will manifest divinity in our minds to the degree that we are purified.
I conclude from these words that purification propels us deeper into an experience of God. Therefore, the spiritual life is not so much about effort but surrender. Certainly there are things to be done on the path of purification: we are to say our prayers, study Scripture, read theologically important books, joyfully involve ourselves in a faith community, give of our time, talents and treasure. Yet for me, purification implies something more. Rather awkwardly, what comes to my mind is the offering of that which is ‘out of whack’ or ‘bent’ (thank you, CS Lewis) so that it may be ‘put right’ (thanks, N.T. Wright). Purification is about our character, our heart, the core of one’s being. Actions flow out of our inner being; action also affects our inner being – over time. Hence the crucial importance of what we do. Yet obviously, we are not made pure simply by frantic pure actions. The actions that lead to purification are:
1) oblation: we offer ‘our selves, our souls, and bodies’ to God in a yearning attitude for change
2) silence: we quiet our mind, lips and body as we await God’s working in us
3) patience: we rely not only on God’s action but on God’s timetable
4) receptivity: we are ‘teach-able’
5) practice: we accept that we do not become holy all at once (as a 20th Century nun wrote), yet we keep on the pathway to purification, accepting our faults and failures as part of our path.
Fr. Richard
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Saturday, October 24, 2009
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The topic of purification brings to mind the recent news headlines about the deaths of several people who were undergoing a “sweat lodge” ritual, which from what little native culture I have read is a purification process undertaken in quest for a vision and purification.
ReplyDeleteWithout getting into the particulars of this happening, it does seem amazing the lengths to which I can go out of the way avoid getting to something that is close at hand.
Obviously there is something to be said for going to a special place (monastery, retreat, or desert) to promote the quest. Thomas Merton once quoted a spiritual advisors critique of his own (Merton’s) quest by suggestion he try being more stationary. (smile) Merton, one of my own spiritual gurus was of course a monk who often traveled the world from time to time rather staying in the hermitage or his cell. Yet, his writings about his own journey, his falling down and getting up, encourage me in my own many fallings and failings.
I have taken up swimming laps recently and am aware of one of the unintentional benefits of swimming with my face buried in the water and breathing through the snorkel is the solitude and relative absence of visual, sound, and tactile sensations that constantly bombard me, asking for engagement. Then while floating on my back and regulating my breathing I discovered an unexpected opportunity for meditation. Perhaps a reason to revisit full body baptism, maybe. Peace dear brother and sister.