The Spiritual Combat; The Imitation of Christ

I think that they were trying hard to get me the sack. But I went to the top Union Guy in the area, he oversees several hospitals and he made a phone call and I suspect this has gone away. I am not sure as neither him or management have said. But they are very,very unhappy with me and show it all the time. I don't mind how unhappy they are so long as they don;t sack me. It turns out one of the workers reported me anonymously back in November.

But this has taught me so much. Not to worry about little things. So much that concerned me was tiny.

 

I find both it and the Imitation are better read a chapter at a time. A chapter in this context is really only a page. But the Combat is like a Spiritual Instruction Manual. This is so different from my own spirituality which was always about the rosary and prayer. I can see I have taken a different path. But I enjoy reading them both, I find when I read a chapter it gives me lots to think about during the day.

I think I might buy a little Catholic Bible to take with me to Church to read a chapter a day as well through the year. But if I do I will try to get a good one with a leather cover. Something I can be proud of. Of course I could get it on Amazon Kindle; but I think there is something about having a real hard book is hard to beat when it is Sacred.

 

Yes me too.

 

So glad they didn't succeed. Why the animus? I suspect it is spiritual.

 

I can't even guess. I don;t even know any of these people, they are all complete strangers.

 

Oil and water don’t mix.

 

I am on the Night Shift for three Nights; so it is not so easy to concentrate on the texts, but for what it is worth.


The Third Chapter
THE DOCTRINE OF TRUTH
HAPPY is he to whom truth manifests itself, not in signs and words that fade, but as it actually is. Our opinions, our senses often deceive us and we discern very little.

What good is much discussion of involved and obscure matters when our ignorance of them will not be held against us on Judgment Day? Neglect of things which are profitable and necessary and undue concern with those which are irrelevant and harmful, are great folly.

We have eyes and do not see.

What, therefore, have we to do with questions of philosophy? He to whom the Eternal Word speaks is free from theorizing. For from this Word are all things and of Him all things speak -- the Beginning Who also speaks to us. Without this Word no man understands or judges aright. He to whom it becomes everything, who traces all things to it and who sees all things in it, may ease his heart and remain at peace with God.

O God, You Who are the truth, make me one with You in love everlasting. I am often wearied by the many things I hear and read, but in You is all that I long for. Let the learned be still, let all creatures be silent before You; You alone speak to me.

The more recollected a man is, and the more simple of heart he becomes, the easier he understands sublime things, for he receives the light of knowledge from above. The pure, simple, and steadfast spirit is not distracted by many labors, for he does them all for the honor of God. And since he enjoys interior peace he seeks no selfish end in anything. What, indeed, gives more trouble and affliction than uncontrolled desires of the heart?

A good and devout man arranges in his mind the things he has to do, not according to the whims of evil inclination but according to the dictates of right reason. Who is forced to struggle more than he who tries to master himself? This ought to be our purpose, then: to conquer self, to become stronger each day, to advance in virtue.

Every perfection in this life has some imperfection mixed with it and no learning of ours is without some darkness. Humble knowledge of self is a surer path to God than the ardent pursuit of learning. Not that learning is to be considered evil, or knowledge, which is good in itself and so ordained by God; but a clean conscience and virtuous life ought always to be preferred. Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well.

If men used as much care in uprooting vices and implanting virtues as they do in discussing problems, there would not be so much evil and scandal in the world, or such laxity in religious organizations. On the day of judgment, surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived.

Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so well in life and who were famous for their learning? Others have already taken their places and I know not whether they ever think of their predecessors. During life they seemed to be something; now they are seldom remembered. How quickly the glory of the world passes away! If only their lives had kept pace with their learning, then their study and reading would have been worth while.

How many there are who perish because of vain worldly knowledge and too little care for serving God. They became vain in their own conceits because they chose to be great rather than humble.

He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God's will and renounces his own is truly very learned.

 

This brings me back thirty years ago till I was barely just converted and just out of prison. I used to go about the place praying the Rosary all the times and praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament (I had plenty of time on my hands since I was not then working and was just about to enter the monastery)

But one of the things I recall as I prayed the rosary was the deep knowledge of heavenly things that came to me as I meditated on the rosary . It was as if I was getting my very own theology lessons. That stands so well by me know when we see our poor Church in such an awful state of Crisis because of sexual perversion whose eldest child is heresy.

I realise now that one of the reasons Our Lady always comes to teach us t pray the rosary is as an antidote to heresy.

 

POWERFUL. And timely. I must read this again slowly and pray to Our Lady to help me to adopt these wonderful guidelines. This could have been written in 2019 instead of the 1400's.

 

YES. And this is why the proud progressives dismiss the Rosary as out of date and mindless. Thank God for the Holy Rosary. Simple does not mean stupid. TS Eliot in his poem Little Gidding speaks of requiring a state of absolute simplicity.

 

Yes, it kind of gave me a shock reading it; like a shout of warning from way back in the 1400's.

 

The Rosary is the Weapon
And it teaches us everything we need to know to get to Heaven
It confounds the proud and “wise”

 

YES. Take it to the bank!! (I am chock full of cliches this morning. Cant remember important stuff but I got plenty of these silly thi ngs)

 

Yes, Thomas A Kempis warns against the collection of knowledge simply for knowledge sake. It must be done in Wisdom, it must be related to God.

I walked past my Diocesan seminary last night and felt huge sadness and foreboding at all the bad things that might be going on there and in others across the planet.

These people might laugh at the Imitation now. But they'll not be laughing when they get to hell.

 

So true Padraig...

 

I love seeing those chapters of Thomas a Kempis here. I have the book, had it for years, I read a lot, but I never read the Imitation of Christ. I guess now it is time!

 

It’s true...there is that rosary bank in heaven AED

 

The Fourth Chapter
PRUDENCE IN ACTION
DO NOT yield to every impulse and suggestion but consider things carefully and patiently in the light of God's will. For very often, sad to say, we are so weak that we believe and speak evil of others rather than good. Perfect men, however, do not readily believe every talebearer, because they know that human frailty is prone to evil and is likely to appear in speech.

Not to act rashly or to cling obstinately to one's opinion, not to believe everything people say or to spread abroad the gossip one has heard, is great wisdom.

Take counsel with a wise and conscientious man. Seek the advice of your betters in preference to following your own inclinations.

A good life makes a man wise according to God and gives him experience in many things, for the more humble he is and the more subject to God, the wiser and the more at peace he will be in all things.

 

This Chapter on Prudence caused me to burst out laughing as I am the most imprudent person in the Universe; the most impulsive. It is as if it were written specially for myself.

I heard one time about an Army General who was very, very impulsive. If there was an issue everyone used to run to get to him as fast as they cold to make their case because they all knew whoever got to him first was on a winner. He believed the first one who carried a tale and it never did matter who was right and wrong.

Many, many very prudent people on the forum have taught me huge lessons on prudence over the present crisis in the Church. They have been so prudent and thoughtful. Not believing every piece of fake news or rushing to Judgement.

I may still be imprudent but they have taught me to slow down at least a little and think things through at least a little bit more. This has been a huge grace; though I am on a slow learning curve on this. I think the internet causes a huge need for prudence.

Raymond Arroyo and the Papal Posse on EWTN have been huge teachers of Prudence too. Examples, in fact.

 

Iwas thinking that there is a true prudence and a false prudence. When Jesus told the Apostles that He was going to Jerusalem to die St Peter opposed Him. This seemed very,very prudent. But Jesus said, 'Behind me Satan!

I think you often see this in the lives of the saints. When Mother Teresa wanted to leave her convent to go into the Calcutta slums people thought she was nuts. That it was very, very imprudent. But it turned out otherwise.

The same thing with St Francis of Assisi when he gave away his clothes back to his father and walked away naked.

God's ways are not man's ways and they do often seem nuts.