Religious Ecstasy - Pt. 2

To read the first post of this series, click here.


The next three or four posts of this series will be a summary and commentary on St. John of the Cross’ book, Ascent of Mount Carmel, which is a “how-to” book for achieving mystical union/religious ecstasy. If you are interested in this subject, I strongly encourage you to read the original source material itself. It is a fairly easy read.

The According to Pope Pius XI, St. John of the Cross “points out to souls the way of perfection as though illumined by light from on high, in his limpidly clear analysis of mystical experience. And although [his works] deal with difficult and hidden matters, they are nevertheless replete with such lofty spiritual doctrine and are so well adapted to the understanding of those who study them that they can rightly be called a guide and handbook for the man of faith who proposes to embrace a life of perfection.”

St. John of the Cross calls the process of achieving mystical union as passing through the dark night. The night is dark because we are not fully illuminated by the truth of God. As I stated in my original post on this subject, achieving mystical union is not common. According to Ascent of Mount Carmel, however, the reason for that is because most of us lack the will to follow through. St. John of the Cross reassures us that all the things that he lays out in his book are “quite sufficient for entrance into the night of sense.” However, the path he describes is extremely difficult and would likely be unsettling since it requires us to strip away our conceits, pleasures, and habits.

According to St. John of the Cross, the reasons most people don’t achieve religious ecstasy are as follows:

·        Most people don’t have any desire to enter the dark night or to allow themselves to be led into it;

·        Most people lack competent and alert spiritual directors who can guide them;

·        Some spiritual advisors might not understand that novices passing through the dark night should be left in the state of purgation and even desire it until God decides otherwise; and

·        While passing through the dark night dark an individual will be contemplative and he will probably feel darkness, trials, and constraints. His friends will diagnose it as depression and encourage him to cheer up and go out and have some fun. Such comforters will certainly derail the novice from his journey.

Book One – The Senses

The journey through the dark night has three parts. It begins with a denial of the senses. The first book of Ascent of Mount Carmel can be summarized in this way – We must make ourselves a vacuum so that God can then fill us.

Desires, when they are acted upon, seem sweet and often appear to be good, but they leave a bitter after-taste.

An individual needs to gradually to deprive himself of the desire for all the worldly things he possesses. “Things” and pleasures distract us. All of creation, compared with the infinite Being of God, is nothing. And therefore the soul that sets its affection upon the distractions of creation restricts what he sees.

The more our souls are filled with desire for “things,” the less capacity we have for God. According to St. John of the Cross, a soul that is clothed in pleasure has no capacity for enlightenment or possession of the pure and simple light of God. Once we purge ourselves of those “creatures,” our souls are like a smooth, blank board upon which nothing is painted, with nothing distracting it. This is the first step.

The soul that loves many other things becomes incapable of pure union with God and transformation in Him. To make progress toward mystical union we must concentrate less on giving up things and instead working on giving up desiring things.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.

In my previous post I wrote about my return to the Church. My first two Lents were amazing. Through fasting and prayer I gained much better understanding of God’s plan. As a result, Lent became my favorite time of the year. However, the next few Lents were less remarkable despite the fact that I was giving up more and more “things.” After reading Accent of Mount Carmel I now realize that it was because each Lent I would take two steps forward and two steps back. I would give up distractions for 40 days, only to return to them immediately after Lent.

According to St. John of the Cross, the first thing that we must do on our journey through the dark night is to abandon our pride. For most people, this is probably their biggest distraction, the hardest to recognize in themselves, and the most difficult to strip away.

There is a difference between pride and self-confidence and self-respect. St. John of the Cross says that “those who consider themselves to be persons with a certain amount of knowledge are very ignorant, so that the Apostle, writing to the Romans, says of them: Dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt. That is: Professing themselves to be wise, they became foolish. And those alone acquire wisdom of God who are like ignorant children, and, laying aside their knowledge, walk in His service with love.” When stripped of the defense shield of pride, the dark night might become very dark and foreboding. However, we must work through it because these feeling will pass.

St. John of the Cross says that we should not seek honors before other men because this is also pride. All the wealth and glory of all creation, in comparison with the wealth which is God, is supreme poverty and wretchedness.

We do not gain grace when we don’t raise our desires above “childish” things. In simple spiritual food we could find sweetness, but when we have worldly desires we instead taste things that are only frivolous in fleeting.

Before ascending to the summit, we need to do two things perfectly:

1. We must cast away all strange gods -- namely, all strange affections and attachments; and
2. We must purify ourselves of the remnants of those desires left in the soul, by habitually denying them.

Through the observance of these two things, God will change us, from old to new, by giving us a new understanding of Him, and we will attain the state of union.

As noted in a previous post, St. John of the Cross says, “Wherefore, as in natural generation no form can be introduced unless the preceding, contrary form is first expelled from the subject, which form, while present, is an impediment to the other by reason of the contrariety which the two have between each other; even so, for as long as the soul is subjected to the sensual spirit, the spirit which is pure and spiritual cannot enter it.”

There are five “positive” evils that come from desires. They are as follows:

·        The first evil is a resistance to the Spirit of God.

·        The second effect is that distractions weary the soul by tormenting, defiling, and weakening it. Desires weary the soul because it is never satisfied. After the temporary pleasures of hedonism wear off, we are left with an even greater emptiness and hunger. The more intense the desire, the greater is the torment that it causes the soul.

·        The third evil is blindness and darkening of the soul. When the soul is darkened in understanding, the understanding has no capacity for receiving enlightenment from the wisdom of God.

·        The fourth evil is the staining and defilement of the soul.

·        The fifth evil is making the soul lukewarm and weak. If are many and dispersed, the attention to things of God is dispersed and the soul is weaker in virtue. The soul is set upon various trifles and becomes like water which, having a place below to empty itself, never rises. Desires are like leeches, which are forever sucking the blood from our veins,

For most of us, our blindness is so extreme that we stumble “at midday as though it was in the darkness. For he that is blinded by desire has this property, that, when he is set in the midst of truth and of that which is good for him, he can no more see them than if he were in darkness.”

All desires are not equally harmful.

There are also natural desires such as hope, fear and grief. The natural desires “hinder the soul little, if at all, from attaining to union.”

It is the voluntary desires that are grave and those must all be driven away no matter how slight they may be.

St. John of the Cross says “a garment, a book, a cell, a particular kind of food, tittle-tattle, fancies for tasting, knowing or hearing certain things, and suchlike. Any one of these imperfections, if the soul has become attached and habituated to it, is of as great harm to its growth and progress in virtue.”

It is difficult to cast-aside things that are important to us - the same things that we use to define ourselves – our passions and hobbies. These things are different for everyone. They might be:

·        Listening to sports-talk radio;

·        Going out to dinner;

·        Movies;

·        Fine wine;

·        Television (other than EWTN);

·        Reading novels;

·        Home brewing;

·        Fantasy football;

·        Crossword puzzles;

·        Online poker;

·        Golf;

·        Vacations;

·        …and many more.

All of these things may seem harmless. However, they allow subtle evils to enter our lives. Even a love of scripture can be a distraction if we become prideful and use it like a club to bully others on Internet forums.


The problem with letting a single distraction remain can be illustrated by this example: Have you ever done a single thing or task throughout the entire day? That night there was a good chance that you dreamed about it. Therefore if we strip ourselves of all distractions except one, there is a good chance that that single distraction will have an inordinate amount of power over our souls.

Of course we can’t purge ourselves of everything. Family may be a pleasure but it is also our obligation to take care of them and spend time with them. Exercise is also important because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Even money isn’t always a distraction. St. John of the Cross said, “David says these words: Pauper sum ego, et in laboribus a indenture mea. Which signifies: I am poor and in labors from my youth. He calls himself poor, although it is clear that he was rich, because his will was not set upon riches, and thus it was as though he were really poor.”

To achieve religious ecstasy, the first step is that virtually everything that that lives in our souls must die; both little and great, and the soul must be detached from desires.

In addition to the five “positive” evils stemming from desires that are listed above, there is also the “privative” evil, which comes from depriving the soul of the grace of God. The privative evil can only be wrought by voluntary desires for things relating to mortal sin. Mortal sins produce total blindness, torment, impurity, and weakness.

All “unnatural” desires produce evils. According to St. John of the Cross, “Although one avaricious desire produces them all, its principal and direct result is to produce misery. One vainglorious desire produces them all; its principal and direct result is to produce darkness and blindness. And, although one gluttonous desire produces them all, its principal result is to produce luke-warmness in virtue.”

All the virtues grow through the practice of any one of them, and all the vices grow through the practice of any one of them.

A person needs to develop a habitual desire to imitate Christ in everything that he does. In to do this well, every pleasure that presents itself to the senses, if it does not add to the honor and glory of God, must be rejected.

In this detachment the spiritual soul finds its repose. Since it covets nothing, nothing wearies it when it is lifted up, and nothing oppresses it when it is cast down, because it is in the center of its humility. But when it covets anything, at that very moment it becomes wearied.

Strive to do the following:

·        To prefer, not that which is easiest, but that which is most difficult;

·        To desire nothing;

·        To enter into complete detachment, emptiness, and poverty with respect to everything that is in the world; and

·        To think humbly of yourself.

It will take “courage to remain in darkness as to all things, depriving itself of desire for them all.”


We could, perhaps, accomplish some of what is described above by going into a sensory deprivation tank. However, if we did so without first going to confession, learning humility, and learning obedience, our emptied souls would still be blinded by the sins, which we have not purged. We would be more open to demonic forces rather than to the grace of God. 

The next post in this series will summarize Book Two, which deals with Faith – which is midnight during “the dark night.”

Click here to see the next post in this series.

Curses, Dedications, Consecrations, and Blood Contracts

I am going to do this post, one on fasting, and also finish the series on religious ecstasy before the start of Lent. Therefore, my posts on Mosaic Law might be a bit scarcer over the next couple of weeks.  

I’m starting with this post because the information below helped me to take the first step of my spiritual journey at about the start of Lent six years ago.

Six years ago I was a secular humanist. I was wavered between being an atheist and an agnostic. I thought religions were convenient stories, invented by man, that parents could tell their kids so that the kids would be “good.”

I was closed to the truth. St. John of the Cross said that mortal sin produces total blindness. Fr. John Corapi says, “When good becomes evil, and evil becomes good, the light goes out, darkness falls, and indeed, if your light is darkness, how deep, how very deep will the darkness be.”

On or about February 6, 2005, I was driving home from work flipping radio stations. I stumbled upon the Drew Mariani show on Relevant Radio. Normally I would have immediately switched stations. At that moment, however, his guest Fr. Robert Altier was talking about curses, and it piqued my interest.

I don't remember everything he said, but it had a big impact on me. On that day I took the first step out of the darkness. Though it was a very small step, it was the first step, in about thirty years, that I took in the right direction . I had finally heard the truth and started to recognize it as such.

On the radio, Fr. Altier said that he could have his office fax a copy of a prayer to break curses, dedications, consecrations and blood contracts to listeners. The next morning I called his office and asked for a faxed copy.

I did a word search on the Internet and it doesn’t appear to be posted anywhere, so I thought that I’d re-type it here in its entirety. I didn’t change anything but a bit of formatting and I fixed some typos (and might have accidentally added a few typos).

Though there are a couple of things in the introduction (describing acupuncture and tattoos as being sinful) with which some could take issue, it is a powerful prayer and maybe someone could use it.

I don’t know Fr. Altier, but from what I’ve read about him on the Internet, he seems to be a very holy man. There are some parallels between his career as a priest and the careers of Padre Pio and St. John of the Cross.

For the breaking of Dedications, Consecrations and Blood Contracts

Dedications are acts done to a child or on behalf of a child prior to seven years of age, which would give the devil some kind of legal right in the area of the dedication, e.g. child abuse (physical or sexual), parents going to a psychic, a guru, or some other new age practitioner with a child in utero, bringing the child with them or somehow giving the children over to some kind of new age or Satanic influence: parents allowing young children to play "magic" games, e.g., magic eight ball, light as a feather stiff as a board, Ouija boards, séances, etc.

Consecrations are acts which are done by persons seven years of age and older by which they forge a legal bond with the devil in the area to which the act pertains, e.g., mortal sins against the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Commandment, involvement in anything, New Age or occult, ingestion of semen, spilling of semen (even through masturbation) or "withdrawal" in the marriage act, use of condoms or other non-abortifacient contraceptives, going to concerts by bands whose music is Satanic, taking of illegal drugs, suicide attempts, etc. N.B. All blood contracts are also consecrations.

Blood Contracts are mortal sins, which also involve blood in one manner or another, e.g., formally making a pact with the devil and signing with blood, becoming "blood brothers/sisters," murder, abortion, contraceptive abortions, sodomy, violating or losing virginity outside of marriage (even if the person eventually became your spouse), intercourse during the menstrual period outside of a sacramental marriage, ingestion of blood (includes oral sex practices during menstruation outside of marriage) tattoos, acupuncture, sterilization, injections of illegal drugs, mutilation, body piercing, etc.

Directions: Using the prayers below - the first with the heading of Formal Rejection of a Satanic Consecration say the prayer entitled Person's Act of Rejection three times in its entirety inserting the names of the dedications, consecrations, and blood contracts of which you are aware into the spot near the end of the prayer where instructed. After praying the prayer three times, then pray the prayer with the heading, Person's Act of Re-Consecration three times in its entirety.

After the above prayers are completed, a priest must break the dedications, contracts, and consecrations (these can be done separately) with the prayers sent directly to him. The priest should name the dedications, contracts, and consecrations in his prayer, so it would be good for you to have a list for him. A Mass must also be said for the breaking of all blood contracts (you can have a Mass said for a "Special Intention" in order to maintain anonymity and propriety).

Formal Rejection of a Satanic Consecration

If a person has been consecrated to the devil, three times this wicked act must be personally rejected, three times the priest must break the seal, and three times the person must be re-consecrated to Jesus and Mary.

Person's Act of Rejection

I reject any consecration, dedication, contract (blood or otherwise), vow, pact, endowment, empowerment, hooks, lines, tentacles, roots, attachments, attenuations, bonds, ties or attachments, attractions or any connections with persons or beings, or promises to Satan of myself (my spouse, my children, grandchildren, lineage) my ego, psyche, heart, spirit soul, body, mind, memory, imagination, intellect, will, thoughts, (conscious, inner, subliminal, subconscious), thought patters, thought processes, ruminations, obsessing, deliberations, mental harassments, brooding, dwell gloomily, mental obfuscations, dreams, nightmares, faculties (my priestly ecclesiastical faculties), five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, habits, appetites, passion, emotions, feelings, the brain, cranium, superior sagittal sinus, cerebral cortex, dura matter; falx cerebri, tentrium cerebella, arachnoid and subarachnoid space, pia matter, forebrain: cerebrum, lateral ventricles, interventricular foramen, third ventricle, cerebral aqueduct, fourth ventricle, choroids plexus, central canal, cisterns: great, superior, pontine, interpenduncular, lumbar cistern, basal nuclei, caudate nucleus, lenticular nucleus, subdivisions of white matter, corpus callosum, projection tracts, corona radiate, internal capsule, association tracts, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal gland/epithalamus, hypophsis, internal capsule, pituitary gland, cerebrospinal fluid, frontal lobe: (Broca and Wernike's areas - speech) pre-central gyrus (motor area), post-central gyrus (sensory area), temporal lobe-auditory area, occipital lobe - visual area, major fissures, longitdian and lateral fissures, central sulcus, midbrain (mesencephalon) cerebral peduncles, cerebral aqueduct, superior and inferior colliculi, superior cerebellar puduncle, cerebellum, hindbrain (metencephalon), pons, arbor vitae, middle cerebellar puduncles,(myelencephalon) medulla oblongata, pyramids, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, 12 cranial nerves, eyes, retina, optic nerve, optic chiasma visual interpretive centers in the brain, inner, middle and external ears, and all of their parts including the tympanic membranes, anvil, stirrup, stapes, and ear canals skin, nose, nasal passages, nasal cavity, nasal pharanx, oropharanx, sinuses, epiglottis, thyrohyoid ligament, thyroid cartiledge, cricoids cartiledge, trachea, alimentary canal, mouth, teeth, toungue, soft palate, uvula, throat, thyroid gland, tonsils, adenoids, vocal cords, voice, larynx, laryngopharanx, esophagus, stomach, fugus body, pylorus, pyloric sphincter, rugae, stomach muscosa and muscularis muscosa, gastrointestinal hormones, gastric juices, vagus nerve, parietal peritoneum, lesser omentum, greater omentum, transverse mesocolon, mesentery, sigmoid mesocolon, diaphragm, duodenum, intestinal wall and constitutive parts, villi mucosa, ileum, ileocecal valve, cecum, ascending, transverse and descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum, anal canal, anus, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, urinary system and tract, sexuality, reproductive system (male: penis, corpos cavernosum, crus and bulb, scrotum, testes, epididymis, cowpers glands, vas and ductus deferens, seminal vesicle, ejaculatory duct, urethra, bulbourethral gland, prostate gland, urogenital diaphragm, spermatic cord, spermatozoa) - (women: breast, mamillary glands, suspensory ligament, lactiferous duct, sinus, glandular lobe, ovaries, fallopian tube, uterus, vagina, clitoris, labia majora and minora, cervix) chest, ribs, scapulae, back: cervical thoracic, lumbar vertebrae, facet joints, spinal canal, discs, sciatic nerve, piriformis muscle, hips, legs, knees (patella, ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL, medial and lateral meniscus, patellar tendon), feet, toes, arms, hands, fingers, muscles, skeletal system, pain receptors, heart, aorta, cardiac arteries, veins, capillaries, and the cardiovascular system, circulatory system, my blood pressure, cholesterol, blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets), bones with their marrow, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, fascia, healthy bacteria, immune system, lymph system, lungs, bronchioles, alveoli and the pulmonary system, endocrine system, skeletal-musculo system, fatty tissue, waste system and products of sweat, saliva, urine, feces, hormonal system, nervous system, all bodily functions, and all unnamed body parts, functions, systems, and all named or unnamed internal processes (Now insert all consecrations, dedications, etc.) in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Repeat three times).

Prayer for a Person's Act of Re-Consecration

I consecrate and rededicate and offer myself (if married and a parent, insert children, grandchildren, lineage, and spouse's name), myself, my ego, psyche, heart, spirit soul, body, mind, memory, imagination, intellect, will, thoughts (conscious, inner, subliminal, subconscious), thought patters, thought processes, ruminations, obsessing, deliberations, mental harassments, brooding, dwell gloomily, mental obfuscations, dreams, nightmares, faculties (my priestly ecclesiastical faculties), five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, habits, appetites, passion, emotions, feelings, the brain, cranium, superior sagittal sinus, cerebral cortex, dura matter; falx cerebri, tentrium cerebelli, arachnoid and subarachnoid space, pia matter, forebrain: cerebrum, lateral ventricles, interventricular foramen, third ventricle, cerebral aqueduct, fourth ventricle, choroids plexus, central canal, cisterns: great, superior, pontine, interpenduncular, lumbar cistern, basal nuclei, caudate nucleus, lenticular nucleus, subdivisions of white matter, corpus callosum, projection tracts, corona radiate, internal capsule, association tracts, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal gland/epithalamus, hypophsis, internal capsule, pituitary gland, cerebrospinal fluid, frontal lobe: (Broca and Wernike's areas - speech) pre-central gyrus (motor area), post-central gyrus (sensory area), temporal lobe-auditory area, occipital lobe - visual area, major fissures, longitdian and lateral fissures, central sulcus, midbrain (mesencephalon) cerebral peduncles, cerebral aqueduct, superior and inferior colliculi, superior cerebellar puduncle, cerebellum, hindbrain (metencephalon), pons, arbor vitae, middle cerebellar puduncles,(myelencephalon) medulla oblongata, pyramids, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, 12 cranial nerves, eyes, retina, optic nerve, optic chiasma visual interpretive centers in the brain, inner, middle and external ears, and all of their parts including the tympanic membranes, anvil, stirrup, stapes, and ear canals skin, nose, nasal passages, nasal cavity, nasal pharanx, oropharanx, sinuses, epiglottis, thyrohyoid ligament, thyroid cartiledge, cricoids cartiledge, trachea, alimentary canal, mouth, teeth, toungue, soft palate, uvula, throat, thyroid gland, tonsils, adenoids, vocal cords, voice, larynx, laryngopharanx, esophagus, stomach, fugus body, pylorus, pyloric sphincter, rugae, stomach muscosa and muscularis muscosa, gastrointestinal hormones, gastric juices, vagus nerve, parietal peritoneum, lesser omentum, greater omentum, transverse mesocolon, mesentery, sigmoid mesocolon, diaphragm, duodenum, intestinal wall and constitutive parts, villi mucosa, ileum, ileocecal valve, cecum, ascending, transverse and descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum, anal canal, anus, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, urinary system and tract, sexuality, reproductive system (male: penis, corpos cavernosum, crus and bulb, scrotum, testes, epididymis, cowpers glands, vas and ductus deferens, seminal vesicle, ejaculatory duct, urethra, bulbourethral gland, prostate gland, urogenital diaphragm, spermatic cord, spermatozoa) - (women: breast, mamillary glands, suspensory ligament, lactiferous duct, sinus, glandular lobe, ovaries, fallopian tube, uterus, vagina, clitoris, labia majora and minora, cervix) chest, ribs, scapulae, back: cervical thoracic, lumbar vertebrae, facet joints, spinal canal, discs, sciatic nerve, piriformis muscle, hips, legs, knees (patella, ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL, medial and lateral meniscus, patellar tendon), feet, toes, arms, hands, fingers, muscles, skeletal system, pain receptors, heart, aorta, cardiac arteries, veins, capillaries, and the cardiovascular system, circulatory system, my blood pressure, cholesterol, blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets), bones with their marrow, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, fascia, healthy bacteria, immune system, lymph system, lungs, bronchioles, alveoli and the pulmonary system, endocrine system, skeletal-musculo system, fatty tissue, waste system and products of sweat, saliva, urine, feces, hormonal system, nervous system, all bodily functions, and all unnamed body parts, functions, systems, and all named or unnamed internal processes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Just Heart of Joseph, in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen (Repeat three times).

35. Do not derive benefit from it

The 35th commandment of Mosaic Law is to not derive benefit from it (a city that has turned to apostasy and burnt down as a consequence).

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy 13:18

You shall not retain anything that is doomed, that the blazing wrath of the LORD may die down and he may show you mercy and in his mercy for you may multiply you as he promised your fathers on oath.

New Testament References

Romans 12:19

Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

In the previous post, I discussed how the Mitzvah to burn a city that has turned to idol worship is not binding on Christians. Since we should not burn down a city that has turned to apostasy, the question as to whether anything can be derived from it, such as pillaging it before it is burnt, is moot.

Conclusion

Not binding on Christians  

St. John of the Cross and dialectical materialism

St. John of the Cross and dialectical materialism

In the 1800’s Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed the theory of dialectical materialism. It became the philosophy and foundation of Marxist communism.

Marx (like the Church) relied heavily on natural law in the development of his theories. His mistake was trying to divorce God from natural law. It was a mistake because God created natural law and the two are inseparable.

Marx used dialectical materialism to provide a scientific and orderly view of history.

Its basic tenets are that change takes place through "the struggle of opposites." Because everything contains elements that are in opposition, "self-movement" automatically occurs; the conflict of opposing forces leads to growth, change, and development, according to definite laws.

Personally, I have no disagreement or problem with this aspect of his beliefs.

About 350 years earlier, St. John of the Cross wrote, “Wherefore, as in natural generation no form can be introduced unless the preceding, contrary form is first expelled from the subject, which form, while present, is an impediment to the other by reason of the contrariety which the two have between each other; even so, for as long as the soul is subjected to the sensual spirit, the spirit which is pure and spiritual cannot enter it.”

The two processes seem very similar to me.

It would be interesting to find out whether Marx was influenced in any way by the writings St. John of the Cross.

Religious Ecstasy - Pt. 1

Religious Ecstasy

God calls each of us to religious ecstasy, though the phenomenon is not common. We cannot achieve it through the mere power of the will. Like all the good things in life, it is only achieved through the grace of God. “Grace” is an unmerited gift from God. We do not earn it. In the case of religious ecstasy, also known as mystical union, it is achieved through extraordinary grace. There are steps that we can take to make us more receptive to grace - and religious ecstasy - which will be discussed in the next post.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2003 Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning "favor," "gratuitous gift," "benefit." Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.

Although we can’t earn grace or bring it about through human effort, we know that everyone is given sufficient grace. Grace is given abundantly to everyone and through the use of free will we can choose to either accept or reject grace.

There are many things we can do to make ourselves more receptive to the grace and extraordinary grace of God. If it is God’s will, we can receive the gift of religious ecstasy.

Religious ecstasy is the polar opposite of drug-induced euphoria. Religious ecstasy comes about through prayer and the worship of God. Drugs are a shortcut to euphoria, which usually draws users away from God. The popularity of drug usage is a phenomenon of the modern age where we tend to worship ourselves through self-indulgence and pride and sometimes give lip-service to the worship God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2014 Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called "mystical" because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments - "the holy mysteries" - and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.

Mystical Theology is the study of the processes of purification an individual must pass through in order to achieve religious ecstasy. The peak of the study of mystical theology was during 1500’s when two Doctors of the Church, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, wrote extensively on the subject and developed the inquiry as a science.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

The contents of mystical theology are doctrinal as well as experimental, as it not only records the experiences of souls mystically favoured, but also lays down rules for their guidance, which are based on the authority of the Scriptures, on the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, and on the explanations of theologians, many of them eminent as mystics. Its rules and precepts are usually framed for the special use of those who have occasion to direct souls in the ways of mysticism, so as to preserve them from error while facilitating their advancement.

…As for the history or development of mysticism, it is as difficult to record as a history of the experiences of the human soul. The most that can be done is to follow its literature, mindful that the most extraordinary mystical experiences defy expression in human speech, and that God, the Author of mystical states, acts upon souls when and as He wills, so that there can be no question of what we could consider a logical or chronological development of mysticism as a science. Still, it is possible to review what mystical writers have said at certain periods, and especially what the Carmelite saint, Teresa of Avila, did to treat for the first time mystical phenomena as a science. Before her, mystics were concerned principally with ecstasies, visions, and revelations; she was the first to attempt a scientific analysis of the process of mystical union brought about by contemplation.

The development of Moral Theology started at the beginning of the Age of Faith – coinciding with the fall of the Roman Empire – and reached its zenith at the end of the Age of Faith (one thousand years later). It is noted, however, that Christian mysticism is present in scripture and has been present in the Church from its very beginning to this day.

The hubris of the modern age, dismisses religious faith, and leaves the discussion of such profound experiences to be exiled from mainstream thought only to be relegated to the blogosphere.

When an individual experiences the phenomenon associated with religious ecstasy, he should consult a spiritual adviser in order to discern whether the experience comes from God, or whether they are demonic in nature.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia “mystical writers treat at length the deceits, snares, and other arts practiced by the Evil One to lead souls astray in the quest for the mystical union.”

To read the next post in this series, click here.

34.Do not rebuild it as a city

The 34rd commandment of Mosaic Law is to not rebuild it (a city that has turned to apostasy) as a city

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy 13:17

Let it be a heap of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.

New Testament References

Romans 12:19

Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

In the previous post, I discussed how the Mitzvah to burn a city that has turned to idol worship is not binding on Christians. Since we should not burn down a city that has turned to apostasy, the question of whether the city can be rebuilt is moot.

Conclusion

Not binding on Christians  

33. Burn a city that has turned to idol worship

The 33rd commandment of Mosaic Law is to burn a city that has turned to idol worship

This Mitzvah deals with apostasy.

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy 13:13-17

If, in any of the cities which the LORD, your God, gives you to dwell in, you hear it said that certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have led astray the inhabitants of their city to serve other gods whom you have not known, you must inquire carefully into the matter and investigate it thoroughly. If you find that it is true and an established fact that this abomination has been committed in your midst, you shall put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, dooming the city and all life that is in it, even its cattle, to the sword. Having heaped up all its spoils in the middle of its square, you shall burn the city with all its spoils as a whole burnt offering to the LORD, your God. Let it be a heap of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.

New Testament References

Matthew 12:31

Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Romans 12:19

Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

According to Hasidic Judaism:

… the punishments to which a city led into idolatry is liable—the smiting of its inhabitants, the burning of its spoil—are averted if the people repent of their collective sin. This is a unique instance of repentance affecting the ruling of a human court.

…To become liable for the death sentence an individual must be warned that the act he is about to commit is a capital offense. But in the case of an idolatrous city, the warning about its conduct is collective, addressed to the people as a whole. Therefore the normal requirement of individual caution is not present, and therefore, repentance averts the punishment.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. "Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Christian tradition with respect to apostasy has changed over the centuries. As noted in a previous post, tradition is subject to change, while Sacred Tradition (with a capital “T”) is eternal and does not change.

The Catholic Encyclopedia has an excellent article on the evolution of Christian tradition regarding apostasy:

The "Shepherd" of Hermas, a work written in Rome in the middle of the second century, states positively that there is no forgiveness for those who have wilfully denied the Lord. …Apostasy belonged, therefore, to the class of sins for which the Church imposed perpetual penance and excommunication without hope of pardon, leaving the forgiveness of the sin to God alone. …St. Cyprian and the Council of the African Church which met at Carthage in 251 admitted the principle of the Church's right to remit the sin of apostasy, even before the hour of death. Pope Cornelius and the council which he held at Rome confirmed the decisions of the Synod of Carthage, and the discipline of forgiveness was gradually introduced into all the Churches. …When the Roman Empire became Christian, apostates were punished by deprivation of all civil rights. They could not give evidence in a court of law, and could neither bequeath nor inherit property. …The Spanish Inquisition was directed, at the end of the fifteenth century, chiefly against apostates, the Maranos, or new Christians, Jews converted by force rather than by conviction; while in 1609 it dealt severely with the Moriscos, or professedly-converted Moors of Spain.

Today the temporal penalties formerly inflicted on apostates and heretics cannot be enforced, and have fallen into abeyance. The spiritual penalties are the same as those which apply to heretics.

The current penalty for apostasy is provided in the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church.

Code of Canon Law

364 …an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication…

Latae sententiae is a Latin term for a given (already passed) sentence. The excommunication follows automatically, by force of the law itself, when the apostasy occurs.

Summary

Christians are not required to burn a city that has turned to idol worship.

Conclusion

Not binding on Christians