Abbey-Roads2

Not giving what is holy to dogs.

The recent news of the Legion of Christ’s lawsuit against ReGain network made me aware of how we as Catholics need to be more discerning when it comes to spiritual matters.  “Wise as serpents, guiless as doves.”  While reading about Mother Teresa’s ‘pure’ spirit of prayer - its nothingness - I felt somewhat convicted as regards my own spiritual gluttony and attachment to spiritual delights, insights, as well as personal devotions and satisfactions.  Considering my imperfection, my reflections led me to consider various aspects of the spiritual life; that is, the ease by which one may be deceived, along with the great need one has for discernment, as well as good catechetical and spiritual instruction.

Just as our Lord cautions us not to cast our ‘pearls before swine’, or to ‘give what is holy to dogs’,  sometimes we ourselves in our desire to advance in the spiritual life, act like dogs who lick up every scrap of  food that falls in our path.  In other words, as in the case of those people who tune in to every would-be mystic and charismatic-holy-man or visionary; in their fervor, these people sometimes indiscriminately ‘eat up’ every spiritual morsel they receive.

Direct line to God.

For years now, especially since the events at Medjugorje began, there have been increasing numbers of locutionists throughout the world relating messages from heaven.  Sometimes it seems as if every neighborhood parish has one.  Many of the followers of these people claim the veracity of these messages lies in the similarities to what other visionaries claim to have received and announced.  Oftentimes the revelations are vague encouragements to deeper prayer and fasting.  At other times they are comprised of generalizations concerning the crises of faith and the breakdown of morals, warning of the just punishments the world deserves.  However, most of this stuff can usually be discerned through natural knowledge - if one is so inclined.  In some cases, locutions can simply be unconscious restatements of things learned through mystical writings one either read or heard about in one’s past.

For instance, in the approved apparitions of Akita, the message sounds strangely similar to the spurious “secret” of LaSalette, foretelling a grave disruption within the Church, “bishop against bishop, cardinal against cardinal” and so on.  I’m not saying that proves or disproves anything, but I am suggesting that natural knowledge can influence and enter into supposed supernatural locutions.  (Since the apparitions of Akita are approved, a person may piously believe the events to be authentic.  Having said that, the Church does not require the faithful to believe in private revelations or visions.)

Listen to the Church.

A famous locutionist Fr. Gobbi, claimed to have experienced numerous communications from the Virgin, and a whole movement of followers was almost immediately created.  I believe the Vatican said (officially or not officially, I’m not sure) that the locutions were derived from his own personal meditations.  That is not to say they were not necessarily inspired however.  When the intellect is recollected, guided  and united with the truth, the Holy Spirit who is truth, corresponds with these discursive thoughts and lights.  St John tells us, “This is one of the Holy Spirit’s methods of teaching.”    (John of the Cross covers this subject in the Ascent, Book II, Chapter 29.)

Locally. 

Not a few so-called mystics hold weekly prayer meetings and relate what the Blessed Virgin or some saint has told them, similar to the repetitive apparitions at Medjugorje.  For instance, as regards a case in my area, the local Bishop has forbidden these meetings to take place on Church property.  Elsewhere, local Bishops have declared that various seers’  messages in their diocese are not supernatural.  This ought to be a sign for all to be cautious in attributing great importance to these people, places and events.

Oftentimes devotees of these revelations claim that they experience an increase in fervor and devotion, and some renewal of faith, therefore, as they insist, the deception of the evil spirit cannot be at work.  I believe in some sense they have already been deceived, since they fail in the first measure through a lack of humility, and the obedience they owe to their Bishop.  It seems to me that in this they subtly open themselves to the original sin of Lucifer, who refused to obey God.  (Even a local Ordinary, albeit in good faith, can be mistaken in declaring an apparition to be false; nevertheless, the faithful are bound to obey his directives.)

Deception

As for the recipients of some of these private revelations, they can easily be decieved, either through their own natural intellect, or the suggestions of the devil.  In turn, their spiritual director can unintentionally be deceived by the seer as well.  (I know of a couple of cases wherein the spiritual director was convinced the person in their charge was possessed, and it turned out not to be the case.  This can happen in the reverse as well.)  Simply because a well known priest happens to be a seer’s confessor or director, I do not think this is an infallible guarantee the messages are supernatural, especially if the priest is already predisposed to accept such experiences as authentic.

Hearing voices.

The trouble with locutions, just as with visions, consolations and other spiritual favors, is that one can easily be deceived in them.  The devil can easily stick in his two cents, as it were, and the end result is confusion at best, while in some instances of a public nature, a cult or parallel church may begin to form.  (Which is why yesterday I was so edified by the spiritual life of Bl. Mother Teresa.  Just as St. Therese, her spiritual life was a life of pure faith, exercised in charity.  Therese of Lisieux used to say, “I prefer not to see.”  And she may have well said “or hear”.  Her greatest spiritual  insights often came when she was engaged in manual labor and the exercises of charity, which in community are often monotonous and tediously annoying.  But I digress.)

The other thing we often forget is that our natural intellect plays a major role in our prayer life as well - depending upon our education, formal or informal, it can play too great a part at times.   We all carry on an interior conversation with ourselves in the way we process our thoughts.  Likewise, natural deduction and intuition  plays a role in our ability to assess situations, and process information.  Again, the Holy Spirit teaches and influences us in through these means.  Just as He does in our imagination.  When Joan of Arc was told her visions were her imagination, she said ”Of course!”  Meaning that this was the faculty God used to transmit His messages to her.

Vanity and spiritual pride.

However, sometimes certain persons can get to be ”too spiritual” - to use a John of the Cross phrase.  They read a lot, pray a lot - virtually eat and sleep religion - and can become convinced that everything they imagine or think about is inspired by God, when in fact it may simply be the exercise of one’s natural faculties actively engaged in discursive prayer.  (Which again, does not preclude the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.)  Nevertheless, in some individuals who may have an inordinate desire for mystical gifts, signs, or wonders, which includes a desire for a direct line to God - that is, to hear messages and the like, this disposition can bring about a sort of morbid attachment or fascination to the supernatural.  Which opens a person to deception and spiritual pride. 

Frequently, these seers or mystics are called upon for spiritual counsel, or to pray over individuals, as if  just because they are supposed to be the recipients of supernatural locutions or visions, they are somehow holier because of it.  In the case of those mystics who have been recognized as saints after death, it must be understood the Church never canonizes anyone for the mystical gifts they experienced in life.  Holiness is always judged upon the practice of heroic virtue and the person’s conformity to God’s will in charity.  Mystical gifts and graces are not guarantees of holiness.

What is important?

This whole chapter in The Ascent of Mt. Carmel (Bk II: 29) is a helpful  one to read, but I’ll highlight a couple passages I think are significant to my point.  St. John writes:

“I greatly fear what is happening in these times of ours:  If any soul whatever after a bit of meditation has in its recollection one of these locutions, it will immediately baptize all as coming from God and with such a supposition say, “God told me,” “God answered me.”  Yet this is not so, but, as we pointed out, these persons themselves are more often the origin of their locution.” - S. John, Bk II; 29, 4

“People should learn to give importance to nothing other than sincere effort, the establishment of their wills in humble love, and suffering in imitation of the life and mortifications of the Son of God…” - 29, 9

Directing our will toward God; “we should carry out His law and holy counsels perfectly - for such is the wisdom of the saints - content with knowing the mysteries and truths in simplicity and verity with which the Church proposes them.  An attitude of this kind is sufficient for a vigorous enkindling of the will; hence we do not have to pry into profundities and curiosities in which danger is seldom lacking.  St. Paul in regard to this conduct states: ‘One ought not to have more knowledge than befits him’. [Rom. 12:3]“ - 29, 12.

So, be wise as serpents and simple as doves.  Blessed Mother Teresa excelled in this too.