Christian Mystics of the Middle Ages: An Anthology of Writings
192
Christian Mystics of the Middle Ages: An Anthology of Writings
192eBook
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| ISBN-13: | 9780486145563 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 03/06/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 192 |
| File size: | 515 KB |
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CHRISTIAN MYSTICS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
An Anthology of Writings
By Paul de Jaegher, Donald Attwater
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-14556-3
CHAPTER 1
ST. ANGELA OF FOLIGNO
1248—1309
ANGELA was married to an Umbrian nobleman, by whom she had several children, but gave herself to a disorderly life, during which she lost her husband and children as well as her own innocence. She was recalled to penitence and vowed herself to a life of poverty and care of the sick as a Franciscan tertiary.
Like all the other great mystics, Angela underwent terrible trials in the ' dark night of the spirit,' which lasted two years. Nor was she spared the attacks of evil spirits and of temptations to sensuality so violent that she would counteract them by applying fire to her flesh, until her confessor, Friar Arnold, forbade. Her sufferings were followed by many mystical graces. Our Lord signed her with the ring and cross of His love, and she heard Him call her ' His dearest child of any in the valley of Spoleto.' St. Angela exercised a strong attraction over her contemporaries, and there gathered round her a band of men and women whom she directed in spiritual and corporal works.
The words she uttered in ecstasy were written down by Friar Arnold, and they are unsurpassed in their kind, opening out for the sympathetic reader a view of those heavenly joys which are the future lot of those who on earth lovingly lose themselves in the arms of God.
WORKS: The Divine Consolation of Blessed Angela of Foligno (Chatto and Windus, 1909).
A critical edition of the works of St. Angela has been made by Father Doncœur, S.J.
THE FEARFUL NIGHT OF THE SOUL
ANGELA experienced two years of those cleansing sufferings whereby God purifies the soul from the smallest faults and leads her on to perfect union. This is what St. John of the Cross calls ' the dark night of the soul,' and Angela describes it thus :
In order, therefore, that I might not feel myself exalted by the magnitude and the number of the revelations, visions, and conversings with God, and that I might not be puffed up with the delight thereof, the great tempter was sent unto me, who did afflict me with many and divers temptations, wherefore was I afflicted both in my soul and in my body. The torments of the body were verily numberless and were administered by many demons in divers ways, so that I do scarce believe that the sufferings and infirmity of my body could be written down. There remained not one of my members the which was not grievously tormented ; neither was I ever without pain, without infirmity, or without weariness. Always was I weak and feeble, and full of pain, so that I was compelled to be almost continually lying down. All my limbs were as though beaten, and with many troubles did the demons afflict me. Thus was I perpetually sick and swelled, and in all my limbs I did suffer pain, so that it was difficult for me to move myself. Nevertheless, was I not weary of lying still, neither was I yet able to eat sufficient. In short, the sufferings of the body were great, but those of the soul were beyond all comparison, more bitter and more numerous, and all were inflicted by the same demons. I can only liken myself unto one who is hanged by the neck, his hands tied behind his back and his eyes bound, and who is left hanging by a rope upon the gallows ; and although he hath no help or remedy or support, he doth, nevertheless, continue to live in that torment and cannot die. And I do affirm that even more desperately, and with greater cruelty was I afflicted by demons, for they hanged my soul and all its strength was overwhelmed and departed from it. And seeing how that I had no power to oppose them, my grief was so great that at times I was scarce able to weep for rage and for grievous suffering. Moreover, I wept without obtaining relief, and oft-times was my rage so great that I could scarce refrain from rending myself and beating myself most grievously, thus causing my head and all my members to swell. When my soul beheld itself cast down and all its virtue departed from it, then it made great lamentation, and then did I cry unto my God.
After this I did endure another torment, for every vice was re-awakened within me. Not that—albeit re- awakened—they had power to overcome my reason, but they did occasion me much tribulation. And not only did I remember those vices which assailed me in times past, but many others which I did never before know entered into my body and did inflame me and cause me the utmost suffering. But because they had no lasting power over me they did afford me great consolation when they began to weaken and leave me. This was the work of the demons into whose hands I perceived I had been delivered, but when I do remember how that God was afflicted here below and in poverty, I would that mine own sufferings might be increased twofold.
At times was I thrown into a most horrible darkness of spirit by the demons, wherein it did appear that all hope of good was withdrawn from me. Then those vices which were dead inwardly in the soul were revived outwardly in the body, both those which I did never before feel, and those which I did have aforetimes. And I did suffer so greatly that I was constrained to put actual fire upon my body in order that it might quench the burning of desire ; and this I did continue to do until my confessor forbade me. And when I was in that darkness of spirit methought I would have chosen rather to be roasted than to endure such pains. Wherefore did I cry aloud and call upon death, desiring that it should come in any form whatsoever if only God would permit me to die. And unto God did I say : 'Lord, if Thou wilt send me into hell, I pray Thee tarry not, but do it instantly, and since Thou hast abandoned me, make an end of it now and plunge me into the depths.' Presently I perceived that this was the work of demons and that such vices exist not in the soul, for never would I have consented thereto. Howsoever, the body doth suffer violence, and so great is the grief and pain that if it should endure the body would not be able to bear it. Moreover, the soul doth find that all its strength hath been taken from it, and albeit it doth in no wise consent unto vice, yet can it not resist. And seeing that it doth act contrary to the will of God, it loseth all hope of being able to resist and is tormented by those vices.
Among others, God did permit one vice to enter into me the which I had never before known, but I did clearly perceive that it entered into me by Divine permission, and it was so great that it did exceed all others. Upon the other hand was there given unto me a certain virtue, manifestly wherewith to oppose the aforesaid vice and by means of which God did most potently set me free. Wherefore even if I had not already possessed a sure faith in God, this one thing alone would have inspired me with such a faith and a certain hope, of the which I could in no wise doubt. For virtue did increase and vice did diminish, and I was so upheld by that virtue that I could not consent unto wrong-doing, and likewise by means of that virtue was I so enlightened and strengthened that not all the men who were in the world, nor all the demons, could have persuaded me to commit the smallest sin. Hence proceedeth the aforesaid faith in God. The aforesaid vice was so great that I am ashamed to speak of it, and of such potency that if the virtue had tarried in coming to succour me, neither shame nor suffering nor any other thing whatsoever would have sufficed to restrain me from instantly falling back into sin. And all this did I bear for the space of more than two years.
A PILGRIMAGE TO ASSISI
FEW descriptions of God's boundless tenderness towards the loving soul equal the following :
Now when I was come to that place which lieth between Spello and the narrow road which leadeth upward unto Assisi, and is beyond Spello, it was said unto me :
'Thou has prayed unto My servant Francis, and I have not willed to send thee another messenger. I am the Holy Spirit, who am come unto thee to bring thee such consolation as thou hast never before tasted. And I will go with thee even unto Saint Francis ; I shall be within thee and but few of those who are with thee will perceive it. I will bear thee company and will speak with thee all the way ; I will make no end to My speaking and thou wilt not be able to attend unto any save unto Me, for I have bound thee and will not depart from thee until thou comest for the second time unto Saint Francis. Then will I depart from thee in so far as this present consolation is concerned, but in no other manner will I ever leave thee, and thou shalt love Me.'
Then began He to speak the following words unto me, which did persuade me to love after this manner :
'My daughter who art sweet unto Me, my daughter who art My temple ; My beloved daughter, do thou love Me, for I do greatly love thee and much more than thou lovest Me.' And very often did He say unto me : 'Bride and daughter, sweet art thou unto Me, I love thee better than any other who is in the valley of Spoleto. Forasmuch as I have rested and reposed in thee, do thou also rest thyself and repose in Me. I have been with the apostles, who did behold Me with their bodily eyes, but they did not feel Me as thou feelest Me. When thou shalt be come unto thine house thou shalt feel another sweetness, such as thou hast never yet experienced. I shall not speak unto thee as I now speak, but thou wilt only feel Me. Thou hast prayed unto My servant Francis, hoping with him and through him to obtain the things thou desirest, seeing that as My servant Francis hath greatly loved Me, I have done many things for him. If there were to- day any person who loved Me more, much more would I do for him.'
Then said He unto me that there are few good persons in these days and but little faith, for which cause He did lament, saying, ' So great is the love of the soul who loveth Me without sin, that, if there were any one who loved Me perfectly, I would show him greater mercy than I have ever shown hitherto, and thou knowest that many great things are recorded which I have done unto divers persons in times past.'
None can excuse themselves for not having this love, because it is possible for all persons to love God, and He asketh nothing save that the soul shall love and seek Him. He is the love of the soul. But these are deep sayings.
That God is the love of the soul did He set forth unto me with lively proof, by His advent and His Cross borne for us, albeit He was so great and glorious. And He did expound unto me His Passion and the other things which He did for our sake ; then He did add, ' Behold now, if there be aught in Me save love.' He did grieve for that in these times He could find no person upon whom He could pour out His grace, and He did repeat that He would show far greater mercy unto whosoever should love Him at this present time than He had shown unto the saints and the blessed ones hitherto.
Then did He begin again to say unto me, ' My beloved daughter who is sweet unto Me, love thou Me, for I do love thee more than thou lovest Me. Love Me, My beloved, for boundless is the love which I bear unto the soul who loveth Me without any sin.' Methought He did desire to be loved with that same love which He bore unto the soul, according unto the power and virtue of the soul, and that if only the soul itself would desire this, He would bring it to pass.
Again He said unto me, 'My beloved and My bride, love thou Me ! All thy life, thy eating and drinking and sleeping and all that thou dost is pleasing unto Me, if only thou lovest Me.' And He said, 'I will do great things through thee in the sight of all people; thou shalt be known and glorified, so that many shall praise My name in thee.'
These and other similar things did He say unto me. Then, when I heard these words I did count over my sins and consider my faults, and how that I was not worthy of such great love. And I did begin to cast doubt upon these words, wherefore my soul said unto Him who had spoken unto it : 'If Thou wert truly the Holy Spirit Thou wouldst not speak thus unto me, for it is neither right nor seemly, seeing how that I am weak and frail and might grow vainglorious thereat.'
He answered me, ' Reflect and see if thou couldst be vainglorious because of all these things for the which thou art now grown proud ; and see if thou couldst not perceive the folly of thy words by thinking of other things.'
So then did I endeavour to grow vainglorious, that I might prove if what He had said were true ; and I began to gaze at the vineyards, that I might learn the folly of my words. And wheresoever I looked He said unto me, ' Behold and see, this is My creation,' and thereat did I feel the most ineffable sweetness.
THE BEAUTY OF GOD
UPON a certain time when I was at prayer and my spirit was exalted, God spake unto me many gracious words full of love.
And when I looked, I beheld God who spake with me. But if thou seekest to know that which I beheld, I can tell thee nothing, save that I beheld a fullness and a clearness, and felt them within me so abundantly that I can in no wise describe it, nor give any likeness thereof. For what I beheld was not corporal, but as though it were in heaven. Thus I beheld a beauty so great that I can say naught concerning it, save that I saw the Supreme Beauty, containeth within Itself all goodness. And all the saints were standing before this beauteous Majesty, praising it.
Methought, however, that I stayed in this trance but a very brief while ; then said God unto me, ' My beloved daughter, dear unto Me, all the saints of Paradise do bear an especial love toward thee, and likewise doth My mother, and they will bring thee unto Me.' And albeit these words were spoken unto me, all concerning His mother and all the saints seemed unto me but a small thing. For so great was my joy in Him that I took no heed of looking at the angels and the saints, because all their goodness and all their beauty was from Him and in Him ; He was the whole and Supreme Good, with all beauty, and so great a joy had I in His words that I paid no heed to any creature.
Again He said unto me, ' Infinite is the love which I bear thee, but I do not reveal it unto thee—yea, I do even conceal it.'
Then answered my soul, 'Wherefore hast Thou such love and joy in me, who am hateful, inasmuch as I have offended Thee all the days of my life?'
To this did He make answer, 'So great is the love I bear thee that I no more remember thy sins, albeit Mine eyes do see them; for in thee have I much treasure.'
Then did my soul feel an assurance so true that it doubted no more. It felt and saw that the eyes of God were searching within it, and it had such joy in those eyes that neither man nor saint come down from heaven could declare it. When He told me that He concealed much love, because I was not able to bear it, my soul answered : 'If Thou art God omnipotent, make Thou me able to bear it.'
Then He made answer finally and said: 'If I were to do as thou askest, thou wouldst have here all that thou desirest, and wouldst no longer hunger after Me. For this reason will I not grant thy request, for I desire that in this world thou shouldst hunger and long after Me and shouldst ever be eager to find Me.'
THE UNUTTERABLE
WHEN He presenteth Himself unto the soul He doth reveal and make Himself manifest, and doth thus enlarge it to receive gifts and sweetness never known before and greater and deeper than hath been described.
Unto the soul (not drawn forth out of all darkness) is then vouchsafed the utmost knowledge of God which I do think could be granted. And it is given with so much clearness, sweetness, and certainty, and hath such depth, that the human heart cannot attain unto it, nor can my heart ever return again to the understanding and knowledge thereof, or to the imagining of aught regarding it, saving only when the supreme God doth vouchsafe unto the soul to be exalted even unto that which the heart can no more reach. Therefore is it not possible to say anything whatsoever concerning it, or to find words wherewith to express it ; neither can the imagination or the understanding in any way reach unto it, so immeasurably doth it exceed all things.
Thus do we perceive that by nothing that we can think or say can God be exalted. The Holy Scriptures are so far above us that no man—be he the wisest in all the world and possessing all the knowledge it is possible to have in this life—can fully and perfectly know and understand them ; there is none whose intelligence would not be always overcome by them.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from CHRISTIAN MYSTICS OF THE MIDDLE AGES by Paul de Jaegher, Donald Attwater. Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Page,
NOTE ON THE DOVER EDITION,
WHY AND HOW THE WRITINGS OF THE MYSTICS SHOULD BE READ,
ST. ANGELA OF FOLIGNO,
BLESSED JOHN RUYSBROECK,
BLESSED HENRY SUSO,
RICHARD ROLLE,
JOHN TAULER,
THE AUTHOR OF 'THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING',
JULIAN OF NORWICH,
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA,
WALTER HILTON,
ST. CATHERINE OF GENOA,
ST. TERESA,
ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS,
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES,