Bridal spirituality

[MarysLittleFlower]

Barbara and MLF, I really recommend the book Guidelines for Mystical Prayer by Ruth Burrows (a Carmelite novice mistress now in her nineties who has been in Carmel since her teens!). It radically changed my understanding of what it means to have a mystical faith, because it doesn't focus on visions and supernatural experiences but rather on the mystical union of the soul with Christ crucified. I think both of you would enjoy it if you haven't read it already.

Thanks Beatitude! that is what I'm drawn to the most too... Not the visions etc but the progress of the interior life to union. And just how to be closer to God and be more in union with Him at the current stage. This year I tried to research this by reading the book Ways of Mental Prayer that talks about how the soul is purified and goes from meditation to contemplation to later infused contemplation and finally union. Its kind of lofty - I mean it goes from beginning to end so some chapters are for beginners and others deal with advanced things. But what it gave me among other things was that I understood God wants to act in us. He wants to do this more and more in fact and we need to let Him. The book you mentioned sounds really good, I'll look it up! 

 

Edited June 29, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[BarbTherese]

Barbara and MLF, I really recommend the book Guidelines for Mystical Prayer by Ruth Burrows (a Carmelite novice mistress now in her nineties who has been in Carmel since her teens!). It radically changed my understanding of what it means to have a mystical faith, because it doesn't focus on visions and supernatural experiences but rather on the mystical union of the soul with Christ crucified. I think both of you would enjoy it if you haven't read it already.

Hi beatitude - I do like Ruth Burrows' writings and my first read was "The Interior Castle Revisited" and like you, what endeared me to her thought was the emphasis away from visions, locutions etc (side effects only AT TIMES of mysticism) with an emphasis on the quite down to earth and practical about mysticism per se.

[BarbTherese]

Hi beatitude - I do like Ruth Burrows' writings and my first read was "The Interior Castle Revisited" and like you, what endeared me to her thought was the emphasis away from visions, locutions etc (side effects only AT TIMES of mysticism) with an emphasis on the quite down to earth and practical about mysticism per se.

Check in my 'library' and I got the title wrong - the correct title is "Interior Castle Explored" (St Teresa's teaching on the life of deep Union with God).

[NadaTeTurbe]

Mary, I thought about you when I found this painting made after the Song of Songs : 

http://www.laboutiquedelesperance.com/articles/tableaux/tableau-cantique-nuptial/#cc-m-product-10281742822 

 

[MarysLittleFlower]

Mary, I thought about you when I found this painting made after the Song of Songs : 

http://www.laboutiquedelesperance.com/articles/tableaux/tableau-cantique-nuptial/#cc-m-product-10281742822 

 

oh nice! thank you for sharing the 'enclosed garden' is very symbolic.

[Yaatee]

Mary, I thought about you when I found this painting made after the Song of Songs : 

http://www.laboutiquedelesperance.com/articles/tableaux/tableau-cantique-nuptial/#cc-m-product-10281742822 

 

I wonder what the Hebrew inscription means. Prob a ref to the verse in the S of S.

[Spes]

Yaatee, I think it means love, because : He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. S. of S. 2, 4

 

                                                                        

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

I'm a newcomer to this conversation, but I too have a private vow, and wear a wedding ring to Jesus on my right hand, blessed by my priest. I have always thought of Jesus as my Spouse, even when married. I am widowed now, with school age children. Now Jesus is truly my Spouse. As a woman who has been married, perhaps I can bring another dimension to your worries. Being a married woman, the first thing when I think of a spousal relationship is not a sexual one. My husband was my other half, my soul mate. I gave myself completely to him, and he to I. The intimate part is only one part of being married. My husband was my best friend, we were of one mind, and often he knew me better than I did myself. This is what I think of when I think of a marriage... It is being pure in love, giving your life to the other, and them giving their life to you, sacrifice- marriage is sacrifice, true love is sacrifice, laying your life down for the other, best friends, being able to be yourself with that person, to tell them everything that is in your heart without fear, knowing you will be loved and understood, unconditional love, support, encouragement, a love which does not even need words, being able to look your spouse in the eyes or hold hands and not even look at your spouse, and sharing a bond so deep, a bond which comes from God's heart, a bond which is not broken even by death, and no words are even needed for you are of one heart and one mind. A spousal relationship is pure love, pure sacrifice, pure giving of self, and it comes from God.

I can resonate (I think) with your worries. I have a habit of looking too much at myself. One friend told me that my fault was placing myself and my actions under a magnifying glass. It is good to know ourselves, but I know that I need to be reminded to look at God. I look inward too much, and forget that I can't see the Light because my eyes are focused too much on myself, on what I am doing, and not on God, and on what He is doing or asking. When I realize I am stuck like this, I place myself in His Heart, and abandon myself to Him completely. Jesus knows what is in our hearts. We don't even have to have words. He knows. You can think of Him in a spousal way and never fear, especially do not fear what others think, just give your heart completely to Him and carry on with your day. Worrying takes our eyes off God, off prayer, off listening to Him. What others think doesn't matter in your marriage to Jesus. Same as in a human marriage. Even in my marriage to my husband, I had much advice, comments, etc. If I listened to all the advice I received and followed it, I would have been divorced in a short time. You can't live to please others, and 100 people will have 100 different opinions of what you should be doing, and what they think is right. What matters is your Spouse, and He knows your love is pure, and that you wish to be completely one with Him, to love Him as He loves you. 

I too have kept my vow quiet, and those who I did reveal it too -each one chastised me for it. It was not received well at all. This saddens me. Being married to Jesus is the happiest joy in my life. I was not expected to hide my marriage to my husband, but no-one considers my vow to Jesus as I do. They even fear for me, saying who will care for you, who will provide support for you? They do not see that Jesus is my true spouse and is caring for me, and will care for me. They cannot comprehend it at all. Perhaps this is because they are not called to it. Others who are called to it understand, but those who are not called to it, in my experience have looked at me in shock and fear. I waivered at one point that maybe I was wrong about my call to be Jesus's spouse, that maybe I had it wrong. I was so unhappy. My spiritual director gave me good advice. He said God knows and I know, and even if no-one else can see God's will for me, it doesn't mean it isn't there or that I am not called to live it. It might mean I may have a suffering, but I must do what God is calling me, what He wills for me, even if no-one else can see it. What joy I had in that advice! I tend to listen to other's opinions to the point that I doubt myself or God's voice. 

God knows you are His spouse and that your love is pure and holy, and that is all that is needed. 

[MarysLittleFlower]

That's so beautiful and encouraging, thank you for sharing and that really helps! I completely agree that a spousal relationship means self giving. It is the joy in my life and its sometimes sad to me that such a joy might potentially be opposed or criticised or even laughed at by others - at least that's the fear - so I only shared about that with close Catholic friends. I see some married Saints have had a spousal view of Christ and were mystically married to Him. Others have this spirituality as unmarried persons. It seems you know it from two different perspectived I think there's such a joy in this relationship Jesus because it increases generosity love and closeness to Him. God bless you!

[Antigonos]

I wonder what the Hebrew inscription means. Prob a ref to the verse in the S of S.

Even enlarged, what I saw was a collection of meaningless letters: daled-het-mem-het.  I think the artist merely wanted to link to the ideal of a scroll with the Songs of Songs on it.

[MarysLittleFlower]

The one thing I wonder is I know I made a private promise in my heart and said it as a prayer, but it was done at a time when I wasn't being directed spiritually where I was and after I resolved to tell a priest later. I know its good to ask a priest before... But it just happened in prayer. It was done with my will though and I knew I chose it. Then I read about people making a formal sort of vow with a priest there.. I never had this. Maybe someday if God's Will. But due to this and since I never called it a Private Vow of Chastity, I call it a "promise". I don't know if there's a difference. I did tell my SD. And about the ring too. I would be very happy if I could have a vow done more formally ever... Either as a private vow or public. But I know I did give Jesus my heart in a way that excludes marriage and I fully and freely meant it and i have no intent of ever leaving it..

[Antigonos]

Yaatee, I think it means love, because : He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. S. of S. 2, 4

 

                                                                        

The Hebrew word for love is "ahava":  aleph-heh-bet-heh.  The artist may have meant that, but he obviously doesn't know the Hebrew alphabet.

[Yaatee]

The Hebrew word for love is "ahava":  aleph-heh-bet-heh.  The artist may have meant that, but he obviously doesn't know the Hebrew alphabet.

Hey, Anti, let's figure out what it means.

[beatitude]

There is no Hebrew word רחמח, to the best of my knowledge. Judging by the root, the artist was intending to write something to do with mercy.

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

God bless you too!  

Reading about your promise, made me think of the saints who did the same thing, even when they were children, without asking a priest first. God places it in our hearts. God places it there and it wells up within, and one succumbs to it, to such love. How could one not? I too fully knew what I was promising. Later, I did speak to a spiritual director and he confirmed my vow. I did have the ring blessed, but my priest said it had to be a private vow between God and I. So while he was blessing the ring, I renewed my vow to God. To me a promise is a vow. One has given that object (which in our case was ourselves) to God. I know we have canon law to state who is consecrated within the church. If I could consecrate myself any more fully to God, I would. This is where He has placed me, and with my whole heart, mind, and soul, I give myself to Him, fully and freely. I leave nothing out. I am entirely His. I had my ring blessed when I made my profession into a third order. I consider it my wedding day and celebrate it as my anniversary. Not publicly, but with Jesus. I try to think of something special to give Him, to do for Him that month, as an anniversary gift. We are very blessed. You are the spouse of Jesus! I'm so happy for you! Doesn't it sometimes make you wish you could be alone on a high mountain somewhere so you could "shout it from the rooftops?" That way only God could hear, but you could shout your joy to the whole world! I am sure that even if others don't understand it here in this world, all of Heaven is rejoicing with  and for us! God is so good! What He wouldn't do to show His love for souls.