the imitation of christ, book iii, chapter iii.

III. LISTEN HUMBLY TO THE WORDS OF GOD. MANY DO NOT HEED THEM

THE VOICE OF CHRIST

MY CHILD, hear My words, words of greatest sweetness surpassing all the knowledge of the philosophers and wise men of earth. My words are spirit and life, and they are not to be weighed by man’s understanding. They are not to be invoked in vanity but are to be heard in silence, and accepted with all humility and with great affection.

THE DISCIPLE

“Happy is the man whom Thou admonishest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law, to give him peace from the days of evil,”[31] and that he be not desolate on earth.

THE VOICE OF CHRIST

I taught the prophets from the beginning, and even to this day I continue to speak to all men. But many are hardened. Many are deaf to My voice. Most men listen more willingly to the world than to God. They are more ready to follow the appetite of their flesh than the good pleasure of God. The world, which promises small and passing things, is served with great eagerness: I promise great and eternal things and the hearts of men grow dull. Who is there that serves and obeys Me in all things with as great care as that with which the world and its masters are served?

“Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea speaketh.”[32] And if you ask why, listen to the cause: for a small gain they travel far; for eternal life many will scarcely lift a foot from the ground. They seek a petty reward, and sometimes fight shamefully in law courts for a single piece of money. They are not afraid to work day and night for a trifle or an empty promise. But, for an unchanging good, for a reward beyond estimate, for the greatest honor and for glory everlasting, it must be said to their shame that men begrudge even the least fatigue. Be ashamed, then, lazy and complaining servant, that they should be found more eager for perdition than you are for life, that they rejoice more in vanity than you in truth.

Sometimes indeed their expectations fail them, but My promise never deceives, nor does it send away empty-handed him who trusts in Me. What I have promised I will give. What I have said I will fulfill, if only a man remain faithful in My love to the end. I am the rewarder of all the good, the strong approver of all who are devoted to Me.

Write My words in your heart and meditate on them earnestly, for in time of temptation they will be very necessary. What you do not understand when you read, you will learn in the day of visitation. I am wont to visit My elect in two ways — by temptation and by consolation. To them I read two lessons daily — one reproving their vices, the other exhorting them to progress in virtue. He who has My words and despises them has that which shall condemn him on the last day.

A PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF DEVOTION

O Lord my God, You are all my good. And who am I that I should dare to speak to You? I am Your poorest and meanest servant, a vile worm, much more poor and contemptible than I know or dare to say. Yet remember me, Lord, because I am nothing, I have nothing, and I can do nothing. You alone are good, just, and holy. You can do all things, You give all things, You fill all things: only the sinner do You leave empty-handed. Remember Your tender mercies and fill my heart with Your grace, You Who will not allow Your works to be in vain. How can I bear this life of misery unless You comfort me with Your mercy and grace? Do not turn Your face from me. Do not delay Your visitation. Do not withdraw Your consolation, lest in Your sight my soul become as desert land. Teach me, Lord, to do Your will. Teach me to live worthily and humbly in Your sight, for You are my wisdom Who know me truly, and Who knew me even before the world was made and before I was born into it.

 

 The word of God is greater than those who have preached to the largest gathered crowds, or from the tallest mountain peaks, or in the deepest valleys, or in the most desolate of places. The word of God is greater than any human can put into words alone. Thus, we, as humans, and followers of His divinity, should listen intently to something that man itself cannot possibly say by himself. His word is 100% spirit, 100% life… it’s not simply one or the other. And God’s word continues to flow down from the heavens to us, every day– whether it be in someone we meet, something we read, something we think, something we do, something we observe. God’s word, spirit, and life are in and around us constantly. So are, however, the spirit of the earth, the spirit of the flesh, and the spirit of the devil. We, as Christians, need to determine for ourselves which spirit and voice is God’s above all other voices and distractions. And not everyone hears clearly. Some falter and give in to the other spirits. They grow deaf to the Lord’s voice. They grow deaf because they hear of something that sounds good to them from the other spirits, and they try to do so much for something that, ultimately, matters so little.

The thing about the spirit of the Lord and what He says is that it’s a constant, unchanging message– a promise of eternal life, of a reward waiting for us in heaven, where we can reside in the peace and company of Him, and all His angels and saints. Thus, we must trust in the Lord’s word, and continue to turn to the Lord in need, in temptation by the other spirits that can talk to us. We should keep the Lord’s word close to our hearts, and never stray from that promise of salvation.

 

–jl–

the imitation of christ, book iii, chapter ii.

II. TRUTH SPEAKS INWARDLY WITHOUT THE SOUND OF WORDS

THE DISCIPLE

SPEAK, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.”[25] “I am Thy servant. Give me understanding that I may know Thine ordinances[26] . . . Incline my heart to Thine ordinances[27] . . . Let Thy speech distil as the dew.”[28]

The children of Israel once said to Moses: “Speak thou to us and we will hear thee: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.”[29]

Not so, Lord, not so do I pray. Rather with Samuel the prophet I entreat humbly and earnestly: “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Do not let Moses or any of the prophets speak to me; but You speak, O Lord God, Who inspired and enlightened all the prophets; for You alone, without them, can instruct me perfectly, whereas they, without You, can do nothing. They, indeed, utter fine words, but they cannot impart the spirit. They do indeed speak beautifully, but if You remain silent they cannot inflame the heart. They deliver the message; You lay bare the sense. They place before us mysteries, but You unlock their meaning. They proclaim commandments; You help us to keep them. They point out the way; You give strength for the journey. They work only outwardly; You instruct and enlighten our hearts. They water on the outside; You give the increase.

They cry out words; You give understanding to the hearer.

Let not Moses speak to me, therefore, but You, the Lord my God, everlasting truth, speak lest I die and prove barren if I am merely given outward advice and am not inflamed within; lest the word heard and not kept, known and not loved, believed and not obeyed, rise up in judgment against me.

Speak, therefore, Lord, for Your servant listens. “Thou hast the words of eternal life.”[30] Speak to me for the comfort of my soul and for the amendment of my life, for Your praise, Your glory, and Your everlasting honor.

 

A whole bunch of Biblical quotes here, all by different people of God– Samuel and David, namely, who ask the Lord to speak to them directly. The best way to have God speak to us in the silence of our hearts is to ask Him directly, so as not to hear the words He has for us from anywhere but Him. God is the only inspirer of all of the prophets; without God, the prophets are nothing. The prophets simply bear the words of God. It is God, and He alone, who gives the meaning behind the words, gives the understanding to those who worship Him. We should then humbly ask for the Lord God to speak to us directly rather than through the words of these prophets, as it is through God’s words that the fire is lit within our souls.

 

–jl–

the imitation of christ, book iii, chapter i.

So I’ve decided for Lent that I’m going to do some daily reflection on the Imitation of Christ, a set of reflections written by Thomas A Kempis in the 15th century. For this Lenten season I’m going to focus on the book of Imitation that has to do with interior conversion. I’ll be posting my thoughts on these reflections daily, so if you’re looking for something to add to your Lenten spiritual journey, I encourage you to read along with me, comment with your thoughts, and join me in this journey through to Easter.

 

I. THE INWARD CONVERSATION OF CHRIST WITH THE FAITHFUL SOUL

I WILL hear what the Lord God will speak in me.”[24]

Blessed is the soul who hears the Lord speaking within her, who receives the word of consolation from His lips. Blessed are the ears that catch the accents of divine whispering, and pay no heed to the murmurings of this world. Blessed indeed are the ears that listen, not to the voice which sounds without, but to the truth which teaches within. Blessed are the eyes which are closed to exterior things and are fixed upon those which are interior. Blessed are they who penetrate inwardly, who try daily to prepare themselves more and more to understand mysteries. Blessed are they who long to give their time to God, and who cut themselves off from the hindrances of the world.

Consider these things, my soul, and close the door of your senses, so that you can hear what the Lord your God speaks within you. “I am your salvation,” says your Beloved. “I am your peace and your life. Remain with Me and you will find peace. Dismiss all passing things and seek the eternal. What are all temporal things but snares? And what help will all creatures be able to give you if you are deserted by the Creator?” Leave all these things, therefore, and make yourself pleasing and faithful to your Creator so that you may attain to true happiness.

So: Blessed are those who can hear the Lord speak to them through all the noise that this world gives us. This, though, is hard to do– the talk of the world and away from religion stretches far and wide and can cover one’s eyes, like a veil, to the truth. It is our responsibility as Christians to fight that veil, to look inwardly, to look deeper, and see and hear for ourselves what God’s intentions truly are. Even this, however, can be quite challenging, as things that are even just a little bit worldly, while sometimes good, could also be turned on us as a cause for sin. We should concentrate on listening to what God says, maybe in some time in quiet prayer… by just letting God speak, rather than us speak to Him, we may be able to more fully listen and understand God’s intentions and words to us. And do the best that you can– by doing what is good and right in God’s eyes, you’re well on the way to something eternally good and right.

 

–jl–