Author, Dom Hubert van Zeller in Holiness for Housewives, suggests all the Carmelite mystics for spiritual reading.* (I might add: for the women, mothers, housewives he his writing to; he also has a more specific list of books). Recently, I began to read a wonderful collection of Saint John of the Cross. This particular book can be found at the Institute of Carmelite Studies. Titled: The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., revised edition (1991). Includes general and biblical index.
One of the sections I seem most intrigued with is Fray John's spiritual counsel letters. How it seems he is speaking to me in this day and age. Certainly timeless wisdom; what a grace of spiritual direction God abundantly blessed him with. I had to chuckle in telling the priest whom I seek counsel with on occasion, why doesn't he address me in his letters like Saint John did his directees?.....they generally began something like: "Jesus be in your soul my daughter in Christ (or sister in Christ)...." What's with the Dear Denise? :)
One special maxim that seems to occur frequently in Fray John's letters is that of God ordaining all....God allows what is happening, because he ordains it to be with eternal happiness in mind; the salvation of our souls, heaven as the goal.
I'll try to post an example of one of these spiritual counsel letters another time.
God bless you!
One of the sections I seem most intrigued with is Fray John's spiritual counsel letters. How it seems he is speaking to me in this day and age. Certainly timeless wisdom; what a grace of spiritual direction God abundantly blessed him with. I had to chuckle in telling the priest whom I seek counsel with on occasion, why doesn't he address me in his letters like Saint John did his directees?.....they generally began something like: "Jesus be in your soul my daughter in Christ (or sister in Christ)...." What's with the Dear Denise? :)
One special maxim that seems to occur frequently in Fray John's letters is that of God ordaining all....God allows what is happening, because he ordains it to be with eternal happiness in mind; the salvation of our souls, heaven as the goal.
I'll try to post an example of one of these spiritual counsel letters another time.
God bless you!
No comments:
Post a Comment