Article III. The Individual and Proximate Call to Contemplation

The aforementioned reservations made by St. Teresa, St. John of the Cross, and Tauler, are not, we maintain, directed toward the general law of the full development of the life of grace, considered in itself, but toward the ground in which the divine seed is received, as we read in the parable of the sower. “And whilst he soweth some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and ate them up. And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them. And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” 1 Again, among trees, the cedar or the palm normally reaches a great height when the soil and climate are favorable; but it is quite otherwise in an unfavorable climate. Just so, the question of the call to the mystical life is complicated and in a way materialized as soon as the life of grace is no longer considered in itself, but in the souls that receive it.

Because souls are in the state of grace, are they thereby es Ibid.

iMatt. 13:4-9.

called one and all to the essentially mystical life? First of all, clearly they are not all predestined to it; for predestination infallibly produces its effect, without, however, doing vio lence to liberty. It is a fact that all souls in the state of grace do not reach the mystical life'. It is also evident that they are not all individually called to it in a proximate manner; for the three signs of this call, enumerated by Tauler,¹ later on by St. John of the Cross, and commonly accepted, are certainly not found in all of them.

1. Meditation becomes difficult or even impracticable. “The imagination remains inert; the taste for this exercise has disappeared; and the sweetness formerly produced by the object on which the imagination dwelt, has changed into dryness. As long as sweetness persists and the soul can in meditating pass from one thought to another, meditation must not be abandoned, except when the soul is in peace and in quiet, of which I shall speak in describing the third sign.” 3 St. Teresa teaches the same doctrine in the fourth mansion, 4 where she says that if the soul has not yet received the grace of “supernatural recollection,” we must “take care not to stop the movement of our thoughts . . . and remain there like dolts.” From these quotations it is evident that these two great saints are speaking of the passage from meditation to infused contemplation, and not to an acquired contemplation, which would be an intermediate state. 6

2Tauler’s teaching on this subject is summarized by his disciples in the Institutions, chap. 35.

8 The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Bk. II, chap. 13.

4 Chap. 3.

6 Cf. supra, pp. 221-35.²

similar cause, as happens even to those who preserve a taste for this exercise. Exactly stated, the second sign is that “the soul no longer has any inclination to fix the imagination or the senses on any particular interior or exterior object. I do not say that the imagination will no longer manifest itself by the coming and going which is characteristic of it—and which takes place even in profound recollection—but that the soul will have no desire to fix it deliberately on these objects.” 6 For example, when reading, one feels the need of closing the book; if praying vocally, one is inclined to interrupt this prayer in order to give oneself up to the contemplation of God. This is due to an interior inspiration. “It is not, therefore, surprising that such a soul should experience pain and distaste when, once it has begun to enjoy this peace, it is forced to resume meditation and to begin again the work of particular considerations. Its condition is like that of an infant torn away from its mother’s breast while it was nursing. ... Or picture to yourself one who, after having removed the rind from a fruit, is, when tasting it, commanded to peel the rind which has already been removed. He can find no rind and ceases to taste the fruit which he already had. He is like one who lets go the prize in order to grasp a shadow.” These explanations from the writings of St. John of the Cross show clearly that 7 in his opinion the passage from meditation to infused contemplation is normal, even though we cannot produce contemplation by our own effort. After peeling the fruit, we taste the substance.

3. A third sign is necessary because the first two are not decisive. Melancholy or some other indisposition might produce in us a suspension of our faculties, as it were, during which the soul would take pleasure in doing nothing and in remaining inactive. “The third and most decisive sign is this: The soul delights to be alone with God, fixing its attention

6 The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Bk. II, chap. 13.

7 Ibid., chap. 14.

lovingly on Him. It does not make any particular considerations, and enjoys interior peace and an impression of repose and quiet. The powers, memory, understanding, and will, do not manifest themselves by acts and exercises. I mean that the soul does not give itself up to discursive acts, which consist in going from one subject to another, but is absorbed in the knowledge of and attention to God. This knowledge is confused, general, and loving, and does not tarry on any particular perception.” 8 Just so, a child looks lovingly at its mother without thinking of anything distinct, but only of the fact that she is its mother. At the outset this loving gaze of the soul is so subtle and delicate that it passes almost unperceived. 9 Here, there is no longer, as there was in meditation, clearly perceptible co-operation on the part of the imagination. Moreover, at the beginning the soul does not let itself be satisfied with this love which is given to it; it seeks love under a more sensible form. “Once the soul, however, lets itself be introduced into peace, it will not fail to penetrate farther and farther into it. As the loving thought of God becomes clear, the soul finds it more attractive than anything in the world because of the peace, rest, sweetness, and delight which it draws from it without effort.” 10 The last words of this sentence help to prove that St. John of the Cross is really discussing infused contemplation, even in this first work, The Ascent of Mount Carmel . Chapter 15 makes the matter clear. 11 In The Ascent of Mount Carmel , St. John describes chiefly the part we can have in this contemplation, not indeed in producing it, but in preparing ourselves for it or in favoring its exercise. 12 In the following work. The

8 Ibid., chap. 13.

» Ibid .

10 Ibid .

11 Ibid., chap. 15: “In this state God communicates Himself to the soul which remains passive . . . and the soul, when it thus receives the supernaturally infused light, understands all, while remaining passive.”

12 Ibid., chap. 14. St. John shows here that God sometimes favors souls by granting His contemplative love without the intermediate preparation. This

Dark Night of the Soul, he describes particularly God’s action and our passivity. These phases do not follow each other chronologically; instead, they are two subordinate aspects of the interior life; in this case, the soul is “more passive than active,” 13 but preserves the liberty of consenting to the superior inspiration which the Holy Ghost gives it to make it act divinely.

The three signs given in The Ascent of Mount Carmel are repeated in The Dark Night of the Soul; 14 there they are more markedly formulated as indications of God’s purifying work in us, or of purifying aridity: (1) The soul no longer finds savor or consolation in divine things (known by way of the senses) or in any created thing—these last words indicate that this state does not come from tepidity or attachment to creatures; (2) The soul preserves ordinarily in its remembrance of God the fear of not serving Him and of going backwards, because it no longer experiences sweetness in divine things—this fear is another sign that this powerlessness does not come from tepidity; (3) The soul finds difficulty in meditating, as it did in the past, by having recourse to the imagination. “The reason for this is that God is beginning to give Himself no longer by means of reasoning, but by the simple act of contemplation which He inspires in us.”

Other indications may confirm these three necessary and classic signs. St. Teresa delights in adding the complete gift of oneself to God, scorn of all earthly things, a great humility, and the desire for heaven. Infused contemplation may, however, be granted to souls that do not as yet possess such high virtues; often it is contemplation which gives them: “All good things came to me with her,” 15 as the Book of Wisdom recalls what St. Teresa says of the water wheel apropos of the supernatural prayer of quiet, for which the soul usually prepares itself by certain work of the mind. (Cf. Life, chap. 14 .)

13 St. Thomas, la llae, q.68, a. 1, 3; Ila ITae, q.52, a.2 ad lum.

14 Bk. I, chap. 9.

is Wis. 7: 11.

says. It is especially the infused knowledge of the goodness of God which makes us love Him and practice virtue for love of Him. These three signs, then, suffice to prove the proximate call of a soul to infused contemplation.

II. OBSTACLES TO THIS PROXIMATE CALL; ITS VARIETIES

True, the three signs, which we have just explained, are not found in all souls in the state of grace. But we believe that each and every one is called to the mystical life in a remote and sufficient manner, since the grace of the virtues and gifts, which they have received, contains, by reason of the intimate law of its development, the seed of the mystical life, which is the normal prelude to that of heaven. 16

What is meant by a remote and sufficient call? It means that, if all souls were faithful in avoiding, as they ought, not only mortal but venial sin, if they were, each according to his condition, generally docile to the Holy Ghost, and if they lived long enough, a day would come when they would receive the proximate and efficacious vocation to a high perfection and to the mystical life, properly so called. They have, in fact, received its radical principle. Until that day comes, however, we may simply say that they are not as yet called to it; just as we say that infidels, who have never heard the Gospel preached, are not as yet individually called to the Christian life, even though all pagans have a general vocation

16 The expression “remote sufficient grace” is current in theology in another question, which resembles this one and which concerns not only all souls in the state of grace, but all men; i. e., is it possible for each and every one to be saved? God has not only prepared in general, but offers and gives to all men, and each one in particular, in view of his salvation, sufficient help, sufficient at least in a remote manner, according to the conditions of each one. It is thus that the proximate sufficient grace to pray is a remote sufficient grace to perform the salutary work in view of which one prays. If the soul does not resist this remote sufficient grace, it will receive the proximate sufficient grace to act well. If this last grace is not resisted, efficacious grace will be received, which will make us accomplish the salutary work. Cf. Billuart, De Deo, diss. 7, a. 8. This doctrine applies even to infidels and hardened sinners.

to the Christian life, as the sole way of salvation willed by God for all men. 17

Many souls will not develop enough spiritually to be suitably prepared for the mystical life. This is due especially to a lack of humility, purity of heart, simplicity of gaze, recollection, and generosity; or also because they are naturally too much inclined to be outward-minded; or because, being too much absorbed in study or the cares of administration, they do not sufficiently love the silent and profound prayer which leads to union. How easy it is to tarry on the way and to live a superficial life! Lastly these souls often lack good spiritual direction or a suitable environment. They will not be called to the mystical life in a proximate manner. Perhaps, for lack of certain conditions which do not depend on their will, some of them, although generous, would reach the mystical life only after a longer period than the ordinary span of human existence. 18

Others, who as a rule are more advanced, will be called to the mystical life in a proximate and sufficient manner, but all will not respond to this call. Many will become discouraged after their first steps in the dark night. This last group is numerous, and according to St. John of the Cross, in this difficult passage they are often badly directed by their spiritual guide. 19 is This explains several reservations made by Tauler, St. Teresa, and St. John of the Cross, on the principle of the general call. They have in mind individual cases which arise from particular obstacles.

is The Living Flame of Love, st. Ill, v. 3: "Being ignorant of spiritual ways and what characterizes them, these directors turn souls away from the delicate unctions by which the Holy Ghost prepares them for divine union. They content themselves with prescribing contemptible recipes which they have invented or found by chance in their reading, and which are hardly suitable for beginners. . . . They persist in not allowing souls to advance—even if God's desire manifests itself formally—beyond their principles and methods³

Others will be called in a proximate and efficacious manner to the mystical life, but they will not advance beyond its lower degrees because of lack of generosity or direction. As the parable of the sower tells us, there are good souls which yield thirtyfold; this does not represent the summit of the normal development; others give sixtyfold; and some yield a hundredfold. These last will be called in a proximate and efficacious manner to the higher degrees of the mystical life, to the transforming union. From this fact, we shall see that they were predestined to it.

“Many are called, but few are chosen/’ St. Teresa remarks apropos of the fifth mansion. 20 We should humbly aspire to be among this elite. As it is of faith, in contradiction to Jansenistic teaching, that he who does not save his soul, can do so by means of the sufficient grace given him; we must also say that an adult who, after neglecting many graces, reaches only a lower degree of glory, could without being predestined thereto reach a much higher degree, and he would have attained it if he had been more faithful. 21 Only the saints, after generously using the time of trial, reach the plenitude of the perfect age, though not all, however, attain to great sanctity. In the transforming union, which is in this life the age of sanctity, there are, to be sure, many degrees lower than that attained by St. Paul or St. John. Likewise in a forest, many oaks reach their full normal height and tower above many others less developed, without reaching the height of certain giant oaks, which are truly exceptional.

This explains a much controverted text from The Dark Night of the Soul. In this passage, St. John of the Cross which are limited to discursive acts and those of the imagination. Forbid souls to pass beyond the limits of their natural capacity, and what poor fruit they will gather I M

20 The Interior Castle, fifth mansion, chap. 1.

21 On this point, cf. St. Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God, Bk. II, chap, i i .

22 Bk. I, chap. g.

states first the general principle: “Once the soul has entered the purification (i. e., the passive purification of the senses), inability to discourse only increases. . . . The soul will end by abandoning (in prayer) all sensible operations, if it is truly to advance (si es que han de ir adelante ).” Then he adds: “For those who do not go by the way of contemplation (porque los que no van por camino de contemplacidn), it is otherwise; in their case, the night of the senses is often interrupted. In turn, it makes itself felt and then disappears; at one time discursive meditation is impossible, and at another, it becomes easy. God keeps them in this way, then, only in order to try them and humble them; to refine their appetites in order to turn them away from a vicious gluttony in spiritual matters; and not to lead them to the way of the spirit, which is that of contemplation, properly so called. God does not, in fact, raise 23 to contemplation all who desire to attain it by following the way of the spirit; He does not even take half of them. Why? He alone knows. These last (whom God does not raise to contemplation, properly so called) 24 never finish weaning the senses so that they completely abandon considerations and reasoning. They have this grace only intermittently, as we have just said.”

This text does not deny the remote general call of souls in the state of grace to the mystical life; it only denies the proximate and efficacious individual call of many to the perfection of this life. The good souls mentioned in this text are those which, in the parable of the sower, yield a thirtyfold harvest. This does not represent the normal summit of the life of grace; others will yield sixtyfold and even a hundredfold, as the parable tells us.

St. John of the Cross does not say that the souls of which

23 St. John of the Cross says clearly: ‘‘God does not raise" (lleva), and not: “God does not call." “Many are called, but few are chosen."

24 The original text says: “These last"—that is, those whom God does not raise.

we are speaking are called to a high perfection without being called in a proximate manner to the superior degrees of the mystical life. He even teaches the contrary. In his opinion, a soul cannot obtain lofty perfection without passing through the night of the senses and even that of the spirit. 25

And if St. John of the Cross is asked why God does not raise to contemplation, properly so called, all those who desire to attain it by following the way of the spirit and why He takes only half of them, he will not answer, as certain commentators would have him do, that contemplation, properly so called, is essentially extraordinary and that it reaches beyond the summit of the normal life. On the contrary, he answers: “God alone knows.” In like manner, St. Augustine says apropos of the text, “Many are called, but few are chosen”: “Why God draws one and not another, seek not to judge, if thou dost not wish to fall into error.” 26 This is the mystery of predestination, 27 of which St. John of the Cross himself says: “It is true that souls, whatever their capacity, may have attained union, but all do not possess it in the same degree. God disposes freely of this degree of union, as He disposes freely of the degree of the beatific vision.” 28 In this opinion, St. John of the Cross agrees with Tauler, Louis de Blois, Ruysbroeck, and the other great mystics.

Finally, St. John of the Cross speaks more clearly on this subject in The Living Flame of Love : 29 “We must explain here why there are so few who reach this high state of perfection and union with God. It is certainly not because God wishes to limit this grace to a small number of superior souls; His desire is rather that this high perfection should be com-

25 The Dark Night of the Soul, Bk. I, chaps. 3, 14; Bk. II, chap. 1.

2Q St. Thomas quotes this text and expresses the same opinion in la, q. 23, a.5 ad 3um.

27 Father Lamballe, in his La contemplation, pp. 70, 72, gives this explanation of this text from St. John of the Cross.

28 The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Bk. II, chap. 5.

29 St. II, v. 5.

mon to all. It is only too often that He seeks in vain for vessels capable of containing such perfection. He sends light trials to a soul, and it shows itself weak and immediately flees all suffering . . . which is intended to refine and to polish it. Consequently, God does not continue to purify such souls and to draw them from earthly dust by mortifying them. . . . O souls who dream of walking in tranquillity and consolation in the spiritual way, if you but knew how necessary it is for you to be tried in order to attain this security and consolation!” After the description of the transforming union, 30 he says: “O souls created for such glories, ... of what are you thinking? What are you doing? How sad your blindness is! You close your eyes to the most dazzling light and do not listen to the powerful voices which solicit you!”

Even in the natural order, the greater number of men do not succeed in disciplining their passions, although they are all called to do so by their very nature as rational beings. Likewise, among those who spend many years in the study of some science (such as mathematics, law, or medicine), only a small number acquire a profound knowledge of it. Inventors and extraordinary geniuses are rare. Similarly in the order of the life of grace, not even half the number of interior souls are raised to the summit of the normal development of the supernatural life. “Many are called, but few are chosen,” as St. Teresa so often remarks. We should, however, humbly desire to be numbered in this elite, as we should desire to grow in charity without placing any limit on its progress.

The doctrine that all souls in the state of grace have the remote and sufficient helps to reach the mystical life offers no greater difficulties than that other doctrine, which is certain, namely, that all men, including unfaithful souls and hardened sinners, have both in general and in particular the necessary helps to save their souls, so The Spiritual Canticle, IV, st. 39, v. 1.

Footnotes

1. ) A second sign is necessary, for the difficulty or impossibil ity of meditating might come from physical illness, from a dis traction, from lack of recollection, or from some other ↩

2. . THE THREE PRINCIPAL SIGNS OF THE PROXIMATE CALL ↩

3. 7 St. Thomas, I Sent., q.41, a.2 ad 311m. "Vocatio semper est temporalis, quia ponit adductionem quamdam ad aliquid. . . . Est quaedam vocatio tem poralis ad gratiam, cui respondet et electio temporalis et aeterna; haec autem vocatio est vel interior per infusionem gratiae, vel exterior per vocem praedicatoris.” ↩