A Momentary Taste of Being

. . . Because of Catholic Mysticism naturally appeals to me

One last post for my favorite saint.  If you'd like to read a very short, complete work (although complete is perhaps not the right word for it), you could do worse than The Sayings of Light and Love which I found online at many places, but thought I would give two quite different sources: The magnificently named "Drink from the Wadi Cherith"   The wadi cherith has special significance for the Carmelite Order, for it was at the Wadi Cherith that Elijah (kind of a patron, founder-figure, and inspiration for the Order) was fed by the ravens on his arduous trek at God's command.   See here for my own take on the Wadi Cherith And the Baha'i Forum I guess I just want to make a point of his universal appeal--like all the great spiritual writers--Lao-tzu, Kung-fu tzu, Rumi, St. John of the Cross, the authors of the Sutras, etc. what he has to say gets at the core of what matters in the spiritual life and transcends mere denominational and religious "bounda...

St. John of the Cross is considered one of Spain's finest poets, although his opus is very, very small.  All four of his major works are constructed as a poetic prologue accompanied by lengthy explications of the poem.  Below is an excerpt of one of the most important works-- Dark Night of the Soul . "The Dark Night St. John of the Cross Stanzas Of The Soul 1. One dark night, fired with love's urgent longings - ah, the sheer grace! - I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled. 2. In darkness, and secure, by the secret ladder, disguised, - ah, the sheer grace! - in darkness and concealment, my house being now all stilled. 3. On that glad night, in secret, for no one saw me, nor did I look at anything, with no other light or guide than the one that burned in my heart. 4. This guided me more surely than the light of noon to where he was awaiting me - him I knew so well - there in a place where no one appeared. 5. O guiding night! ...

I think of Jessica Powers An excerpt from "The Kingdom of God" Jessica Powers Not towards the stars, O beautiful naked runner, not on the hills of the moon after a wild white deer, seek not to discover afar the unspeakable wisdom,- the quarry is here.