Spiritual Conferences by Fr. Johann Tauler

Author:Fr. Johann Tauler [Tauler, Fr. Johann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TAN Books
Published: 2015-10-11T05:00:00+00:00

Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful'' (Luke 6:36).28

THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY then goes on to speak of a good measure. This measure is man's disposition and will, and this is the measure which will determine how much of Himself God will give to you. But my dear children, this splendid vessel, the measure into which God would pour Himself so marvelously, has been made so filthy and so foul, we have filled it with so much dirt that God will not come into what ought to be His very own place, because we have crammed it full of beastly, earthly impurities. This was a precious treasure given to us, and we have ruined ourselves by pawning it. When you ought to turn to God in prayer, you need this precious treasure, but it is pawned; you cannot use it and God cannot enter it. You have posted sentries at the door of your soul, created things that stand on guard there to keep God out. You pray, but you have no will or disposition toward prayer, you have no joy in it. God is not in your soul, and you weary of your prayers and turn away from them.

Dear child, call back your will and disposition, get them out of pawn, turn them away from their absorption and delight in created things. If God is to come in, His creatures must go out. Empty your vessel, free your heart of all its preoccupations, and let your spirit be free to soar to God; that is what He created it to do, just as He created fire to rise and birds to fly. Be very sure of this: if we are to dwell in God, in the depths of His secret places, we must first find the depths of our own souls; and we cannot do this unless we have pure humility. We must offer up our souls with all their sins and shortcomings, we must let them stand like beggars at the door of our great God until He in His mercy has pity on them and gives them the alms of His grace in virtues. Then our souls may shelter in the doorways of His mercy, rich in the alms of His inexpressible love.

However, even when you have turned away from all earthly delights, when you have withdrawn yourself from your love and anxiety for all created things, when you have soared up toward God, it still happens sometimes that the images of these things will form an obstacle to your prayer, in spite of everything you can do. Dear child, when this happens, take it for a trial which can bring you strength. Let God's will be done in this, stay steadfastly where you are and do not run away from it. Be patient, endure it and say with all humility: "Dear Lord, have mercy upon me! Deus in adjutorium meum intende. O Lord, help me!" Go down into the depths of your soul

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