Saint John of the Cross, Prologue to The Spiritual Canticle §1

Dear, Fr. Edward,
Community celebrating St. John of the Cross to day.
It is a joy to have your very timely Poem, and an apt preparation of our Mass.
... Donald
+ + +

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: edward ... >
To: Donald ... >   
Sent: Thursday, 13 December 2012, 20:34
Subject: Some more lines

Dear Donald,
I produced this for the Sisters at the Mass tomorrow morning, and I
thought it might interest you.

Blessings from

fr Edward O.P.

-- 

Saint John of the Cross,

Prologue to The Spiritual Canticle §1

Certainly no-one can explain [the desire he gives them!].

As a result these persons let something of their experiences overflow -

figures and similes, and from the abundance of their spirit pour out

secrets and mysteries rather than rational explanations.

How grateful we must be for the intelligence of John of the Cross

in finding simple words

heavy with spiritual meaning.

These lines  show something intellectually greater,

even though the spiritual muse now at its strongest moving

is for the moment subordinated to inspired interpretation

as he explains the overflow of spiritual poetry at its highest

to authoritative judgement,

found for the moment between spiritual intensity,

spontaneous and overflowing,

and categorising the literary genres on which he touches.

Often too much is asked of our personal encyclopedism,

and we need to take our spiritual and literary bearings

to relate them to each other.

In its richness the language of John of the Cross

can satisfy us and draw us without disturbing us.

So much the better if we are not too conscious of our own positive reactions

for objectivities take over from our subjectivities

and we are drawn into the deep calm of his faith-drenched spirit.

We are not prompted to imitate him

but to taste those spiritually dense lines

with their imagery of nature:

a pitch, dark sky enfolding us,

sometimes picked out because of their scriptural echoes,

for a gentle throb of higher enthusiasm precludes so much

except where a commentary would be a good explanation

for which others would be made happy – blessed rather.

The themes can be ancient, though the spirit which inhabits them is,

we must acknowledge, new, fresh and vibrant,

since we all know the experience of some unexpected discord

when we forego an anticipated encounter

as when love draws us in the present or from the memory

with its special wholesomeness and the joy of sharing.

But above all from those unanticipated moments when the bedrock of our being

intrudes with no ordinary gentleness

and with the spiritual strengthening which belongs to it.

Stykkishólmur

13 December 2012