Friday, September 23, 2005

Saints, silkworms, souls and haikus

If, perhaps, you'd like to understand a little better the latest, even more cryptic than usual haikus (Life and Light), I suggest you consider their author in light of these words by St. Teresa of Avila about silkworms’ and the soul's union, and predisposition for such union, with God:

When the warm weather comes ... [t]here with their [silkworms' – EBB] little mouths they themselves go about spinning the silk and making some very thick little cocoons in which they enclose themselves. The silkworm, which is fat and ugly, then dies, and a little white butterfly, which is very pretty, comes forth from the cocoon. ... This silkworm, then, starts to live when by the heat of the Holy Spirit it begins to benefit through the general help given to us all by God and through remedies left by Him to His Church.... I would like to point out that this [woven silk – EBB] house is Christ. ... Not that we can take God away or build Him up, but we can take away from ourselves and build up, as do these little silkworms. ... Let it die; let this silkworm die, as it does in completing what it was created to do! ... When the soul is ... truly dead to the world, a little white butterfly comes forth. O greatness of God! (_The Interior Castle_, Fifth Dwelling, chapter 2-6)

Lord Jesus, bring Your risen light into my darkness, and may I find my only light in Your crucified darkness.
Blind me with your darkness, overshadow me with Your light!
May Your poverty impoverish my highest riches, and may my highest riches enrich the service of Your poverty.
May I hold Your poverty over my highest riches, and may Your many riches fill my poverty.
May I live in Your death and die in Your life.
Heal me with Your merciful wounds and wound me with Your merciless healing!
Fill me, O Lord, with your overflowing emptiness, empty me with Your bottomless fullness!
[1]

[1]I used to think things like this prayer were just meaningless mysticisms, but God seems to want me to see just how meaningful such mystical meaninglessness really is! Pray for me.

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