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In a previous post, Levels of Prayer Part 1, we learned that there are nine levels of prayer. The end goal of these “levels of prayer” is to reach what is known as the Prayer of Transforming Union. At this ninth and final level of prayer, a person is living their life in a constant state of mystical marriage with God. The Holy Spirit is constantly present to them.  

Consider this excerpt from the Divine Office.

When Saint Elizabeth was coming from private prayer, some religious men and women often saw her face shining marvelously and light coming from her eyes like the rays of the sun.  – From a letter by Conrad of Marburg

I’m pretty sure St. Elizabeth was living her life at the ninth level.  What a blessing!

If you have access to Formed.org, check out the documentaries on St. Andre Bessette, Father Solanus Casey, and especially Father Aloysius Ellacuria. These are saintly men of our modern times, and from the accounts provided in their documentaries, I believe they were living their prayer lives at the ninth level or not far from it.

Remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks so that you will be able to go straight along the road to eternal life. – St. Cyril

We also see indication of ordinary people like us living their life at the ninth level or prayer in the Bible. An example would be Simeon mentioned in St. Luke’s Gospel during the Presentation of the Lord, the fourth joyful mystery of the rosary.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. Luke 2:25

Notice in the next verse the holy Spirit is in communication with Simeon as if no there are no boundaries or barriers between his spirit and the spirit of God.

It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. Luke 2:26

Simeon conversed with God as if God was in plain view to him. And in fact, he was!

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, Luke 2:28-30

We’ll never know what Simeon saw and felt in his heart as he held the infant Jesus in his arms and looked in his Divine eyes.  I would like to believe he felt a surge of the presence of God within him similar to what the apostles experienced during the day of Pentecost in the Upper Room (3^rd glorious mystery of the rosary).

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.  Acts 2:3-4

The last four verses about the face of God in the New Testament awaits us!

As we journey to the end of the Bible, each verse burns brighter concerning the Divine face of God. Let us proceed with Jesus on our lips and humility in our hearts.

Christian Conduct

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears turned to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers.” 1 Peter 3:12

Peter is quoting Psalm 34. Per Ignatius New Testament Catholic Study Bible (INTCSB),

• Blessings are promised to those who shun evil, for the Lord is good to those fear him, seek him, and direct their prayers to him.

We want to pray more with our hearts than with words. If we don’t pray at all, that basically puts us in spiritual freefall along with the wicked and ungrateful.

Never let us fall asleep in a state of sin, lest the prince of wickedness gain power over us and snatch us away from the kingdom of the Lord.  – St. Barnabas, apostle

Let us climb spiritual altitude in fear of the Lord. As we ascend the heights of Sacred Scripture following the face of the Lord in the New Testament we have finally reached the end of our spiritual journey. We enter faithfully into the Book of Revelation.

The First Vision

In his right hand he held seven stars. A sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest. Revelation 1:16

Is there any doubt the apostle John was living his earthly life at the 9^th level?

I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day… Revelation 1:10

The rays of Jesus’ divine love shone brightly in the heart of St. John.

• Various Old Testament texts compare the splendor of God to the sun (Ps 84:12 ; Isa 60:19), and Christians will recall that Jesus’ “face shone like the sun” at his Transfiguration (Matt 17:2). Source: Catholic Commentary in Sacred Scripture, Revelation by Peter S. Williamson

The First Six Seals

They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation 6:16

To go a step further with the passage description of this verse CCSS has the title:

The Six Seal: Cosmic Signs of Final Judgment (Revelation 6:12-17)

These verses are basically like the “victory formation snaps” that take place at the end of a rivalry football game. The drama of humanity on earth is coming to a close.

Just about every word has deep symbolic and prophetic meaning that often reverts back to events and passages from the Old Testament.

The Father, who sits on the throne in heaven, is ready to judge all classes of people, including you and me, with Divine justice and without partiality.

You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly. Leviticus 19:15

• The face of the one who sits on the throne – The breaking of the sixth seal reveals typical apocalyptic signs in the sky and the sheer terror of all people at the imminent divine judgment (Rev 6:12–17).  Source: USCCB

There may or may not be a connection here, but if the sixth seal concerns the seal of God’s judgement, we can take comfort that the rosary meditation prayer has approximately six Our Father Prayers included in it.  This is the prayer the Lord Jesus has instructed us to pray, and the Blessed Mother asks us to pray the rosary.

I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue to pray the rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes. – Our Lady, Oct. 13, 1917 at Fatima, Portugal

The New Jerusalem

They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4

This final verse about the face of God is taken from the very last chapter of the New Testament. It is the end of the Christian spiritual journey for you and me.

If we have made it this far through the purification of suffering, perseverance and in prayer, we are at the ninth level and beyond.  We are at the beginning and end of the River of the Water Life. We have been purified, and are forever with God in heaven!

• 22:4 shall see his face: The direct vision of God is the great hope of biblical spirituality (Ps 11:7 ; 42:2) and the preeminent blessing of heaven (Mt 5:8 ; 1 Cor 13:12). Seeing the face of God points to a profound personal intimacy with him; it is an experience of knowing God that is the fulfillment of human existence. Tradition calls this the Beatific Vision. Source: ICSBNT

Conclusion

Who is ready to start ascending the levels of prayer? We can start today!

• Prayer is a habit.
• Prayer takes time.
• Prayer requires effort.
• Prayer takes perseverance.
• Prayer calls for devotion.

Prayer leads us to happiness. We pray to God out of love for him just as the Father has shown his great love to us by the gift of his Son, Jesus.

Prayer offered in holiness from a faithful heart rises like incense from a holy altar.  – St. Augustine

We are called to be children of God.  May the holy Spirit be upon each of us as we pray and meditate on the divine mysteries and love of God in Sacred Scripture.

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Levels of Prayer – Part 3

Did you know there are nine levels of prayer? Did you know that vocal prayer is the lowest level of prayer? I did not. But knowing this now helps explain why saints throughout the ages became saints. Saints such as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Margaret Mary, St. John of the Cross, and the apostles, they didn’t just pray vocal prayers, they meditated on the why and how of the Christian life. And they became fruitful.

Prayer is nothing else but union with God. – St. John Vianney

They contemplated the divine life. They contemplated being in close friendship with Jesus and his burning, divine love. The inner thoughts of their souls were fixed on seeing the face of Jesus in faith. They aced the faith by submitting to the promptings of the Spirit. And they received the goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls.

No man has ever seen God or known him, but God has revealed himself to us through faith, by which alone it is possible to see him.  – From a letter to St. Diognetus

I learned about these “levels of prayer” by listening to Fr. Chad Ripperger’s discourse about prayer on YouTube. It has been quite an epiphany for me. Here is the video:

I have listened to Fr.’s discourse twice, taking notes. Another post will be dedicated to Fr. Ripperger’s discourse, but I thought it would be helpful to consider what does the New Testament say about the face of Jesus? According to my analysis, the New American translation mysteriously mentions the face of the Lord: nine (9) times. 

Providence?

The face of the Lord is mentioned in the following NT scripture passages.

The Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8 ; Luke 9:28-36)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14)

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68)

Integrity in the Ministry (2nd Corinthians 4:1-6)

Christian Conduct (1 Peter 3:8-12)

The First Vision (Revelation 1:9-20)

The First Six Seals (Revelation 6:1-17)

The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9 – 22:21)

Let us take a look at some of the verses. I’ll also include some commentary to study over and consider. May we see the face of Jesus in our hearts as we read along.

The Transfiguration

While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. Luke 9:29

And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. Matthew 17:2

The face of Jesus shines (like the sun!) with glory, exceeding the glory that shone on the face of Moses returning from his encounter with God on Mt. Sinai in the Old Testament. The transfiguration of Jesus confirms his divine Sonship.

Per St. Dionysius,

The glory that shone around the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration prefigures the contemplation of God in eternity,

where the minds of the saints will be forever lifted up from lower concerns and engulfed in the blazing light of the Trinity.

Source: Ignatius New Testament Catholic Study Bible.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:10

This verse is more about our guardian angels than it is about the face of the Lord. However, the angels are beholding the glorious face of God in heaven.

This is the end goal of our faith journey, the Beatific Vision.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

Then they spat in his face and struck him, while some slapped him, Matthew 26:67

This hostile and terrible abuse of Jesus during his passion was prefigured by the abuse of the Suffering Servant in the Book of Isaiah (Isa 50:6). It is also interesting to note that in just a few verses prior, Jesus breaks silence before the assembly at the Sanhedrin and confirms he is Israel’s divine Messiah and king (Mt 26:64).

The rejection of Jesus as Messiah back then is no different than the rejection of the Jesus in the secular world today. An example of this would be the secular world falsely declaring that Jesus was not celibate, but married, which would anchor him to this world. Marriage is a sign of the world to come, the eternal heaven where Jesus lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. This rejection of Jesus by the world also helps explain why the world despises celibacy.

Integrity in the Ministry

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Light had victory over darkness in the beginning,(Genesis 1:3) and light will have victory over any darkness and sin that resides within our hearts in the end. It is part of the lifelong Christian conversion (and purgation) process we must all go through to stand among the saints before the throne of God in heaven. We could say St. Paul experienced a flash of divine light firsthand when he was knocked down by the blinding light of the risen Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3).

St. Paul describes the Spirit-empowered transformation that takes place within all Christians as they contemplate the image of God reflected in Jesus, the new Adam.

That is, we see the face of Jesus with the eyes of faith, and in seeing his face we recognize the divine majesty revealed in him.

Source: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Second Corinthians

Let the transformation begin!  Per Fr. Ripperger, this is one of the reasons why the Blessed Mother asks for us to pray the rosary every day. By doing so, we begin the transformation process in our souls that will take place in this life or the next for all the faithful as we journey in faith towards the burning flames of Divine Love.

The Lord of hosts is himself the king of glory.

He will transform us and show us his face,

and we shall be saved;

all our longing will be fulfilled,

all our desires will be satisfied.

– St. Augustine

Levels of Prayer – Part 2

Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about pleasing God? We know God in heaven, beyond the stars, the Creator of heaven and earth, with the whole world in his hands. God is beyond time, and his spirit permeates through every cell, molecule and atom in all of creation. Our God is truly an infinite and all powerful God.

God is everywhere in his immensity, and everywhere close at hand.  – St. Columban

Being single and in my forties the topic of pleasing God is of interest to me. I came across this idea of “pleasing God” years ago while going through RCIA at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in 2004-2005. I was studying the New Testament letters on my own during that time, and I noticed a trend of verses that had a common denominator about “pleasing God.”  I even noted the verses on an inside cover of a notebook.

We can say that one who finds pleasure in truth, in happiness, in justice, in everlasting life, is drawn to Christ, for Christ is all these things.  – St. Augustine

I want to share the “original recipe” of verses I put together back during those turbulent days of me transitioning from being a “None” to being a Christian disciple. And let me humbly say this transition of Christian discipleship is still in process.

Christian formation is a life-long journey of spiritual growth.

Christ himself, the bread from heaven, is man’s nourishment enabling him to grow in virtue, and it is Christ who quenches his thirst and gladdens him with his teaching.  – St. Procopius

Here are the verses about pleasing God that stood out to me years ago.

• Ephesians 1:5
• Ephesians 5:10
• Philippians 2:13
• Philippians 4:18
• Colossians 1:10
• Colossians 1:19
• Colossians 3:20
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1

Let’s take a look at these verses with a brief word of commentary about each one.

he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, Ephesians 1:5

The translation I had first read may be more helpful to understand this verse:

Because of his love, God has already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him.”

Per Bible commentary, the incentive for each of us here is to invest in a lifetime of works of righteousness to confirm that we are God’s adopted children. We do this rather than abuse our free will for worldly pursuits or neglect God’s invitation.

Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:10

We are doing this now! Hooray! The title of the passage that includes this verse is “Renounce Pagan Ways.” God calls for us to walk in the light of his Son.  To walk in the light is also to refrain from the works of darkness such as immorality, impurity and idolatry (loving or desiring the world more than we love God).

For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Philippians 2:13

Here is the translation I had read years ago:

because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.

What pleases God? If you look at the preceding verse, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (maybe think of thunder and lightning here as a microcosm of God’s almighty power?). With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we must:

• Follow the commandments
• Persevere in good works
• Strive for holiness
• Pray in earnest
• Fight against the forces of evil
• Resist the selfish demands of the flesh

I have received full payment and I abound. I am very well supplied because of what I received from you through Epaphroditus, “a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.  Philippians 4:18

We please God when we make sacrifices from our resources (time, talent and treasure) for the benefit of the Church, the bride of Christ. This is what St. Paul is saying to the Philippians in this verse. Paul appreciates their generosity and assistance, and it is no different with Jesus when we do the same for the Church.

to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:10

Per commentary, St. Paul wants us to honor the Father with our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to work unhindered within us. Source:  Ignatius Catholic Study Bible – New Testament. When we put God first in our lives we put the world behind us, which has an endpoint. There is no endpoint with God.

For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, Colossians 1:19

Jesus is #1 with God. God is more pleased with Jesus, his Son, than anything else. The Holy Spirit is the union of love between the Father and the Son. As baptized, adopted children, we are blessed to be called to be part of this holy union.  

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Colossians 3:20

The command to honor our parents is also mentioned in the Ten Commandments, in the wisdom books of the Bible (e.g.  Sirach Chapter 3) and Jesus himself instructs us to honor our parents in the Gospels.

Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1

This is the last verse I had jotted down, but it is the first verse of a scripture passage titled, “A Life Pleasing to God.” For the sake of brevity, here are some closing points on what this scripture passage says to do to please God.

• God wills for us to grow in holiness (overcome selfishness and sinful habits).
• Abstain from immoral behavior (especially sexual immorality).
• Make a continued effort to learn who God is (a lifetime of Bible study).
• Love one another, especially people who walk in the same Christian faith.
• Live a quiet and humble life.
• Be dependable to others.
• Be hard-working and labor for the Lord in all you do.

It was the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, that is because I am using a laptop with a touchpad.  I do, however, think there is a mouse or hamster running in place in one of those hamster wheels when this old laptop of mine reboots.

But I shouldn’t complain. I just had a nice dinner. I am at peace in my recliner. There is a college hoops basketball game to monitor on my 50” HD television set, and an extended holiday weekend has just begun. Living alone, I think so many times I find myself murmuring about this and that, much like the Israelites wandering through the desert. I will admit, the daily grind can take its toll on me, but there is also much to be thankful for. And that is what this post is about, gratitude and thanksgiving.

Thanks be to God! That is how I start my day is telling Jesus I am thankful for the blessings I have received from him today and in my life.  All good things come from God. And all roads lead back to God.

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. John 12:32

Not only do I want to stop and think about the many things I am thankful for, but I also want to share with you what the New Testament has to say about gratitude.

Let’s start off with the word gratitude. Gratitude is mentioned two (2) times in the New Testament. Source: USCCB’s Bible translation.

The word gratitude means being thankful, and appreciative. The greek word is charis.

Here is the first verse:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

I had mentioned the Israelites murmuring in the desert, but they also honored the Lord in ancient times singing songs of praise. It was a tradition for them. The early Church carried on the tradition of singing songs of praise to God by adopting the Psalter as her songbook. Visit any Benedictine monastery, and you will find that psalms and hymns of praise are still being sung by the Catholic Church today.

What is more pleasing than a psalm?  – St. Ambrose

Go to any parish for Mass and you will most likely find yourself singing songs of praise, especially during the Eucharistic liturgy. And the word Eucharist means thanksgiving.

One of my favorite liturgical hymns of praise is, “All Creatures of Our God and King” written by St. Francis of Assisi. I actually just found out it was written by St. Francis.

Just for a moment, put the grind and the murmurings of this world behind you. And think about the appearance of Christ. Think about Jesus approaching you with his angels in all of his holiness and glory. A crucified Christ has risen! He has saved us who believe in Him. All praise and thanksgiving be to God!

What words can adequately describe God’s gifts? They are so numerous that they defy enumeration. They are so great that any one of them demands our total gratitude in response. – St. Basil

Here is a link to the song. Feel yourself being drawn to the Lord, experiencing the appearance of Christ’s goodness and everlasting glory in St. Francis’s song of praise.

All creatures of our God and King,

lift up your voice and with us sing

alleluia, alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise him, O praise him,

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,

ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,

O praise him, alleluia!

Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,

ye lights of evening, find a voice,

O praise him, O praise him,

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,

make music for thy Lord to hear,

alleluia, alleluia!

Thou fire so masterful and bright,

that givest man both warmth and light,

O praise him, O praise him,

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

That is the beauty of Sacred Scripture. Just meditating on one Bible Verse can change the course of your day and even change the course of your entire life.

With lifted spirits and grateful hearts in Christ let us look at the second verse containing the word gratitude in the New Testament.

Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

I can’t help but add the next verse in for theological support.

for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

Maybe St. Francis wrote his hymn of praise with this verse from Hebrews in mind. The world, the flesh and the devil can shake us up and bring us down, but they all melt like wax before the kingdom of Christ. How blessed we are to be invited to be a part of that kingdom and rise above the stubble and rubble.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Of the many joys that are found in the kingdom of heaven, the greatest seems to me to be the sense of tranquility and wellbeing that we shall experience when we are free from all concerns for earthly things.  – St. Teresa of Avila

That day of union with Jesus is something to look forward to. Communion with Jesus is something to be thankful for in our hearts with an unending attitude of gratitude. May the blood of Christ be on our lips and the peace of Christ be in our hearts both now and forever more. Amen.

a consuming fire: God is a raging fire of love and holiness, which is warming and purifying to the saints (Lk 3:16; 1 Pet 1:6-7) but searing and punishing to the sinner (Heb 10:26-27). The imagery comes from Deut 4:24. Source: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament RSV