Salesian Flowers #1

Translated with an introductory note by

Thomas F. Dailey, O.S.F.S

In Vita Consecrata, the 1996 Apostolic Exhortation on the consecrated life, Pope John Paul begins with a meditative reflection on the event of the Transfiguration. For the Holy Father, the essential characteristics of religious consecration are to be found there, in the radiant face of our Savior. As both the revelation of Christ's glory and preparation for his Cross, the Transfiguration thus serves as an "icon" for those who ascend and descend today's mountain with Jesus.

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(February 23, 1614)

On the first Sunday of Lent, the Church shows us the temptation of Christ (Matt 4:1-11); on the second, the Transfiguration and glory of the heavenly Jerusalem (Matt 17:1-9); and on the third, the providence of God toward those who, having learned from Our Lord to fight valiantly have done it so faithfully that they have merited the recompense he shows to them after the battle (Luke 11:14-28). Today let us offer a few small considerations by which we will demonstrate that there are four degrees of prayer; but before all that let us say three words.

The soul of Our Lord was blessed form the instant of his conception; it resembled the Jacob's ladder, which with one end could touch heaven and the other earth (Gen 28:12). It was entirely the same with the holy soul of our Master, for his superior part was supported in the bosom of his Father, and his inferior part touched the earth by the choice which he had made of our miseries, pains and sufferings. That being the case, we see clearly that the mystery of the Transfiguration was not so much a miracle as the cessation of a miracle since the privilege of glory which enriches the superior part of this blessed soul was also joined to the inferior part which did not enjoy any of it at all. Thus it was abandoned and left completely to the mercy of all of our miseries and calamities, just as a great spring bubbling up at the summit of a high mountain retains its waters without flowing down to the small valleys. At the time of the Transfigurarion, this miracle ceased for a time - Our Lord letting his inferior part delight in the glory and consolation of his superior part.

Some devout souls will perhaps ask how will we know that we are making progress in prayer, and by means of prayer, in perfection. It is truly by means of prayer that one approaches perfection and St. Bernard, after having indicated other ways, says that prayer surpasses all of them. The four considerations that I am going to explain will sufficiently show if you are making progress, since they are excellent degrees of perfection.

The first consideration is this: Jesus having climbed the mountain, began to pray, and while praying he was transfigured, and his face became more dazzling than the sun and his clothing white as snow (Matt 17:1-2; Luke 9:28-29). Now, we know that our prayer is good and that we are advancing in it if, when we leave it we have, in imitation of Our Lord, a face dazzling as the sun and our habits white like the snow. I mean, if our face shines with charity and our body with chastity. Charity is the purity of the soul, for it cannot support in our hearts any impure affection or one which would be contrary to Him whom it loves (charity and love being only one and the same thing). And chastity is the charity of the body , since it rejects all sorts of impurities. If, on leaving prayer, you have a frown on your face, and an irritable look, people readily see that you have not meditated as you wished.

The second consideration has to do with the Apostles seeing Moses and Elijah who were speaking to Our Lord about the departure which he was to make to Jerusalem.. See how in the midst of the Transfiguration one speaks of the Passion, for this departure is nothing other than the Passion. Our divine Master made this departure in a fashion other than ours; for we cast ourselves from below to above. Departure [in French "exces"] means ecstasy; hence he spoke about the departure. What departure ? That by which God descends from his supreme glory. And why does he do this? In order to take up our humanity and render himself subject to men, indeed to all human miseries, even to the extent of being immortal he made himself subject to death and to death on the cross (Phil 2:6-8). Love is not nourished as we think! Our Lord speaks therefore of his Passion and his Death because it is the sovereign act of his love; thus the Blessed, in eternal glory, will no longer speak nor rejoice in anything as much as in this death (cf. Rev 5:9, 12). Consequently, in the midst of consolation one must remember the Passion. No indeed, we must not say as St. Peter does, It is good that we be here (Matt 17:4), but it is good that we pass by here in order to go the mountain of Calvary.

It is necessary to ascend the mountain of Tabor in order to be consoled there, you will say, for that could and does motivate and cause to advance the weak souls who do not have the courage to do the good without feeling satisfied. For sure, pardon me, true perfection is not acquired amid consolation. Ah, do you not see this in our mystery today? These three Apostles, having seen the glory of the Our Lord, afterwards abandoned him in his passion; and St. Peter who had often spoken more boldly, nevertheless committed a very great sin by denying his Master. One descends from the mountain of Tabor a sinner, but on the contrary one descends that of Calvary justified (cf. Luke 18:14). This is to be understood when one stays at the foot of the Cross like Our Lady, who is the paragon of all that is beautiful in heaven and on earth. St. John remains there at the feet of His Master, and never more does one find that he commits any sin. One is really very much afraid amidst consolation, for one does not know if one loves the consolation of God or the God of consolation. But in affliction there is nothing to fear, provided that one be faithful, in as much as there is nothing pleasurable in it. There you have it with regard to the second consideration.

I make the third on what is intended by the voice of the eternal Father who says: this is my beloved son, listen to him (Matt 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17). It is necessary, therefore, to obey the eternal Father by following Our Lord in order to hear his word. And here is how we are taught that all persons, whatever their condition may be, must pray and meditate, for it is at prayer that the divine Master primarily speaks to us. I do not say that we must all spend the same amount of time in meditation, for it would not be appropriate that those who have many affairs [in the world] remain as long in prayer as do religious. I say, nevertheless, that if you wish to fulfill your duty well, it is necessary that you pray to God, and it is in prayer that we learn to do well that which we must do. When Our Lord wanted to accomplish some great thing, he placed himself in prayer, but not a simple prayer made without preparation; thus does he withdraw to the mountain and enter into solitude. Before beginning his preaching and the conversion of souls, he withdraws forty days (Matt 4:1-2). Today he wishes to be transfigured and to make visible to his three Apostles a scintilla of his glory, so he places himself in prayer and ecstasy. While in this state, he makes visible his face more dazzling than the sun and his clothing more white than snow; and this is our first consideration. Afterward, he is seen between Moses and Elijah, speaking of the departure which he must make to Jerusalem; and that is the second. Then one hears, the voice of the eternal Father who says: this is my beloved Son, listen to him; the third degree of prayer, and indeed perfection itself, is therefore to obey the Father and listen to the Son.

But it would not do us any good to listen if we were not do what he says to us by observing faithfully his commandments and his wishes. There are some that would be willing to listen to him; many also who would wish to follow him on the mountain of Tabor, but very few on that of Calvary. The one is nevertheless more profitable than the other, in the same way that there is more profit in accomplishing the will of God, or to love even that which annoys us, than not to listen to Our Lord speak amid the consolation that one sometimes receives in prayer.

I pass on to the fourth consideration. The Apostles, when they stood up (for they fell on their face on hearing the voice of the eternal Father), saw only Jesus (Matt 17:6-8). This is the highest degree of perfection - to see only Our lord in whatever we do. Many refrain from looking upon others and the things of this world, but there are extremely few who no longer look at themselves. Thus do the more spiritual search among the exercises of devotion and choose those which are more to their taste and more in keeping with their inclinations. However the only thing necessary is to see God, to look only for him, and then we will be blessed. The souls which have attained this degree of perfection have an entirely singular care to look upon and keep themselves at the side of Our Lord crucified on Calvary, because they find him there more alone than in any other place. Amen.