a lodging or a place of rest. Instead, I go into the chamber to rest.
The church recommends good practices to carry her children to union with the Bridegroom. Yet the children need to leave these practices if and when they find union with God. The church also has certain prayers to raise the soul to God. Yet many are not raised to union with God and neither do they serve God. Yet there are souls in a very close union with God; how did they the way to God? There are people doing spiritual practices that see others not using the practices and so they accuse them of being in error. Yet far from being in error, they are in the true spirit of the church, and in the interior states of Jesus’ church.
The Gospel reveals the true spiritual practices. Those who are close to Christ believe with a strong faith. They do what Christ commands. They participate in the sacraments, and take care to repent when needed. They take communion. This life of the soul protects our union with God while increasing it and providing armor against corruption. The church distributes these treasures of the commandments of Christ, repentance, forgiveness, baptism, and communion to all the faithful. Because of these, we do well. They are signs of the mercy and kindness of God.
God’s Word in us triumphs over everything. We all must live in the will of God in our lives but not all do this. Catherine of Genoa was placed in a love so pure, she wanted to use this pure love for the cause of justice. It turns out that today, through some unwise practices, many find torments, rather than win God’s mercy and kindness.1
Faithful people who still follow unnecessary practices are in error. They are far from the kindness of God and are not using God’s strength. They have a respect for the church and would die to support it. But they do not choose the way of living in the will of God, to which they will be at the end united in a perfect way. Vocal prayers are not an absolute obligation. The prayer books given to priests are an example of a way given to them to unite them to God. When the soul is united to God, it is necessary that they remain in union with God and not return to their previous ways that were good and holy in their time. Vocal prayers are no longer good for the soul, because God asks other things from them. It is the same with all other devotional practices. Therefore we do not need to accuse others of errors because they are in the state that the church wishes for its children. They might need to stay there because of their weakness. All things have their season. Even when the counsel is holy and good, it is not for all. We must do everything that is holy. This means doing the will of God and tending to the perfection that God wants for us, each to her own state. The religious orders are good but they may prevent a person from entering into the will of God.
This is said to let those know who live in the Will of God that there are ignorant people who will condemn them. If the believer remains in repose and holds on to their path, they will find the contentment that God chooses for them.
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord. (Luke 1:5–6)
This scripture describes well the grandeur of the holiness of the parents of John the Baptist and his extraordinary birth. John originates from the priesthood and this scripture shows all priests that they should be engaged like John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness. The priest should prepare a way for the Lord so they may learn about Jesus Christ: Behold, the Lamb of God. John the Baptist cried in the wilderness, which is to say in the desert of people’s souls.
John the Baptist is the model that priests must imitate so they may lead souls to Jesus Christ, without losing any of them. The holy parents of this forerunner of Jesus Christ were righteous before God and conformed to God in holiness and justice. God revealed their justice before humans. They had no self-will which is the principle character of justice. They were living blamelessly according to all of the commandments of the Lord. They lived in God’s will as revealed in scripture and were justified like God has for every individual person. Like the parents of John the Baptist, all priests must follow God and have morals beyond reproach.
Jesus Christ does not have priests for his parents and was born into a family of more common origin. He is to be imitated by everyone.
But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. 8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” (Luke 1:7–13)
The circumstances that happened before the conception of John the Baptist are amazing. First, God shows his favor with light. The birth is known throughout the world and nothing is hidden because the priest must tell what happened outside. For the one who must announce Jesus Christ must have light, not for himself, but for the others. He must not be ashamed of preaching and confessing Jesus Christ. The promises given for John the Baptist were announced to Zechariah because as a child John must remain strong in him. Promises about Jesus were given to Mary and not to Joseph, because she had to ponder what was necessary for the formation of Jesus Christ. John comes from parents who were sterile and advanced in age so that we see the grace and miracles surrounding his birth, and also to see the purity that he had for the ministry of the Word. John’s name is given by heaven before his birth to mark his vocation as an apostle.
“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.” (Luke 1:14–16)
John’s proclamation of repentance brings joy to the world because that which afflicts the body, fills the spirit with contentment. Discipline gives us a strong and powerful support. John’s coming, though, brings ruin to some and yet the resurrection of many. John’s repentance brings ruin followed by resurrection. He will be great in the sight of the Lord because repentance brings faith and wonderful gifts. He must never drink wine because repentance brings all pleasure to the soul. Repentance also creates life in a community.
After the angel tells Zechariah of John’s gifts as a person of repentance, he says that John will announce the eternal Word. John will be filled with the Holy Spirit of the new birth while in the womb of his mother so he may serve as the bearer of the Word. And to show that John has the quality of a preacher and a voice full of the Holy Spirit, the angel continues to say, He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. This apostle will convert souls away from sin to grace, both in the exterior and in the interior, so they return to the kingdom of the Lord their God. This is why all the preaching of John announced that the kingdom of God is near.
“With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)
John was sent to prepare the way for the Lord in the zeal, power, and virtue of Elijah. He was like a wind purifying the air in the places that Jesus Christ would pass. He must go before Jesus Christ to prepares the repentance before Jesus Christ. If a soul repents entirely, then she follows Jesus Christ who is the way and he leads the soul. Repentance is a reconciliation of the heart that heals our mistakes and lack of belief. This leads us to abandon ourselves to the way of God that is the wisdom of the righteous. If folly causes faithlessness, true faith and trust bring wisdom. Finally, John was to make a people prepared for the Lord. This involves the perfect conversion of
