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Flowering Dogwood
Ian Matthew writes, in The Impact of God, of the following incident in John of the Cross' (1542-1591, Spain) life, exemplifying his capacity to meet persons where they were and embody and show compassion thereby.
A gentleman named Francisco de Paz was on the run after having set fire to, of all things, a convent in Salamanca. Suddenly his life had turned into a nightmare: he fled to the south of Spain and sought asylum in a Carmelite community. For a time John was prior of the house, and, whatever lay behind the crime, he welcomed Francisco and treated him as one of the community. The fugitive later recalled how the friar had 'cheered him, brightened his spirits, and given him a feel for God'. He helped Francisco to cope with his turmoil - 'something I could not possibly have done if, under God, the words of advice and example of this holy man were not there before me.'
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When reading the above, I was struck by a fresh idea, one I had not read before: giving a feel of God. The spiritual practitioner becomes one who wishes above all to give others a feel, or sense, of the Sacred, the Holy, of Spirit.
I compare giving the feel of the Sacred to perfume. To exude the fragrance of the Sacred is a much-needed gift. We can be a means of this fragrance of Grace, and, sometimes, that is all we need to give. And we can share this gift without saying a word or doing anything. We can by living close to the Heart of Life. Spirit is the perfume.
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We cannot choose whom to share this Blessing with. John of the Cross modeled this freely-giving to a man he had never met, a criminal running for refuge from the law. The scent of the Beloved cannot be given to some and withheld from others based on how we esteem them. Grace is impartial; hence, Grace is Love. This Life-giving Life is a spontaneous outflow.
Jesus speaks of this all-pervasive blessing of others.
"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that."
*Gospel of Matthew 4.44-47 (MSG)
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*© Brian K. Wilcox, 2021
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse. The book consists of poems based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.
*Of incident from Francisco de Paz, Ian Matthews notes, "Alonso de la Madre de Dios relates this (see José Vicente Rodriguez, ‘San Juan de la Cruz, talante dialogal?," Revista de Espiritualidad.
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