What we think is the right road
Saying you are sorry – even to yourself – is a sign of weakness. We do not need reflection, meditation or prayerful self-examination. Instead, we need decisive action! Sitting around contemplating philosophy accomplishes nothing. What's done is done. Move on!
But it's the wrong road
In Plato's famous dialogue the Apology (meaning an explanation of his life), Plato has Socrates say that the unexamined life is not worth living. If we do not know where we have come from, it is almost impossible to get a fixed bearing on where we are going. If we do not know what has been right and true in our lives, we cannot know what has been (and will be) wrong and false in our lives. There are unreflective and unthinking people, of course. Synonyms for "unthinking" include "inconsiderate," "self-centered," "disrespectful," and "uncharitable." It is, therefore, not hard to make the argument that we want our friends to be reflective and introspective – and that they want to find the same trait in us (cf. Tobit 4:15, Mt 7:12).
Still, it is not easy to confront our mistakes and misjudgments. Too many times we simply don't see the time go by, despite the classic warning of Sirach: "Whatever you do, remember that someday you must die. As long as you keep this in mind, you will never sin" (7:36 GNB).
French composer Charles Aznavour put it this way in his haunting song "I Didn't See the Time Go By":
Now as the wheel of life turns faster
Now as the seasons seem to fly
I see so many things at last, but didn't see the time go by
I've known delight, I've known disaster
The caviar, the humble pie
From the absurd to the sublime
I didn't see the time go by
I didn't see the years roll on
I didn't know the road would bend
Refused to see when youth was gone
Pretending it might never end
Now, there is price to pay for every day I threw away
It seems I've wasted half a lifetime
within the blinking of an eye
I didn't hear the midnight chime
I didn't see the time go by
In stolen nights and brief romances
I kissed the girls and made them cry
While there were balconies left to climb
I didn't see the time go by
I was the one with all the answers,
the halfway-truth, the harmless lie
So sure, so certain, in my prime
I didn't see the time go by
I hit the heights, I bit the dirt
I left some wreckage in my way
I didn't see that lies can hurt
I didn't know that hearts can break
And now, they come to haunt my mind,
the lives I touched and left behind
I've sung a hundred songs of longing,
of sweet regret and hopes run dry
I've searched for melody and rhyme,
but never saw how time can fly,
never saw the darkening sky
I was a minstrel of my time
Who did not see the time go by.
St. Paul teaches that we should "see the time go by," that we should routinely examine our conscience, and that there is a very close connection between confession and Communion (1 Cor 11:28, 31; John 20:23). The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it succinctly: "In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path; we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church" (1785).
When we examine our conscience, we do so not on the basis of what has been profitable for us, but on the basis of whether what we have done has been consistent with Christ's will as we know it through the teachings of His Church. We judge ourselves and our actions on the measure, rule, standard or canon of what is true, not what is true for us.
That last two-word prepositional phrase "for us" is at the heart of almost all contemporary moral debate. If there are only "my" standards, then I am merely a "minstrel of my time"; if, though, as a Catholic, I accept Christ's teaching as universally true, then I will pray that His will be done and I try, by the grace of God, to serve as His witness.
The longing expressed in Aznavour's song is but a pale reflection of the yearning in everyone's heart and mind and soul. In German, the word is "Sehnsucht" – a deep craving for something (actually, for Someone) which makes us whole. The psalmist explains this for us in Psalms 63 and 42. The regret, the sorrow, the confusion, the sense of failure in the Aznavour song – all these would have been, and yet still can be, cured by cognizance of and commitment to knowing, loving and serving God. Italy's greatest poet, Dante, told us that "In God's will is our peace."
We are prideful and unreflective people but, with "amazing grace," as another composer (John Newton) told us, we who were blind can now see, and we come to understand that the time which passes is not ours, but His (Ps 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). We are not minstrels of our day, but singers of eternal joy (cf. Pss 95 and 100) to the God who loved us to His own death.
Deacon James H. Toner serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.
"Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth! More delightful is your love than wine!"
Thus begins the Canticle of Canticles, one of the most beautiful books of Scripture. Attributed to Solomon, this inspired love song in the Old Testament represents the love between Christ and Our Lady, His Church and, more specifically, faithful souls. However, some are unaware of this traditional representation established by Holy Mother Church, and, consequently, take the strong love expressions literally and nothing more.
Many saints, particularly St. Teresa of Avila, have written about the Canticle of Canticles, trying to aright the distorted viewpoints of this book. Nevertheless, despite the saints' noteworthy efforts, some people still believe that the Canticle of Canticles is unfitting for many occasions and safer to read only privately. Though to these people the amorous Canticle of Canticles seems unfitting, the love displayed in its dramatic expressions is indeed only part of the extent of love between Christ and the perfect soul. However, it is a beautiful, unashamed love worthy of the exchange of holy thoughts on its mysteries.
Since God is infinite, the love between Him and the perfect soul is infinitely beautiful. However, this love is only imperfectly expressed in the words of the Canticle of Canticles, for our finite language is incapable of expressing the language of heaven. Nevertheless, this goal is attempted and can hardly be surpassed by other theologians. From the very beginning of the Canticle of Canticles, we realize that the soul is taken with the love of Christ when she begins the song with the words: "Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth! More delightful is your love than wine!" The Divine Spouse in turn begins His chorus: "Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves!"
The song is filled with such beautiful love expressions from Christ to His bride, and rightly so, for, "there is no exaggeration of words whereby He might prove His love for us, which He has not exceeded by deeds," notes St. Teresa of Avila in "The Way of Perfection, and Conceptions of Divine Love." If this is the case, then we should imitate the boldness of the bride in the Canticles, who in turn imitates the boldness of Christ. This will inflame and enrich the beauty of the loving harmonies passing between Christ and the soul.
If the love between Christ and the perfect soul is so beautiful, then we should make use of the expressions in the Canticle of Canticles and not be ashamed of their strength and ardor. Even though the words are ever so bold, they are but a poor representation of reality.
St. Teresa of Avila says that it is "owing to our having too little practice in the love of God, which makes us think a soul cannot speak with God in such expressions." The words of the Canticle of Canticles are inspired by the Holy Spirit, she says, and no one should be ashamed of them. It is the baser impulse which gives rise to shame of this kind since to be ashamed of the Word is to be ashamed of God who is the Word. The Word is Eternal and thus is beneficial to souls of all ages, countries and times. Therefore, thinking that the Canticle of Canticles is merely an out-of-date love song of Solomon is incorrect. We must resist shrinking from in-depth conversations and lectures on this song just because the subject may be uncomfortable. We must set our feet on this steep mountain, for as we near the peak our understanding will increase – and with it our love for God.
For the sake of the beauty and truth in the Canticle of Canticles, it is well that this inspired book hold the central theme of spiritual conversations to unite souls more closely to the aim of life: the love of God. The Canticles describes so well this love that it demands our attention and discussion about the mysteries contained within its pages. With sorrow St. Teresa of Avila points out that people "neglect considering the great mysteries contained in those words, which are inspired by the Holy Ghost." However, voicing personal meditations to fellow travelers on the road to holiness actually matures our musings, developing them more quickly by the exchange of ideas. Then, with a better understanding of the love of God, the soul imitates the bride of the Canticle of Canticles by the natural increase of her own love towards Him.
Overall, the beautiful mysteries contained in the Canticle of Canticles speak of the love between Christ and His bride – an unfathomably beautiful, unashamed love from which we should share our fruitful meditations. Sadly, the world today is desperately lacking in true love. As lights to the world, we members of Holy Mother Church must imitate the love displayed in the Canticles and promote a similar, holy, charitable affection among our fellow exiles of this world. The goal of this life is heaven and the means: imitating the Divine Love only imperfectly expressed in the divine love song, the Canticle of Canticles.
Jyllian Carter is a parishioner of St. Ann Church and is the eldest of nine siblings. For several years, she has been an aspirant of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Elysburg, Pa., and hopes to become a postulant after high school graduation in 2016. This month the Catholic Church is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Carmelite reformer, St. Teresa of Avila.