"Good Feet, Courage, and Tenacity"

Sayings of Light and Love, #3

Elsewhere, John of the Cross will speak of faith as “the feet” by which one journeys to God (Spiritual Canticle 1, 11). The image is a symbol of the theological virtue which is responsible for our believing in God and in all that he has said and revealed to the human family. By faith we commit ourselves entirely to God by the way that we live. Faith makes it possible for each of us to give the assent of our whole being to the God who reveals himself to us (CCC #143, #1814). It is the power to go to God! It is faith which submits mind and heart (intellect and will) to God who loves us and gives himself to us in a loving exchange.

Sometimes faith will ask a great deal. Heroic virtue is absolutely necessary on the way of prayer which leads to the heights of Mount Carmel (the mountain being the image which John of Cross uses to signify Christian perfection). Good will is not enough to get to the top of the mountain. Tenacity, the ability to hold on when the floor drops out beneath our feet, is a necessary requirement for the mountain climber. One needs more than well-placed intentions. What is needed are well-placed footholds and a firm grip. The analogies all say the same thing. We have to embrace God in faith with all the strength that we can muster! This is trust expressed in the obedience of faith… We are going to follow God wherever he leads us even if it means traveling in unknown territory. God expands our horizons moving us beyond our comfort zones.

Difficulties are bound to arise in prayer, but we must meet these with faith, tenacity of spirit, and courage. To have sturdy feet, then, for this journey means to have a faith that stands fast. Courage, in the sense that the mystical doctor uses it here, intends a heart that responds generously in the face of adversity. In other words, the life of prayer is not meant for the faint of heart. Finally, as we find ourselves climbing the sheer face of the mount of perfection, we need to learn to cling with our whole being to God. The idea here gives new meaning to the words:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your might.” – Dt 6, 4-5.

To believe God is an act of love. We demonstrate the strength of our love for God by going to him with faith. Unbelief on the other hand is a failure to love God with all that we are. Faith tells us that we can give to God all that we are, body and soul.

The last word goes to St. Teresa of Jesus who sums it all up, as she explains that we will not arrive at the fountain of God’s delights without “determined determination.” She would have us die on the way of prayer rather than turn back from its practice. The light from our present saying is to: never give up! Keep praying even when the going gets tough. Pray for the gift of faith and you will find strength for going far along the path of prayer. In the end, the Way of Prayer is the Way of Faith.