In late November, early December as I finished up my John of the Cross class; the word commingle stayed with me. The word and how it was used intrigued me.
John of the Cross writes in Book I, Chapter 5 of Ascent to Mount Carmel, "This is likewise apparent in the same book of Sacred Scripture[Ex. 16:8-13] where it states the people, discontented with that simple food, requested and craved meat, and seriously angered our Lord because of their desire to commingle a food so base and and coarse with one so high and simple that, even though simple, contained the savor and substance of all foods[Wis. 16:20-21]."
Further in Book II, Chapter 15 of Ascent to Mount Carmel, he writes, "One should not commingle other, more palpable lights of forms, concepts or figures of meditative discourse if one wants to receive this divine light in greater simplicity and abundance, for none of these tangible lights are like that serene, limpid light."
What is John of the Cross trying to get us to think about? He is saying be intentional and focus on what God is calling you to do. Do not mix your own desires with the gifts that God has given you. God desires us to be intentional therefore we should not commingle contemplation with meditation. It is important for us to not be driven by feelings but to just show up. So if we sit down with the intent to practice lectio divina we should not switch to contemplative prayer when we feel like it but rather practice contemplative prayer at a different time.
For me, commingle is a call to be intentional and stay focused. It is a call to be content with what I have been given. It is a call to try not to do too much. Everyday God asks us to consider what are we mixing in that dilutes our relationship with Him and where are we missing out because we are failing to commingle.
"There are many kinds of awakening that God effects in the soul, so many that we would never finish explaining them all. Yet this awakening of the son of God that the soul wishes to refer to here is one of the most elevated and beneficial. For this awakening is a movement of the Word in the substance of the soul, containing such grandeur, dominion, glory, and intimate sweetness that it seems to the soul that all the balsams and fragrant spices and flowers of the world are commingled, stirred, and shaken so as to yield their sweet odor, and all the kingdoms and dominions of the world and all the powers and virtues of heaven are moved; not only this, but it also seems that all the virtues and substances and perfections and graces of every created thing glow and make the same movement all at once. " - John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, Stanza 4
John of the Cross writes in Book I, Chapter 5 of Ascent to Mount Carmel, "This is likewise apparent in the same book of Sacred Scripture[Ex. 16:8-13] where it states the people, discontented with that simple food, requested and craved meat, and seriously angered our Lord because of their desire to commingle a food so base and and coarse with one so high and simple that, even though simple, contained the savor and substance of all foods[Wis. 16:20-21]."
Further in Book II, Chapter 15 of Ascent to Mount Carmel, he writes, "One should not commingle other, more palpable lights of forms, concepts or figures of meditative discourse if one wants to receive this divine light in greater simplicity and abundance, for none of these tangible lights are like that serene, limpid light."
What is John of the Cross trying to get us to think about? He is saying be intentional and focus on what God is calling you to do. Do not mix your own desires with the gifts that God has given you. God desires us to be intentional therefore we should not commingle contemplation with meditation. It is important for us to not be driven by feelings but to just show up. So if we sit down with the intent to practice lectio divina we should not switch to contemplative prayer when we feel like it but rather practice contemplative prayer at a different time.
For me, commingle is a call to be intentional and stay focused. It is a call to be content with what I have been given. It is a call to try not to do too much. Everyday God asks us to consider what are we mixing in that dilutes our relationship with Him and where are we missing out because we are failing to commingle.
"There are many kinds of awakening that God effects in the soul, so many that we would never finish explaining them all. Yet this awakening of the son of God that the soul wishes to refer to here is one of the most elevated and beneficial. For this awakening is a movement of the Word in the substance of the soul, containing such grandeur, dominion, glory, and intimate sweetness that it seems to the soul that all the balsams and fragrant spices and flowers of the world are commingled, stirred, and shaken so as to yield their sweet odor, and all the kingdoms and dominions of the world and all the powers and virtues of heaven are moved; not only this, but it also seems that all the virtues and substances and perfections and graces of every created thing glow and make the same movement all at once. " - John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, Stanza 4
