So then, just say, if you consider that, what influence does that have on why we believe in who you are? It's not too much, Robert. It's just that... ...things in connection with that... ...thinking about the inner, external, internal, external form... ...of a community... ...there's the notion of the... Contemplative life really plays a decisive role in it, because you want to keep that old order of value.

[01:01]

There'll be for which classical rich concept of the perfection, when perfection consists I must say, however, there are certain historical developments and that there is a certain, shall we call it just for the moment, discrepancy between the, let us call it the platonic approach And their approaches became classical in the pagan Mediterranean world, the Hellenistic world. On the one side or the other side, the world of the Old Testament. We sing the Psalms, that word is quite different from the hymns, the philosophical hymns that the Hellenistic age brought forth as a fruit of its idea of contemplation.

[02:18]

But nevertheless, there is also the coming together of the two in a very, very wonderful way. Because there is no doubt, you know, that the interpretation of the Virgin, who's an empress, who is your purchase, you know, is in its favor. Perhaps not exactly these your purchase, but nevertheless that word we dare to see in the word peace. They are in the very root of that holy name, of that word which expresses the longing of the happy customer. We just kind of catch it again, you see.

[03:23]

I think we can't reduce it to a relatively simple for the platonic idea of the vita contemplativa. It's based on these two concepts. The here, simple is higher than the vertical. the other one the compound or the the unchangeable desire then the changeable the body is changeable and compound too but defying the idea is the idea is simple and unchanging. The human mind, whereby man is, that his mind, his noose, is related as an affinity to the divine, to the simple and the unchanging.

[04:42]

by the fact of its being in some way in the captivity of the body as the oyster in a shell, a cell, a plate of cells, the soul is infected by the multiplicity and the changeableness of the body And the more the soul allows itself to be involved in the multiplicity and the changeableness of the body, the more the soul loses its power, because the power of the soul comes from the simple and the unchecked. And in that relation, in our relation to the simple thing, the soul is called to govern, lord it over the body.

[05:56]

And in order to more and more restore its power, its simplicity and unchangeableness, the soul has to contemplate, contemplate the truth, fix its gaze on the simple and the unchangeable. That's the Platonic ideal. One could compare with that, you know, Maybe just in connection with that, just say a few words about the contemplative life at St. Gregory. St. Gregory the Great, I mean. St. Gregory the Great. It is relatively simple. To him, it is this way.

[06:58]

That man was created in the beginning They greatly would say erect standing. What does that mean? That standing means that... ...the spiritual completely ruled over the bodily. that in that original creation, man is born for contemplation. His mind is in a familiarity with God. The mind of man, its original beauty stands. It is quiet.

[08:03]

And it is silent. And in silence, it's able to listen, to gaze. They become a mirror. It is a mirror. It is a mirror, essentially, of the simple and the unchangeable Godhead. But then comes the fall of man. Man was endowed with liberty of will. so that he himself may, in that freedom, decide if he, out of his own volition, ought to do God's will. But the test failed. His disloyalty literally, but again mystically, fell. Fell.

[09:07]

The cast fell. That means he stood before and then fell. That means he lost that power of contemplating the divinity. He was bent. St. Gregory takes as an example of that the bent woman, which just tries to touch our Lord's garment. And that bent woman represents humanity after the fall. That being bent consists in this that now man is turned not any more to what is above him, but he is turned to what is below him, to the inferior, to what we call, again, mystically, the mundus, the visible creation as isolated from God.

[10:14]

And there, man lost that original quiet, He lost that silence. He lost the quiet because he is now torn. He's torn between the visible and the invisible. When he is, St. Gregor puts it this way, when he is in peace, then he longs for action. When he is in action, he longs for peace. So he's lost the quiet, the calmness. He's not satisfied with whatever he is, the Lord. And the other element, therefore, is torn, you know, interiorly torn by opposite tendencies. ears out and say, in some way, it's interesting, I just found it today, that this famous word of Goethe, or man as a locust, grasshopper.

[11:32]

He always hops and flies and then still always goes back and sits on his ground and thinks they were sopping in on him. That really, St. Gregory, I don't know if St. Gregory was the first to say that, but he spoke about man as a new Christian. who jumps and tries to fly in a little car and goes back, and there he sits down, and there he goes again. So that's man after the fall. He has lost that calmness and peace. And then the other one, he has lost the silence, this trepidus mundi, the clamor, calmness, and is constantly alive in me, the noise of the flesh, straight into his mouth, and that drowns out the still small voice of silence.

[12:46]

The task of man consists in this, that he returns to the original state. That's really the meaning of asceticism. That's the meaning of the contemplative life, is return to the original state. Just in that connection, I was reminded, you know, that really our Holy Father's impendicatis parloque says de facto the same thing, that through obedience we return to the one who we have left in the sloth of disobedience, which may also be interpreted in that way, that the monastic life is a return to paradise. It's the attempt on the part of man, in the part of grace, the part of Christ, of the second Adam, the spiritual, to return and catch, catch again that original stability from starting in that original quiet,

[14:17]

for the unification, the obedience to God, which means the simplification, unification of man, man through silence. Touching to witness. So, you see there that St. Gregory let us say, the original values. Though, in some way, what makes the thing tick is, to a great degree, the Platonic desire and longing of man, out from the multiplicity and the simple, and from the changeable to the unchangeable. And one can certainly not deny that we also have in the Old Testament certain expressions, you know, that are in the same direction.

[15:31]

But it seems to be still done in a different way. But maybe that we can't grasp. That's a little better in the course of these reflections. But that was St. Gregory's idea, you see, that man should come again to that firmness, that star, and that he should do that withdrawal, a withdrawal from the multiplicity of the senses. St. Gregory distinguishes two kinds of latitudiness, you know, of latitude, of broadness, of wideness. One is the latitude which the senses seek to give to man.

[16:34]

That's the latitude of the worldling, the man who lives in the world, the woman. Constantly new things. the organ through which that kind of, one can say, false attitude enters into man is curiositas, curiosity, curiositas, and that distracts And that is in reality only narrowness. To the man who has fixed his mind on God, he's able to see that that is just narrowness, angustia, angustia. That this visible world is narrow. And the mind that turns to God and to the contemplation of God

[17:37]

then his mind is really and truly dilatata. And in this wide mind, wide through the contemplation of the divine things, he is extramundo and supermundo, outside of the world, about the world. And then in this dilatata mente, in this wide mind, he sees the narrowness of the world, and that is expressed in Saint Benedict's vision. which, according to the common concept of commentators today, that has been studied very much in the context of St. Gregory's terminology, does not mean really an extraordinary psychological mystical state.

[18:44]

but it is simply that stability of the mind of the Verde, the man of God, who is fixed in the contemplation of God. And in that contemplation of God, he simply realizes the narrowness of the world, so he can see the world In this light of divinity, there's a small little thing. It's a small thing. He pierces through the veil of the senses until he realizes the narrowness of the multiple and the changeable. So in all these ways, you know, St. Gregory has strong Platonic reminiscence, certainly also St.

[19:50]

Augustine, but he brings in as an integral element the form, and that means seeing, as an element which is underlying, And this present, let us say, needs and necessities and angustiae and longings of man. So the explanation is given of the conflict which Plato, in fact, never was able to give. But as I say, this is not an extraordinary state, but it is simply a journey of the mind to the divine things from this world, away from this world.

[20:53]

Now, I read to you a little thing of St. Augustine, and that may be also a kind of an interesting link between the Tractonic and the Christian idea. That St. Augustine, as you know, speaks following the footsteps of Origenes, on the Vita Activa and the Vita Continativa in connection with the passage of the Gospel of St. Luke about Martha and Mary. And later on he speaks again about it in a comparison between St. Peter and St. John, commenting in the treatises on the Gospel of St. John, on chapter 21 of the Gospel of St. John. On the Martyr Ferry, we have a very beautiful sermon that I recommend to you to read in Morel's edition of the published sermons of St.

[22:06]

Augustine. and then St. Augustine speaks about Martha and Mary. I'll just read to you the last thing that you may see also, the affinity which is there, an affinity which is in some way encouraged, what do you say, by the Gospels. You know, Martha gets busy about making poems, and Mary... has selected the one thing which will never be taken away from her, and therefore Mary has chosen the better part. One thing that all Christian writers remark here right away And I think that's of fundamental importance. They all agree on this, on the fact that the gospel calls Mary's part the bitter part.

[23:11]

It's right away evident that Martha's part is not bad. You see, that is another thing which was in Plato absolutely not evident. Where Plato could be just taken that are saved by the mannequins as affirming that matter and the bodily, because it's multiple and it's changeable, is bad. Why? The soul, because simple and unchangeable, is good. And that therefore any contact of the soul with matter is bad. And that is a thing which the Christian interpretation does not agree with. Maria parte miliore elegit.

[24:16]

Optima means here miliore. That means that Martha has not chosen the bad particle. So both good, that's the first thing we should keep in mind, both good. The sense world, the visible world, and the spiritual world are not opposed as two entities, but both are created by the same God. And that is also the reason why St Augustine emphasizes so much in the footstep of Saint Paul, the epistle to the walls, the first chapter, that per visibilia in visibilia annus, that, in other words, the visible things are... The chopping board, that is a good word, chopping board.

[25:19]

Was it invisible? They are the stepping stone. But the stepping stone is not done. It's only less good. But God has made it all, the visible world and the invisible world. See, that was the great nature of the Asiatic, the Eastern doctrine. from Persia that bodily and spiritually are posed as two enemies. And the material is such there. But as soon as you take that into account, you will right away see that the idea or concept of the vita contemplativa takes on a different character. That is the reason why in the Christian idea the vita activa enters into the vita contemplativa and that's the point that I'm constantly driving at because I think their clarity is of greatest importance that we may not fall into a wrong mysticism to a wrong mysticism I would say to what they call ecstatic mysticism

[26:36]

because that ecstatic mysticism, that may taste, indeed, of the old enmity against the material as such. That's not Christian. But, nevertheless, that's clear. Mary takes the better part. And then St. Augustine explains that why is Mary the better part. He says that in this beautiful way, addressing Marta, . You see, you see that Marta, , you see? You are disturbed about the many things. You see that right away? The many things and the changeable and the division, you see? There are many things that you are very aware of.

[27:52]

And then St. Augustine continues in the vein of pre-Platonic philosophy. And of course, I would say in a common human sense, You see, the many are always derived. The original thing is oneness. Such a beautiful thought. Oneness is the original thing. that many are derived from the one, not the one from the many. It's an enormously important, enormously important idea to have in the whole context of the union of the churches, the Ecumenical Council. And then he continues, in Vilo Socculo Futuro, where he continues and he explains, you see, that that Martha worries about the many things.

[28:57]

Why does she worry about the many things? She finds misery, she finds needs, and she is commiserant, you know. She sympathizes. With all of that sympathy, she helps. But, and St. Augustine says, that's good, that's fine. But he continues, he says, we have always to think about one thing, and that is that the worries and the needs of the many things will not last forever. There will be a time, the , the futures, the future age in which those needs do not exist. And because those needs don't exist, those ministries don't exist anymore, of caring for the sick, of cooking the food, and doing all these things, it will not exist.

[30:02]

Therefore, Mary has a better power, because what she has will never be taken away from her. But what Martha has is not only multa, but it will also end. It will not last forever. So it's by its nature, changeable, transient. Transient. You see how the things go there again and again. And then for Mautha, another element comes in there. Mautha takes care of the bodily needs of the Lord. That St. Augustine, in his typical way, says, needs. Oh, what do I say? Needs. Perhaps only because he wanted it this way. Because Paul was there. Yes, it's true. He was there in the necessitas caudis, with the needs of the mortal flesh.

[31:10]

But he who was in this mortal flesh, he says. And then he says, That was in this flesh. And then he says, You see, that's what Mary listened to. In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was God. That God was the world. That's what Mary listened to. That's the eternal. The world was made flesh and well in our midst. Look there. That's the one who Martha served. Therefore, Mary had the better part, because we'll not be taken away from her.

[32:19]

Verbum errat a potatoe, that Deus errat verbum. She therefore chose what will last in all eternity. Therefore, he says, the Lord certainly did not in any way condemn Martha's work, but he only wanted to distinguish clearly the two functions. Transit, labor, multitudinous, yet remanent caritas unitatis. Such a beautiful word. transit labo multitudinis, the labor of multiplicity of the many, they pass, passes, et remerit caritas unitatis.

[33:22]

And the law of unity states, there was the difference between Martha and Mary, labo multitudinis et caritas unitatis. And for Martha, it will be taken away from her, the labor, and the rest will be given her. So Martha, he continues, navigate. She is in the boat, and she is sailing. And Mary is already in the hay, in the boat. Therefore, what is there? And now you have to listen. Take the Lord, prefigure in these two, in Martha and Mary, and then he says, it's the present life, it's the future life.

[34:23]

That's important too. The present life and the future life. The present life in labor, the future life in quiet. the present life in worries, the future life in happiness. I've got both ampe inocentes and both innocent. Both in that way, too. Ampe inocentes. But that's not the last, of course. He says, therefore you see, Quod adgevat Martha, ebisumus. What Martha did, there we are. Quod adgevat Maria, ox perams. What Mary did, that's we are hoping for. But, and then comes the decisive thing. Therefore, let us do what Martha did well, that we have in fullness what Mary did.

[35:39]

That's the thing there. That's the Christian term. Therefore, the Vita Activa, let's say that, you know, Martha, is a means for the Vita Contemplativa, and is a means here in status in which we are now. But that comes a little more still, and that's, of course, the important thing. Up to now, everything is clear. but it's not quite the whole business. And the lesson continues, and he says, now... He says, now, let us think. Don't we have something of the other one already here?

[36:40]

See, that's the decisive thing. It's what I always told you. See, the Christian, there comes the Christian element in there. At this new age, let us say, that sitting at the feet of the Lord and listening. In that vita beata lequeit, of course, that's the life of the new iron. What is now the characteristic thing of the Christian, that this new iron has entered into this iron. And that is also the point we have to keep in mind when we judge the Old Testament, or when we try to evaluate the Old Testament. The Old Testament is this iron, but, let's say, the new iron not yet in any way here. That has a great influence on the mentality and the spirit of the Old Testament.

[37:43]

Therefore, the Old Testament is... ...act according to the law. Why that is in the Christian, not anymore that way. You know, it has changed. The Old Testament, this life, was a way. for that matter, only a way through the law. But in the New Testament, this new age has entered. The church carries this new age in her. And therefore, he said, but don't we have something of that here? Nam et modu in de adiqui aditur. because now something of that other thing is being done here.

[38:44]

Namedmodo was scarcely translated into English, at least I can't do it. Namedmodo in the Arikidagito, but he explains it right away what that is. One of these new ages already here. And he applies this right away to his heroes. He says, What is this? That means he points to the congregation that is come together for the purpose of worship in the church, the ecclesia. And he says, you know, ,, forgetting about your business worries.

[39:50]

,, why you come into the parish church. That's why, you see, by that time, you see, the Lord's house. That's different, you know, from the world. ,, forgetting about all family worries. Convenistis. That means from the many you come into opportunity. Convenistis. You have congregated. Statis, you stand there in that firmness and immobility. You are not rushing around like you would on the marketplace. Statis, no pictures there which would probably upset the atmosphere of leisure. Auditis. You listen. You listen.

[40:50]

That means you have the silence. Silence. That's where St. Gregory of Perth, St. Gregory of Nucleus thinks by heart. In quantum rog agitis, Maria similitis, as far as you do this, you are like to me on Then it continues. Therefore, you see, with the liturgy, put it that way, the new age enters into this age. It is there. Our worship, our gathering for worship, is in that way contemplation. That's vita contemplativa. That's Mary sitting at the feet of the Lord. E algo carissimi. I implore you I admonish you I command you I urge you I beg you illa vita simul desiderimus.

[42:11]

Let us all look for that life. Ad eams, old Peter, you know, simul, ad eams simul veniendo curamus, ut in ea perseverando obsistamus. Then he, if you see the name, the accent is on the Mary. He said, The marvelous things will pass. Therefore, he says, One has to pull up with them. One cannot really love them. You see, there goes the question, anyway. And that comes in that way, the platonic element. So that one doesn't know the other. And then he makes this important conclusion.

[43:15]

You see how he extends this. He says, first, is there nothing here that tastes like Mary's life? He says, of course it is. It's right here in the church. There you are gathered in one body. There you stand firm. And there you listen in silence. That's Mary. But then he goes still a step further and he says, now that's a good thing for that thing. Let us run after that. And therefore with the other things we have to put up. Now how is that putting up with the other thing? How does that show? that shows that in a special way, in a specific way, in which we do Martha's service, you see, and I still understand that the, let us say, the contemplative spirit takes a hold of the way in which the active life is lived.

[44:19]

That is simply our point. It's a sermon, you know, given on occasion. that he says, if you want in these transient things to accomplish the ministry of mother, then ad sit modestia. Acid misericordia. There are the two conditions. Acid modestia. Acid misericordia. What does modestia mean? He says modestia in temperando. And then misericordia in erogando. See, that are the two things. By the way, make or transform the mother service, that means what we call the vita activa. So that this vita activa becomes really a means to prepare for the vita contemplativa.

[45:27]

Not every Vita Activa is simply, by itself, a preparation for Vita Cumulativa. No. That it may be common means to Vita Cumulativa, there has to be a certain kind. It has to be done in a certain spelling, in a certain attitude. And that is modestia in tempera. That means it has to be done with proportion, with pleasure, modestia. intemperando, intemperando, as St. Benedict says, intemperate all things in such a way that there is something for the strong to seek after than there is for the weak, that they don't get discouraged. Nemo catristi torrentum te, that nobody in the house of God may be saddened You see, that is the overburden or the intemperate, let us say, the work without measure, without measure, without limits, so to speak, is something that saddens the soul, takes the joy away from life, takes the peace away, destroys the peace.

[46:49]

The immortal country is dead. That misericordia in erogando. That means that inner sympathy, that abundance of charity, that loves to share what it works, what the fruit of its works. Misericordia in erogando. That means this sharing in a real misericordia, in real love. So then we have that, you see. Then, of course, Martha's life is a preparation, is a means to reach the haven of Mary. And with that, he concludes in a so beautiful tone, Navigamus reis et transit labor et venit requies.

[47:59]

Sed ad requiem non visi per labor. Transit navis et venit patria. Now he comes, he drives closer to the last point in which the whole thing is kind of summed up and brought to its wonderful climax. To the home he cannot get without the boat. Just to, you know, put a kind of retarding aesthetic to it. We are in the boat and we watch floods and the storms of this world. And then he closes with that beautiful sentence.

[49:10]

And I don't doubt that the reason why we don't, we are not drowned is Because we are carried by the wood of the cross. The boat, of course, of wood, you know. So that is the cross, the wood of the cross. And that, of course, gives then the last meaning to the Vita Acti. What is the Vita Activa? Why is the Vita Activa an integral part preparatory to the Vita Contemplativa? Because it is the life of the Cross.

[50:11]

It is sacred for the culture of Christ, carrying the Cross of Christ. So there we are at the end, but you see the wonderful question of synthesis, you know. I think that is the cause of Plato just didn't know these new dimensions. So we have there two things which are important for the judging of the role of the relation of the two in this age here what is that already here the bath does the very service state if the church could function of the church But that also, you see, the labor that is there, of course, the labor that is there has in itself the power of the risen Christ, you know, the power of the risen Christ, the power of the Lord in it, you know.

[51:21]

And therefore there is his modestia in temperando, the misericordia in arrogando, cross at the same time you know the law the measure at the same time to the life the life of charity so that of course brings the active life into in a relation then to the reader contemplative We all do. [...]

[52:05]

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