We all want to go to HEAVEN.. The key question is: HOW do we make it to Heaven? The image of CLIMBING A LADDER TO HEAVEN has been attractive since JACOB's dream. Jacob had this amazing vision of angels coming up and down a ladder linking Heaven and earth (Genesis 28:10- 17). The incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, GOD BECOMING MAN, makes a permanent connection between Heaven and earth. Jesus proclaims “I AM THE WAY, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He also tells us: "AMEN, AMEN I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON THE SON OF MAN.”
You can imagine Jesus holding for us a ladder to climb to heaven. You can imagine this Christian ladder as the Prayer method developed by GUIGO: GUIGO's LADDER . GUIGO was a Carthusian monk who lived at the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps in the 12th century. His ladder was not a mystical vision of angels coming up and down. His ladder had only four steps. GUIGO's ladder is an approach to SCRIPTURE PRAYER: "LECTIO DIVINA" (Latin for Divine Reading). It is a well-established prayer method still used today and highly recommended to all of us by Pope Benedict XVI: the goal is "AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD". Are you looking for such an encounter? Give it a try. You will not be disappointed. You can still join the on-going sessions of "THE GIFT OF ADORATION " on Thursdays evenings ( 7 pm) or Saturday mornings (10 am). You will hear more about the GUIGO's ladder.
There is a reference to GUIGO's ladder in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: CCC 2653-2654 (chapter on the Tradition of Prayer, first Article: the WORD OF GOD at the Wellsprings of Prayer in Christian Life):
"The Church encourages all of us to learn "the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:8) by frequent readings of the Divine Scriptures (Lectio Divina) ...and to remember that PRAYER should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture so that a dialogue takes place between God and man ...Paraphrasing Matthew 7:7, GUIGO the Carthusian summarizes the dispositions of the heart nourished by the Word of GOD in PRAYER. "SEEK in READING and you will FIND in MEDITATING. KNOCK in MENTAL PRAYER and it will be OPENED to you by CONTEMPLATION"
GUIGO the Carthusian said: " The ladder has few rungs, and yet its length is immense and wonderful, for its lower end rests upon the earth, but its top pierces the clouds and touches the heavens.
Below are the four steps (rungs) of GUIGO's LADDER:
1. READING (LECTIO): careful study of Scriptures with the soul's whole attention
2. MEDITATION (MEDITATIO): studious application of the mind to seek with one's reason the knowledge of the hidden truth
3. PRAYER (ORATIO): your response to God's Word request for what is desired.
4. CONTEMPLATION (CONTEMPLATIO): the tasting of the joys of a blessed life
To practice the above steps and deepen your prayer life by meditating on the Sundays' Readings weekly, you are invited to join the two weekly "Scripture Prayer/Lectio Divina" Groups at OLHOC every Tuesday in the Narthex right after the 9 am Mass, or online every Friday at 7 pm (call the office or email [email protected] if you want to join this online group).
Let us continue to pray through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace and Help of Christians, for PEACE in our own hearts, PEACE in our families, PEACE in our schools, PEACE in our workplaces, PEACE in our CHURCH , PEACE in our country, PEACE in UKRAINE, and PEACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain