The Lord Has Hid Himself?! (For the Beginner)

The Lord Has Hid Himself?! (For the Beginner)

By: Eric Gajewski 

In times of trial, affliction and tribulation we call to mind that God always has a plan.  He will sometime bring consolation and other times He will give you the gift of “hiding Himself” in your soul.  How can you imply this is a good thing will be asked by the beginner (in the interior way)?  Why would Our Lord hide Himself from me when I seemingly need Him most.  Allow me to answer briefly.

First, we must purify our intentions in so that we might love the Giver and not the gift of consolation itself.  Every day we enter the war called life and the battlefield is within the heart.  We must, at all costs, detach our hearts from all things EVEN consolations themselves.  Do not get me wrong they serve there purpose but such is not our End. God alone is our hearts End and so we must unite our hearts with His Heart by embracing ALL that God gives or takes away from us.  This is when we are truly happy, that is, when we fully unite our wills with His and accept all!  So the Lord will often hide Himself so to speak in the soul so that you might ultimately grow in Selfless Love.  This is all part of the intimate “hide n go” seek game between the Beloved and lover; between the uncreated “Heart” of Eternity and our poor created earthly hearts. In these times when the Beloved seemingly leaves "our home" it is best to stay working diligently (works of charity/mercy) much like the wife of the home when her husband leaves for a business trip.  It does not good to gripe and complain "He is gone" but only better to reflect.

Second,  we must understand the Lord is truly there always even though it does not “feel” that way.  Like Christ, we too, must suffer but only we ought/must suffer in Christ and not alone.  For souls in a state of grace He is truly there and present.  Souls going thru the early stages of the interior way in purification often fail to understand this.  The eyes of the heart must get acquainted with the Light! Much like a child who has been in the dark sleeping all night, we too, must wake, to Our Mother opening the blinds in the morning! Yea, it is painful and of course at first we shall squint.  This Perfect Light is painful to the soul at first so Our Lord moves with our hearts and souls in stages not all at once. Therefore, He seemingly comes and goes (in reality He is there always in a state of grace). It is a heart’s battle to move away from the dark of self into the Selfless Heart of Christ.  Question: Do two hearts "marry" after only a short time dating?  Answer: Of course they do not. Although a lover may find the Beloved to be his/her End (at first) there is a trying period in the purification and illuminative stages.  There are vast battles of the heart to win.  There are temptations to overcome. You must prove your love for God!  Do not think it will be easy for in reality it will be the hardest thing you would ever hope to accomplish (arriving at the spiritual marriage).  We can only arrive at the spiritual marriage thru Gods grace. 

Lastly, it is that we might appreciate Him all the more.  How often do we drudge along in life paying no attention to those “little blessings” we receive? Now, think more deeply.  How often do we take Christ Himself for granted!  He is the Author of all "things" and those “little blessings” which we often do not even acknowledge daily. Our goal is to love and He loved and thus we must become Love (Christ) to do so.  We must adjoin our hearts into this mystery of His Heart which will often “play games” as a child with His lover. Seek and ye shall find and what if the Lord were always seemingly there within (in the early stages)? Would we not grow tepid and lax and fall once again into “taking Him for granted” in these early stages of the interior way? Love Christ for Himself and not the gift for in Heaven this is how simple it is.  To behold the Beloved forever….to simply be in His Presence is ALL.  In the end do not fear not obtaining consolation or losing it have a healthy FEAR of losing Christ Himself altogether, amen