Contemplative Magnanimity
Contemplating magnanimously with St. Joan and St. Thérèse
For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:5{95:5} Douay-Rheims)
Entering the combined hearts of St. Joan and St. Thérèse in the fullness of Our Lord and Our Lady’s intent requires foremost a dogmatic confession of Catholic faith. Nowhere else can we find salvation; likewise, nowhere else can we find the fullness of the communion of the saints. To walk with our saintly sisters to the majestic Kingdom of God on the distant horizon, we must follow them on the trail they walked. For our purposes, this end goal is called the Kingdom Blessed of St. Joan and St. Thérèse; it is imbued in the colors, tones, and hues of their beautiful combined spiritualities. It is established in the center of the Immaculate Heart of Mary where Jesus Christ reigns in all His glory. We call the spiritual pathway leading to it, the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed. This represents the doctrines, dogmas, and magisterial teachings of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. We must walk the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed with Joan and Thérèse by receiving their life stories and contemplating them in a spirit of open possibilities. This requires adherence to our dogmatic confession of Catholic faith, to ensure that we do not fall into deep ravines or venture into dangerous dark forests.
Praise and beauty are before him: holiness and majesty in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:6{95:6} Douay-Rheims)
Walking the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed with Joan and Thérèse is a journey through Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. We have discussed above the essential element of revelatory Truth as known only through the Holy Catholic Church. With the truths of Catholicism acting as the guardrails on our way, Beauty reveals itself through the sublime vision into which our saintly sisters lead us. We open our hearts and minds to the influence of Joan and Thérèse as we experience the sacraments of the Church, notably confession and the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Through their hearts, we adore Christ in His real and substantial Eucharistic presence. We consecrate ourselves as slaves to the most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary so that we have our heavenly mother’s assurance on the way. We despise the world and its devils. Our vision of the Kingdom Blessed of St. Joan and St. Thérèse is transcendent Beauty. We desire nothing less. Our lives in this world reflect the dust from which we came and to which we will return. The Kingdom Blessed is eternal as God’s Kingdom in the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Say ye among the Gentiles, the Lord hath reigned. For he hath corrected the world, which shall not be moved: he will judge the people with justice. (Psalm 96:10 {95:10} Douay-Rheims)
Goodness emerges as an expression of magnanimity. Our contemplative journey with our saintly sisters on the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed imbues us in magnanimity. Grounded in Truth and inspired by heavenly Beauty, we now courageously construct the well-ordered mental forms that constitute our new understanding of the world through the combined hearts. Boldly we proclaim this view, and fearlessly we defend it. We are now Knights of the Kingdom for Joan and Thérèse and through them for Our Lady and Our Lord Jesus Christ.