XXIX
THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT
Missus est
Gabriel angelus (Luc. 126). 'In time the angel Gabriel was
sent from God.' In what time? In the sixth month, John being then quick
within his mother's womb. When anyone asks me, Why do we pray or why do we
fast or why do we do our work withal, I say, So that God may be born in our
souls. What were the scriptures written for and why did God create the
world and the angelic nature? Simply that God might be born in the
sol. All cereal nature means wheat, all treasure nature means gold, all
generation means man. As the philosopher says, No animal exists but has somewhat
in common with mankind in time. First of all when a word is conceived in
my mind it is a subtle, intangible thing; it is a true word when it takes shape
in my thought. Later, as spoken aloud by my mouth, it is but an outward
expression of the interior word. Even so the eternal Word is spoken in the
inner-most and purest recesses of the soul, in the summit of her rational
nature, and there befalls this birth. Whoso has nothing more than a firm
belief in and lively conviction of this will be glad to know how this birth
comes to pass and what confuses to it.
St Paul says: 'In the fullness of
time God sent his his Son.' St Augustine was asked what it mean, this
fullness of time. It is the fullness (or end) of the day when the day is
done: then the day is over. Certain it is that there is no time where this
birth befalls, for nothing hinders this birth so much as time and
creature. It is an obvious fact that time affects neither God nor the
soul. Did time touch the soul she would not be the soul. If God were
affected by time he would not be God. Further, if time could touch the
soul, then God could not be born in her. The soul wherein God is born must
have escaped from time, and time must have dropped away from her; she must be
absolutely one in will and desire.
Another fullness of time. If
someone had the knowledge and the power to gather up the time and all the
happenings of these six thousand years and all that is to come ere the world
ends to boot, all this, summed up into one present now, would be the fullness of
time. This is the now of eternity, when the soul knows all things in God, as new
and fresh and lovely as I find them now at present. The narrowest of the
powers of my soul is more than heaven wide. To say nothing of the
intellect wherein there is measureless space, wherein I am as near a place a
thousand miles away as the spot I am standing on this moment. Theologians
teach that the angel hosts are countless, the number of them cannot be
conceived. But to one who sees the distinctions apart from multiplicity
and number, to him, I say, a hundred is as one. Were there a hundred Persons in
the Godhead he would still perceive them as one God.
As regards the angels. The angels, of
whatever rank, abet and assist at God's birth in the soul; that is to say, they
have satisfaction, they delight and rejoice in this birth. Nothing is wrought by
the angels: the birth is due to God alone and anything that ministers thereto is
work of service. May God be born in us, So help us God. Amen.