The Critic

Thursday, September 14, 2017

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16)

Once we discover our ability to observe our thoughts from outside of them (see the last two Reflections), we become aware that many of our thoughts actually do condemn us. This negative self-talk tells us that we are not good enough, that our ideas are worthless, that we are unworthy, inadequate, insufficient, incapable, guilty. They become part of an ever-flowing stream of criticism that somehow got recorded onto our internal tape recorder by parents, teachers, toxic friends, those who teased us, etc. In “The Calm Center,” Steve Taylor has a good description of what I call the Critic. He calls it “The Great Dictator”

“who controlled your life

standing at your shoulder, judging and criticizing,

interfering with ever impulse

distorting every situation.”  (P. 62)

You know that voice well. And as you advance in silent meditation, you become more aware of just how insidious it is, how ever-present, and how destructive to your peace of mind, your creativity and how it can even cause you to forget that God loves you and that Jesus has been sent into the world to save you.

The remedy? Well, recognizing it for what it is is the first all-important step. If possible, you can dialogue with it, telling it that it lies, telling it to go away, telling it that you are wise to it. As I mentioned yesterday, fixing your attention on “things above” is a great way to get free of the Critic. Also, looking to images of the Cross, or sacred icons, or fingering your rosary beads, is a good way to get free from this false voice of condemnation.

The first reading for today’s Mass (Numbers 21:4b-9) tells us how the people of Israel were tormented by saraph serpents whose bite was fatal. God had Moses erect a pole with a serpent on it, and anyone who was bitten could look at the pole and be healed. This pole was a type (or symbol) of what would become the Cross of the Crucified Jesus. Looking at the crucifix brings healing from any “bite” that might be inflicted on us by the Serpent (also a type of Satan).

Silence before a crucifix is a great means of healing. Taylor’s meditation concludes:

“Perhaps the dictator will return to power

or another madman will replace him

but now that you’ve sensed the silence

now that you know how spacious and still you are

life will never be the same.

The dictator will never completely control you again;

a part of you will always be beyond his reach.

Freedom will always glimmer inside you.” (p. 63)

Jesus brings not condemnation, not the Critic, but healing and salvation. All praise be to Him.

God bless you!