Character of the Soul

The spiritual journey is the journey of the soul. At its core, the character of the soul is holiness. As we go along our spiritual path, our whole being is reaching towards holiness. It is as if at the core of our souls a spiritual seed dwells—a seed of holiness—and, as it grows, it develops into a sacred plant, flower, and fruit of holiness. Judith Lawrence, Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, Page 17/18

Foxgloves and Lupines, 2011

When we plant seeds in a flower garden they come up in due time, they give us flowers of various kinds according to the type of seed we planted; later they produce seeds, which either produce flowers where they fell in the following year or which we can harvest and plant ourselves next spring where we desire that they will grow.

Animals and birds also harvest these seeds, either for their immediate sustenance or for storage for their upcoming winter nourishment.

Over a person’s lifetime, a soul doesn’t produce one flower only but, out of the original seed of holiness with which it was born and its resultant first bloom, many more seeds are formed and grow into a beautiful garden of holiness. From the seeds of lessons learned, difficulties and joys experienced, and gifts given as we go along our spiritual journey, an abundance of fruits of the spirit are formed and mature along our pathway to eternal life.

So it is the character of our soul grows strong and evolves into the next stage of becoming a spiritual being.

© Judith Lawrence

Walking our Spiritual Journey

 

It is the soul that walks our spiritual journey; it is the soul that is holy from the time before we were born, it is the soul that remains our core of holiness throughout our life on earth; it is the soul that re-enters heaven in holiness, having matured and expanded through our spiritual pilgrimage. Judith Lawrence, Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, Pg. xv

The soul is our very being, the being that is our core essence before, during, and after our life on earth. The soul, however, is not loud and obtrusive; and, at first, when we are born, we are hardly aware of its presence even though it is the entity of our being.

We are most aware of our physical body with which we identify ourselves while here on earth along with our mental acuity and ego. These are the parts of our being that we are most aware of and, it may be some time before we recognize our soul and give it its true place and value within.

When we do recognize the soul as our centre then we begin to hear and listen to its voice; we begin to follow the soul’s leading and grow in sanctity; we begin to become more fully who we are meant to be—holy as God is holy.

Crossing the Threshold of Christ

When we go across the threshold and out through the gate, which is Christ, we proceed along our path to holiness, growing in spiritual maturity until we reach the highest sanctity we can achieve on earth. Whether we are on a spiritual back road, foot path, or paved highway, if we are searching for a closer relationship with God, we are on the Highway of Holiness. Judith Lawrence, Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, Pg. xiv

I have said before, in previous blogs and in my latest book, that we were born in holiness—when we are born we are already holy. That fact doesn’t preclude us from continuing to grow in holiness.

As we go along our daily journey towards spiritual maturity, we go across the threshold of the gate, which is Christ. We go out through the door of Christ each day, walk our spiritual journey as we go along our road of daily work and play, and at the end of the day, come back across the threshold of Christ’s door and, in Christ, examine how our day went.

We thank God for being with us, guiding and guarding us; we recall the things and events for which we are grateful; we remember our transgressions and ask for forgiveness from God; we ask for protection through the coming night and prepare to sleep in Christ’s loving arms and continue on the Highway of Holiness once more when we wake.

Jesus said, Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. John 10:9 (New Living Translation.)

Pilgrimage of the Soul

A spiritual pilgrimage is ongoing. It is the pilgrimage of the soul and we may not be aware that it is happening at first. From time to time we may get some holy intuition of this pilgrimage and, as we mature, we become more in tune with the soul’s journey. We begin the spiritual pilgrimage in holiness, we walk the highway of holiness, and the goal is holiness. Judith Lawrence,  Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, Pg. xiv

The moment we are born we immediately and inevitably begin the journey of life. This journey includes our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual path.

In order to grow physically we need bodily nourishment; to grow intellectually we need to be given food for thought; to grow emotionally we need guidance from our parents, teachers, and caregivers in how to respond to circumstances we meet in life.

To grow spiritually there is no set way for each one of us to follow other than the daily necessity to draw ourselves apart for a time of  prayer, reading of the scriptures and books of spiritual content. Spiritual growth follows a unique path for each of us. Each of us is given an inner guide, our soul, who quietly calls us to follow our special path to the Sacred One.

Perhaps those who are born into a religious household become aware of our spiritual pilgrimage earlier in life than those who are not given any religious upbringing, but each of us will be led along our own unique spiritual journey or path by our soul. Before each of us was born on earth, our soul was already in existence. The soul takes on a physical body for the duration of our time here on earth dispensing with it at the end of our physical existence. Our soul remains at the core of our being and is our internal guide, leading us toward spiritual maturity during our time on earth, and showing us our own special relationship with the Sacred One.

Discovering the Soul

“We discover the soul,” says Richard Rohr. “We don’t go there to make ourselves holy; we wake our souls up. We’re already united with God; the problem is, we don’t believe it. . . We continually try to be good people. In reality we are not always good, but we are holy . . . we’re holy because we came forth from God.” Simplicity Page 93.

We were born in holiness; we were already holy in God when we came to earth. That’s who we were before we were born—we were holy—and that’s who we were when we were born; before we did anything good or bad, we were holy. And that’s who we still are; we are holy. This is what really is.

“The best definition I know for contemplation,” Richard Rohr tells us, “is as follows: Contemplation is a long loving look at what really is.” Simplicity Page 92.

The practise of the art of contemplation for the Christian begins with small steps. It requires first of all a discipline of daily attendance at a time of prayer. We have to discover a routine through which we can find God and hear God’s voice. Through Bible reading, spiritual reading, and prayer, we come to know God’s loving purpose for us and begin to remember the holiness with which we were born, who we were before we came into the world, and who we really are now. 

Who we really are now is “holy”. Don’t be afraid to claim this holiness that is God’s gift to each one of us.

© Judith Lawrence