Kevin Goodrich OP The Greatest Desire - Daily Readings with Walter Hilton
Darton, Longman & Todd 2023 £8.99 ISBN 978-1-913657-96-3 80pp
‘It is commonly said that a soul shall see our Lord within all things, and within itself’ writes Walter Hilton. ‘It is true that our Lord is within all creatures, but not in the way that a kernel is hidden inside the shell of a nut, or as a little bodily thing is held inside another big one. But God is within all creatures as holding and keeping them in their being, through the power of his own blessed nature’. This passage, resonant of Hilton’s contemporary, Mother Julian’s hazelnut, captures an insight into God from Walter Hilton (1340-1396) from Kevin Goodrich’s daily readings from his work The Scale of Perfection. The compiler aims to serve his readers coming closer to God whilst introducing them to Hilton, who lived and gave counsel during a remarkable 14th century spiritual renaissance witnessed to also in Richard Rolle and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing. The insight into building intimacy with God flowed in Hilton’s case from a life of contemplation within an Augustinian community in the village of Thurgarton an hour’s walk from Southwell Minster.
There are 58 passages, each filling or part filling a page of 150 to 350 words suited to daily meditation broadly keeping Hilton’s headings from The Scale of Perfection but making for easier access. The book ends with liturgical material for Hilton’s 24 March Church of England commemoration. The teachings centre on how we protect and build our desire for God seeing prayer as that desire in its rising to God.
I was struck by Hilton’s assurance of salvation and his commending that as a necessity for his readers. It's seen as pointless to pray or work as a Christian without this: ‘Steadfastly believe that you are ordained by our Lord to be saved as one of his chosen, by his mercy; and do not budge from this belief whatever you hear or see, whatever temptation you are in… The passion of our Lord and this precious death are the ground of all the reforming of a person's soul, without which it could never have been reformed to Christ's likeness or come to the glory of heaven’. Head knowledge of salvation is key but heart experience is important though secondary. ‘As Jesus illuminates the reason through his blessed light he opens the inner eye of the soul, to see him and know him; not all at once, but little by little at different times… through an understanding which is strengthened and illuminated by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Although this sight may be only little and for a short time, it is so excellent and so strong that it draws to itself and ravishes the entire affection of the soul from the consideration and awareness of all earthly things, to rest in it forever if it could. And from this kind of seeing and knowing the soul grounds all its inward practices in all the affections, for then it fears God in man as truth, wonders at him as power, and loves him as goodness’.
Like Richard Rolle the writer speaks of sensing periodic warmth from God in the soul, like experiences people recall from baptism in the Holy Spirit or charismatic renewal which helps make this book topical. Many who feel touched by God drop away from God when their feelings become a distant memory. In this selection of spiritual readings there is good counsel about rooting Christian life in a grateful resolve of the will, the liturgical prayer of the Church, spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession whilst being open to experiencing God directly. ‘The soul does not see what God is, for no created being can do that in heaven or earth and the soul does not see God as he is, for that sight is only in the glory of heaven. But the soul sees that God is: an unchangeable being, a supreme power, supreme truth, supreme goodness, a blessed life, and an endless beatitude. This the soul sees through… the gift of the Holy Spirit’.
Another topical aspect is the encouragement of a variety in devotion with no ‘one size fits all’ beyond the need to be sure of Christ. ‘By whatever kind of prayer, meditation, or occupation you can have the greatest desire for Christ and the most feeling of him; by that occupation seek him and best find him’. Then, one of many lovely images: ‘The more sticks are laid on the fire, the greater is the flame, and so the more varied the spiritual work that anyone has in mind for keeping his or her desire whole, the more ardent shall be their desire for God. Therefore notice carefully what spiritual work you best know how to do and what most helps you to keep whole this desire and do that’.
Love for God in Christ is countered by self-love about which Hilton has much insight as well as about how we counter it, inviting the Holy Spirit to turn the love within us outside of ourselves towards God and neighbour. ‘Beware of carnal desires and vain fears that rise out of your heart to hinder your desire for the love of God. Whatever it may be that they say, do not believe them, but keep on your way and desire only the love of Jesus. Always give this answer: I am nothing, I have nothing; I desire nothing, but the love of Jesus alone’. Stating that desire day by day as an act of will such as in a Morning Offering is encouraged: ‘When you are about to pray, make your intention and your will at the beginning as complete and as pure toward God as you can, briefly in your mind, and then begin and do as you can. And however badly you are hindered from your first resolve… trust confidently in the mercy of our Lord that he will make it good and if you do so, all shall be well’. The last phrase has a resonance with Mother Julian. Fr Kevin’s compilation rings true to her optimism.
‘The Greatest Desire - Daily readings with Walter Hilton’ is a biblical resource drawing on insights from the prayer of the Church through the ages which centres upon ‘the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us’ (Galatians 2:20). The compiler is to be thanked for making the spiritual counsel of a 14th century English mystic accessible to our age to serve our struggle in sticking to Christian basics in a secular culture.
Canon Dr John Twisleton 10 February 2023
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