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Pascal, Blaise - The Memorial of Pascal
Identifier
000037
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
On 23 November 1654, between 10:30 and 12:30 at night, Pascal had an intense religious vision. The Memorial of Pascal is a scrap of parchment on which, round a rough drawing of the Flaming Cross, there are written a few strange phrases, abrupt and broken words; all we know about one of the strangest ecstatic revelations chronicled in the history of the mystic.
After Pascal's death a servant found this little document, now lost, sewn up in his doublet. He seems always to have worn it upon his person: a perpetual memorial of the experience, the ‘initiation into Reality’, which it describes. The Memorial opens thus:-
[Year of grace 1654
Monday 23rd November, the day of saint Clement, pope and martyr and others martyred etc
Between about 10.30 in the evening until about midnight – 12.30
Fire]
The rest is a sort of outpouring of passion , joy and conviction which this experience - this “long, blazing vision of Reality” -brought in its train. It includes a series of amazed exclamations, breathless words, placed here and there all over the document as he tried to document the feelings the experience evoked; the names of the overpowering emotions which swept him, one after the other, as the Fire disclosed its secrets………..
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
not of the philosophers and the scholar
Certainty, Certainty, Joy, Peace..."
Forgot the world and everything except God?The world has not ever known, but I knew you.?Joy! joy joy! tears of joy!
He concluded by quoting Psalm 119:16:
"I will not forget thy word. Amen."
A description of the experience
L’an de grâce 1654,
Lundi, 23 novembre,
jour de saint Clément, pape et martyr,
et autres au martyrologe.
Veille de saint Chrysogone, martyr, et autres,
Depuis environ dix heures et demie du soir
jusques environ minuit et demie,
FEU.
Dieu d’Abraham,
Dieu d’Isaac,
Dieu de Jacob,
non des philosophes et des savants.
Certitude. Certitude. Sentiment, Joie, Paix.
Dieu de Jésus-Christ,
Deum meum et Deum vestrum.. Jean 20/17*
" Ton Dieu sera mon Dieu "
Oubli du monde et de tout,
hormis Dieu.
Il ne se trouve que par les voies
enseignées dans l'Evangile.
Grandeur de l'âme humaine.
" Père juste, le monde ne t'a point connu,
mais je t'ai connu ".
Joie, Joie, Joie, pleurs de joie.
Je m'en suis séparé :
Dereliquerunt me fontem aquae vivae.
" Mon Dieu me quitterez-vous? "
Que je n'en sois pas séparé éternellement.
" Cette vie est la vie éternelle,
qu'ils te connaissent
seul vrai Dieu,
et celui que tu as envoyé, Jésus-Christ. "
Jésus-Christ
Jésus-Christ
Je m'en suis séparé ;
je l'ai fui, renoncé, crucifié, Jean 17**
Que je n'en sois jamais séparé
Il ne se conserve que par les voies
enseignées dans l'Evangile.
Renonciation totale et douce.
Soumission totale et douce.
Soumission totale à Jésus-Christ
et à mon directeur.
Eternellement en joie
pour un jour d'exercice sur la terre.
Non obliviscar sermones tuos. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++
In the Year of Grace 1654,
Monday, the 23rd of November
feast of St. Clement, pope and martyr,
and others in the martyrology.
Vigil of St. Chrysogonus, martyr, and others.
From about half past ten at night
until about half past midnight,
FIRE
God of Abraham,
God of Isaac,
God of Jacob
Not of philosophers and scientists.
Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace.
God of Jesus-Christ,
Deum meum et Deum vestrum.. John 20/17*
" Your God will be my God "
Oblivion of the world and of everything,
except God.
He is only to be found by the ways
that are taught in the Gospel.
Grandeur of the human soul.
"Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have Known You
Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of Joy,
I am separating from Him :
Dereliquerunt me fontem aquae vivae.
[They have forsaken me, the fountains of living water]
" My God, why are you leaving me? "
Let me not be separated from him forever .
This life is Eternal life,
That they know thee
only True God,
And the One that You sent, Jesus-Christ "
Jesus-Christ
Jesus-Christ
I am separated ;
I fled, renounced, crucified., John 17**
Let me never be separated from him
He is to be kept only through the ways
that are taught by the Gospel.
Renunciation. total and sweet
Submission. total and sweet
Total submission to Jesus-Christ
and to my director
Overjoyed forever
for one day's exercise on earth.
Non obliviscar sermones tuos. Amen.
[May I not forget your words. Amen]
The source of the experience
Pascal, BlaiseConcepts, symbols and science items
Science Items
Activities and commonsteps
Commonsteps
References
The text can be downloaded from the Internet.