John of Saint Samson : a continuous fire ablaze under the ashes

Abstract

In his mystical discourses John of St-Samson frequently uses the image of ashes. Generally he uses this image to describe our nothingness and the nothingness of creation before the Majesty of God. Nonetheless, over these ashes and dust god lavishes his immense love. For example, in the treatise Des exerceses de l'amour unique he frequently repeats in awe before this mystery, as if in a litany, variations of the following phrase: ''But tell me: why did you burn and reduce me to ashes? And while doing this you played with me in the love that you poured into me!'' Then in Plusiers belles sentences tant des Pers que de Senque he cites Gregory the Great: ''Without humility all virtues are but ashes and dust that the wind dissipates through the air with the smallest of efforts! Vainglory is the wind which dissipates that dust from there.'' Stefanotti takes this image to call John of St-Samson ''the Phoenix of Rennis.'' The phoenix is a mythical bird which is said to rise from the ashes. In Christianity it is the symbol of the Risen Christ. The same image keeps coming to mind as I find myself reflecting on the present re-emergence of interest in John of St-Samson, not only in France bur throughout the Order. Hence in this article I will share with you the latest encouraging events related to John of St-Samson.