Seventeenth Meditation

(Ascent of Mount Carmel, book II: chapter 16-17)

"Jacob left Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.' Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it.' And he was afraid, and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'" (36)


The Prism Radiates

The light of heaven penetrates
The crystal window, clear and clean;
And through this prism radiates
A spectrum of vision unseen.

The eye, within her spirit's realm,
Receives this light with certitude;
Humility stays at the helm --
Guiding through grace with gratitude.

The zenith of the scenes within
Imprint upon her memory;
Like Jacob's "ladder to heaven",
They yield insight to mystery.

The Spirit leads through dreams and scenes;
She follows, humbly, through these means.

36. Genesis 28:10-17


(c) Paul Buis, 2003