Pascal's Fire - a photo on Flickriver

Pascal's Fire

            "The heart has its reasons which reason cannot tell."
- Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Under the previous photograph I gave you a logical reason put forward by Pascal for believing in God. But this is distinctly NOT why Pascal became a follower of Christ. That came about through a deeply mystical experience one night before his fireplace. We know the exact time because Pascal recorded it all on a piece of paper that he tucked into his coat for the rest of his life.

Pascal's experience started on the night of November 23, 1654. It lasted two hours, beginning at 10:30 and ending at 12:30 the next morning.

"The year of grace 1654,

Monday, 23 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 the philosophers and of the learned.
Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace.
GOD of Jesus Christ.
My God and your God.
Your GOD will be my God.
Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except GOD.
He is only found by the ways 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 have departed from him:
They have forsaken me, the fount of living water.
My God, will you leave me?
Let me not be separated from him forever.
This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and the one that you sent, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
I left him; I fled him, renounced, crucified.
Let me never be separated from him.
He is only kept securely by the ways taught in the Gospel:
Renunciation, total and sweet.
Complete submission to Jesus Christ and to my director.
Eternally in joy for a day’s exercise on the earth.
May I not forget your words. Amen."

Blaise Pascal became a follower of Jansenism, a stream of Catholicism that was heavily persecuted by the Jesuits (the arbiters of "true doctrine" in the Catholic Church of the time). This so-called heretical faith had a strong belief that one does not decide to follow Christ, but that God does the choosing. This doctrine of predestination was a central plank in Calvinistic Protestantism. The primacy of God's Grace over human reason is absolutely central to this faith.

As a result, this experience became a "confirmation" for Pascal that he really had been chosen by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the God of Jesus Christ, to be one of his humble servants.

For the remaining years of his life Pascal devoted himself to his Pensées (Thoughts), the clearest expression of his faith and one of the greatest theological confessions in history.

Pascal attacked the very idea that reason or human effort could lead to a relationship with God. No, God chooses us, and we (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) are his vessels for service and good works.
   

Taken on: April 6, 2020

Tags:

Luminosity7

Nikon D850

Tasmania

Australia

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Pascal's Fire

Night of fire

Spiritual awakening

Faith

Mystical experience

Fire

Flame « less

Sets appears in: • FAITH

Groups appears in: • The Photographer's Club • Experimental Dream more » • Nikon Digital • Art of Photography - The Eye of the Beholder! • Religious Photos • !Catchy Colors • Amateurs • Your Favorite Photos - Unlimited! • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine. • Christians in this World • Full of colors • My best shot • COLOR [directory] 色 • Nikon DSLR Users • Australian Photographers • Nikonians • form, shape, composition • SPIRITUALITY ! • Flickr Australia • CentralFlickr • Dramatic Color - Bold, Bright, Intense! • Reds • ! ART & PHOTOGRAPHY ! All artistic works welcome • Nikon Full Frame Cameras. • Art of Photography • Your Best Photography • Nikon Passion • "Unlimited Photos: No Rules" (NO AI, CGI or SL images) • I am flickr! - No 30/60 Limit • Popular Photography Magazine • Photography Magazine, I Heart • Fine Art Photography (in the footsteps of the masters) • Christian Photography Guild • Flickr Number One !! • Contemplative Photography • ♥Addicted to Color♥ • High Fidelity Photo Art • _The Best Of Nikon_ • Colour Mania • FlickrCentral With No Posting Limit • Nikon 36 × 24 mm • Nikon Australia • Nikon - The world through my eyes • Nikon! • ART BY FOTO • Art, and Soul 4 U • Color my world! • ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY & WORLD THROUGH SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS EYES • art for non-snobs • RED photos only • D850 Nikon Series (also D810, D800, D800E) • Photography Downunder • Photography Week • Masters of creative photography. NO AI • Nikon DSLR Photographers • 2,000 Views Unlimited 2000 • The Best ... • Amateur Photographer Magazine • This is Why I Bought A Camera • Today's Flickr • Explore Flickr (unofficial) • THE IMAGINATIVE CAMERA • 2.000 / 2000 views at least (NO LIMITS, NO 30/60) • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit • Django's Master Class Photo Group • FLICKR INTERNATIONAL - No 30/60 Groups Limit • Photography is art - La fotografia è arte • No limit - No 30/60 • Nikon D850 Award Group #No 30/60 limit • Nikon D850 Official Club ★ • The best photographs from around the world. • Quiétude • BEAUTY PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD • Unhuman « less

Camera: Nikon D850, f/4.0, 1/25 sec, 105mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.04 sec (1/25)
Focal Length:	105mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	PhotoScape
Show full info

Stats: 2,563 views / 13 comments