Miguel de Molinos (above), the Spanish mystic and Quietist, was sentenced to life in prison by the Roman Inquisition today in 1687. Claimed by some as a spiritual genius, and by others as a heretic, Molinos taught his followers to be absolutely passive and resigned before God, even to the point of offering no resistance to temptation. He rejected vows, devotion, meditation, thanksgiving and good works as mere distractions. He died in his Roman prison cell nine years after he was sentenced.
‘It concerns thee only then, to prepare thine heart, like clean paper, wherein the divine wisdom may imprint characters to his own liking. O how great a work will it be for thy Soul to be whole hours together in Prayer, dumb, resigned, and humble, without acting, knowing, or desiring to understand any thing.’ Miguel de Molinos, The Spiritual Guide
Lord of the Rings creator JRR Tolkien died in Oxford today in 1973. A deeply committed and lifelong Catholic, he was for a time a close friend of CS Lewis, and a member of their group the Inklings, which met for beer and literary chat in the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford. In his retirement, Tolkien took some time off Hobbits, Dwarves and Elves to contribute to the production of The Jerusalem Bible by translating the Book of Jonah.
The seaweed was wrapped around my head
at the roots of the mountains.
I went down into the countries beneath the earth,
unto the peoples of the past.
But you raised up my life from the pit,
Yahweh, my God.
JRR Tolkien’s translation of Jonah
The Great Fire of London broke out shortly after midnight tonight, a Sunday, in 1666. Although its religious significance is not immediately obvious, the fire started in Pudding Lane and stopped at Pye Corner, which was obviously a sign that the Lord was furious with Londoners about their attachment to the first of the seven deadly sins, gluttony. Pye Corner no longer sells pies, but is marked by a 17th statue of an obese child known as the Golden Boy of Pye Corner.
Today in 1031, St Emeric of Hungary, 24 years old, was killed by a boar while he was out hunting. He was the crown prince of Hungary at the time, rather than being a saint, but when sick people visiting his grave started to be healed, his posthumous career was assured. It is popularly believed that he gave his name to Amerigo Vespucci, and therefore to America.
Today in 1192, Saladin, commander of the Muslim forces against the Crusaders, signed a peace treaty with Richard the Lionheart of England, ending the Third Crusade. The treaty recognised Saladin’s control of Jerusalem, and made it possible for unarmed Christian to enter the city as pilgrims.
Image: Rijksmuseum