Musings Of A Lay Catholic
By Edwin D. Bael
What is the
point of having some years of life, maybe 60 to 90 on average, if we are not
called back to the Source earlier? Are we born to just live then die without
any meaning but only as part of the never-ending stream of generations? Or is
there something we each must do within this fleeting time-space of
consciousness we call life, aside from moving along the genetic programs of our
cells, i.e., to progress physically, have pleasures or pains, procreate, provide,
pass the time, then pass away? Or is it to correct others so that society will
be better?
I humbly submit
our individual life-purpose is really to correct and perfect our own selves. For
Jesus commanded: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(Matthew 5:48) In delivering His Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes), the
Similes of Salt and Light, and Teachings about the Law, Anger, Adultery,
Divorce, Oaths, Retaliation, and Love of Enemies (the entire Chapter 5 of
Matthew), the Savior concludes: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is
perfect.”
He wants us, his
followers, to follow His teachings and strive to be in His Light and His Love, so
as to be perfect… not to do the impossible but to have faith that in and for Him,
“all things are possible.” (cf Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23)… that, in sincere
belief, we can move from the outer, superficial swirl of darkness to the deeper,
central calm of His Light.
“God is Light. Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim
to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to
walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if
we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every
wrongdoing. If we say, ‘We have not sinned,’ we make him a
liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10)
Let’s recall: in the beginning, darkness reigned; then light
came by God’s Word. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without
form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind
sweeping over the waters… God said: Let
there be light, and there was light. (cf Genesis, 1:1-3)
We begin life in
darkness with just a promise of light: from the dim warmth of mothers’ wombs,
we are born into the light of the world (the Spanish phrase for giving birth is
“dar a la luz”, literally ‘to give to the light’). As we live, we deal with
darkness and light.
There are dark ‘programs’
in our psyche that affect our living whether we like it or not, or are aware of
it or not: we all have internal propensities for pride, anger (wrath), lust,
greed (avarice), gluttony, envy and sloth (acedia).
Yes, we all have predilections for what are called capital sins; capital,
because they engender other sins and vices.
But they are
there for our redemption, for the loving application of the Lord’s cleansing
blood and purifying light. This redemption, however, is not automatic as it can
be accessed only with the free exercise of our will: we must freely,
voluntarily, without undue or improper pressure or influence, repent of our
sins and accept Jesus Christ’s supreme sacrifice for our salvation. For
"God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without
us.”(CCC 1847)
Also known as
mortal sin, each capital sin is a radical possibility of human
freedom, as is love itself. A capital sin results in the loss of charity and
the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace; if it is
not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from
Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for “our freedom has the power
to make choices for ever, with no turning back” (CCC 1861). If thus remaining unredeemed,
capital sins frustrate our seeking first God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness,
which is the basis for His giving us ‘all these things besides.’ (cf Matthew
6:33)
Of course,
freedom is not free if one cannot choose the bad, the wrong, what is not good, what
is not desirable; but just because we can do so, does not mean we have to and
should choose the evil and the wicked. It only means the choice is all the more
important, for we choose one option despite the tantalizing, almost
irresistible, availability of many other options…
Every day we
encounter these ‘other’ options in the form of the swirling states trying to
take control of our beings, giving the illusion and delusion that they supposedly
are what we are, egging us to just give in, and “go with the flow”… These states spawn from the
root of sin which is in the heart of man and in his free will: "But
the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For
from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person…" (Matthew 15:18-20) But in the heart also resides charity,
the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds. (CCC 1853). “A good person out
of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of
a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth
speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
These states
want us to forget that God created us in His own image with a mandate for
dominion. God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness…
God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and
multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth. God
also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every
tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild
animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on
the earth, I give all the green plants for food. And so it happened. God looked
at everything he had made, and found it very good… (cf Genesis 1:26-31)
Indeed, we are
each originally “very good”, yet the sin ‘virus’ within each of us, imprinted in
hearts for transmission from generation to generation by Eve and Adam’s
disobedience, sets itself against God's love for us and turns
our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, this sin ‘virus’ within us is
disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become "like gods"
knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself
even to contempt of God”; in this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically
opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation”. (CCC 1850)
So, being thus
‘infected’ since the dawn of time, how do we now, in the evanescence of our
existence, correct and perfect ourselves as well as assert the divine dominion
directive?
We do these by choosing
wisely.
In every
situation, whether or not we realize or appreciate it, we have the power to
choose. In the space between stimulus and response (which we are not conscious
of most of the time) stands the portal of our freedom: there, we can always
choose our response regardless of circumstance, even if the dark states shout
‘impossible’ or ‘no other way but give up!’
For every shady
proclivity within, there is between stimulus and response a
decision-opportunity for the better: the noble choice of being at-one-ment with
the All-in-all; the preference of staying in the light of the Almighty or in
the shadow of His wings; and the option of being attuned to the Holy Spirit and
thus of being open to receiving His seven gifts of wisdom, understanding,
counsel, fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord for love of
Him.
When any, some,
or all of the seven capital sins assail us, we can always pause after noticing
the stimulus or being conscious that it is there already in us; then consider,
focus on, adopt, and put into action their corresponding opposite virtues. But
this presupposes we are constantly aware and have the inner strength to stand
by our considered option.
Most of the
time, though, these states take control of our beings without our awareness
(especially when we are distracted), and therefore many times we find ourselves
suddenly feeling so prideful and superior to others, or fuming mad at someone
or the world, or needing to get and to have, or panting for physical pleasures,
or stewing with envy, or stuffing our mouths with our comfort foods, or just
plainly being unwilling to do anything - without our really intending to be so.
Indeed: “Why are
not our souls completely healed? Why is not every demon cast out? Why are not
pride, self-will, love of the world, lust, anger, peevishness, with all the
other bad tempers and dispositions which constitute the mind of Satan, entirely
destroyed? Alas! it is because we do not believe; Jesus is able; more, Jesus is
willing; but we are not willing to give up our idols; we give not credence to
his word; therefore hath sin a being in us, and dominion over us.” (Clarke's Commentary on Mark 9:23, http://www.godvine.com/bible/mark/9-23).
Truly, “You covet but do not
possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You
do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not
receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3)
When all we have to do is “…have this confidence in Him, that
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And
if we know that He hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we
have asked Him for is ours. (1 John 5:14-15)
Hence, in
humility, let’s pray to the Holy Spirit to shine His Light on these sneaky
states that we may be conscious and discerning of our internal states all the
time, to guide us to ask only according to God’s will, and to empower us to act
in congruence with His will. Let’s believe in the Almighty, have faith and
confidence in the Holy Trinity, and act accordingly.
In, with, and
through the Lord, let us live, move, walk, and have our being… and in the state
of this at-one-ment with Him, in the spirit of meekness and repentance, let us
choose wisely.
In exercising
this free choice, let us remember: “God in the beginning created human beings and
made them subject to their own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the
commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God. Set before you are fire and
water; to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand. Before everyone are life
and death, whichever they choose will be given them. Immense is the wisdom of
the LORD; mighty in power, he sees all things. The eyes of God behold his
works, and he understands every human deed. He never commands anyone to sin, nor
shows leniency toward deceivers.” (Sirach 15:14-20)
Therefore:
1. When pride,
presumption, and superbia rear their
haughty heads in egotism, arrogance, conceit, condescension, deprecation,
pomposity, and self-importance, then we can pause and choose humility, modesty,
selflessness,
bravery, altruism, reverence and the giving of respect.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself but rather thinking of yourself less.
It is a spirit of self-examination and an interpretative tendency of suspicion
toward yourself and of charity toward people you disagree with; it is the audacity
of the heart necessary to undertake difficult, hard, tedious or unglamorous
tasks, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved; it is a reverence for
those who have wisdom or those who selflessly teach in love; it is giving
credit where credit is due and not unfairly glorifying one's own self; it is being
faithful to promises, no matter how big or small they may be; and it is refraining
from despair and having the courage to confront fear and uncertainty, or
intimidation. (SV)
2. When wrath
and anger get us hopping mad and wrecking havoc like The Hulk, then we can pause
and choose patience, calmness, peace, mercy, ahimsa, sufferance, and tolerance. Patience is forbearance and
endurance through moderation; it is the peaceful resolution of conflicts and
injustice, and not resorting to violence; it is accepting the grace to forgive
and to show mercy
to sinners and those who wrong us; it is creating a sense of peaceful stability
and community rather than that of suffering,
hostility,
and antagonism. (SV)
3. When lust and
unbridled passions transform our actions into manias, compulsions, and obsessions
resulting in disregard of other peoples’ interests, then we can pause and
choose chastity, purity, knowledge, honesty, wisdom, non-attachment to
appetites and passions, and cleanliness. Chastity is abstaining from sexual
conduct according to one's state in life and the practice of courtly love
and romantic friendship; it is cleanliness through
cultivated good health and hygiene, and maintained by refraining from
intoxicants; it is being honest with oneself, one's family, one's friends, and all
of humanity; it is embracing moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of
thought-through education and betterment; it is the ability to refrain from
being distracted and influenced by corruption, provocation, hostility,
temptation,
or tender traps. (SV)
4. When greed,
avarice and covetousness turn us into Scrooges and blind us to inequity and
injustice, then we can pause and choose charity, generosity, benevolence, and
self-sacrifice. The term charity should not be confused with the more
restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving. In
Christian theology, charity—or love (agäpé)--is the
greatest of the three theological virtues. Love, in the sense of an unlimited
loving kindness towards all others, is held to be the ultimate perfection of
the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of
God. Such love is self-sacrificing. Confusion can arise from the multiple
meanings of the English word "love". The love that is "caritas" or charity is distinguished
by its origin – being divinely infused into the soul – and by its residing in
the will rather than emotions, regardless of what emotions it stirs up. This
love is necessary for salvation, and with it no one can be lost. (SV)
5. When
gluttony, gorging, and unrestrained eating and getting threaten to derail our
health and sanity, then we can pause and choose temperance, self-control,
justice, honor, abstention and restraint. Temperance is constant mindfulness of
others and one's surroundings; it is practicing self-control, abstention, moderation,
and zero-sum
or deferred gratification; it is the prudence
to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time,
the proper moderation between self-interest and public-interest, and the
balancing of one’s rights against the rights and needs of others. (SV)
6. When the
resentment of envy makes us simmer in unhappiness and bitterness at what we
perceive as another’s ‘better fortune’, and sours our countenances and wrinkles
our faces while entertaining evil upon the other, then we can pause and choose
kindness, compassion, friendship, integrity, loyalty, satisfaction. Kindness is
charity (agape), sympathy and
consideration for its own sake; it is empathy and trust without prejudice and
offense; it is unselfish love and voluntary gentleness without bias or spite;
and it is having positive outlooks and cheerful demeanor inspiring kindness in
others. (SV)
7. And when
sloth, laziness, acedia, and wallowing
in our comfort zone put us in a state of suspended animation, unproductiveness,
barrenness, emptiness, and at the same time fatness, then we can pause and
choose diligence, industry, persistence, rectitude, effort, and ethics.
Diligence is a zealous and careful approach in one’s actions and work; it is
marked by a decisive work ethic, steadfastness in belief, fortitude,
stick-to-itiveness, and not giving up; it is budgeting one’s time and going by
that plan; it is monitoring one’s own activities to guard against indolence;
and it is upholding one's convictions at all times, especially when no one else
is watching - in other words, having integrity.
(SV)
Let us thank the
Lord God Almighty for these continuing decision opportunities at every
crossroad between stimulus and response, at every threshold between the dark
surge within and our range of responses to include its dissipation by Light.
Choosing the noble option at each decision point not only betters us
individually but also improves our society as love, peace, justice, respect,
esteem, and joy will in all probability reach critical mass from the effects of
our common choice and practice of humility, patience, chastity, charity, temperance,
kindness, and diligence, all thus in hope and faith, becoming the prevailing community
modal attitudes and feelings.
This is just as
well, for we are in control only of ourselves, not of others; consequently,
correcting others is not a feasible option as a life purpose.
And so, if we
are to find meaning while alive and leave this world better than we found it, it
would be good for each of us to say, let it begin with me, and act correspondingly!
Let me correct and
perfect myself not only by choosing the noble option at every crossroad between
stimulus and response, particularly at every surge of my internal negative
predilections, but also and more importantly, by repeatedly repenting of my recurring
sins and gratefully accepting the eternally available redeeming Grace and Mercy
of my Lord Jesus Christ, while praying for the Power of the Spirit to help me avoid
repetitions.
Let me exercise
dominion by not being conformed to this world but rather by being transformed
through the continuing renewal of my mind (cf Romans 12:2) as well as by
accepting and receiving all the Lord’s financial and material blessings in
stewardship: to keep, grow, increase, multiply, share, and circulate for love
of God and neighbor especially in devotion to good works to
supply urgent needs. (cf Titus 3:14).
And let me
continually be “At-One-Ment” with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that
I may continually be aware of my internal states and, with discernment, keep on
living, moving, walking, and having my Being only in the charmed circle of
God’s Light and Love.
Then, when the
time to return comes, in peace and joy, I’ll say: “Father, into thy hands I
commend my Spirit.”
References:
New American
Bible Revised Edition (NABRE).
