How
to be a Human Being ...
a Holy Human Being
part 2
Father John J. Lombardi
How to be a Human Being
... a Holy Human Being part 1
St Francis of Assisi
loved material possessions, the soldierly life
and beautiful ladies, all the while despising
the poor and religious activities. After God
spoke to him in a church, he gave up his
possessions (stripping himself before his dad
and bishop!), later jumped into a sticker bush
to prick his lustful nature, and began
heroically serving the poor, sick and dying.
Because of his great passion for overcoming bad
actions, and his desire for good, Jesus lived in
Him so much He formed His passionate wounds-the
stigmata-in Francis' body.
St. Ignatius, the
Spaniard, loved the soldierly life too and also
riches and decadent literature. When
recuperating from his battle wounds, one time,
he began reading the Bible and the lives of the
saints. He realized the inability of human
desire to be fulfilled in the worldly things and
eventually gave his whole life to God, and
formed the Jesuit order, which is now worldwide.
What do these heroic
lives teach us? They show us that we can gain
self-mastery-even sainthood-if we subject our
passions to the Passion of Jesus, and let grace
build upon our human nature, and love God and
neighbor.
Becoming a human being-a
holy human being--thoroughly human and
Christ-like-is the most attractive thing in the
world to seeker-souls. The saints are people who
have mastered the wanton ways of human
nature-the wayward emotions and polluted mind,
the failure to "read reality right," and the
upsets in becoming fully mature and holy. The
saints had all these challenges but overcame
them-one by one…Are you? We all need to train
both the emotive and intellectual sides of our
personalities, as well as heorically follow
Christ. Sts Francis and Ignatius both overcame
desires of the flesh, yearning for worldly
riches and reputations, and rejection of truth
This path of transformation is difficult but the
saints used daring to overcome all for Christ
and His Way of life. Read the following list of
what these two saints had in common, and what
you can do, too: reject the negatives-lifestyle
attractions, lustful desires, wayward emotions
not in conformity with the Gospel; undergo
continual conversion and renewal-say or think:
"I can always become more like Christ"; think of
others and not yourself so much; pray more and
harder; love God and your neighbor with all your
strength, and submit passions to the Passion of
Jesus and right reason; seek God first (Mt.
5:48).These practices form our greatest human
beings.
Last week I met with
Mount St Mary Seminary priest and professor, Fr
Robert Zylla. He's an expert in the thought of
St Thomas Aquinas. Father Zylla also teaches
moral theology. Following is a "rough
translation" of some of his observations on
Becoming Healthy, Whole and Holy-from a Thomist
perspective…
We humans are made up of
body and soul, passions and intellects; we must
balance these "aspects of ourselves" in healthy
ways. We humans-inheriting the "spiritual
legacy" of Adam and Eve-- were created in an
original state of harmony and peace-in the
Garden of Eden. But, once sin entered, humans
rebelled- against God and within themselves.
Human feelings and minds-previously in a state
of peace and harmony--were turned against each
other and, today, we feel the consequences of
this rebellion.
Therefore, our emotions
need to be trained and tempered: though this is
most difficult, the Life of Christ shows us that
we can achieve perfection and harmony within-by
grace. Christ is the Way Who shows man-as we
really are-- to himself. Pope John Paul is fond
of saying this. It is vitally important to have
the right starting point-anthropology-when
investigating and healing human beings. The
psychologist Freud had many truths but, because
he believes errantly about man (he was an
atheist)-some of his solutions were, are,
harmful: they heal only part of us, negate, and
divorce man's bodily side from supernatural
aspects.
Buddhism and eastern
philosophies also have many truths, but also,
some errant observations (they do not believe in
body and soul unity; usually discount a
transcendent God and the role of grace).
Buddhism thus tries to annihilate the passions
and desires-(Nirvana means extinction) and this
becomes an end in itself-the goal of life and
salvation. St John of the Cross, the Spanish
Carmelite mystic, who is close to Eastern,
approaches in some ways, and yet still
different--encourages a thorough training and
purification of the emotions and passions for
the goal of loving God and our neighbor in a
more whole, free and holy way. This asceticism
(the word means training) is not an end in
itself but a means to an end; it can become
another god or dissonant emotional attachment.
In attempting to purify
and liberate ourselves from wrong, harmful
tendencies-for instance, too much drinking,
unhealthy relationships, materialism-we need to
do this with rational, rhythmic ways--not by
sheer will power ( by force), by right reason
working over time to quell chaotic passions
within. When reacting with the will to solve our
problems and "conquer ourselves," we may not act
on some passions or commit a sin (a lustful
action, for instance), but we will still have a
simmering "potboiler within," in need of healing
and transformation; The power of the will cannot
do this alone-it can only command, not train and
re-form. Using will power can work for a time-it
is like a band aid over a wound, though-the
simmering problem still exits below the surface.
Reason, however, can inform and affect the
passions and train them. Reason helps transform
the emotions in their essence, at the source of
the problem.
Whenever we act, think
or will-within or outside ourselves-there is
always an "effect" to this "cause". And the
ancients-St Thomas, Aristotle and others-knew
that there was a more direct, intuitive--
unification between the body, the powers of
intellect and will, and the soul. Sometimes such
wise people could help the healing process
through physical means--right and holistic
eating, bathing, and physical penances, for
instance: we've lost this today and are more
dualistic-dividing the body and soul in the
healing process.
When anger comes
about-an irascible appetite (an inclination
prone to chaos), some people may dwell upon and
even "brew" it (put fire under it). Eventually
it is an obsession; a person cannot be freed
from this toxic thinking. However, some trivial
thing may occur-the phone may ring and the
person answers, talks, laughs, hangs up, and the
anger is gone. Why? Because that negative energy
has been re-directed-this changes the passion
from it's "independence" and power over the
rational will-spontaneously-and the person
realizes he can be liberated: if he chooses,
re-chooses and sublimates, re-channels the
energy of anger into other things (such as
prayer, good acts, holy activities). We can
learn to train the body, mind, soul, intellect
and especially the will if we have: right
knowledge; right order within; right choices;
and grace-God's favor upon us and His flavor
upon our human components.
But, often, we humans
are either too hot headed or unconcerned; too
intellectual or emotional; over stimulated or
under regulated-in short, we search for the
inward balance and interior equilibrium, and
cannot always achieve it… In short, we are
sometimes ruled by our base instincts and
hedonist hearts without right rule and reason.
The unchecked will, the unpurified passions and
desirous heart wants fulfillment and thinks it
can achieve it in material things and
sense-pleasing ways Because we do not have
proper knowledge of what will make us happy, we
follow the "wrong intellectual carrots" in front
of our religious noses, thus seeking and
embracing un healthy pursuits
Our "spiritual job" is
balance God's ways with human pursuits, and to
accelerate this human-divine adventure by the
wisdom of the Bible (revelation), the saints
(truth-in-action) and Sacred Tradition (wisdom).
Have you taken this course? Are you a drop-out?
Are you re-trying?! Just because we are
religious doesn't mean:
- we know everything
about the emotional life and how it is
balanced with God's ways and commands. But,
rather than choosing the options of despair or
pursuing hedonism we should seek genuine,
Christ-centered self-knowledge, versus selfish
knowledge, as some forms of psychololigism do
today, or immoral knowledge, which relativism
proposes).
- We should not cut off
our feelings from our spiritual lives-divorce
your heart from your spiritual head.
How do you attempt to
blend the intellect and the will (mental and
spiritual powers within us), together--the head
and the heart, the emotions and the reason? -In
short-how do we become more human and
harmonized, more holy? By: Eucharist -seeking
and letting Jesus Christ's Body and Blood, His
Divinity change our very insides-physically and
metaphysically. The regular rhythmic routine of
Mass attendance--seeking God's Will over our
own; asking for forgiveness by humbling our
pride in contrition; re-experiencing and
embracing within Christ's sacrifice for us,
which helps us die to self. All these elements
helped the saints to overcome their humanity and
become holy humans. The prayer, "Anima Christi,"
describes and ritualizes how to transform the
insides: "Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of
Christ save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me…"
This means less self, and selfishness, and more
Divine Self, more God within me. The Mass
teaches us to Increase the surrender.
Ascetical
practices-asceticism means "to train"-this is a
lost, sacred art today, needing renaissance
today -to practice, attain self-abandonment,
self-denial, selflessness: "If anyone wants to
be My follower he must deny himself, pick up his
cross daily" (Lk. 9:23). Fasting is a way to
deny luxury and comfort of self, to say "no" to
lukewarmness and say "Yes" to God and His Way of
Life. This will help us attain self-mastery ; if
anyone struggles with sensual sins, always
remember and practice, regularly and moderately,
fasting and prayer!
Custody of the
senses-guard and purify what you see and look
at: whatever enters thru your eyes probably will
affect you sometime-now or later, day or
nighttime, conscious or not. Remember: Less is
More--less (visual stimulation) is more
(liberation of the soul for God-as-Spirit).
Crosses help by letting unfair or burdensome
things "spiritually sandpaper" us, and
mortifications free us by tempering our flesh
and prideful wills-- embracing hard things, not
speaking so much or readily, sacrificing time,
talent or treasure helps give away and purify
the self and inner prideful tendencies.
Prayer allows God to
purify us where and when we cannot-from within,
and esp. thru meditation we learn self-mastery
and emotional and spiritual discipline by
focusing on certain holy thoughts and mysteries
and by denying other distractive thoughts. We
can then transpose these newly gained
"victories" to errant, emotional habits…Charity:
when we practice love and compassion for others,
we can often get un-stuck form our spiritual
navels and realize the graces we have received,
and that Jesus suffers in disguised-others.
Getting other-focused gets us un-focused form
selfishness. Remember St Peter Chrysologus'
insight: "The poor stretch forth the hand, but
God receives what is offered."
Following are some
examples of holiness and healing and how the
sacred past can help give your soul a spiritual
blast of liberation and wisdom:
Remember: "In the
Christian life, the Holy Spirit Himself
accomplishes His work by mobilizing the whole
being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness,
as is visible in the Lord's agony and passion.
In Christ human feelings are able to reach their
consummation in charity and divine beatitude."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church: # 1769)
Conclusion: Do I
overemphasize my head (intellect, reasoning) or
heart (emotions and will) to the exclusion of
the other? How do I need-how can I gain-more
balance? What particular saints can help in this
divine-human adventure and process? …Quote:
"Here I was taught by the grace of God that I
should steadfastly keep me in the faith... and
that at the same time I should take my stand on
and earnestly believe in what our Lord showed in
this time - that 'all manner [of] thing shall be
well." -- Julian of Norwich, The Revelations of
Divine Love.
Briefly Noted
Next Week: Why the
Vatican (re) Clarified Teachings on
Homosexuality, and so-Called Same-Sex Unions: In
short, as one Vatican Commentator said-it is
political ethics. Catholics must be ready to
both respect persons who are homosexual, but not
any homosexualist agenda or lifestyle that
threatens themselves or marriage or Catholic
culture.
Why do Catholics do
That?
Put hands, fingers, in a
water dish? Because they are reminding
themselves, sacramentally (using signs and
material) that they are baptized Christians,
disciples of Christ and entering a holy place.
It is preparing them to meet Jesus even more.
Supernatural: A Pilgrim
recently brought up conversation of "the
supernatural", asking if I believed in it, in
the extraordinary. Though taken a little aback
by the question, I noted that I, of course, did:
at each Mass we encounter the extraordinary in
Christ becoming Present. But, perhaps, many
priests are perceived in a way today which
implies they may be skeptical or "slow to
believe" in extra-ordinary phenomena. . At any
rate, we agreed there is need for prudence
regarding the "supernatural" and, as Fr Benedict
Groschel writes in his book, "A Still Small
Voice," that, probably (and subtly) God does
speak and act in people's lives more than we
know, today, or can perceive. We may call these
"spiritual impulses" or holy movements, within,
barely perceptible, wherein God can "speak thru
and within sunsets, relationships and
conscience. ...Are you embracing the
"extraordinary in the ordinary"?
Read
other reflections by Father John J. Lombardi
