Day Two
Part 1
Chapter 2
“A Catalogue of Souls”
I also found it quite helpful to be reminded that an accurate assessment of the soul can only be made by examining the will. First, what is my intention regarding my life? Am I living with the deliberate intention of doing God's will and avoiding that which is not His will, most especially what is contrary to His will? Then, am I actively submitting my own will so that His will becomes preferable to mine?
Please feel encouraged to comment on the chapters and/or what I write. You all have such wonderful insights and perspectives!
(In order to guard us from false humility or pride, let us refrain from referencing in our comments on this chapter the current state of our soul.)
_______________________________
Definitions (and other word notes)
ferent is a typo and should be fervent
buren is also a typo and should be burden
cavilling: raising trivial or frivolous objections
self-abnegation: synonymous with self-denial
________________________________
Additional resources:
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1849-1864 for a treatment of mortal and venial sins.
Hello, first of all thanks for doing this study.
ReplyDeleteI have a question regarding the intelligence part, it says that " It is do seldom that we love God in the measure in which we know Him". I thought that the more we knew God the more we loved Him, as reciprocal verbs, which increased at the same pace. Maybe the text is referencing to anothar type of knowing, an intelligence that does not follow the same reciprocity but can be stagnant with knowledge and without movement.
My other question would be in regards to this movement, it seems easy to gage the movement from sin to turning to God, and the movement from venial sin, lukewarmness to the fervent attittude, but how one is to observe the movement from there after? I had thought that upon the path of perfection, the more we climb upward the more sins we find in ourselves, the deeper they go, and the more difficult are they to surmount. Is that true?
Thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is certainly true that knowing God is one of the reasons He made us, along with loving Him and serving Him "in this world and be happy with Him forever in heaven." (You can probably tell that I have some little ones at home.); I am not aware of any Church teaching making the degree to which we know God reciprocal to the degree to which we love Him. More specifically related to the context of the chapter, consider the "intelligence" level of the person with limited mental abilities who loves God with his whole mind (heart and soul). At the other end of the spectrum, consider the theologian who, after years of study and even teaching at the highest levels chooses heresy. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that our love for Him could be measured by the degree to which we use our intelligence to faithfully serve Him. Of course, such a statement returns us to will then, doesn't it?
On the second question, for the fervent soul already habitually disposed to do God's will generously throughout the day and "refuse Him nothing", there is much wisdom and assistance to be found in spiritual works such as St. Teresa's "Interior Castle." Such a soul is certainly more aware of her faults and the desires she has that run contrary to the will of God. I believe that the battle is more intense at such a stage of holiness and requires more grace to overcome the temptation to 'come down from the cross'.
Is anyone else aware of Church teaching that could shed light on these questions?
I don't believe that intelligence is our infallible guide. Jesus tells us in James that those who know more are held to higher accountability but other than that I'm thinking the infallible guide is our ability to love Christ more than we love ourselves. Yes it does come down to will...again...it is so much easier to please the base nature of man than the perfection of Christ.
ReplyDelete