|
|
|
Were our Hearts Not Burning? (Lk 24:32)
Homily Fr. Paul Ward Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, 2005 St. Paul’s on the Lake, Grosse Pointe
The Purgative Way: Introductory Thoughts
Summer has set it and many of us are enjoying the hot weather. The school children are on summer vacation, and many of our parish’s households are remembering how tiring it can be to have the kids home every day. It’s a joyful time, when we enjoy, in a special way, the good things of God’s creation, creatures of all sorts that bear his impression of truth, of goodness and of beauty. And to enjoy them rightly makes us happy. Yet that’s not enough for the follower of Christ. We aspire to more than that. The happiness creatures provide passes, and enjoying them presents many challenges, lest we enjoy them in an immoral way. We have to put more attention to our modesty in dress and in dealings with one another, especially when we come to Church, out of dignity and charity towards one another. We must be astute with how we use our time, lest sloth creep in, and we waste time. We should be more meek and patient with one another, as more social life also means we see one another’s limitations more often and more clearly. We need to check ourselves and never let us slip into the mortal sin of skipping Mass on Sunday during the summer recreation. And in the middle of this, here comes today’s readings, with St. Paul saying we are baptized into Jesus’ death, and Jesus himself in the Gospel restating, eight times, what it concretely means to give up everything, absolutely everything, to follow him. What do we do with these readings today, as summer begins? This homily is the first of three that will discuss the stages of the spiritual life. The three stages are the purgative, illuminative and the unitive. Today, motivated by such readings we will consider the purgative way, and the next two stages will follow in order over the next two weeks. There are stages to the spiritual life. One makes progress, or at least should. Like all things that live, there must be growth, and if there is not, that’s a problem which means sickness or death. These stages lead to what is called “spiritual perfection,” which is not a utopia, nor some porcelain-finish spotlessness, nor anything which can be observed with any of the five senses. The state of spiritual perfection is the state of someone who’s life is governed by the love of charity, someone who really loves God above all things, and their neighbor as himself. It is a life free from habitual mortal sin. It is a life of poverty, chastity and obedience according to one’s state in life. It is a life of intimate friendship with God, continual enjoyment of his presence in the most diverse instances of life. It is a life that the sacraments, such as the Mass, are attended with great joy and not bitter resentment. It is a life of love. It is my opinion that every person who has received baptism, confirmation and first communion experiences something of all three ways, the purgative, illuminative and unitive, but advancing in one requires first advancing in the previous stage. This is why it is important for everyone to understand all three stages, for all are called to perfection. To begin the path towards spiritual perfection, the first stage is the purgative way. This is when we first set out, and firmly decide, to pursue a life of love, in other words, a life of perfection, for human perfection consists in love. This stage corresponds to the period the apostles spent when they first met Jesus, to the time he died on the cross. Jesus corrected them, instructed them, they had no faith and did not understand yet they wanted to. They could not pass to the glory of the resurrection without going through the cross (cf. CCC 2015). There is no love, in fact, without the cross. The chief characteristic is that of repentance and mortification. Mortification is the practice by which we willfully submit ourselves to things that go against our inclinations of pride and comfort, and we do so for love of God and neighbor, with the hope of making progress towards greater love. This is why Jesus in today’s Gospel (Mt 10:37-42) says that the only way to be worthy of him is to renounce one’s family – not by negligence, of course, but by detachment – to welcome others as if they were Jesus himself, and to be kind to others. This is why St. Paul says we are baptized into his death. The purgative way is the great moment to work on all the virtues, especially faith, humility and the sins of the flesh – even if we commit them only in our minds. We need to battle wisely against the seven capital sins, namely, pride, sloth, envy, anger, avarice, gluttony and lust. These are the roots of all sins, venial or mortal. Malice, that hatred which could take even a good deed and make it abominably sinful, must be rooted out once and for all. It is the stage in which a soul begins to go frequently to sacramental reconciliation, not just the minimal “once a year and that during Lent.” One’s predominant fault is identified, and plans are made to work on the contrary virtue. One resolves to make renunciations of all the passions, especially the one that most gives him trouble. The purgative way, therefore, is a necessary beginning point for the follower of Christ. But left to itself, it makes no sense without the illuminative way of following Jesus’ teachings, or the unitive way of continual union with the Trinity. Precisely because it is the beginning point, those who have assimilated all these goods of the purgative way, good achieved and maintained with lots of sweat, are some of the most joyful people in the world, for hope governs their lies. Only such a soul can come to grips with his past, his sins, his disgraces, his defects; only such a soul can be patient and merciful with others; only such a soul can be at peace. Let us take courage, therefore, and undertake the spiritual exercises of the purgative way with enthusiasm. Let us love, let us love Love, and let us love to love more. Next week we shall discuss the illuminative way, and thereafter the unitive way. All three together form a single path of life that leads to life, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. May Mary, the Mother of God, help us in this endeavor. Amen
[End of Mass: reminder that Wed., June 29th, feasts of Ss. Peter and Paul] |