LIFE EVERLASTING

By Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange,OP

PART1. SOUL IMMENSITY IN OUR PRESENT LIFE(cont)

1. SENSIBILITY

Order demands that we study first the depths of our emotional life as illumined by sense cognition and then those of our voluntary life as illumined by our intellect. Progress in acquired virtue and, still more, progress in infused virtue will reveal immense depths and will clarify in particular the growth of charity in the souls of the saints, both in their hours of trial and in the joy of their apostolic triumphs.

Sensibility, the source of passion and emotion, is, like sense knowledge and imagination, common to animals and men. This sensibility we call sense appetite to distinguish it from the will, which is a spiritual faculty, common to man, angel, and God. Passions, emotions, the movements of sense appetite arise when sense knowledge or imagination puts before us a sense object, attractive or repellent. Thus we note that the desire for food appears under a peaceful form in the dove and the lamb, but under a violent form in the wolf, the tiger, and the lion.

The first among all passions, the source of all others, is sense love, the love, for example, of the animal for the food it needs. From this love rises a series of passions: desire, joy, hope, audacity, hate, aversion, sadness, despair, fear, and anger.

Passion is not always, but may become, keen, vehement, dominating. In man the passions are meant to be ruled and disciplined by reason and will. Thus ruled, they are weapons which defend a great cause. On the contrary, if they remain unruly and undisciplined, they become vices: love becomes gluttony and lust, aversion becomes jealousy and envy, audacity becomes foolhardiness, fear becomes faintheartedness and cowardice.

These wide contrasts, both in good and in evil, show how deep and immense is the world of passion. Even in the animal kingdom what heights are scaled by love and hate: in the lion, for example, attacking his prey, in the lioness defending her young!

But this width and depth of passion is still more immense in man, because man's intellect grasps universal good and man's will desires that boundless good which is found in God alone. Hence when man's will does not follow the straight road to God, when man seeks supreme happiness not in God but in creatures, then his concupiscence becomes insatiable, because he has unlimited desires for a good that is limited. Man's will was created to love supreme good and the irradiations of that supreme good. Hence when the will turns aside, its tendency to universal good continues under that deviation, and this tendency of man's highest faculty now becomes foolish, exercises a lamentable influence on man's lower faculties. This truth is a proof, a sad proof indeed, but still a proof, of the spirituality of the soul. The ruins of decay are a souvenir of grandeur.

Passion, says St. Thomas, [2] when it is truly natural, that is, founded on man's nature, cannot be boundless, because it desires only what nature demands, and the sense good which nature demands is limited, in food, for instance, and drink. Unnatural desire, on the contrary, can be unlimited, because it arises from reason gone astray, which sees unlimited good in a good which is in reality limited. Thus a man who desires wealth can desire it in limitless measure, can see in wealth the ultimate purpose of his life.

Natural desire, then, in animal and man is limited. The animal (e.g., wolf, tiger, lion) when it is sated no longer seeks prey. But intelligent man when depraved conceives and pursues ever more wealth and pleasure. Hence quarrels among neighbors and endless wars among nations. The miser is insatiable, likewise the man of pleasure and the man of power. Love when thwarted begets hate, and that hate becomes boundless. Hate, says Baudelaire, is the cask of the pale Danaides. These Danaides, says mythology, slew their husbands on their wedding night, hence were condemned to fill a cask without bottom: endless punishment of boundless depravity.

If passions which man shares with beast be so deep and wide, what must be the depth and breadth of the will which is a spiritual faculty common to man and angels? [3]

2. Ia Iae. q. 30. a.4.

3. This depth of human sensibility is less noticeable in the order of good, because in this order it disposes us to love a spiritual good which is not accessible except to the spiritual will. We have illustration of this in the love of family and of fatherland, if this love is fastened on the common good which is above all a matter of justice and equity.

On the contrary, the sensibility of a depraved person looks for the infinite in sense goods. He asks of them what they cannot give. As a result he falls into disillusion and disgust, since nothing can longer please him.

Next Section >>

THE SALVATION DRIVE

by Guest Author

Salvation is, without a doubt, one of the most controversial topics in all of Christendom. Very few seem to have a handle on it. In fact, it has been found that those who struggle with how we are "saved," often fall into two diametricaly opposed extremes.

The first extreme contends that salvation is acheived simply by the vocal acknowledgement that we are sinners and the proclamation that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. This extreme contends that we are bound to no church authority on earth and that we are bound by the Bible alone (Which we are free to interpret however we choose). They also claim that salvation cannot be lost ever. For illustrative purposes, imagine them as being to the left of the theological spectrum, on the issue of salvation. Therefore, (again, only for illustration) We'll call them the 21st century Sadducees.

The second extreme contends that salvation is only possible for those who do and say all the right things, pray the right prayers, wear the right adornments and go to the right church services on the right days. Get one thing wrong, and you go straight to hell...so says this second group. This group's believers often follow their leaders with fanatical zeal. Cult tragedies such as the Jim Jones and David Koresh matters result from this extreme. We'll call them the 21st Century Pharisees.

Where does the Catholic Church fall into this spectrum?

If you ask the 21st century Sadducees, they would probably suggest that we are the 21st century Pharasees. They see our faith as rigid, legalistic and filled with idols and amulets and meaningless rituals and traditions. The 21st Century Sadducees, clearly, see us as trying to "earn" our salvation by saying, doing and wearing the right combination of things. Since they reject an outright church authority, they see us as substituting "man's law" for "God's law" (which they see as present only in the Bible). If you ask the 21st century Pharisees, you may get a plethora of answers. This group is as divided as they are rigid.

Some will say that Catholics cannot be saved because they worship Sunday rather than Saturday. Others will claim we are doomed because we supposedly "worship" Mary. Still others, because we use "images". As many claims as you could imagine will never cover the many reasons that are given as to why Catholics are not following the perfect, fragile, formula that leads to salvation.

The truth be told, the 21st century Sadducees represent only about 4% of Christendom. Even if we argued that the 21st century Pharisees equaled that, (probably a gross overestimation) that would put 92% of the Body of Christ in that vast expanse between the two extremes. One thing that can be said about the two fringe groups is that they do know what they believe. (however wrong they may be).

However, many, many of the multitudes in between aren't sure. There are many reasons for this confusion. One of the principle reasons is a misunderstanding of many of the terms we use to describe the salvation process. It is this reason that I will focus on. What will follow is a sort of "salvation vocabulary list." Each term will be explained and, when possible, supported by scripture.

1. Redemption: What Christ accomplished once and for all through his suffering and death. Through His passion, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the suffering servant.

[Isaiah 53:1-6] Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Many people confuse "redemption" with "salvation." Perhaps you can think of it this way; Salvation is the end to be attained and redemption is the means to the end. Redemption is not salvation but the vehicle by which we can get there.

2. Sanctification: If redemption is the vehicle to salvation, then sanctification is the road the vehicle travels down. Just as many make the mistake of lumping redemption and salvation together, they often throw sanctification in the same mix. Sanctification can be thought of as "Saint-ifaction"; the process of becomming saints.

[Romans 6:19] I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.

3. Grace: Continuing our analogy, "Grace" is the fuel that goes in the vehicle. Many people mistakingly see grace as merely goodness or beauty. "She is a very graceful dancer" or "so nice of you to grace us with your presence." However, Biblicaly speaking, Grace is a thing. It is tangible. Grace is a special gift that God gives us to accomplish that which we cannot accomplish on our own. Grace accomplishes two things:
◦Cleanses us of sin (we call this "sanctifying grace").
◦Motivates us to act according to God's will (we call this "actual grace").

[John 1:16] And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.

4. Concupiscence: Though this word is not found in scripture, it's concept is pretty much broadly accepted. It is man's fallen nature. The natural leaning we have toward sin. Concupiscence is why we need grace and why, on our own, we are incapable of salvation.

5. The Sacraments: Since our "auto" analogy seems to be working, let's continue with it. The Sacraments are the gas pump and the repair shop. If the car is out of gas, (grace) it won't run. It is, for all intents, dead. The sacraments give us the infusion of grace we need to get that transmission put back in and get the motor restarted (sanctifing grace) and reserve to help it stay running (actual grace). You can find out more on the sacraments here .

6. Venial sin: The pot holes we are bound to hit in the road.

7. Mortal sin: The theological equivalent of crashing that car into a tree. The car is dead and won't run without being repaired. (see #5)

Some would argue that all sin is equal in God's eyes. Not so, say the scriptures:

[1 John 5:16-17] If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

8. Justification: The arrival. The means of receiving salvation because of redemption, through sanctification by grace. This is why scripture tells us that justification is not by faith alone:

[James 2:13-24] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment. What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

This is also why scripture tells us that it is not by works (our own efforts):

[Romans 3:28] For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.