The Age of Unreason and Unruly Passions!

We live in an age of unreason. Even our language reflects it. People often express their "thoughts" by saying, "I feel that...." In fact, I once watched a street interview where a young woman said that only feelings are real. Gosh, what a statement! If you feel angry enough to murder someone, should you do it?

God gave us feelings. Why? From my perspective, feelings are an important part of being human. Think of a mother with her newborn nestled in her arms asleep. She is overwhelmed with feelings of love. Those feelings inspire her to nurture and protect that innocent bundle she's cuddling. Often feelings of attraction lead us to a dating situation. If our feelings take over, fornication or adultery may be the next step. If reason controls those feelings, the next step will be a journey of exploration. Who is this person that attracts me? Do we share the same faith, the same values? What obstacles are there to the relationship growing from attraction into love, courtship, and marriage? 

Being controlled by feelings is the hallmark of childhood. One of the most important duties of parents, is to help their children outgrow the two-year-old era of tantrums and meltdowns into young people and adults who keep their emotions under control. The purpose is not to eliminate those feelings, but to always steer them with reasoned self-control. Love is not just a feeling as St. Paul reminds us. We may hold someone in contempt, but those feelings don't justify treating him disrespectfully in social situations. "Love is not rude." Feelings of depression and self pity can't prevent us from smiling and being cheerful if we choose. Fr. John Hardon always emphasized that the muscles controlling our lips are voluntary. We can choose to smile when we feel miserable.

Liberals these days are looking more and more like two-year-olds having tantrums. Instead of using their loss at the ballot box into a time of self-examination, self-awareness, and growth; they've doubled down on anger, irrationality, whining, and what borders on insanity. A quick summary of the problem? Their passions are out of control.

Reading one of my go-to spiritual books this morning, The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise on Peace of Soul by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, I read this:

One of the requisites in the spiritual combat is perseverance in the continual mortification of our unruly passions; for never in this life are they utterly subdued, but take root in the human heart like weeds in fertile soil. This is a battle from which we cannot escape; ours is a foe we cannot evade. The fight against passion will last a lifetime, and he who lays down his arms will be slain....

But be not daunted by their strength or number, for in this war, he alone is conquered who voluntarily surrenders, and the entire power of our enemies is in the hands of that captain under whose banner we fight. And not only will He preserve us from treachery, but He will be our champion. He who is infinitely superior to all the foe will crown you with conquest provided that you, as a warrior, rely not on your own finite powers but on His almighty power and infinite goodness.

Different personality types have more of a challenge when it comes to controlling the passions. The sanguine and phlegmatic are generally less emotional. The choleric and melancholic will be in a constant battle.  But whatever our challenges, we never face them alone. We have our Captain, Jesus Christ, our 12-star General, the Blessed Mother, and the battalion leader, our guardian angel. If we listen to them and follow their direction we will celebrate the victory.

May Jesus Christ be praised!