SACRAMENT: THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, spent close to thirty long years in His Private and Family life, mostly in Nazareth. Then, at thirty, He left to enter into His Public Ministry. This period and stage of His life lasted about three years. His suffering on the cross lasted close to three hours from 12 noon until 3:00 p.m.—now known as the Mercy Hour. He spent three days in the tomb, Good Friday until Easter Sunday. Then rose from the dead, glorious and triumphant, to live always and give life to all of His believers in abundance. There in a nutshell we have the Life of Jesus, our Lord God and Savior; a concise historical perspective and summary.

PUBLIC LIFE ACTIVITIES.  During those brief three years of Jesus’ Public Life, He carried out three basic activities: 1) preaching and teaching in abundance; 2) miracles in abundance healing bodily infirmities and even raising the dead to new life, as well as miracles over nature like turning water into wine and walking on water; 3) exorcisms—casting out a devil or devils from those who suffered demonic possession. G.K. Chesterton stated that Jesus moved like a lightning bolt; He wasted no time. Still, Jesus would always find time for prayer, and even long blocks of time, such as praying the whole night before choosing the 12 Apostles.

JESUS: THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN.  One of the key roles and activities of Jesus in His Public Ministry was that of Healer; we can call Him the Divine Physician. Not only would He heal the body of the sick person, but even more important, He would heal the soul. The most clear case was when he healed the paralytic. First Jesus forgave the man’s sins (healing his soul), then He restored the man’s limbs.

JESUS THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN CONTINUES HIS WORK.  Before ascending into Heaven, where He would sit at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus promised that He would be with us even until the end of time. (Mt. 28: 20) How is it then that Jesus ascends on high and is still with us yesterday, today, and until the end of the world? The response is the following: in His Mystical Body, which we call the Catholic Church.

HIS POWERFUL HEALING AND GRACE.  The power and grace of Jesus present to us until the end of the world is available to all who believe and live in Jesus in the Church, and most specifically in the Sacraments. 

THREE CATEGORIES OF SACRAMENTS.  The Sacraments are external signs instituted by Jesus to confer grace and they are seven in number. They can be divided into three categories: Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion), Service (Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony), and Healing (Penance or Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick).

FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY OF MIND.  Never have we lived in a world with so much information. With good internet service and search-engines, such as Google, we can search out almost any information we want and in a matter of seconds. However, never have we lived in a time and epoch in which there is so much confusion, especially on moral and spiritual matters.

HEALING THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK.  Our theme that we would like to develop today is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Our style will be didactic, actually catechetical. We will pose simple questions that surface and give a succinct answer with the hope that all who are searching for greater clarity on this topic will discover it, relish it, and share it with others.

CONCISE CATECHESIS ON ANOINTING OF THE SICK.

1. WHAT IS THE NAME?  Before, the Sacrament was called Extreme Unction.  However, more recently, the Sacrament is called “The Anointing of the Sick”. 

2. JESUS AND THE SICK.  This Sacrament has an intimate relationship and connection with the Public Life of Jesus, the Divine Physician. Not only did Jesus preach and teach, but He went from town to town healing many people of various diseases efficaciously and immediately.

3. MYSTICAL BODY: THE CHURCH.  Jesus continues His work and ministry of healing, but now through His Mystical Body which is the Catholic Church. The two Sacraments of Healing are Confession and the Anointing of the Sick.

4. MINISTER OF THE SACRAMENT.  Neither a lay person, nor even a Deacon, can administer this Sacrament. It must be administered by a validly ordained Catholic priest. The priest actually represents Jesus, as the Divine Physician.

5. BIBLICAL PASSAGE.  Whenever we witness Jesus’ healing, implicitly this points to this Sacrament. However, there is a key passage in the last chapter of the Letter of Saint James that explicitly states the person and purpose of the Sacrament. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the Church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will save the sick person; and the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5: 14-15)

6. FALSE NOTION AND CONCEPT.  Unfortunately, due to ignorance and lack of adequate education, many still believe that once an individual receives this anointing, then the Phantom of death is ready to carry the individual away.  Quite the contrary, at times, after reception of this Sacrament there is a healing and resurgence of physical strength. It is not the Sacrament of the dead; it is one of the Sacraments of Healing.

7. WHO CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT?  Those who are gravely ill, those who are up in years and debilitated, even those who have to undergo an operation and will be put under with anesthesia.

8. HOW IS THE SACRAMENT OF THE SICK ADMINISTERED?  The priest uses a prayer ritual with inspiring and comforting prayers. He places his hands on the head of the sick person and prays briefly in silence. Then the priest anoints the forehead and the hands of the sick person.

9. WHAT ARE THE KEY WORDS—THE FORM OF THE SACRAMENT.  Every Sacrament to be valid must have the minister, form and matter.  The form or the words for the Sacrament of Anointing to be valid are the following: “Through this Holy Anointing, may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen” (The forehead is then anointed). The priest proceeds: “May the Lord who frees you from sin, save you and raise you up. Amen.”  (The hands are then anointed with holy oil.)

10. THE MATTER.  As mentioned above, every Sacrament to be valid must have the minister, form and matter. The matter for the Anointing of the Sick is the Holy Oil of the Sick that the Bishop blesses always in Holy week.

11. HOW OFTEN, FREQUENCY.  “If a sick person who received this anointing recovers their health, they can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the sick person’s illness becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the sacrament prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.“ (CCC #1515)

12. A GOOD PREPARATION.  To have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession is an excellent preparation to receive properly the Anointing of the Sick. Both are Sacraments where we encounter Jesus, the Divine Physician.

13. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS THAT FLOW FROM THIS SACRAMENT?

a) A PARTICULAR GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  It gives great peace, strength, and courage in the face of physical suffering. When suffering visits a sick person, there can come with it the temptation to give into despair. This sacrament bolsters hope and trust in Our Merciful Savior. The devil never goes on vacation. The enemy will often attack with more fierce and violent temptations during moments of sickness. This Sacrament can help ward off the fiery darts of the devil.

b) HEALING.  Of course, one of the principal effects is that of healing of soul, but also there can be healing of body, if the Lord so wills, for the salvation of the person. Remember, Jesus is the Divine Physician present especially in this Sacrament.

c) UNION WITH THE PASSION OF CHRIST.  Suffering in itself has no intrinsic value. However, if one’s suffering is united to the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus, this suffering has infinite value. The suffering of the sick can serve for the conversion of sinners, the liberation of souls from Purgatory, as well as the sick person’s purification of past sins.

d) ECCLESIAL GRACE.  Pope Saint John Paul II taught that our lives either lift the Church up or bring the Church down. By praying and offering one’s suffering in union with the suffering, Passion and death of Jesus, the whole Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, can be sanctified. It is true that we are called to be our brother’s keeper on our way to eternal salvation. The sick and their suffering united to Christ can have infinite redemptive and salvific value for a multitude of souls.

e) PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL JOURNEY.  “If the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing from this life; so, it is also called sacramentum exuntium (the sacrament of those who are departing). The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that marks the whole Christian life, that of Baptism that sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation that strengthen us for the combat of this life. The last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house.” (CCC 1523)

14. WHAT ABOUT THOSE IN A COMA?  This is a very good question: can those who are in a coma, in the state of unconsciousness, receive this Sacrament? The response is YES. Furthermore, if the person in a coma would have desired to go to confession and receive pardon and absolution, then the Sacrament of Anointing serves to pardon and purify sin.

15. THE TRIPLE RITE OF SACRAMENTS.  The ideal and desire for every Catholic follower of Christ is to get to Heaven. Of course, it is best to use the most efficacious means—the reception of the Sacraments. There is a continual Rite wherein the gravely ill person can receive three Sacraments in one continual rite or action. The first to be received would be Confession; this would be followed by the Anointing of the Sick; finally, Holy Communion could be received. This is an excellent means to prepare oneself to meet the Lord immediately after death.

16. APOSTOLIC PARDON? WHAT IS IT?  Another good question is the reception of what is called the APOSTOLIC PARDON. This great gift from the Church is administered in conjunction with the Anointing of the Sick, actually right after the anointing. Done by the priest, these are the words of the Apostolic Pardon: “Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all the punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.”

17. THE EFFECTS OF THIS PARDON?  The Church in its infinite mercy, bounty and goodness, through the merits of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ grants us a Plenary Indulgence—meaning that upon death we can have immediate access to Heaven!!!

18. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE WITH THE SICK.  All too often we put off; we procrastinate; we delay our duties and obligations. When confronted with the possibility of death, do not delay in calling the priest so that he can hopefully administer these three Sacraments to prepare our loved ones for their last battle against the enemy and their journey to heaven.

19. TRUE LOVE.  Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love as willing the good of the other. The greatest good is what? Our eternal salvation! May we teach, promote, and encourage the reception of this often misunderstood Sacrament—the Anointing of the Sick. Be an Apostle of God’s mercy!

20. OUR LADY: HELP OF THE SICK.  Let us lift up our gaze to Mary, known under the titles Help of the Sick and Health of the Sick, to pray for us that we will be deeply united to Jesus in His Mystical Body the Church and have frequent recourse to the all the Sacraments which are the most efficacious means to our sanctification and salvation.

Read James Chapter Three…

One of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed upon us is the gift of communication—most specifically, the ability to speak to others.  However, it must be stated with the utmost clarity: the tongue is a two-edged sword. It can accomplish enormous good; but it can also do tremendous evil.

JESUS AND OUR SPEECH.  More than once has Jesus spoken about our speech and how we should regulate it. First, Jesus says the following: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45) Meaning? What issues forth from our mouth is a clear sign of what we actually have within the depths of our being which is our heart. In other words, from a pure, humble, and clean heart will come forth noble, enlightening, and edifying words.

A SOLEMN WARNING FROM JESUS.  Jesus, the Word made flesh of the eternal Father, also made this affirmation: “Every careless word that comes forth from your mouth will be judged.” (Mt. 12: 36) This statement can shock us into a serious reflection on how we are actually using the gift of speech. It is worthy of a serious examination of conscience. I like to imagine it in this fashion. Every time we open up our mouth, our Guardian Angel presses the play button on an audio recorder—Podcast, if you like. These words are recorded and we will take this before the Lord Jesus on the Day of our Judgment which happens at the very moment of our death.

AVOIDING USELESS WORDS.  On another occasion, Jesus, once again referring to the use of our tongue in speech, says the following: “Let your conversation be Yes, yes and No, no. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Mt. 5: 37) In a very real sense, Jesus challenges us to work on curbing our tongue from uttering not only harmful words, but useless and frivolous chatter.

SAINT JAMES CHAPTER 3.  Perhaps one of the best chapters in the Bible on the abuse of verbal communication, or if you like, the sins of the tongue, can be found in the heart of the Letter of Saint James—chapter three! This letter encourages us to think before we speak. He states that animals can be trained and ships can be directed, but the human tongue not so easily. In the Letter of Saint James, he reminds us that teachers will be held to a more strict account. Saint James also points out that with the same tongue that we praise God, we end up by speaking badly about our neighbor. A calm, tranquil and deep meditation on the Letter of Saint James, especially chapter three, can result in an enormous motivation for all of us to make a concerted effort on a daily basis to improve our manner of communication. Great advice: “Let us be quick to listen and slow to speak.” (Jas. 1: 19) The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis states: “Few have regretted not opening their mouths; many for having opened their mouths when they should not have.”

With Biblical words and worthy exhortations as a background, we would like to present a Plan or Strategy to help us improve our speech, upgrade our art of verbal communication. We would like to offer Ten Rules for Verbal Communication.

TEN RULES TO PERFECT OUR VERBAL COMMUNICATION…

1. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Of greatest importance in the daily pursuit of our personal sanctification is an ever-deeper union with the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity—the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. After Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon St. Peter and the Apostles, there was a radical change in them. No longer were they a group of timid, insecure and fearful men. On the contrary, they became valiant soldiers of Christ. Simon Peter, who denied Jesus three times that Holy Thursday night, on the day of Pentecost preached and 3,000 converts asked for Baptism, due to that one sermon. Let us beg the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts, minds and tongue so as to communicate the truth of God with great love.

2. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.  Saint James states this with astounding clarity: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” (Jas. 1: 19) All too often our impulsive and impetuous nature dominates us and we say things that we regret as soon as they issue forth from our mouth. Remember these three words with regard to our verbal communication: Pray, think, speak. It should be done in that order.

3. GOLDEN RULE IN VERBAL COMMUNICATION.  Jesus taught us the Golden Rule. Everybody understands this—believers as well as non-believers. “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” (Lk. 6: 31) This can easily be applied to speech: “Say to others what you want them to say to you.” We must have this Rule always before us when communicating with others; it can save us from many verbal pitfalls!

4. FILL YOUR MIND WITH TRUTH.  Perhaps this is common sense, but it still should be stated: an empty mind has little to offer that will ennoble and enrich others. If a field is filled with weeds, they must be eradicated before planting good seed. Our mind can be compared to a field, or if you like a garden. Many weeds may be cluttering our minds. By applying ourselves to a daily dose of solid reading and reflection, we are preparing ourselves for a more noble form of communication. Jesus stated it clearly: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This is what we began with in our exhortation.

5. EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE DAILY.  Make this a daily practice: examine your conscience and your life for that day. The Holy Spirit will point out to you certain actions that were off the mark. He may also shine the light on certain words in your conversation that were unkind, uncharitable, or inappropriate that have to be purified, changed and converted. This is truly an exercise in humility and truth.

6. ADVICE OF SAINT BERNARD—THREE POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.  The great Saint Bernard, the Mellifluous Doctor, offers us this short but poignant advice on how we should communicate. “We should open our mouth motivated by these three intentions: “To praise God, to accuse ourselves, and to edify others.” Let’s try to put these into practice!

7. ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, AND EXHAUSTED.  Keep this in mind: there is a time for everything underneath the sun. “A time to speak and a time to be silent.” (Eccl. 3:7) Most likely all of us have learned from experience that when we are angry, frustrated, tired, even exhausted, we are more likely to speak out and hurt others. When we find ourselves in this physical and emotional state, if at all possible, we should take some time away from people, try to calm down, revitalize our energies, and then come back to communicate so as to edify others by our verbal communication.

8. LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS—THE SAINTS.  Let us get in the habit of reading the lives of the saints—they are our models. Read and reflect upon the writings, most especially, of the Fathers of the Church and the Doctors of the Church. Their written words, which in many cases were preached sermons, are full of heavenly Wisdom. Even saints who were not Fathers or Doctors of the Church can teach us by their words, as well as the example of their lives. We should all have favorite saints that we turn to. Let us get a little help from our Heavenly friends.

9. BECOME A CATECHIST.  This suggestion may have taken you off guard, in relation to our topic, but that should not be the case. There is a reason behind this suggestion. Having been a catechist for many years, even before priestly ordination, it is a very efficacious means to help us to communicate—most especially the Word of God. To become a good catechist one must pray, study, prepare the lessons for the class, and then communicate the topic to the students. Of course, the heart of the class will be God, His Word, Sacred Scripture, prayer, Sacraments, and the Moral Teachings of the Church. Perhaps God is calling you to become a catechist to perfect your art of communication, learn and grow in your faith, and grow in holiness. Consider it!

10. OUR LADY: MARY, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE.  Mary speaks seven times in the Gospel. (Do you know Mary’s Seven Words?) Aside from Jesus Himself, who is the eternal Word of God, no one ever communicated better than the Blessed Virgin Mary. To help us grow in holiness, and improve our verbal communication, it might be a very good suggestion to pray often to Mary for the gift of communication. However, at least on a daily basis, to pray Mary’s beautiful canticle of praise, known as the Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of God and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” Finally, when we speak, let us try to imagine that we are in the presence of Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph. What would they think about our manner of verbal communication? Indeed, this practice can help us to think before we speak, to praise God, and to edify our brothers and sisters by our lives, but most especially through our words! May God bless us and help us in this most noble pursuit!

One of the greatest gifts that our merciful Savior gave to the world was the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus came to the Apostles and then breathed the Holy Spirit upon them saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, shall be forgiven; whose sins you retain, shall be retained.” (Jn. 20: 22-23)

In this moment, with these words and with the breathing forth of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Jesus instituted the Sacrament that we call the Sacrament of Confession, Penance, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, and the Sacrament of His Infinite Mercy.

In this brief essay we would like to encourage all to have great trust in God’s Mercy, and to approach with trust, confidence, humility and faith the Sacrament of Confession. We will offer ten short encouraging words and suggestions to help us to receive this great Sacrament.

TRUST IN GOD’S INFINITE MERCY

Jesus complained to Saint Faustina saying that the greatest sin that wounds His Sacred Heart most is lack of trust in His Infinite Mercy. Jesus said that if a sinner had as many sins as the grains of sand on the seashore, if they were to trust in Jesus’ Mercy, that would be enough to engulf and swallow all of those sins in the ocean of His Infinite Mercy. Saint Paul reminds us: “Where sin abounds, God’s mercy abounds all the more.” (Rom. 5:20) Indeed, the greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust unreservedly in God’s Mercy. Examples abound: Mary Magdalene, the Good Thief, Saint Augustine, Saint Margaret of Cortona, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Camillus de Lellis, Saint Mary of Egypt, and many more.

PREPARATION

Prepare yourself well for the reception of the Sacraments. In fact, sacramental theology enunciates this important principle: one receives graces in proportion to the disposition of one’s heart and the prior preparation before receiving the Sacrament. Have a good Examination of Conscience booklet at hand. Give yourself time to prepare to encounter your loving and merciful Savior. Do your examination in silence so that you can see yourself honestly, with your merciful Savior at your side in your soul-searching. Write down your sins on a sheet of paper so that when you go to the priest, who represents Christ, you will not draw a blank due to nervousness. Usually, the better the preparation, the better the results—as is the case in any practice!

PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST

Strive to understand that our religion is fundamentally a personal relationship and friendship with Jesus. Jesus indeed is the friend who will never fail us. If we can understand that the essence of sin is hurting the one who loves us, the one who desires a deep friendship with us, the one who died on the cross for us, then it will be much easier to avoid sin in the future. At the Last Supper Jesus called the Apostles His friends; we too are the friends of Jesus. Sin is not so much breaking a rule, but breaking the loving Heart of Jesus.

APPRECIATE THE SACRAMENT, THE GRACES, AND THE OPPORTUNITY

A constant danger for practicing Catholics is to take the Sacraments for granted. In a marriage, it is always possible to take one’s spouse for granted. Likewise, we can take Jesus and His Sacraments for granted. Our attitude should be such that every time we receive the Eucharist, as well as Confession, we receive it as if it were our last time and we will be judged upon the way we received the Sacrament. As a sign in many sacristies reminds the priest: “Say Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” So may we strive to receive Confession as if it were our first, last, and only Confession every time we approach this Sacrament of God’s Mercy.

FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT

There are five steps in making a good Confession:

1. Examination of Conscience.
2. Sorrow for sin.
3. Firm Purpose of Amendment.
4. Confession of sins to the priest.
5. Carry out the penance given by the priest.

The third step, in many penitents, should be improved. By this we mean that to confess well there must be a firm commitment on our part to avoid any person, place, thing or circumstance that could lead us into the snares of sin. This demands self-examination, self-knowledge, humility, and fortitude. This also demands a rewinding of the film of our life to see the what, where, when, why, how, and with whom that led us to falling into sin. There are many sayings that spell this out: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” And Socrates stated: “A life not examined is a life not worth living.”

A key proverb of the Desert Fathers says it in two succinct words: “Know thyself!” If you like, use an image from Superman: We have to know our own Kryptonite—that is, our own weak point, or our own Achilles heel!

PRAY FOR THE PRIEST CONFESSOR

On one occasion, Saint Faustina left the confessional and felt intranquil, lacking the peace that she usually experienced after making her sacramental Confession. Jesus appeared and told her that the reason for this lack of peace was because she did not pray for the priest Confessor before entering the confessional. A short prayer for the priest Confessor—a Hail Mary, a prayer to the Holy Spirit, or a prayer to his Guardian angel, as well as to your own—can drastically improve one’s Confession. Try it!

QUALITIES OF A GOOD CONFESSION   

In the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus highlights three indispensable conditions for a good confession. They are: transparency, humility, and obedience. When we confess to the priest, who really represents Jesus, the Divine Physician, we should be as clear and transparent as possible. Then we should try to never justify, rationalize or blame others for our sins, and that means we should be humble. Finally, we should obey whatever advice or counsel the priest gives us, recognizing that the priest acts in the person of Christ.

CONFESS FREQUENTLY

It is of capital importance in the spiritual life to receive the sacraments well, but also with great frequency. The Church allows, as well as encourages, frequent Confession as a most efficacious means to grow in holiness. One is obliged to confess mortal sins in number and species (kind of sin). However, the saints and Popes strongly encourage us to confess even venial sins; this is called a “Confession of devotion.” One could also confess past mortal sins renewing sorrow for them as a devotional Confession. Many graces accrue to such confessions. All too often, our sins leave a deeply ingrained habit or stain in our soul. Frequent Confession serves to gradually expunge and eliminate the stain! The warning, however, is to avoid making mechanical, routine, or perfunctory confessions—to confess without any firm purpose to amend our ways!

CLARIFY DOUBTS

If it is such that there is some confusion, doubt, or uncertainty about some moral matter or personal behavior, then you should be humble and forthright and ask a good Confessor to clarify the doubt. In other words, moral theology teaches us that we should never act on a doubtful conscience. On the contrary, we should clarify the moral question with our Confessor before acting. Having a well-formed conscience, having a pure and clear conscience, having interior peace of soul is one of the greatest gifts that one can experience this side of heaven!

THANKSGIVING

After you have completed your Confession, make sure that you thank God abundantly for His Infinite Mercy, for His kindness, for His compassion, for the gift of the Sacrament of Confession. God rejoices in the hearts of those generous souls who render Him constant thanksgiving. May the prayer of the Psalmist be our prayer: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1)

Read and Meditate upon I Corinthians 6:15-20

Saint Paul, in his first Letter to the Corinthians, admonishes us vehemently not to use our bodies as instruments of sexual immorality, but rather to respect the dignity that we have that comes from union with Christ.

“Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” (I Cor. 6:18-20)

To follow Christ the King means to enter into combat. This fierce war must be fought on three different fronts. Against the devil, the father of lies. Against the world that wants to seduce us into believing that true happiness can be found on earth. Finally, there is the fierce battle within our inner self—the battle that is waged between the flesh and the spirit.

Being aware of these three ferocious enemies contributes strongly to our eventual victory. Knowledge of the social milieu, knowledge of the pernicious attacks of the devil, and knowledge of our own human weakness facilitates enormously our ability to fight for the triumph.

In our short treatise today we will address the topic of the flesh—most specifically on how we can attain the indispensable virtue of purity, or if you like, chastity. If we desire one day to contemplate the Face of God in heaven, we must live out this essential Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart; they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

Soldiers must have a game-plan or a strategy. As soldiers of Christ, we must establish our own strategy and utilize frequently the spiritual weapons in our armory.

1. PRAYER-POWER.

Some virtues reside within the natural realm of the human person such as diligence, courtesy, punctuality, and the art of communication.   However, there are other virtues that are specifically supernatural virtues. By supernatural is meant that they transcend the capacity of our natural powers to attain. Among these supernatural virtues are humility, mercy and forgiveness, and the virtue of chastity. Saint Augustine states that we are all beggars before the Divine Majesty. A beggar knows he is in dire need of help; so are we in dire need as beggars before God to attain the virtue of chastity. May the words of Jesus motivate us to to ask, to seek, and to knock: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7)  As a beggar, let us knock at God’s Heart and beg for the virtue of purity.

2. DETERMINED DETERMINATION.

The great woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Teresa of Avila, when commenting on prayer asserts that “we must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.” The same should be expressed with respect to attaining virtues, especially the virtue of purity.  God’s all-powerful grace always comes first, but then our correspondence with grace must follow. We must muster up a strong will and determination, motivated by the grace of God, to acquire this essential virtue in the dynamic of our spiritual life. If we live a life in which we are slaves to our lower, sensual passions then it is literally impossible to soar high to the heights of holiness. It is like an eagle that has weights tied to his wings! He is made to fly, but the weights bind him to the earth! We all know persons who are willing to undertake superhuman efforts to attain money, success, sports triumphs, and academic achievements. Should we not make a more determined effort to strive for holiness through acquiring the virtue of purity?

3. PROPER USE OF MODERN SOCIAL MEDIA. 

Perhaps for most of us, one of the greatest challenges before our eyes and person is the reality of the modern social media. The Book of Genesis repeats the goodness of creation. God created and He saw that it was good! Therefore, the evil that surrounds us can never be attributed to God, the Author of all that is good, but rather, to the improper use of creation. Saint Ignatius, in the Spiritual Exercises in Principle and Foundation, challenges us to study the way we approach the reality of creation. We must use creation as a ladder to arrive at Heaven. We must never abuse creation, thereby transforming it into a stumbling block on our pathway to holiness.

In a word, we must have very strict vigilance over our children, teens, as well as ourselves, on the access and use we make of the modern social media. How easy it is through access to the Internet, through T.V., the computer, and especially the phone, to fall into websites, articles, pictures and videos that can taint the virtue of purity in our eyes, and from there in our mind, emotions and heart. Before we know it, with the devil working behind the scenes, we form an addiction, just as powerful as drugs, which will take concerted effort, time and energy to conquer. Many will agree that this is the acid test, where the rubber hits the road, in the struggle to attain purity—that is to say, not becoming a slave to the power of indecent, impure images. Bombarded right and left, and from all directions, we must have constant and very strict vigilance over our eyes and our person. If not, the battle can easily be lost! The devil knows his time is short. Therefore, he works 24/7 to conquer souls to populate his infernal Kingdom.

4. SACRAMENTAL LIFE. 

Indeed, we are all very weak, and in many ways, but especially in the realm of the flesh. Jesus expressed this very clearly: “Stay awake and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41) However, God is strong. The Psalmist confirms God’s power: “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 124:8) God’s life-giving power flows through His Mystical Body, the Church.  The channels through which God’s power and grace flow are the Sacraments. To attain a life of purity, and to sustain chastity and persevere until the end, we must have frequent recourse to two Sacraments: the Sacrament of Confession, and the greatest of all the Sacraments, the most Holy Eucharist. Confession is like going to the Doctor; Communion, to a luxurious Restaurant! The Sacrament of Confession heals our wounds of impurity; we are washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Communion, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, heartens and fortifies our body, mind and soul to attain the difficult virtue of chastity. Received together, you have a spiritual atomic bomb of energy and strength!

5. IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.

Finally, we arrive at one of the most efficacious means to attain the virtue of purity. It is love and devotion to Mary and consecration to her most pure and holy Immaculate Heart. Recorded in the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska has an encounter that radically transformed her life. Jesus appeared to her and placed a golden sash around her waist, signifying the gift of perpetual chastity. However, it must be noted, the saint stated that she had been begging the Blessed Virgin Mary for this grace, for this virtue, for a long time. It has been confirmed in the lives of many saints that it was through the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary that they were able to conquer temptations, conquer sin, and attain the virtue of purity. Such can be the case in our lives, too, if we consecrate our body, mind, heart and soul to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady loves those who love purity, and she loves to shower graces of purity on those who beg for it. Let us beg the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary for great purity so that one day, with her, we may contemplate the beauty of the Face of God in Heaven for all eternity.