The Supernatural Builds on the Natural

Something came to my attention when in the monastery which I feel is applicable to us lay people.

Two ideas which are as simple as life--one; the supernatural life builds on the natural life; two, the supernatural must be naturalized.

These are not new ideas but I want to share what I mean in terms which we can apply to our lives.

In the first case, that the supernatural must build on the natural, those of us who have been married and have children may be able to understand this. We fall in love and that love changes over the years, if we are fortunate enough to have the time and committed partner to do so. The natural love with all of the joys therein changes, mutates into the sacrificial love of God. As I noted in the series on the Pope's encyclical on Love, which you can search and read on this blog, the types of love change and grow into the sublime connection with God Himself. If one is open to the movement of love, one will find God in the other and in the relationships at home.

This is true in monasteries, but the road is different. The challenge is to learn to love strangers. However, I am with St. Ailred that love in monasteries must build into friendships and then into the great families of communities. This may not be happening in some places.

Friendships and love in a family must include basic human respect, manners, a recognition of dignity and gifts.

Secondly, the supernatural must be naturalized. That is, the daily search and work of religion, the practice of religion being a virtue, must be part of the daily routines of life. Mass, adoration, reading the breviary, saying the rosary, are the supernaturals which lead to the life of virtue, which is then naturalized. One has seen "holy families" wherein these types of relationships of human and divine love exist. If you have not witnessed this, look to Nazareth.

Natural love must proceed the supernatural or we are missing a step. The supernatural must be naturalized or we are not living out our vocations.

Those of us who grew up in nature, instead of in front of a computer all day, understand the natural. We must help those younger to understand and embrace the natural. Without being both body and soul we are not persons. Without nature, we are not fulfilled as humans. We are both, natural and supernatural and part of the argument with atheists is being lost because we have lost sight of who we are.

This is why I want lay people to get married, to be committed. Without natural love, the road to supernatural love is much harder, if not impossible. Christ, the Eternal Word, became Man to show us this. The Law was impossible to do and to save. Only through Love is salvation possible.