A second question to answer is whether perfection is for all
Christians to pursue, or just those who follow the counsels of the religious
orders, the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience being shortcuts to
perfection. As the author notes, referring to Aquinas, these counsels are
“accidental”, and “more surely” lead us to perfection.
Aquinas notes, in the paraphrase of Garrigou-Lagrange, that “Christian perfection consists essentially in a
generous fulfillment of the commandments”.
That we are all called to this journey to perfection, as I
have noted over and over on this blog, is our duty. St.
Catherine is invoked, stating that, again in the words of Garrgou-Lagrange,
that “the perfect fulfillment of the
commandments is impossible without the spirit animating the counsels, the
spirit of detachment from all creatures, which is simply one aspect of the love
of God and which must always increase in us.”
Sadly, for many, many years, even before Vatican II, priests
watered down the call to holiness for the laity, as if there were two tiers of
expectations in the Church.
The religious life is a “higher call’ in so far as the life
itself is geared totally to perfection. But, the lay person is also called to
perfection, not any less than the nun, monk or priest.
So, as St. Catherine points
out, if one has riches, one must not be proud. If one things, one must use all
as if merely lent by God. Riches and things can be profitable for one’s
salvation, but only, “for a man, so using
them….observes the counsels in spirit, having cut out of his heart the poison
of disordinate love and affection.” We are to be lords over are things, not
as servants.
Too many people who pursuer the life of asceticism, actually
have never loved anyone, perhaps not even themselves. There can be a hatred of
self and others, which masks as detachment. I have met people like this myself,
who think they are on the road to holiness because they have given up things or
relationships, only to have fallen back into gross selfishness and self-centered
decisions.
The answer is love.
Here is Garrigou-Lagrange again, “ By following this path the soul may reach the perfection of charity
even in this world, may reach such a pure and might love for God and souls that
it will be prepared to accept insults, contempt, affronts, ridicule,
persecution, everything for the honor of our Lord and the salvation of one’s
neighbor.”
To be continued…