The Blame Game Part Three

I found out today from one of my friends of psychology generation that she had a school psychologist in the 1960s. WOW!

Needless to say, Catholic schools did not have school psychologist. I was amazed when I heard that public schools had these so early.

So, the damaging rot came into the schools exactly in the generation I call that of psychology. Can one imagine these kids growing up in a hot-house atmosphere of being  examined for psychological reasons for acting up, which in days earlier would have resulted in being refused cookies and milk, or staying in for recess, or having a note sent home to dad, and then, oh-oh.

Sin disappeared from the consciousness and conscience to the extent that kids were not allowed to suffer from consequences, which would have taught them natural law philosophy from little on.

One breaks something, one sweeps it up and pays for it. One causes a person to suffer, one apologizes. One steals something, one must not only give it back but do restitution for the sin.

One of the members of the generation of psychology did not know, even though he has been a Catholic all his life, and goes to daily Mass, that purgatory was punishment due to sin. Until our recent discussion, he had no idea that sin had consequences past the confessional box, or that one did not get into heaven unless one was purified.

It never occurred to him that sin had consequences beyond this life, and, as a NO Catholic, in his mid-50s, he claims that he has never heard any teaching from the pulpit on purgatory, except on All Souls' Day--sermons which were vague and confusing.

The priest of his parish is probably a member of the generation of psychology.

Some seminaries in America have psychologists and even psychiatrists on staff to meet with the young men on a regular basis. Some men actually see this counselor more often than they do their spiritual director, who may come from "off campus" only once a month.

We have fallen for this false religion of psychology, using it to explain sin, rather than teaching and forming the conscience through examination and reflection.

After several discussions recently with members of the generation of psychology, I have to admit I am ready to throw up my hands in frustration and walk-away from an entire group of people, who honestly believe they have never chosen sin.

Sigh....I think this cultural shift was a great victory for the evil one and part of the psywars, about which I have written in the past.

Enough, already...if one does not think one is sinning, but merely unhappy because of emotional upheaval owing to those actions of some who sinned against them, one will never take responsibility for one's own salvation-something we all must do, begging God for the grace of conversion, change, and final perseverance.

Framing Prayer 20 The Jesuits and The Examen

Again, I think that Jesuit ways of prayer can easily be incorporated into lay lifestyles. Part of this is that the Jesuit approach is practical, concerned with daily metanoia, and tailor made for missionaries, on the go.

St. Ignatius writes this: “We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.”  Detachment is the hallmark of any serious Catholic who wants to be a saint, but for the Jesuit who chooses poverty as a vow, it is a keystone of the approach to God, having nothing in the way for meditation or contemplation to bear fruit.

For the lay person, this ideal can be met by getting rid of superfluous distractions. So how can we tell if we are attached to something? Use the imagination and think of your life without this thing, person, place.

A lay person can easily find time to employ the Daily Examen of the Jesuits. I suggest what the Jesuits do, a morning and evening evaluation and reflection on your life. If one adds this to morning and evening prayer, it becomes a habit. And, as I noted in another post earlier this year, one can each this message to children as part of Confirmation preparation.

The examen is not merely an examination of conscience, a review of one's sins and imperfections, but a tool for discerning how the Holy Spirit is working in one's life. Discernment, from the gift of knowledge given in Confirmation,

Why this should be a daily examen is that one cannot perceive the movement of God unless one is "on" daily. Obviously, one cannot do the Examen outside of prayer. This would be falling into the new age technique of self-consciousness outside of God. When one does the Examen daily, it is a habit which is carried out throughout the day. One can stop one's self from sinning, see patterns of weakness and learn what is temptation and what is an imperfection.

In order to be in union with God, this habit of reflection, which only needs to take seconds after awhile, helps one through the purgation of the senses and the spirit.

Remember that it is God who gives the grace for such an Examen and the habit of reflection leading one through the Dark Night to Illumination. How wonderful is very young people can learn this early on in life.

Finally, the two daily examens end in gratefulness, in thanks for the graces of the day. Discernment is listening, and then acting on what is heard. The virtues of faith, hope and love grow daily through this easy method of daily conversion. One does not have to be self-absorbed to do this, and in fact, self-denial is really the reason for recognizing sin.

to be continued....