SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 103
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-30
OUR FATHER-6
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," is the third petition of Our Lord's prayer. This plea for grace is an acknowledgement of our inability to control our will. There are many demands for control of our will that come from the world, the flesh and the devil. The will is an avenue into the intellect, through which our intellect may be enlightened by the grace of God, or darkened by the evil of sin. It was the will of Satan that darkened his intellect so that pride and its cousin jealousy could enter his soul. In the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the Church taught that the devil (or Satan) and the other demons "were created good by God but have become evil by their own will."
Through pride and jealousy, Satan, whose intellect was much more expansive than ours was enabled to act against what he knew. He knew that God loved him, and that God loved man, creating them both in His image and likeness. As an eternal being, he also knew the full import of disobedience to love. Never-the-less, through a darkness or a "covering," of his intellect, he was able to act against what he knew to be true. This severance of accord between his intellect and his will was the sin of Satan. Just as the sin is This discordance within Satan's personality is radical, eternal, and unforgivable. Satan's sin continues through time to produce discordance in God's creation. Even beyond the desire to produce discord in the goodness of creation, Satan came to hate God, because of His eternal love. This is the insanity of sin. At the same time for us it is the struggle of spirituality.
With this understanding, we ask the lord to strengthen our will against concupiscence that produces a weakness of our will. Concupiscence is an inclination toward sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church article No. 1264) that is a result of the sin of Adam that is not abolished by the Sacrament of Baptism. It could be defined as a weakness of the will that wars against the grace of God. It is in this perspective that Paul describes the battle within himself in his letter to the Romans. Paul states it, "I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members" (Romans 7:23). We like Paul know that without the grace of God, sin would overcome and we would become slaves to a distorted will.
Because of this, Our Lord instructs us in this prayer to ask Our Father for strength of will, in order that our will be in accord with His. In this way, we will demonstrate His will in our words, actions and attitudes. We will through living His will become His glory in the world, and find the end and purpose of our lives. Everyone is searching for perfection in life, truth and love. We seek a life without death, a truth without falsity and a love without deceit. The perfect life will only be found in this world when we base our life on the knowledge that we are eternally desired by our Lord to live with Him for all eternity. We will find perfect truth when we begin to live that truth in action, word and attitude. We will find perfect love when we begin to love our neighbor as God love them. This is because only God resides perfection of life, truth and love. A life of grace is a share in the life of the Holy Trinity. The person of the Father reveals perfect life, the person of the Son reveals perfect truth and the person of the Holy Spirit reveals perfect love. It is clear that our petition for The Fathers will to be done on earth is for our person to live within this relationship of perfection.
So we pray, "Father, Thy will be done in me, so that all on earth who see what I do, may give glory to You."
(after writing this I feel like singing)
NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1075
Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ (It is "mystagogy.") By proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the "sacraments" to the "mysteries." Such catechesis is to be presented by local and regional catechisms. This Catechism, which aims to serve the whole Church in all the diversity of her rites, and cultures, will present what is fundamental and common to the whole Church in the liturgy as mystery and as celebration, and then the seven sacraments and the sacramentals.
Sacramental Catechesis
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.
Transcendent actuality
Of an unsensed perceptibility
As into time enters eternity
And sign becomes reality
Sacramental prophesy
Of mysteries authenticity
Celebration's sacrality
Is prayer's luminosity
Ó2001
DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS
