Lent: Assessing Ascesis

Have you ever heard the expression "Practice makes perfect?"

As we continue this look at why we abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent, I hope that it is becoming clear that it is much less about rules and impositions and much more about learning how we can enhance and grow our relationship with God.

Again, these posts are not intended to be all-inclusive, so I hope you'll take time to do some additional research of each of the topics.

So far, we've looked at the connections to (or directions toward) sacrifice, penance, and simplicity. 

Abstaining from meat is a way to practice ASCETICISM

A discussion about ascesis should begin with the word "freedom". We can and often do have a distorted view of freedom. True freedom, "free will" has been given to us by God. We have the ability to choose to do right or wrong, even to accept or reject the One who gives us the ability to choose.  

Fine, but what does this have to do with not eating meat?

It's true that the Church has put a requirement upon us during Lent. However, as previously stated, it is not intended to impose authority upon us, but to help us to ascend to this higher good, to choose to go beyond requirement and to choose for one's self.

In all of these instances that I have been writing about, we are practicing something, and practice is a good word here. We are practicing something, learning that there is a deeper meaning to what we are doing. We should be recognizing that abstaining from meat is a simple way toward understanding how to direct other things in our lives, other actions, even our very selves toward God. 

Ascesis is self-denial and self-restraint. It calls for the use of free will to choose for one's self to deny one's self or to restrain one's self. The Christian, recognizing that all he is and has is a gift from God and desires to respond to God (the action of faith itself) by offering himself back to God.

Christians have the example given us by God through the life of Jesus who lived, by choice, a life of self-denial. In fact, Jesus demands of anyone who would dare to call himself a follower of Christ to 

"deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

The cross, the ultimate act of self-denial. 

The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes - Catechism 2015

By practicing an act which directs us toward ascesis, we move to ascesis itself, and thus a strengthened relationship with God.

Practice makes perfect.

Do Human Rights Exist?

My friend Kyle Cupp says that human rights do not exist, or at least that is the title of a recent blog post at Journeys in Alterity.

Now, Kyle is a very intelligent fellow, much more so than I, and he has an ability to make reasonable arguments for or against controversial topics or opinions. I suspect that he was not the first guy one would have chosen as an adversary in Debate class.

Worth noting is Kyle's enjoyment of language and its use, and it is of the use of "rights language" that he says, "I wouldn’t shed a tear to see it become a dead language."

And it is of this language that Kyle states, "but it’s much more abstract than, say, the concept of virtues (habitual dispositions toward the good) or the concept of moral obligations that arise in certain circumstances and situations."  He continues, "You can at least point to what those concepts refer to in the real world; you can’t show me a natural or human right."

My own deficiencies and mental inferiority previously noted, I disagree with this line of thinking.

First of all, Kyle is comparing apples and oranges by comparing what the "concept of virtues" refers to with not being able to "show" him "a natural or human right".  One can also not be "shown" temperance, prudence, courage, or justice any more so than a right.  Moreover, I believe that the use of these words are closely related and perhaps even interwoven with the use of the word "rights".

For instance, show me "justice".  Try to describe what "the concept of" justice refers to without at some point using the word "right" or "rights".  It seems a bit tricky at the least.

I could ramble on I guess, but I think it comes down to the fact that "rights language" has been distorted, misused, and abused much like the use of "freedom language" has.

True freedom has been given to man from God.  True rights have been given to us by God.  Here also, the language is interwoven as it is our proper or improper use of the freedom God has given to us that affects the rights of others.  In fact, the "language" of rights, virtues, and freedom are all interwoven together.

Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God. 

Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Progress in virtue, knowledge of the good, and ascesis enhance the mastery of the will over its acts.

The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person.  (from the Catechism <teaching> of the Catholic Church)

Your Money or Your Life?

Have you ever watched a "western" film where the highwaymen overtake the coach and demand of the driver or passengers, "Your money or your life?"  In reality, the phrase is known to date back to the 17th century at least, and generally followed the demand, "Stand and deliver!"  The victims, surprised and stunned, almost always handed over their possessions in order to preserve their lives.

In 1948, comedian Jack Benny presented what would arguably become his most famous "joke" using the line.  Benny is accosted by a mugger who first asks for a match to light a cigarette.  The mugger then demands, "Don't make a move, this is a stickup. Now, come on. Your money or your life."  There's a pause. Benny says nothing.  The agitated mugger now exclaims, "Look, bud! I said your money or your life!"  As soon as the words are out of the mugger's mouth, Benny quips back, "I'm thinking it over!"

I see the same thing happening in our country today.  Only, we are the victims, and the highwaymen and muggers are much more difficult to detect because we don't always see them for what and who they are.

Most of the issues currently being debated in our country are being done so within the realm of politics.  And in my opinion that is exactly what presents a problem for many Christians.  We have been "caught up" into this cloud of going "all in" for one group because of the danger we see in another.  What happens is that we allow others to shape the debate.  Usually that means money.  Oh, it's an important issue, but is it the most important issue for Christians?

"George, morality and religious freedom have been at the forefront of political discussions recently.  What in the world are you talking about?"

In the past few days, I have seen a "flood" of political discussion. Unscientifically, it's been about 95% about money.  And then there's this from Mary K. Ham at Hot Air (emphasis mine):

"the debate should no longer be about contraception and the deferred cancer-causing capabilities of Bain investments. It will be about the budget and the $16-trillion debt, the unsustainable trajectory of the federal government and the promises it’s already breaking to generations to come. It will be about Simpson-Bowles and a federal government that hasn’t even bothered to pass a budget since before the iPad existed. It will be about how four years of grossly increased spending has stimulated us into the worst recovery in American history, unless you happen to be an Obama donor or crony. It will be about how creating new entitlement programs cannot possibly fix the ones that are already broken. And, it will be about whether we value an ever more dependent society or an ever more successful one." (Mary K. Ham)

These are important issues, but it scares me to think that they will become the most important or worse, the only ones in the debate.  We have a duty to help others think about whether it will be "money or life".  We need to keep the issues of morality, religious freedom, and the protection of unborn children from abortion (Hello America!) in this debate.  We need to have honest discussions about how to care for those who truly need help.  We need to have honest discussions about what our country's role is around the world and domestically with regards to the dignity of persons.

Yes, we need to talk about money, but it better be about more than money friends.

The demand has been presented, "Your money or your life!"  The victims of the highwaymen were quick to protect their lives.  Will you be as quick to protect the lives of others and your eternal life?

Will our witness "stand and deliver" the Truth of the Gospel, helping others to at least pause and say, "I'm thinking it over"?

God bless.

* Thanks to Lisa at Catholic Bandita for calling attention to the article mentioned in this post.

The Voices In My Head - Part 4; Show Me the Way

One might wonder why God doesn't just "make" us do what He wants (or wills).  Why can't He just clearly and audibly give us every answer? This opens that line of questioning about why there is evil in the world and the whole "If God is really a loving God, then...." scenario. I'll leave that mostly for another day, but of course the short answer is "sin", and we really don't like accepting responsibility.  It's much easier to blame God.

Ultimately, God's Will is that we all come to know Him and to be saved. (1Timothy 2:3-4)  He desires that we share in His divine nature through Christ. (2Peter 1:4)   He loves us enough to give us the freedom to choose or reject Him, not in one fleeting moment or decision, but throughout our lives and in a multitude of daily decisions.  We have freedom. But we also have responsibility.

Last week, I began writing about conscience; understanding how and where God speaks to us, the need to properly form one's conscience, and the propensity for erroneous judgment.

With these things in mind, the Church helps to guide us, also not telling us exactly what to do in every situation but distinguishing certain criteria when making moral choices.

One may not choose to do evil in order to achieve good.  You know, two wrongs don't make a right.  

Apply the Golden Rule:  "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12)  

One must be careful not to cause another to sin (Romans 14:21) or to damage another's conscience. (1Corinthians 8:12)  I believe that this "rule" deserves special attention.  There are many people whose faith is weak or fragile for whatever reason or circumstance.  Many want to believe but have their faith shaken by the world that surrounds them, including the actions of Christians.  I am reminded of lines from a Styx song, "Show Me The Way".  May we not bring judgment upon ourselves for causing another to lose their faith.

Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven And every day I'm more confused as the saints turn into sinners All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay And I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I've lost my faith  (Show Me The Way; by Styx)