Daily Retreat 08/15/08
2008 Aug 15 Fri: ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY S
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56
From today’s readings: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.... The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.... And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”
Body AND Soul
We’re all aware that God created each of us humans as a unity of body AND soul - it’s impossible, of course, to be unaware of our material aspect (body), and all except the most obstinate close-minded atheist will admit of some type of non-material, spiritual dimension (soul). Since God created both our bodies AND our souls, they must both be good. This point was reiterated when God sent His Son to take on our human nature (body AND soul!) at the moment of His Incarnation. Again, when Jesus brought about our redemption by His bodily death on the cross, AND through His bodily Resurrection, God re-emphasized the connection and inherent goodness of the human body AND soul.
Tragically, though, there is a tendency to view the body and soul as mutually incompatible, radically opposed or at odds with one another. This tendency is called dualism, and although there are many variations of this grave fallacy, it is usually expressed in either the (mistaken) view that “everything spiritual is good, everything material is evil,” or in the (equally erroneous) idea that “materialism is all that really counts in the world.”
Both these extremes of dualism have often corrupted the Christian faith. For instance, after a persons’s death, relatives and friends will at times show a disregard or even downright contempt for the human corpse, dismissing it as an empty shell merely “used” by the person’s soul during earthly life. They forget that the corpse was not merely “used,” rather, the body was an integral part of that person, and the Christian belief is that the body will be resurrected and re-united with the soul at the end of time! Or, for an example of the other extreme of dualism, consider how tempting it is to focus (whether in ourselves or in others) exclusively on material needs and wants, ignoring spiritual hungers and desires.
The celebration of Mary’s Assumption body AND soul into Heaven is the benchmark to measure if we have succumbed in big ways or small ways to the poison of dualism. Are our bodies AND our souls reaching out with all our might to Heaven? God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; His eternal plan is to unite us with Him, body AND soul, just as He has already taken the Blessed Virgin, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!
See also Catechism of the Catholic Church §974.
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56
From today’s readings: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.... The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.... And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”
Body AND Soul
We’re all aware that God created each of us humans as a unity of body AND soul - it’s impossible, of course, to be unaware of our material aspect (body), and all except the most obstinate close-minded atheist will admit of some type of non-material, spiritual dimension (soul). Since God created both our bodies AND our souls, they must both be good. This point was reiterated when God sent His Son to take on our human nature (body AND soul!) at the moment of His Incarnation. Again, when Jesus brought about our redemption by His bodily death on the cross, AND through His bodily Resurrection, God re-emphasized the connection and inherent goodness of the human body AND soul.
Tragically, though, there is a tendency to view the body and soul as mutually incompatible, radically opposed or at odds with one another. This tendency is called dualism, and although there are many variations of this grave fallacy, it is usually expressed in either the (mistaken) view that “everything spiritual is good, everything material is evil,” or in the (equally erroneous) idea that “materialism is all that really counts in the world.”
Both these extremes of dualism have often corrupted the Christian faith. For instance, after a persons’s death, relatives and friends will at times show a disregard or even downright contempt for the human corpse, dismissing it as an empty shell merely “used” by the person’s soul during earthly life. They forget that the corpse was not merely “used,” rather, the body was an integral part of that person, and the Christian belief is that the body will be resurrected and re-united with the soul at the end of time! Or, for an example of the other extreme of dualism, consider how tempting it is to focus (whether in ourselves or in others) exclusively on material needs and wants, ignoring spiritual hungers and desires.
The celebration of Mary’s Assumption body AND soul into Heaven is the benchmark to measure if we have succumbed in big ways or small ways to the poison of dualism. Are our bodies AND our souls reaching out with all our might to Heaven? God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; His eternal plan is to unite us with Him, body AND soul, just as He has already taken the Blessed Virgin, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!
See also Catechism of the Catholic Church §974.
posted by FrPitstick | 8/13/2008
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