Human Longing: 12 Step Catholic Spirituality Series

WELCOME BACK TO MY 12 STEP CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY SERIES.

I started this series in September 2018 and will continue with the series this year.  If you have not read the first posts, click here to read.  This series is based on the 12 Steps of AA and could have easily been called 12 Step Christian Anon programme.  However, I prefer to think of it as a 12 Step guide to Catholic spirituality

HUMAN LONGING

Today we continue on with Step 1 looking at Human longing. Last Week we discussed the parable of the rich young man.   You may wish to read that post before continuing on with today’s post as it relates to it.

When we consider the rich young man, we may ask ourselves several questions as we read the parable. They may be:

1.    Why was our rich young not exactly content with his situation?

2.    How is that many people with abundant opportunities to achieve esteem pleasure, and security are so seldom find deep and lasting joy?

These questions and ones like it that bite at the heart of human nature, provoking the most pointed inquiry of all. What is that human being really need? Many philosophers and psychologists have identified the follow to be high on the list of human longings:

1.    The esteem of others.

2.    Sexual fulfilment.

3.    Assurance of immortality.

4.    Love and belonging.

5.    Knowledge.

6.    Harmony.

7.    Self-actualisation.

Although these needs are relatively important motivators, they .do not encompass the totality of human nature and therefore fall short of total fulfilment for the human being. Philosophers speak of human behaviour as springing from of the three levels of our nature:

v  Body

v  Mind

v  Spirit.

Firstly, we are physical creatures, and sensual gratification is an important essential motivating factor.  After all, without food and drink, we would eventually die and without the use of sex the species would become extinct.

Secondly, we are psychological beings capable of using our minds to understand ourselves, and our world.  Our memory, reason feeling, and imagination be placed at the disposal of consciousness to help us to make decisions and attain knowledge, love, self-respect, and the esteem of others.  When we experience these values we feel well-being, happiness, and security. 

Thirdly, we are spiritual beings hungering for beauty, freedom, and wisdom ( meaning).  In our question for experiences of meaning we utilize our minds and our bodies, but it is in our spiritual facilities that these needs are embraced.  We we do perceive ourselves to be meaningful, the consequent peace, joy and inner confidence illuminate our minds and our bodies.

We are designed to live on the spiritual level, but selfishness keeps us confined to lower levels.  People who live for sensual gratification- good food, drink, sex  identify these as the source of pleasure as their meaning in life.  They ignore the psychological and spiritual. Similarly, people who make knowledge or power of supreme values in life corrupt their spiritual facilities in the process.  Healthy spiritual people are those whose hunger for meaning embraces truth and love, norming their sense of meaning with humility and community.  What is insidious about sin is that we shall automatically regress to a lower level of character, if we do not constantly strive to realise meaning in truth and love.  If we are not progressing, we are regressing.  The is a basic rule in the spiritual life.

The rich young man was a good, intelligent person.  He probably had control over his bodily passions for he was moral and living on at least a psychological level of motivation.  He felt empty inside, however, and that is the same problem that many people face.  We might manage to stay of trouble and/or be good law-abiding citizens but life still seems dull and meaningless. 

What can we do?  What must we do?  We must be prepared to do as Jesus asked the rich young man. We must let go of our false security, whatever they may be.  We shall not have to struggle on our own power though. The good news is that there is grace aplenty for all who want to become growing, joyful, spiritual beings.

As you read this post, and during the week, we may wish to identify our physical, psychological and spiritual motivators.  This may give us an indicator of which area of our life is ruling our human nature.  The more we can identify these areas in our lives, the more we can admit to ourselves that we cannot continue to live a life of selfishness.

Be gentle with yourself as you explore these areas. If we miss areas this time around, we can always come back during the programme and add it to our list and more importantly to our awareness.  The first thing before change is possible is to become aware.  We must be aware of the need to change before we can admit that we need to change and then we can work on the change.  This is what this week’s action is – about- becoming aware at the physical, psychological and spiritual level.  What are your motivator?

Remember we do not need to do this important work alone.  We have the Holy Spirit to guide us. Ask the Holy Spirit to be our guides as we embark on these 12 steps. God knows each of us best and will guide us to the point where we can listen and accept. God does not force Himself on us. We need to want God in our lives.  God is ready for us to make the change to awareness. Are we ready this week to start?