"He also said that there are people who have ravaged their bodies with asceticism, but because they lacked prudence, they have distanced themselves from God".
Given the severity of the ascetic practices undertaken by the monks in the desert, St Anthony's above sentence is surprisingly balanced. But it illustrates a very important point.
Asceticism, understood as mortification of the body, was not an end in itself for the monks. It was merely a means to an end.
Anthony points out that an important characteristic of the penitent monk is common sense, which allows him to keep the practices he undertakes in proper perspective, so that they do not become more important than the God to whom they are meant to lead.
Such an exaggeration must have taken place in the desert for St Anthony to be so radical.
The Lord God is not concerned with the total destruction of man's body, as if it were something inferior or unimportant. We have received it from Him. We should take care of it.
Excessive mortification, the kind that leads to loss of health, is a violation of the fifth commandment. It is a sin. And as such - it distances us from God.
The ancient practice of the Church has always indicated that anyone wishing to undertake a special, extraordinary mortification should do so under the guidance of a confessor or spiritual director. In this way it was possible to avoid exaggeration on the part of the penitent, or even to stop the practice being undertaken if it proved to be more spiritual danger than good.
Extending the understanding of this apophthegm, it is worth reflecting on the practice of piety in general, since prudence should not be expressed only in the practice of mortification.
One can also show a lack of prudence when, in the name of piety, one forgets one's fundamental vocation and neglects the duties of the state.
Such a situation would be, for example, the story of a wife who, because of her commitments to prayer, does not find time to build a relationship with her husband, of a father who puts prayer before time spent with his children, etc.
We must remember that while prayer in itself is a pious and good practice, we cannot use it to justify an objectively evil action.
Let us therefore be prudent.
No comments:
Post a Comment