June 25, 2022

Self-image can be very confusing terrain to navigate.  Lodged deeply in our psyches is that principal idea of who we think we are, but who knows how such an image gets planted there in the first place and to what degree it is even truthful.  Thus we all experience the need to escape into one addiction or another to cope with the impossible standard of the idol that has been constructed in our minds.  What if instead of being slaves to this vicious cycle, however, we became serious about our life of prayer, a place where we might get some breathing room and perspective?  What if we worked with another person or a group of people in counseling, recovery or spiritual direction to assess the validity of our self-image?  What if we took risks and made daily decisions that challenged the mental concept of ourselves?  We, who are “made in the image of God” (Gen 1:28), would begin to again taste the freedom of living as children of God (cf. Rom 8:21), gradually remembering that there is one and only one authentic self-image, Jesus (Col 1:15), who desires to expose all of the posers and take his rightful place on our psychic throne.  With order restored to our souls, we shall simply spend our days in that eternal pattern of walking happily and dancing joyfully with the Lord (cf. Gen 3:8, 2 Sam 6:14).  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.