Repression is such a pitfall! This desire scares me so I’ll push it back down. This memory haunts me so I’ll just avoid it. This emotion is painful so I’ll pretend it’s not there. How long can this go on? How much energy will we spend fighting against ourselves? How does one live like that?! The juxtaposition of the lost son with his repressed brother (Lk 15:11-32) says it all: yes, living by the spirit may cause us to go astray for a period of time, but the alternative is a self-imposed prison that keeps us stuck for life. Our willingness to feel our feelings and be vulnerable to the spirit – as messy as that may seem – is sufficient. The living God will rejoice in our openness and draw us down paths that will align us and allow us to be integrated. The next time, therefore, we are tempted to prove our “holiness” by tamping down our longing for life, let’s remember that Jesus specifically identifies prostitutes – not the self-controlled religious leaders – as the ones entering the kingdom (Mt 21:31). Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
November 19, 2022
Published
Voice of Moreau 