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Passions Purification – Bishop David Walker

Posted on by David Walker

THE INTERNAL SENSE OF IMAGINATION

  1. Imagination is an interior sense enabling the possibility of new ideas, images, or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. 
  2. It can have the same effect as the external senses in creating interiorly what is available to the external senses. 
  3. Like the external senses it needs to be controlled by the reason enlightened by faith. It is always available and therefore needs to be treated with greater care than the external senses. 
  4. A passionate imagination exerts greater power in that once one has been overcome by a passionate imagination one can become addicted to it.
  5. Custody of the senses helps to control the imagination.
  6. Imagination can fill the mind with material that is not helpful to our relationship with Jesus but can also impede our use of the mind in relating to Jesus.  E.g. daydreaming. 
  7. Imagination can be helpful in our praying the Scriptures.

PASSIONS PURIFICATION

1765 There are many passions. The most fundamental passion is love, aroused by the attraction of the good. Love causes a desire for the absent good and the hope of obtaining it; this movement finds completion in the pleasure and joy of the good possessed. the apprehension of evil causes hatred, aversion, and fear of the impending evil; this movement ends in sadness at some present evil, or in the anger that resists it.

1766 “To love is to will the good of another.”41 All other affections have their source in this first movement of the human heart toward the good. Only the good can be loved.42 Passions “are evil if love is evil and good if it is good.”

1767 In themselves passions are neither good nor evil. They are morally qualified only to the extent that they effectively engage reason and will. Passions are said to be voluntary, “either because they are commanded by the will or because the will does not place obstacles in their way.”44 It belongs to the perfection of the moral or human good that the passions be governed by reason

The eight principal vices of the monk

  1. Gluttony: An excessive and irrational indulgence in food and drink.
  2. Lust: An intense and uncontrolled desire, often for sexual pleasure.
  3. Avarice (Greed): An insatiable longing for material wealth or possessions.
  4. Anger: A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, often resulting in a desire for revenge.
  5. Sadness: A deep sense of sorrow or despair, often without a clear cause.
  6. Acedia: A lack of motivation to fulfill one’s duties or to engage in spiritual practices.
  7. Vainglory: Excessive pride in oneself or one’s achievements; seeking glory from others.
  8. Pride: An inflated sense of one’s own importance or abilities, often considered the root of all other vices.

The virtues which oppose the vices.

  1. Temperance opposes Gluttony: It is the practice of self-control and moderation in all things.
  2. Chastity opposes Lust: It is the virtue of purity and commitment to sexual integrity.
  3. Charity opposes Avarice: It is the virtue of giving and sharing, emphasizing love and kindness towards others.
  4. Patience opposes Anger: It is the ability to endure suffering and delay gratification without getting upset or angry.
  5. Diligence opposes Sloth: It is the dedication to fulfilling one’s duties and persisting in one’s efforts.
  6. Kindness opposes Sadness: It is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate, which can bring joy to oneself and others.
  7. Humility opposes Vainglory: It is the virtue of modesty and having a realistic view of one’s importance.
  8. Humility also opposes Pride: Recognized as the root of all vices, humility is considered the most important virtue to cultivate.

Regulating human passions, or emotions, is a crucial aspect of maintaining our relationship with Jesus. The goal isn’t to eliminate emotions but to understand and manage them in a way that enhances our relationship with Jesus. Some suggestions.

  1. Self-Awareness: Begin by recognizing your emotions as they arise. Understanding what you feel and why can be the first step in managing intense emotions.
  2. Mindfulness: Practice being present in the moment without judgment. Mindfulness can help you observe your emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
  3. Cognitive Reappraisal: Try to reframe your thoughts about a situation to alter your emotional response. Viewing a stressful situation as a challenge rather than a threat can reduce negative emotions.
  4. Situation Selection: If possible, choose environments that are likely to elicit desirable emotions and avoid those that are likely to induce negative ones.
  5. Distraction: Temporarily diverting your attention away from intense emotions can give you time to respond more thoughtfully rather than reactively.
  6. Expression Suppression: While not always advisable as a long-term strategy, sometimes it may be necessary to suppress the expression of emotions to cope with the immediate situation.
  7. Seek Support: Talking to friends, family, or a spiritual director can provide relief and help you understand and regulate your emotions.
  8. Physical Activity: Exercise can be an effective way to manage stress and mood.
  9. Healthy Lifestyle: Ensure adequate sleep, nutrition, and relaxation. These can have a profound impact on your emotional state.
  10. Professional Help: If emotions become overwhelming, consider seeking help from a psychologist or counsellor trained in emotion regulation techniques12.

  1. Love is the key that sets them al I  motion.
  2. Love: an attraction to these things, a desire to possess them or rest in them. 
  3. From love and hate all the other passions flow. 
  4. HATE is the displeasure we feel at what is adverse to the object of our love. 
  5. DESIRE is a tendency or movement to a belove object in its absence
  6. ABHORENCE is the shrinking of the soul of something not present, but is an object of hate
  7. JOY a clam and peaceful repose in the possession of an object of our love
  8. SADNESS is the aim and affliction we feel at the presence of what we hate.
  9. HOPE is and extension of our desire tending to some good end difficult of attainment, which we love and deem possible to reach
  10. DESPAIR is a failing of hope and a shrinking of the mind with reference to the same loved object when it is thought to be impossible to attain
  11. FEAR isa paralysing emotion with regard to some evil which though absent threatens us  and from which we shrink
  12. BOLDNESS is a bracing of the soul to overcome obstacles which stand between it and the possession of the object of love or the destruction of the object hated.
  13. ANGER is a burning feeling against what is contrary to self-respect  and self-esteem ( which is naturally an object of our love)tending to seek the compensation of revenge.
  14. Love is the parent from which they all derive their existence
  15. Passons are to be regulated , controlled by reason, but not suppresses.
  16. Christ had his passions in subjection and in obedience to his will
  17. Passion need  to be mortified so that they can be weakened and overcome more easily and able to attack less frequently. 
  18. From these disorderly passions arise all the sins and vicious habits that destroy our soul.
  19. Inordinate love gives rise to the vices
  20. Regulated by reason and the light of faith. 
  21. What is most opposed to charity is mot opposed to Christian perfection 
  22. The passions’ wage war on Christian charity. Because they turn us against what God wants.????  They turn us against the teaching of Christ. 
  23. The exercise of he virtues is on ly possible when the opposing vices have been overcome. 
  24. Moderation and unceasing mortification of he passion is necessary for charity. 
  25. Paulin texts: Gal 5:24 and 17; Col 3:5,9; 1 Cor 9:26 
  26. This is the battlefield, here is here one must attend.
  27. Dead and deadened: controlled but not dead.
  28. Resistance, opposing them is the key. Reject them immediately. 
  29. Temptation: image, drawn to it, consent.
  30. Our progress is ever in proportion to the violence we do to ourselves.  Imitation 1,25
  31. CASSIAN know your predominant passion
  32. You should be always working at something. 
  33. How do we know it is regulated: when it no long has the power to force and will and when on finds ease in overpowering its assaults
  34. The royal road to perfection is the mortification of inordinate lusts and passions.
  35. Vigilance and mortification are the weapons to be used. 
  36. The life of man is a continual warfare) Job 7:1) the struggle with our unruly passion is a constant battle. 
  37. Change the matter and the object of our passions: God and the things of God. 
  38. Use meditation, spiritual reading and other positive things. 
  39. Many aspire to Christian perfection, but few acquire it.  Reason: few are interested in mortifying their inclinations and subduing their passions. 
  40. Mortification of things that are lawful and unnecessary. 
  41. Byl mortifying the passion s we acquire all the moral virtues which lead us to the perfect love of God. 
  42. A firm resolution so necessary
  43. For in the same measure as self-love is diminished but mortification in that does the love of God increase. 
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