Very helpful. This is so important. Even growing up with the SSPX and my family being longtime supporters of Archbishop Lefebvre, learning and applying the principles of Catholic philosophy were missing in my life and I am entirely ignorant of it all still. It is not so easy anymore to learn and to apply but I must. Then as a woman and a mother and perhaps of a more emotional ethnicity, I really have to learn the language of our elderly, more stoic priest. I imagine good SSPX priests must find most women today impossible. Lol. More philosophy fundamentals, please!
While it is true that feelings should not control us, it is also true that many Saints achieved a level of holiness that made them oblivious of any discomfort (either emotional or physical). They were so enamored with our Lord that they were ready to do anything for Him and go through anything for Him. As to distraction in prayers, even Saints experienced them til the end. It's a part of the way of the Cross. Thank you father for this very informative and helpful homily. Our feelings should never be our criteria for making decisions.
I learned about the powers of the soul for the first time in my 20s when I went on my first FSSPX Ignatian retreat. Emitting and feelings are the lowest power of the soul.
Yes, carrying our cross is hard and very difficult, but also His burden is light and His yoke is easy, in that He will help us. We just need to be willing to carry it whether He relieves us or not. If we carry it for love of Him, we will barely remember the pain. It's like carrying a child to delivery. Pregnancy and delivery isn't a picnic, some even kill their unborn children, but if you can carry your child with Love, it won't be a burden but easy, even if its not easy... a great contradiction, yet true.
Amost excellent sermon. How about a follow up on the use of emotions and their purpose? Seems like one could also say that an individual could be suffering incredibly and because they are not "emoting" as sufficiently as others would deem appropriate, the individual is unempathic, not compassionate, etc....
"that's not what they (emotions) are for!" Yet he never explains what they are for. It would be better to snuff out all emotions and act purely from the intellect.
