DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Friday, December 28, 2018

Paul writes … “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” – Philippians 1:9-11

Throughout Christian history there have been those who have proposed emotionalism as the “true” faith and others who have proposed scholasticism as the “true” faith.  Emotionalism in its many expressions was overflowing with heart and enthusiasm but rather meager with mind and depth of thought.  Scholasticism in its many expressions was rigorous with reason and rigorous thought but rather lacking in warmth and passion.  To the maturing community of Christians in the church at Philippi, Paul writes of the more fruitful balance … a faith overflowing with love and charity yet rich in knowledge and maturing insight.

Emotionalism is vulnerable to manipulation by the fear mongers and panderers of rage.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to easy answers and conjured delusions.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to mass hysteria and mesmerizing snake oil peddlers.  Emotionalism is vulnerable to the influence of the wild-eyed “Rasputins” who preach at the edge of madness.

Scholasticism is vulnerable to the limitations of logic and cold rationality.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to skeptics and rationalizations.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to the temptation to dwell in ivory towers and cold calculation.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to the clever deception and the faulty premise.  Scholasticism is vulnerable to arrogance of presumption and intellectualism.

Paul in his own maturing appreciates more and more the absolute necessity of both heart and mind.  He understands that a mature faith is in need of deeper thought than mere parroted buzzwords.  He understood that a mature faith is in need of  a deeper compassion than intricate explanations.

Loved Ones, our faith journey is both a gaining of wise discernment and a gaining of a more Perfect Love.

Always in Christ’s Service,

Fr. Charitas de la Cruz