The Simulacrum

I first heard the term, Simulacrum, in a 2007 sermon by Fr. Cantalamessa quoting Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard defined Simulacrum as a “copy that no longer has an original”. Baudrillard states that, “it has now become difficult to distinguish real events, such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Gulf War — from their media portrayal”. Fr. Cantalamessa also quotes Pascal and St. Francis in that same homily in relation to this notion of a Simulacrum. Pascal wrote in Pensées, “that man has two lives, one is his true life and the other is his imaginary one that he lives in his own opinion”. St. Francis of Assisi defines our true self, “That which man is before God, that is what he is and nothing else”.

In his book, “New seeds of contemplation”, Thomas Merton writes, “every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self … We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves”. It is this false self, a Simulacrum that we build and nurture, that we present to the world as if it were our true self. If we are not watchful enough then, like any Simulacrum, the possibility exists for the virtual (the false self) to take the place of the real (the true self) and replace it.

The Irony and the Quandary

Here’s the irony. The omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Lord, created me in his image and likeness. For all the wide roads of sin that I took; for all the weaknesses, deficiencies, vices and inner demons that I struggle with; my Lord sees and loves my true self (that which I am before Him and nothing else). However, what I see are the real, perceived and imagined deficiencies and weaknesses within me. So, I paper over them with this illusion about myself. An illusion based in behavior rationalization, on ego and vanity. Consciously and unconsciously, I present this Simulacrum to the world. The danger lies in the fact that the allure of the Simulacrum leads to enslavement and eventually to be dead inside. That’s when, by definition, that false self has wholly taken the place of my true self. Christ paints a not-so-pretty picture in Matthew 23:27, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth”. What then is the path out of this quandary?

The Path to Perfection

Jesus says in Luke 5:39, “No one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good’”. It is easier to live as the false self, to let that Simulacrum build out. The ease is based on a false sense of control one imagines one has. For it is far more difficult to shed the old wineskins, put on the new wineskin and imbibe the new wine, i.e., this new life of grace in Christ. The latter requires the discarding of old wineskins, and therefore the destruction of the Simulacrum. In Galatians 2:20, St. Paul gives us the quintessential model for this participation in the new life of grace, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me”.

My true self is the Imago Dei (The Image of God). On my own, I cannot attain to the purity of this image. I believe that half the battle is won in recognizing this simple fact. For the remainder, I am to invite Him in alongside all my real, perceived and imagined deficiencies and weaknesses. It is then that I can say with St. Paul (2 Cor 12:9), “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me for power is made perfect in weakness”. This is the freedom Christ promised when He spoke of liberty to captives (Luke 4:18). Christ alone can free me from the servitude, in darkness, to the false self. Christ alone can free me to be my true self. It is only when He lives in me, that my true self gets to shine in the reflected light of His glory. Amen.

[Readings: Col 1:15-20; Lk 5:33-39]