Many times, in his letters, Saint Paul refers to the struggle between the spirit and the flesh, Gal 5: 24-25 is one of them:
“Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.”
This struggle could be seen along the spiritual path we all follow during Lent. The Lenten season calls us to imitate Christ in his Passion to rise with him, and we are encouraged to practice prayer, fasting and works of mercy. These practices are concrete signs of our desire to conform ourselves more closely to our Savior, and they manifest the spiritual battle between the flesh and the spirit.
Aquinas
Commenting on this chapter of the letter to the Galatians, Aquinas says that those who are guided by the Spirit perform the works of the Spirit and are taught by the Spirit himself. Thus, the Holy Spirit moves us to perform virtuous works. At the same time, we are conscious of this sort of internal division we all experience: “For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Rom 7: 22-23).
A Warning
No wonder, then, saint Paul warns us against these unlawful desires and recommends putting a remedy to avoid vices: “I drive my body and train it…” (1 Cor 9: 27). It is to “crucify” our flesh that we embrace the Lenten practices. Paul himself uses this expression often: “We know that our old self was crucified with him…” (Rom 6: 6) and “that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ…” (Gal 2: 19).
Aquinas explains this ‘crucifying’ in a beautiful way: those who are moved to perform the penitential practices do so because of their devotion to Christ crucified, and to conform themselves to Him. They do penance and take away “space” from their passions… but this “space” is filled with Christ.
Maternal Exhortations
During this arduous battle against our ‘materiality,’ Mother Church is present in our lives with her maternal exhortations. And the efficacy of her means of sanctification: that is the grace received through the sacraments. And in this case the penitential discipline of Lent expressed through prayers, fasting and almsgiving. Exterior penance is connected to the heights of our spiritual life, says Fr. Cornelio Fabro, and he adds that against the stimuli of our sinful nature, prayer and the frequent reception of the sacraments are like the buttresses of our spiritual defense and sources of spiritual energy in our struggle against the flesh.
May the crucified Lord lead us through the Lenten path and inspire us to imitate him. I pray this Lenten season bring abundant blessings.
Abundant blessing to you and all you do during this Lent and always. God bless, Fr. Marcelo
Thank you, Father. This is very timely.