“He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:51-52) The Douy-Rheims translation renders the last part of those verses as “their heart was blinded”, and the Knox translation has “so dulled were their hearts.” Blindness and dullness of heart are spiritual conditions which St. Gregory the Great assigns as results of the sins of lust and gluttony, respectively. St. Thomas Aquinas explains this assignment by noting that reason and understanding are weakened by excessive indulgence in bodily pleasure.
Any Excessive Partaking
While we can see this mostly clearly with those two deadly sins (lust and gluttony), we must remember that any excessive partaking in physical pleasure will close off our hearts to the grace, work, and voice of God. As the first reading tells us, “Beloved, […] No one has ever seen God.” Which is to say, we will not see God with the eyes of the body. If we want to ‘see’ God, we must see Him with the eyes of the soul. And to open those eyes clearly, we must first raise them from earthly things and worldly pleasures. We must, by self-denial, grow in detachment from those things which distract our gaze from God, that we might “[remain] in love” and “[remain] in God.”
Take Stock
As this New Year begins, we should take stock of how we spend our time and ask if there is anything that needs to be removed or at least lessened to ensure that it is not ensnaring our hearts and making us blind and dull to God’s movement. For myself, one area for conversion is a lack of silence. With the news, podcasts, etc., all available at our fingertips, it is easy to never have a moment of intentional silence throughout the entire day. Yet, without space for interior reflection and communion with God, we will be dull and blind to His inspirations. I encourage you to take this question to prayer and see what God brings to mind. This year will be unlike any other if our hearts are open to the movement and grace of God.
