What of your Interior Life?

BY FR RALPH DE HAHN

The ancient Jewish sect known as the Pharisees, the pious separated ones, were distinguished by their strict observance of traditional and written law.

“Interior life: It is our living in Jesus and he living in us.”

Yet Jesus found it necessary to reproach them, saying: You have made God’s word null and void by means of your tradition.

He went on to quote the prophet Isaiah: This people honours me only with their lips, but their hearts are very far from me. The worship they offer is worthless (Mt 15:7-9).

This observation could also be directed at some Catholics who, generally speaking, take delight in the exterior glamour of the Catholic faith, those who are ever-present at devotions, processions, bible sessions; those who delight in their statues, rosary beads, candles and colourful holy pictures. Many of those people no doubt are great Servants of the Lord. Others may well be termed religious, but not necessarily spiritual.

The popular Catholic Link newsletter, published by the Redemptorists, a while back pointed out that authentic Christianity is challenged by new religious movements which prefer warm and fuzzy personal feelings. It added that many people claim to be spiritual rather than religious, some stating that they have a personal spirituality without believing in God.

Our Catholic spirituality is necessarily based on faith, hope and love – the three vital theological virtues. Supernatural realities are accessible only through true faith, and not simply the operations of the imagination. It is living the supernatural life above the material and the visible.

And so one may well ask the question: What of my interior life?

Many spiritual writers are all too ready to stress the duties, obligations and external practices which identify the practitioner with a particular church or sect., But they fail to acknowledge and appreciate the wonderful supernatural treasures we already have.

Just turn to the gospels: especially the last four chapters of St John show the clear teaching of Jesus that is far more exacting than any of the books of asceticism: it speaks of the interior life, the indwelling of God himself in the human soul. It is revealing, courageous and challenging.

Faith is the foundation of the interior life. We need to believe that God is present in all creation and more deeply present in our immortal soul.

God made us for himself; he desires an intimate relationship with each one of us; my very being depends on his presence.

He asks for a life of faith, sustained by hope and inflamed by love; that we live not blindly by the law, but rather in the spirit. It is our living in Jesus and he living in us. Any other way is an obstacle!

So, what of your interior life? Maybe we ourselves erect barriers, unnecessary obstacles. We tend to complicate our lives as Christians.

But God is absolutely simple; perfect simplicity. We draw much closer to him by a simple prayer life; to pray – like little children- ever humble, ever in need, selfless, in endless wonder at all his creation, and ever leaning on his fatherly protection and love.

That is efficacious prayer. In fact, words are not always necessary; maybe just a glance of love will speak a million words.

It is useful to share with the Lord all our successes and all our failures – and, in both cases, to thank him. If we multiply our acts of faith and love, we will grow. Jesus invites us to give ourselves to him so that he may give himself to us.

The more wretched the material, the greater the glory of the artist who transforms the work, as we see in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Becoming more attached to Jesus in this intimate relationship will bring about a detachment from material things, and with that follows the peace that Jesus promised us.

The Father desires us to be transformed into the image of his Son. However, the degree of intimacy to which he invites us depends on the generosity of our response.