Healing the Wounded Soul

one

With Original Sin, these three powers of our soul have been wounded.

The intellect has been darkened, we suffer from ignorance and intellectual laziness. It takes a lot of effort to really think things through. It’s easier to feel. So, we let the intellect go to sleep and let our feelings decide what we do. We let feelings rule our life. We are ruled by likes and dislikes. That might be ok except for the fact that, because of Original Sin, we tend to like what is bad for us and dislike what is good for us.

two

There are three powers in the soul, the intellect, the feelings, and the will. They were designed to work in this way:

The intellect perceives or becomes aware of reality through the five senses, the imagination or the memory. The intellect then presents its perception of reality to the feelings as “this is right and good for me” or “this is wrong and bad for me."

The feelings respond to what the Intellect presented with, “I like this,” prompting the will to choose it; or “I dislike that,” prompting the will to avoid it.

The will chooses the apparent good; and avoids the evil

Thinking should inform our feelings which prompt our choices. Thinking should rule our lives, not feeling. The feelings are meant to be good servants but if left in charge they become very bad masters.

three

Because of Original Sin, our soul is out of whack.

We are ruled by our feelings which tend to like what is bad for us and dislike what is good for us.

But we can change the way we feel by how we think.

This practice will start to get the soul back in order.

Let’s say, for instance, you really dislike someone. Your bad feelings for him are making it really hard. Begin with your thinking. Think and talk about his good points, his virtues, and maybe especially the gifts he has that you don’t. If you think and talk about the person in those terms long enough, you’ll be constantly reminded of how much there is to appreciate about this person, and you’ll actually begin to appreciate him and it’ll be easier to treat him charitably. Thinking changes feeling.

Again, you should use this strategy to avoid evil. Say you want to gossip about someone – you can picture in your head how awkward it’ll be if what you’ve been saying gets back to that person. Or you can use St. James’ image, about how a small flame – gossip – can burn down a whole forest of good. Whatever image works to help you realize how deadly gossip is, use that, focus on that, picture that. And eventually your desire to gossip will fade.

If we think about the pleasing aspects of what’s good and the displeasing aspects of what’s bad our desires will change, prompting the right action.

four

We can change the way we feel not only by our thinking, but also by how we act.

Most people don’t start out liking exercise, but if they keep at it they begin to look forward to their morning run.

People usually don’t start out enjoying prayer, but if they pray anyway, day after day, they get to the point where they can’t do without it.

The same goes for abstaining from bad behavior you’re inclined to. If you have a bad temper, you’ll want to say horrible things when you get angry. But if you resist the urge to lash out and choose to hold your tongue, the anger will fade and the desire to be undisturbed by others will grow.

If you resist the wrong feelings and do the right actions long enough, the bad desires will fade and the right desires will grow – prompting you to the right actions.

Choose to do the right action even if you don’t feel like it.

If you do the right thing, over and over, eventually you begin to like it – it becomes pleasing to the emotions and then we have a good habit.

five

Our Soul can be healed but we must go to Jesus.

We can’t heal ourselves. Jesus can. If we will let him in. So, the first step is just to be honest and say: “Jesus, my life is out of control. I surrender to you. Take care of everything.”

Then spend time with him every day in friendship – which is prayer – talking to him from the heart, listening to him by reading his Word, reflecting in silence, and just being with him in stillness.

And whatever he inspires you to do, make the firm resolution to do it. This is how Jesus begins to act through you to transform you.