Powers of the Soul
Three Powers
CCC 355, 1700, As human persons we were created “in the image of God.” This means we were endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul…
To have direction in life we need to know the purpose of the soul
To know the purpose of the soul we need to know the purpose of the powers of the soul
There are Three Powers of the Soul
Intellect
Will
Passions
The Intellect is the power of the soul designed to know reality – how things really are. Once the intellect grasps reality, it must make a judgment: this is good or this evil. The Intellect then tells the will to choose what it perceives as good and to avoid what is evil. Because it is necessary to know what is good in order to choose it, we should dedicate ourselves to learn the truth. In this pursuit of truth, we need to guard against disordered curiosity, that is, the disordered desire to know that which does not pertain to us. We must guard against getting wrapped up in useless or harmful information that comes in the form of news, entertainment or gossip. Discipline yourself to avoid useless or harmful information. Seek the truth that helps you know and do the will of God.
Choice and Excellence
The Will is the power of the soul to choose what is good and avoid what is evil. On its own the will is blind; it cannot see or know what is good or evil. The will needs the intellect to do its job of knowing, making judgments and telling the will what to choose. If the intellect does not know what is true and good then the will chooses badly and ruin the person. All reality comes from God, therefore we want to be maximally open to reality and love the good world God created. All reality is good; but not necessarily good for me. Something is good for me only if it helps me fulfill my design and purpose. Pursue the good things of life in such a way as it lead you to God. Sleep, eat, drink, exercise because you have a body that needs these things – but pursue them in such a way that they help you grow closer to God rather than idols you become addicted to. Be excellent at work but don’t allow work, professional prestige, winning the game or being the best become an idol to which you are addicted and keeps you from a deeper relationship with your family or relationship with God. Pursue good relationship with your spouse, kids and grandchildren, but don’t become obsessed with them as an idol to which you are addicted.
Purpose of Feelings
The third power of the soul are the Passions. The passions are the good God-given feelings, emotions or desires designed to propel us toward good and away from evil.
Passions are our reactions towards what we perceive as being good (and therefore pleasing) and away from what we perceive as being evil (and therefore displeasing).
If we perceive something as being bad, we don’t like it and are repelled by it. If we perceive something as being good, we like it and are attracted to it. The passions, then, are just these movements towards what we like and away from what we don’t like. There are 11 fundamental passions: Love, Desire, Joy, Hate, Aversion, Sorrow, Hope, Despair, Fear, Courage, Anger. All people know they have feelings, but they don’t know their purpose – now you know!
Disorder in the Soul
In the beginning, God designed the powers of the soul to work in harmony: The job of the intellect is to know reality and make a judgement – this is good, that is evil. The passions respond to the intellect’s perception of reality and prompt the will to go toward what is good for me or away from what is bad for me. Led by the intellect and propelled by the feelings, the will chooses what is good or rejects what is evil.
Tragically Original Sin damaged the powers of the soul:
We are born with a darkened Intellect - subject to Ignorance + Confusion about right and wrong, good and bad
We now have a weak Will so that even when we know what is right we have a hard time choosing it
We have Strong Passions or feelings inclined toward selfishness and use
Our desires have become dis-ordered
We have become slaves to our disordered desires
Manifest in the 7 Deadly Sins
Pride, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, sloth and lust
The Vices that make us vicious
They Destroy the good things we need to be happy
Which 2-3 deadly sins are habits in your life?
Begin Well
At the beginning of each day, the beginning of your time in prayer, or at the end of the day, take a few minutes for an examination of conscience which consists of three things:
1. Gratitude,
2. Acknowledgment of our wrongs
3. A practical game plan to go forward
Start with Gratitude – call to mind all the things from which you are you thankful to God? Then think back over the last 24 hours and admit where you have sinned in your thoughts, words or actions. Ask, why did I do these things? What was at the root? Was it Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony or lust? Then make a practical game plan to live differently today.