+JMJ+
Interesting thread…I’m studying The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli, in which the reader is counseled to “distrust” himself and trust only in God. I struggled with this a bit as well, trying to understand how I could make any decisions at all in my life if I can’t even trust myself! But with the help of a priest and continued study, I’m learning that I need to rely on God for all He provides - which is absolutely everything, every atom in my body and in the world - and realize that if I abandon my life and mentality and will to Him, in my heart and mind, everyday and every hour, then I can move forward with confidence as I just try to please Him. Maybe my decisions will turn out to be good or not, but since God rules all, I need not worry! But if I try to trust in my own abilities, my intellect, my skills, my (oh no!) perceptions of what is “good”, then I will be like a bumper car, banging into Heaven-knows-what, not providing any light for others, no fruit, only wounds…
Very interesting thread indeed. I also have read The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli, and for some time—read that “years”
—I also struggled with the concept of “distrusting oneself”, on, as you so well say it, “how I could make any decisions at all in my life if I can’t even trust myself.”
The solution to all of this actually came to me quite suddenly, in the form of a book by Alexandre Harvard called
Created for Greatness: The Power of Magnanimity, which is actually a business leadership book, but written by an Opus Dei member. It is an amazing book, I highly recommend it.
Anyways what the book says is that magnanimity, or “greatness of soul”, is the one thing Christians (and, although he never specifically mentions it, he obviously also emphasizes Catholics) forgot, because although we have emphasized the greatness of God and the littleness of man in front of Him (which is called
humility), we have forgotten
the greatness of humans, especially our own selves. We do not trust in ourselves, and the world suffers because of it!
Many Christians believe in God, but few believe in themselves, in their talents and capabilities. As their concept of humility excludes magnanimity, such people cannot—and will not—lead. It comes as no surprise then that the Western world today rarely recruits its political leaders among believing Christians.
The most influential leaders of the past three hundred years were not Christians. This is not because Christians were expelled from social life; it is because so many Christians voluntarily withdrew from it. It is the most astonishing case of the self-castration of a whole community in the history of humanity.
Actually this is a shock for me because all those books like The Spiritual Combat tell us to
not trust ourselves.
And then Alexandre pointed to a quote by St. Thomas Aquinas, and I had to read it to believe it:
Reply to Objection 1. As the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 3), it belongs to the “magnanimous to need nothing,” for need is a mark of the deficient. But this is to be understood according to the mode of a man, hence he adds “or scarcely anything.” For it surpasses man to need nothing at all. For every man needs, first, the Divine assistance, secondly, even human assistance, since man is naturally a social animal, for he is sufficient by himself to provide for his own life. Accordingly, in so far as he needs others,
it belongs to a magnanimous man to have confidence in others, for it is also a point of excellence in a man that he should have at hand those who are able to be of service to him.** And in so far as his own ability goes, it belongs to a magnanimous man to be confident in himself.**
newadvent.org/summa/3129.htm#article6
I cannot believe it! Does that mean that Scupoli was wrong all along?! To be honest, I don’t know. Alexandre Harvard and Dom Scupoli may actually be talking of the same thing, but if they are, then it is far easier for me to understand Alexandre Harvard. For you see, Alexandre goes on to say:
The magnanimous Christian expects everything of himself as if God did not exist (magnanimity), and expects everything of God as if he could do nothing on his own (theological hope). He behaves like an adult on the natural plane, and like a child on the supernatural one.
He goes on to say:
In speaking of magnanimity, we need to consider metaphysical humility . The more aware we become of our personal greatness, the more we need to understand that greatness is a gift of God. Magnanimity without humility is no magnanimity at all. It is self-betrayal and can easily lead to personal calamities of one kind or another.
Magnanimity and humility go hand in hand: In specifically human endeavors, man has the right and the duty to trust in himself (this is magnanimity), without losing sight of the fact that the human capacities on which he relies come from God (this is humility)…
Man’s exaltation must always be accompanied by abasement before God.
St. Joan of Arc was once asked why God needs soldiers to free France from her enemies. I think her answer most succinctly shows the position of Alexandre Harvard and St. Thomas Aquinas’ position in this:
En nom Dieu, les gens d’armes batailleront, et Dieu donnera la victoire!
In God’s name, the soldiers will fight, and God will give them victory!
) and strive through my physical efforts to perform it to the best of my ability and to offer my efforts to God in thanksgiving for giving me this particular ability.