The Priest is Not His Own

[CollegeKid]

As I mentioned in my last thread, I’m reading Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s The Priest is Not His Own. Good book so far. Honestly though, I’ve gotten to a part that scares me a bit, and at the surface seems like it may contradict other things I’ve read by solidly-orthodox Catholic authors. In a section called The Loss of Our Ego, Sheen explains that the priest must surrender his personality to Christ, make Christ the source of all his thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, and so on, totally submerge his personality into the personality of Christ, etc. Now I admit that at first it might seem as though I’ve simply come to a deeper and even frightening realization of what it means to give one’s life to Christ, as we all must do. That being said, here’s my question:

1. From Sheen’s description I wonder a bit if he is talking about completely losing our individuality, forgetting that we are ourselves and thinking that we are Jesus Christ. This possibility bothers me because

(a) if it is in fact what Sheen is saying, isn’t this heretical? I realize that we must mirror Christ in our lives as best we can, but to actually try and become Him? It seems almost blasphemous.

(b) One of the things I’ve always liked about the Saints is their individuality, the fact that they are individuals who mirrored Christ in their lives and yet you can still look at the whole of them and say, “wow, what a unique group of people.” The fact that they had their own varying strengths, weaknesses and quirks, etc. For better or worse, one thing I’ve been told by priests and read in books is that God wants me to become the best version of myself, albeit this is done by striving to be “another Christ,” to mirror His virtues, giving Him my life.

1. Is this total surrendering of the self’s personality to Christ’s personality only for priests, or is it also for the laity though in a more remote capacity?

I realize I’ve probably make mistakes in my thinking about these matters so I would really appreciate anyone’s help.

 

[Pjs2ejs]

Surrendering oneself doesn’t necessarily mean that we lose our personality, emotions, etc. But rather, we put them in Jesus’ trust to do with them what he wills. For those with great gifts, I’m sure Jesus uses them. But it also seems that those negative traits, feelings etc. are probably due to sin and who better to have deal with obliterating them than Jesus.

This is just my thought. I’m not a scholar so don’t take my word as fact. I understand how you could see it that way though.

Personally, I wish I would surrender more of myself to Christ.

 

[water]

As I mentioned in my last thread, I’m reading Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s The Priest is Not His Own.

1. From Sheen’s description I wonder a bit if he is talking about completely losing our individuality, forgetting that we are ourselves and thinking that we are Jesus Christ. This possibility bothers me because
2. Is this total surrendering of the self’s personality to Christ’s personality only for priests, or is it also for the laity though in a more remote capacity?

The the Bishop was referring this:
Mathew 16:24:[Conditions of Discipleship] Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

 

[Nita]

1. From Sheen’s description I wonder a bit if he is talking about completely losing our individuality, forgetting that we are ourselves and thinking that we are Jesus Christ. This possibility bothers me because

(a) if it is in fact what Sheen is saying, isn’t this heretical? I realize that we must mirror Christ in our lives as best we can, but to actually try and become Him? It seems almost blasphemous.

(b) One of the things I’ve always liked about the Saints is their individuality, the fact that they are individuals who mirrored Christ in their lives and yet you can still look at the whole of them and say, “wow, what a unique group of people.” The fact that they had their own varying strengths, weaknesses and quirks, etc. For better or worse, one thing I’ve been told by priests and read in books is that God wants me to become the best version of myself, albeit this is done by striving to be “another Christ,” to mirror His virtues, giving Him my life.

I think he means it in the same sense as St. Paul does in his epistle to the Galatians:
*Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. *

St. Paul certainly never lost his individuality!
Neither would Archbishop Sheen mean that we cease to be ourself and have become Jesus, so you can relax on those points.

Nita

 

[PNEUMA]

**For the time being It’s only a gradual transformation in Christ.

In the long run It’s a complete transformation.

Only Christ can pass through the narrow gate. **

We awaken in Christ’s body
as Christ awakens our bodies,
and my poor hand is Christ, He enters
my foot, and is infinitely me.

I move my hand, and wonderfully
my hand becomes Christ, becomes all of Him

I move my foot, and at once
He appears like a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous? – Then
open your heart to Him

and let yourself receive the one
who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love Him,
we wake up inside Christ’s body

where all our body, all over,
every most hidden part of it,
is realized in joy as Him,
and He makes us, utterly, real,

and everything that is hurt, everything
that seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
maimed, ugly, irreparably
damaged, is in Him transformed

and recognized as whole, as lovely,
and radiant in His light
he awakens as the Beloved
in every last part of our body.

St. Simeon (949 - 1032)

 

[puzzleannie]

what the good bishop is describing is not a personality change, or becoming a robot, but the orthodox Christian surrender of intellect, memory, will and understanding to Christ. This solid theology is behind the Rule of St. Benedict, the prayer of St. Ignatius, the charism of Francis who found it in identifying with the poor. Christ works through the Church and specifically he works through the members of the Church when they carry out his will.

Transformation in Christ by Dietrich von Hilldebrand is an excellent exposition of how this happens in the spiritual life dedicated to conforming to Christ, and one of the best spiritual guides you can get, by the way.

Think about it, what is the implication of the opposite? Retaining my own reasons for doing things, when I should be acting only and always to know and carry out the will of God. Clinging to my own priorities in relationships, work, mode of living, rather than through the priorities Christ established, as in the sermon on the Mount.

 

[PNEUMA]

In a section called The Loss of Our Ego, Sheen explains that the priest must surrender his personality to Christ, make Christ the source of all his thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, and so on, totally submerge his personality into the personality of Christ, etc.

We replace our Ego (selfishness) with Christ (unselfishness)

1. From Sheen’s description I wonder a bit if he is talking about completely losing our individuality, forgetting that we are ourselves and thinking that
   we are Jesus Christ. This possibility bothers me because

We become a mix of both (what we are so far and what He is)

(a) if it is in fact what Sheen is saying, isn’t this heretical? I realize that we must mirror Christ in our lives as best we can, but to actually try and become Him? It seems almost blasphemous.

It’s not blasphemous. It’s beautiful.

"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."
John 14:20.