Part I: An Analogy
To my mind, one of the most amazing things about our world is how much comparisons and analogies are useful in our understanding of how things work.
Take the human anatomy for instance, the similarity between the left-hand side of the body to the right side is precisely one aid doctors use in diagnosing injuries, imbalances, abnormalities and so on. And if not comparing one side of the body to the other, then we compare the body of the so-called healthy man, to that of the patient before us.
When we take the car to the garage for a general service, again what the mechanics do is to compare the jalopy we’ve just driven in to the perfect model that the manufacturer of that line of cars has produced… And what they find in the model but is missing in our jalopy they fix in like a nut that fell off; if they find in the model a part of higher quality than that found in our car then they replace that part, such as a worn-out fan belt; or else if there is something in our car that is not in the manufacturer’s model, then they pluck it out – rust for example.
Whatever examples you wish to look at, the fact remains that comparisons and analogies are quite useful in our day-to-day life if not crucial.
Taking this theme a notch higher, we come to the reality of body and soul that man comprises. And again here we find analogies that are equally useful. I would like however to nuance soul to mean not just that spirit that all men have, but that supernatural life of God that is granted to those who ask for it.
The over-arching similarity between the two is that both of them are life-forms. As such they have a similar cycle of life.
1. Bodily life begins with conception, supernatural life with Baptism.
2. Both lives are received without much choice on our part - in the sense that both are gifts we simply receive.
3. As much as a baby grows and develops, so must the soul grow and develop. Growth is increase in size, development increase in complexity or capacity to perform increasingly complex tasks.
4. The growth and development of the baby targets physical and sexual maturity or adulthood. The growth and development of the soul targets spiritual maturity, sanctity or Christ-likeness. Bodily physical maturity means that the body's organs and faculties are fully developed; sexual maturity that the individual can be a direct (or efficient) cause or instrument in bringing new (human) life into the world through procreation. In the spiritual realm 'physical maturity' would be the complete development of the soul's 'organs' (the will and the intellect) and their faculties - the virtues; 'sexual maturity' of the soul would be that the individual can be a direct (or efficient) cause or instrument in bringing new (supernatural) life into the world through apostolate. As sterility in a man or barrenness in a woman is abnormal and a deformity, so also is spiritual sterility or barrenness.
5. For the baby to grow, you must feed it with physical food. For the soul to grow you must feed it with spiritual food.
6. The purpose of food for the body is to provide it with physical nourishment referred to as nutrients. The purpose of food for the soul is to provide it with spiritual nourishment known as grace.
7. There are different types of physical food generally grouped into proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. There are different types of spiritual foods generally grouped into sacraments and prayer.
8. Aside from eating, doctors also advise some regular form of physical exercise – voluntary physical exertion – which prepares us for exertion that is involuntary such as when we have to walk an extra 2km after missing our bus or are being chased by a stray dog. On the side of the spirit, we have mortification – voluntary spiritual exertion – entailing denying oneself things that are licit to desire and obtain (like more ice-cream or an extra beer at a meal). This prepares us for occasions where we must deny ourselves things that are illicit to desire (such as another man’s wife).
9. By feeding the baby with only one type of food, the child ends up malnourished. By feeding the soul with only one type of food, the soul ends up malnourished.
10. By feeding the baby too little of all foods, the child ends up undernourished. Similarly, by feeding the soul to little, even if it is of all the foods, the soul ends up undernourished.
11. Further, the growth of the body is directed by the genes. The growth of the soul too is directed by the conscience.
12. Healthy genes are as important to the body as much as a healthy conscience is important for the soul.
13. Though genes could mutate from the established norm (or get out of control as with cancer), they preserve a certain fundamental structure by which that child grows into physical & sexual maturity. So also, even though the conscience could become deformed (through bad moral habits for example), it too preserves a certain fundamental structure by which that soul grows into spiritual maturity.
14. The formation of genes is largely outside our control. There however are external factors that sometimes alter our genes – usually adversely such as exposure to harmful UV rays – and that we can somewhat control or avoid. With the formation of the conscience, we have much more control since it is a spiritual power subject to our free will. However, it too is affected by external factors that may similarly be detrimental e.g. adverse peer pressure. And if we do not consciously take up the positive cultivation of our consciences, these external factors end up in the driving seat of our formation.
15. Thus the importance of the formation of conscience, that each individual be actively concerned for his formation.
16. The reward of healthy genes and a healthy body is a happy life; the reward of a healthy conscience and a healthy soul is a happy afterlife.
17. But to get to that afterlife we must go through a judgement.
End of Body and Soul PartI.
June 2006