‘Thorn in the Flesh’

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THE phrase appears in St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, describing St. Paul’s affliction that was meant to keep him from becoming arrogant. We can just speculate what that “thorn” specifically was. What is clear is that the flesh, if not properly animated by the Spirit of Christ, is always a traitor. It simply goes with its own erratic ways.

We need to be always wary of this danger, and try our best to dominate our flesh with the proper spirit of Christ which is a spirit of love, of generous self-giving. And this is where the heart plays an important role, seeing to it that it beats with God’s love. Otherwise, what Christ said one time comes true: “From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” (Mk 7, 21-22)

In this regard, we have to see to it that any disciplining we do to our flesh should be done with love and end with love. This is crucial because if the disciplining is simply done in a voluntaristic way, without the affection of God’s love, the flesh will find a way to make its revenge, claiming its supposedly lost rights in moments when we are most vulnerable, like when we are already resting.

That´s why, in the long history of ascetical literature written and lived by saints through the centuries, there has been that consistent insistence to curb the tendencies of the flesh to give way to the more important aspirations of the spirit.

These two constituent elements of our human nature have become fierce competitors, not so much on the part of the spirit as it is on the part of the body. The trouble is that our body wants to dominate the spirit, reversing the order proper to our nature.

This tension was vividly expressed by Christ himself when he warned his sleepy disciples—Peter, James and John—to watch and pray, because ¨the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.¨

To remedy this predicament, Christ taught that we enter by the narrow gate—putting ourselves in some inconveniences and discomfort, etc.—because ¨wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to perdition.¨

In fact, in the end, he indicated that to follow him, we have to deny ourselves and carry the cross. And so, the cross or the sense of penance, sacrifice and mortification has been made an integral part of Christian life and even of human life in general. We would go crazy without it.

Of course, the flesh or the body also has to be given due care. It cannot and should not be taken for granted. This is because the body, for all its shortcomings and failings, form a unity with the spirit.

There has to be a more pro-active effort to establish and keep a link between the body and the soul, between the flesh and the spirit. These two constitutive elements of our being should work harmoniously for each other’s advantage and benefit.

“Your bodies are the shrines of the Holy Spirit…glorify God by making your bodies the shrines of his presence,” St. Paul tells us (1 Cor 6,19-20). We have to take care of it, because as St. Paul says, sin finds an ally in our body, that is, the flesh or the lower part of man—our senses, instincts, passions, etc.

Taking care of it means to submit it to Christ’s spirit which does not nullify but rather purifies and elevates the natural condition of our body.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com