Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Changing Bitter to Sweet

STOP! This is the kind of theology that just makes me nuts! In the section titled "They Change It into Honey," Francis says, "It is true that devout souls encounter great bitterness in their works of mortification, but by performing them they change them into something more sweet and delicious. Because the martyrs were devout men and women, fire, flame, wheel, and sword seemed to be flowers and perfume to them. If devotion can sweeten the most cruel torments and even death itself, what must it do for virtuous action?"

I'm not sure how Francis is using the word "mortification," but it seems to me to be one thing to deprive myself of something I like and something else altogether to be subjected to "fire, flame, wheel, and sword" by someone else. I find it hard to stomach the thought that "cruel torments" are made sweet. Is it a good thing that people were burned at the stake or viciously slaughtered because of their faith? The fact that they had enough faith, a strong enough faith to withstand their torment gives me a goal to aim for in my own spiritual development, but the fact that they were subjected to something so horrible is still reprehensible and in no way sweet! And if Francis is using "mortification" in the sense of inflicting pain on yourself, than I can't even go that far with him.

We need to continue to strive for spiritual maturity and depth of convictions so that if we're called to martyrdom, we'll have the strength to withstand whatever pain and torments might be inflicted upon us, but having withstood them will not change their bitterness to something sweet.

Peace, love and grace.

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