November

century. We imagine that in times No one has ever thought that

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1 3 4 5 6 7 1 9 1 Nowember.. today… Godgrant me the s E R e N l r r TO ACCEPT gone by men and women had peace St. Paul was an alcoholic. But of mind and peace of soul, while we many an alcoholic will see himself moderns somehow have lost it. in the troubled words St. Paul ad- But interior conflict is as old as dressed to the Romans: “The law, ‘

I human nature itself. Men a n d as we know, is something spiritual; 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 the things 1 cannot changc 17 18 19 2 0 21 Z2 2 3 COURAGE TO CHANGE the LhingsIcan, women have been troubled, and I am a thing of flesh and blood, sold 24 25 26 2 7 28 2 9 3 0 upset, and anguished and baffled into the slavery of sin. My own ‘——I and WISDOM TO KNOW the difference. by the contradictions within them- actions bewilder me; what I do is selves ever since Adam and Eve not what I wish to do but someleft the garden of Eden. I t is be- thing which I hate. … Praisecause the law of our mind says one worthy intentions are always ready thing and the law of our members to hand, but 1,cannot find my way Gratitude says another. I t is to be expected. to the performance of them; it is To expect anything else is to be not the good my will prefers, but naive. To imagine that peace here the evil my will disapproves, that on earth means freedom from the I find myself doing. .. . Inwardly, and everyday, interior struggle is to I applaud God’s dispositions, but I misconstrue the meaning of life. observe another disposition in my Interior conflict is the common lot lower self, which raises a war of mortals. against the disposition of my con- Serenity And so it is not peculiar to science, and SO 1 am handed over alcoholics. But the alcoholic ex- as a captive to that disposition perience the conffict in a peculiar toward sin which my lower self Two Sides of the Coin of Sobriety slid exaggerated way. His common- contains. Pitiable creature that 1 by John C. Ford, S.J. place boast about alcohol in the am, who is to set me free from a earlier s t a g s of his is that nature thus doomed to death? Noth- Professor of Moral Theology, Werton College he can take it or leave it. But he ing else than the grace of God, Weston. MOSS.Author of fhe recent book, always takes it. Why doesn’t he through JESUS Christ Our Lord.” Depth Psychology, Morality ond Alcoholism leave it? The truth is that he can (Romans, VII, 14 ff.) neither take i t nor leave it. He St. Paul found a war going on GRATITUDE AND SERENITY are two of the most characteristic marks of the cannot take it without disaster. He within himself. And he believed truly successful AA. Gratitude to God, because but for the grace of God cannot leave it without help. Hence that the grace of God was the key there would be no serenity. Gratitude to AA, because without its members his complaint in the later stages: to a victorious peace. The alcohoIic the new-found sobriety would never have been achieved. Gratitude and “I can’t live with it, and I can’t who is still drinking is at war with serenity are two sides of the same golden coin of sobriety. live without it.” This is the in- himself. But sometimes when he Serenity means peace of mind. The search for peace of mind goes on terior contradiction that drives him achieves sobriety through the grace a t a rather frantic pace today. A new AA described herself to her doctor to despair. This is not the ordinary of God, he makes the mistake of as being in a state of “manic serenity.” Sometimes we are tempted to conflict that is the common lot of thinking that the war is over, and think that the unrest, the universal complaint of unhappiness, of interior mortals. This is a struggle that has is very disappointed and confused conflict, of mental anguish, is something new. . . a disorder of the twentieth assumed pathological proportions. to discover that he still has himself

t:, contend with, that the contradic- geace I give to you. Do not let tion between the law of the mind We are disappointed and con- few people really do know themyour heart be troubled or be and the law of the members still fused because we look for the selves. God wants us to know ourafraid.” And after His Resurrection goes on in other departments. He wrong kind of peace, or look for selves as we really are, so that His first words were always: “Peace has surrendered. Why should the peace on earth where it is not to be we can handle that interior struggle be with you.” battle continue? He has learned the found. We look for the impossible. intelligently. Know thyself! We Hut it was the same Christ who meaning of “Let go, let God.” What We hope for a sort of Nirvana, in may need help to do that. AA had earlier said something which more could anyone ask? which there is perfect inactivity, teaches people a lot about themsounds very different. In fact, it He has forgotten that the strug- perfect quiet, perfect repose, perfect selves. But some may need the help seems to be just the opposite: “Do gle against the pathological addic- nothingness, with nothing to dis- of a spiritual director to make sense not think that I came to send peace tion to alcohol is not the whole turb or bother us any more. This out of their tangled motives. And upon the earth; I have come to is oblivion rather than peace. The some may even need the help of a battle. Mere sobriety cannot be the bring a sword, not peace. . . . And total goal. If it were, then come of only living thing meant to have this specialist in human emotions to he who does not take up his cross the Twelve Steps would be super- kind of peace is a vegetable. I t is make sense out of their tangled and follow me, is not worthy of fluous. With King Booze dethroned not God’s plan for us to have any emotions. I t takes a lot of humility me. He who finds his life will lose the alcoholic still remains a man such peace as that either on earth to admit the need of that kind of it, and he who loses his life for my like other men, and he still has to or in Heaven. He plans for us to be help, just as it took a lot of humiIity sake will find it.” (Matt. X, 34 ff.) to admit the need for AA in the face the endless, normal struggles at peace in the activity of love. Well, which is it? War or peace? and conflicts to which all flesh is We are disappointed and con- first place. Sometimes we blame I t is both. It is a war which heir. And yet the truly successful does not take away our peace, if fused because we love the wrong those around us for our lack of AA manages to face them with we learn to wage it properly. If things and expect to find our peace peace when the trouble is deep serenity. Is this not a paradox-to in them. What is it we love? Is it within ourselves. A lack of self- . we know ahead of time the kind be serene and at peace in the midst money? Was anyone ever satisfied knowledge is a frequent source of of battle we are in for, and if we of conflict? To be at peace while with it? Is it honor and glory? dissatisfaction and spiritual confuknow ahead of time that with God’s fighting a battle? Was there ever an ambitious man sion. unfailing help we cannot lose it, No. Our peace is not in oblivion. I t is a paradox which resembles we keep our underlying peace of who said: “I have had enough; now one of the basic paradoxes of I am really satisfied and happy”? Is Our peace is not in the things of soul no matter what happens to us Christianity. Since paradoxes can it self-indulgence? In sex? In food? this world. I t is to be found within, within or without. be very confusing it will be worth In drink? I n drink there was ob- if our faith and hope and charity There is a spiritual warfare being livion and some used it just for that. are deep enough within. Our hearts our while to look at this one for a waged within us. But that does not moment. Were they the peaceful ones? Ob- are made for God, and they are disturb the peace of soul of one livion is a coward’s idea of peace. restless until they rest in God. The good news of the Gospel is who utterly believes, as St. Paul Can we find it even in human The paradoxical message is this: the message of peace. There is did, that he is in the keeping of love, which is so disappointing at that while we experience the bitternothing more characteristic of God; of one who is utterly confident its worst, and so wonderful a t its ness of the interior struggle, while . Christianity than this. On the first that despite the anguish, he is ap- best-but even at its best, not un- we carry on the good fight in this Christmas the angels announced proaching eternal happiness; of one world, we can be profoundly at changeable? Our Lord’s coming with this mes- wno is utterly generous and loving, We are disappointed because we peace because of our underlying sage: “Peace on earth to men of in giving up himself, and surrendergood will.” On the last night before look for peace outside when the faith and hope in another world. ing his own will to the will of God. source of the trouble is inside. One Nothing can take away that under- / He died Our Lord said to His dis- Belief, confidence and love. These ciples: “Peace 1 leave with you, my cannot fight the battle with self lying peace of the man or woman are faith, hope and charity. unless one knows self. And hov who believes in God, h o w in God

and loves God first of all, and This is not manic serenity. It everything else in Him. T i e eyes is realistic and down to earth. The may weep and the heart be torn, heart in which it finally dwells canbut absolutely nothing can touch not help being a grateful heart, bethat peace which surpasses all cause gratitude is the overflowing understanding. One does not find it and flowering of this basic peace. without surrender to the will of “Thanksgiving,” said Bill W. three God. And the will of God always years ago at this time of year, “is involves the cross in some form or gratitude in action. We not only other. But peace is there when feel grateful, we say so with the faith, hope and charity are there. joy of prisoners set free. We thank These are the swords by which we God for His light whereby we now fight the battle and maintain our see; and for the gift of His grace peace at the same time. by which we breathe and live in a Each one of us can apply this wondrous new world. … We are paradoxical lesson to his own life, at peace with ourselves and all just as each one applies the paradox about us. . . . of the Serenity Prayer to himself. “So we say to each other, ‘Happy It calls for serenity to accept, but Thanksgiving.’ Few can guess how courage to act – passivity in ac- greatly we AAs treasure those tivity. Easy does it. But do it! words.”