Blessed are the Clean of Heart
1. Understood in its entirety as embracing its higher grade, that is,
perpetual virginity consecrated to God, purity of heart is a gift which
only Christianity can give. (Encyclical, Sacra Virginitas, Pope Pius
XII, 1954) If we have been called to receive this wonderful gift, let us
humbly thank God. It is a sublime dignity to belong, body and soul, to God.
Sacred Scripture says of men: “What is man that you should be mindful
of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made
him a little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and
honour. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting
all things under his feet.” (Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2:7) But under a certain
aspect those who are living in virginity can be said to be superior to
the angels. Since an angel has no body, he offers God only the homage of
his spirit. A virgin, on the other hand, must bear the burden of an
earthly body. He must offer continually on the altar of his heart (and
often after a heroic battle) not only his soul with its appetites and
will, but also all the impulses and lower faculties “which wage war
against the soul.” (I Peter 2:11)
This is a double sacrifice,
which St. Ambrose calls a continual martyrdom of body and soul. But the
reward lies in the joy and peace which flow from this perpetual offering
of soul and body to the Immaculate Lamb. This happiness is a
compensation for any conflict which must be endured, and is a foretaste
of the joys of Heaven.
2. There is a purity of heart and
chastity which is an obligation for everybody, even for those who are
married or preparing for marriage. Everybody is obliged to avoid any act
of impurity in so far as it is opposed to his own particular state, to
the natural law and to the divine law. Do not think that this degree of
chastity is any easier than the first. Sometimes the obligations it
imposes are even more difficult than those of absolute virginity.
There is only one remedy for impurity. It is the practice of virtue to
the point of sacrifice. Only a man who is ready with the help of God to
make any sacrifice can preserve purity of heart. It is a hard struggle,
but only those who win can see God. Our Lord has said: “Blessed are the
clean of heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8). Only the clean of
heart will be able to see and enjoy Him forever in Heaven and by means
of His grace will be able to see Him in a less perfect manner on earth.
St. Thomas says that mental blindness is the main effect of impurity.
(Summa, II-II, q. 53, a. 6) This is because anyone who gives himself up
to impurity loses all spiritual enlightenment and easily loses his faith
as well. He no longer sees God, and he does not believe any more,
because his heart is steeped in the mire of impurity. “The sensual man
does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God, for it is
foolishness to him and he cannot understand...” (I Cor. 2:14) He is like
the blind mole which creates its own dark little underground world and
cannot see the sky any more.
3. St. Paul warns us in the
following words: “Do you not know that your members are the temple of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are
not your own? For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God
and bear him in your body.” (I Cor. 6: 19-20)
We who are
temples of the Holy Ghost, redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus, must
keep unsullied the purity of our hearts, the lily of our innocence. We
must do this no matter what sacrifices it may cost us. Those stern words
from the Gospel, “if thy right eye is an occasion of sin to thee, pluck
it out and cast it from thee,” (Mt. 5:29) refer in a special way to the
obstacles we must overcome and the sacrifices we must make to preserve
this beautiful virtue. There can be no half-measures. We must be
prepared to go to any length, even to accept death if necessary, like
St. Maria Goretti. Even as we should be ready to face martyrdom for the
faith, so we must be ready to face martyrdom in order to preserve purity
of soul.
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