Attitudes and Spiritual Wellness

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, Mt 5: 27-32, “perfects the law by insisting upon interior attitudes and strong fidelity, especially in sexual matters” Carroll Stuhmeuller, C.P., Biblical Medication for Ordinary Time—Weeks 10-22, Paulist Press, New York, 1984, p. 21).  Healthy and unhealthy spiritual tendencies exist within my spiritual being as much as healthy and unhealthy cells exist within my physical being.  I have the option of choosing healthy foods to build up healthy cells and to ward off the development of a disease process that exist within me. In the spiritual realm I have that same option. I can choose to entertain thoughts that strengthen by ability to do well and ward off evil, to develop a strong spirituality or to weaken it.   Sin is preceded by thoughts of committing evil, just as cancer is preceded by the presence of cancerous cells in my body and an immune system weakened by poor, unhealthy physical or psychological habits.  If I am thinking of seeking revenge, I am more likely to do so.  If I am thinking of forgiving the person who wronged me, I am more likely to pray for the grace to be forgiving.   If I am lusting after a man or a woman, I am more likely to commit adultery. On the other hand, if my thoughts are focused on loving others respectfully for  who they are and who I am and praying for purity of mind and heart in my ways of loving, I am more likely to strengthen my fidelity to the commandment “You shall not commit adultery”.  If I am entertaining thoughts of hurting another human being, I could be paving a way to inflict harm by what I say about or to that person  or what I do that is hurtful. Likewise, if I am looking for ways to show kindness  and thinking along those lines, I am likely to act accordingly.

How clearly do I see the connection between my interior ways of thinking and the actions that flow from them?  Do I realize that if I change a negative way of thinking I also change my negative feelings whether toward myself or another. And if feelings and thoughts are positive, positive behaviors  will follow. In other words a healthy spirituality depends on my attitudinal self!