Today in the Office of Readings in the Divine Office, there is a very interesting (and relevant to us today) homily by St Augustine. He makes the connection between those people who always criticise others as being unable to conquer their own sins, so they focus on everyone else. In the modern day we call this “spiritual bypassing” where we ignore our personality flaws or issues and try to replace it with a facade of piety that makes you feel better about yourself but is not done out of love for God. This it is a form of false piety and not authentic spirituality.
St Augustine then discusses the sacrifice that God accepts according to Psalm 51:16-19. Often our spiritual life is based upon doing the things that we like, we want to do and we think everyone else should be doing. But there is no transformation of the will in this approach. When our spiritual life focuses on us needing to change, to be transformed and to be holy - this is then the right path of purity of heart. When our intentions and desires conform to what God wants of us, and not on what we want or think is best.
It takes true humility to redirect our attention to critiquing others, and to look inward at our faults. I do not mean this as a type of low self esteem with negative thoughts about ourselves. But rather a true understanding of the talents God has given us, and the particular vices and temptations we struggle with. Refocusing our attention on our own sinfulness is what creates humility in us. A true understanding of our identity that without the grace of God we cannot do anything good or pleasing to God. Once we get understand what a slave to sin we are, we can then develop compassion for others who are also enslaved to sin and learn to pray for them instead of criticising or condemning them.
The temptation going back as far as Adam & Eve is to blame others and criticise others. But true spiritual freedom is only looking at our own sins and faults, and understanding that it is only through Christ and the Holy Spirit that we are able to be pleasing to God and to live in love. Without love nothing is pleasing to God. So we need to learn to constantly battle deep within our heart and discern between God’swill for us and our own sinful will that tries to find excuses, hide and blame others, constantly criticising but never changing or growing in charity.
We are not alone in this struggle. Each and everyone of us is going through this and must go through this. But we know that through our identity with Christ and embracing our cross - rather than merely accepting it begrudgingly, that yoked together with Jesus and strengthened by the Holy Spirit we can be victorious in the struggle and attain purity of heart. The single minded desire and comformity of our will to the Will of God.
