Hermitage Note: A Heart That Goes Two Ways

The first thought wandering through my mind as I stirred to life this Friday morning was words of Scripture. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” [Hebrews 7:25] Even in times like these. Especially in times like these.

One of the primary reasons people, both men and women, have historically sought out and entered into some type of monastic expression of life is that the world, and the world’s way, runs its affairs in diabolical opposition to God’s ideals. The ancient ones, as well as monks and nuns across the span of time, realized that the pursuit of this world’s goods was a detriment to the welfare of their eternal souls. They chose, rather than living to satisfy their temporal physical desires and pleasures, to content themselves with lives of knowing “God Alone” during their sojourn on earth.

I am reminded of something that I read in Ecclesiasticus [Sirach] a couple nights back. “A heart that goes two ways shall not have success, and the perverse of heart shall be scandalized therein. A wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner will add sin to sin. The congregation of the proud shall not be healed: for the plant of wickedness shall take root in them, and it shall not be perceived. [Ecclus. 3:28-30]

Jesus is more than able to save us … to the uttermost … if we will only allow him to save us from ourselves. He cannot save us from ourselves unless we yield and surrender ourselves to him. He cannot save us as long as the affections of our hearts are divided between two worlds. As long as our hearts are divided, we will be constantly trying to please two masters. How easy it is to ignore what Christ taught in saying, “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” [Matthew 6:24]

The price of a heart that goes two ways?

A divided heart creates a lot of confusion and unclear messages in the world. A divided heart is always wrestling and struggling within itself. As long as my heart is going in two ways I can never be either a happy sinner or a contented saint. This wrestling and struggling is the interior gulf where our continual conversion of life [conversatio morum] takes place.

His way has never been the way of the world. He brought his way to the world to show us the way that we should live. He told his followers then, and tells his followers now, “Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.” [Matthew 11:29-30]

It is essential to earnestly pray and seek increases of faith, hope, and charity in our lives. These three, the Theological Virtues, are our only recourse in our battle against the anger and fear that seethes deep within our human psyche. Without an increase in these virtues, these underlying emotions rise to the top, seize us, and become our manipulative masters.

Seek peace. Keep the faith. Pray and persevere.