A few weeks ago, while listening to the Catholic Business Hour hosted by Dick Lyles, the host mentioned how he had actively conditioned himself over time to react to the sound of a siren while driving. He simply pulls over now without having to give it any thought. What used to be a deliberate 'active participation' has now become a conditioned, well rehearsed response. The siren causes a different reaction when he's in the office and hears it; no response at all, the siren is ignored.
He went on to say, in the same way, one can actively participate in spiritual activities so as to condition oneself against attacks of temptation and other evil persuasions, slight as they might be, unobvious as they might me, often just subtle suggestions. If you require further evidence or convincing regarding the evil the host is talking about, I suggest that you pick-up a copy of the book "Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis.
The great deceiver is always at work, often in ways that are not so apparent either.
As Catholics we have great recourse to 'active participation' through Jesus Christ, his church, and the communion of saints:
- Daily prayer, spiritual reading, and acts of mortification such as fasting or denying oneself some other creature comfort; that's 'active participation' conditioning oneself against that which separates us from God, namely sin.
- Attending a Catholic mass. Standing, sitting, kneeling, hand motions, bell ringing, reading, listening, tasting, chewing, drinking, singing, praying, greeting others; that's 'active participation' allowing a real, physical manifestation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into one's life.
- Reciting a Rosary. Out loud with a partner or silent and alone, with or without feeling , persevering none-the-less through the 15 to 20 minutes that it takes to complete the prayer; that's 'active participation' creating greater calm, understanding, and hope during difficulties or times of suffering.
My brother Marc Geraci and I would get together twice a week for a shed session, a jam session in a rented storage unit where we could play music for several hours at a time. We were perfecting and honing our rhythm and timing skills, trading beats, practicing dynamics (the lowering and raising of our instrument volume), and then going through our set lists and working out our parts. That's 'active participation' now for the conditioned response of putting on a great, well rehearsed show later on.
Conditioning ourselves through our own 'active participation' in the one Body of Christ, his church, allows us an effective, tried and true way of conquering our sins now, reversing the damaging habits of vice now, and replacing sin now with acts of virtue and holiness, keeping the evil one and his minions at bay, so that we may more closely unite to the one true God.
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