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James: 4: 1-10
Beloved:
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly,
to spend it on your passions.
Adulterers!
Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture speaks without meaning when it says,
The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy?
But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:
God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.
So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep.
Let your laughter be turned into mourning
and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord
and he will exalt you.
The Word of the Lord.
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The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, likens the soul to a charioteer whose task it is to drive two horses.
One horse is gentle and mild, obedient to the commands of its master. The other is wild, untamed, and rebellious.
The name of the first horse is Reason. The second horse is Passion.
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Reason and Passion live in constant conflict within us.
For example, if someone strikes you across the cheek, reason would say, “Take a deep breath. Back down. They may be stronger than you!”
Even, “Forgive them.”
Passion would say, “Hit ‘em hard! Smack ‘em back!”
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This is what makes Christian living so difficult at times. We must learn how to tame our passions; how to humble our ego; how to be measured, wise, and merciful.
In a word, how live and love like Christ.
Meaning, it’s not enough for us to refrain from hurting another person; we should never wish harm upon anyone.
It’s not enough to know what is right; we should always do what is right.
It’s not enough to refrain from being dishonest; we should never consider telling a lie.
As Saint James writes in our first reading:
“Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? So, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
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Hands the reigns of your heart over to Christ to the point that we can say with Saint Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ living within me.”
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