Spit from the Mouth of God
Today's musing is about lukewarmness in faith. Consider this passage from Revelation 13: 15-17:
“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines lukewarmness as the, “hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity,” (2094). It is indifference toward divine love.
Jesus told St. Faustina how he defines lukewarmness: "Souls without love or devotion, souls full of egoism and selfishness, proud and arrogant souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep themselves alive: My Heart cannot bear this" (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1702).
He also told her, “My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls," (1228).
We cannot serve two masters and this is a very hard spiritual lesson: “He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon,” (Matthew 6:24).
Instead, we need to be like Nathanael, also known as the apostle (St.) Bartholomew, in John 1:47: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.’”
We will always have options that pull us in different directions, good and bad. Giving in to lukewarmness weakens our will so resisting temptations becomes more difficult. In the moment we may take a lukewarm attitude toward God but it never makes us feel good.
The faith that has been passed on to us does not consist of suggestions that we should consider following. Catholic teachings are based on truth, which we cannot be indifferent about. Truth is based on reality, not our personal preferences.
It is dangerous to have a lukewarm attitude toward sin because venial sin can very easily lead to mortal sin if it is not attended to. Periods of spiritual desolation can tempt us to seek happiness and pleasure everywhere but God. If we continue to grow lukewarm, we slowly but surely become further and further away from God and his graces.
A high level of lukewarmness leads to the sin of sloth, or acedia. It has to do with a sad attitude toward spirituality, making one reluctant to become closer to God because it seems too difficult. It is a spiritual apathy and malaise, leading one to remain idle in faith. To help us avoid this, we can ask God for self-control, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
The longer a tepid soul remains indifferent to faith and morals, the harder it becomes to see their destruction. To avoid slothfulness, it’s important for us to keep the fire lit. Attending Mass, going to confession, spiritual reading, praying and asking for grace all help us with this.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12: 12).