Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
God purposely created each of us; God desires that we each would live purposefully within the divine design. God created us toward a defined end – that we would offer our lives in praise of God’s glory, that we would love God with our whole being and love neighbor as ourselves, and that we would model our lives after Christ, preferring nothing to him. While none of us fully or perfectly attain this goal during our earthly lives, an authentic desire to live holy lives propels us toward this end. Self-absorption and earthly affections so easily get in the way. Today’s first reading from the Book of Proverbs stimulated my reflection on this topic and reminded me of the teaching of St Ignatius of Loyola and others around holy indifference. I pray that the wisdom of these saints might inspire us to live lives of balance and purpose.
The wise author of Proverbs petitions God, Two things I ask of you, deny them not to me before I die: Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God. Ignatian spirituality involves living a life in balance, or harmony, with what is; such a life develops a peaceful acceptance of any given moment. St Ignatius said, We should use God’s gifts of creation however they help us in achieving the end for which we were created, and we ought to rid ourselves of whatever gets in the way of our purpose. Materials I read during an Ignatian retreat build upon his statement, In order to do this we must make ourselves indifferent to all creation, to the extent that we do not desire health more than sickness, riches more than poverty, honor more than dishonor, a long life more than a short life, or anything at all in and of itself. We should desire and choose only what helps us attain the end for which we were created. When we lack the indifference, or the balance, that Ignatius talks about, we fall prey to our own desires, choices, wants, and preferences. Those selfish tendencies distract us and lead us off the path of pursuing our God-given purpose and the end for which we were created.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve out to evangelize. He admonished them to take nothing with them and to rely on the hospitality of those to whom they were sent. If they weren’t welcomed, they were to move on without letting the lack of reception to the Gospel dissuade them. In Jesus’ method, I see this concept of “holy indifference.” This phrase might seem like an oxymoron at first glance, but indifference doesn’t mean that you don’t care or are ambivalent about a situation or about life. Rather, it’s a detachment from things, relationships, others’ treatment of you, bodily state, and your desires such that you can live a more balanced, harmonious, and free life. St Francis de Sales wrote on this concept, as well, saying, We should seek to practise such indifference with respect to all that concerns our natural life such as health or sickness, beauty or deformity, strength or weakness, honour, rank, and riches; so, also, in all fluctuations of the spiritual life, dryness, consolation, and the like. This concept was central for Pope Innocent XII, also. He wrote, In the same state of holy indifference we wish nothing for ourselves, all for God. We do not wish that we be perfect and happy for self interest, but we wish all perfection and happiness only in so far as it pleases God to bring it about that we wish for these states by the impression of His grace . . . In this state of holy indifference we no longer seek salvation as our own salvation, as our eternal liberation, as a reward of our merits, nor as the greatest of all our interests, but we wish it with our whole will as the glory and good pleasure of God, as the thing which He wishes, and which He wishes us to wish for His sake.
The author of Proverbs petitioned the Lord with his “two things.” Voice your petition to the Lord now. What might you need from God in order to practice this “holy indifference” today? May God give us each the graces we need to live in greater freedom, harmony, and balance. Amen!
- Elizabeth Wourms