Day & Night

In his recent book Be Restored, therapist Bob Schuchts makes the disconcerted but caring assertion that all of us of this bleary age are in some way sexually wounded. The wound does not have to come from an early youth episode, but being born during the last 70 years, unavoidably immersed in a media culture of peculiar sexual priority. The wound emerged also amidst families, where incomplete masculinity and femininity appeared across a wide spectrum and touched and afflicted many fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, in some form.

Lust is an idol, a God-surrogate. To give yourself to sexual intoxication, is a seemingly giddy proposal, to take ‘all a juvenile could want’, as Hugh Hefner synthetically observed. Many are the varieties, but all wear the same ring of creature power. The mock wedding ring forged by blind human will and frailty leads to slavery, and in the end, soul desecration.

But in the ecstasy of the fevers of the hours of the hedonisms, the creature does not see this, only that he is finally free to be “happy all the time”. Yet, constant intoxication and novelty of intoxication are incapable of solving the problem of meaning and purpose in life. See https://www.josephnicolosi.com/an-open-secret-the-truth-about Any version of the manifold addictions to sexual misconfiguration, can eclipse the unseen realities of wider human significance – charitable, spiritual and godly.

Onward in our quest, for anyone sexually abused or wounded or compromised or malformed at an early enough time without full moral cognitive awareness, the Word Who is Shepherd and Victory has searched for and found us, to overcome the habits and deformities of the flesh. Earth is not a human orgasm generator. There is more going on in the play of existence than the momentary heights of sexual ecstasy, even for wedded companions of the opposite sex, who jointly understand the animal act could, at any time, bear fruit.

The unveiling of disorder stretches from farthest outward to most hidden inward. For those, decades in recovery, it is an eventual recapture of the mind, to keep the phantasm of lust out of one’s head, to take back mentality itself, holily. Impossible? Not with God.

But the sexually-attached cannot avail to God while still sotted. Letting go is a continuous prayer and act. Can we be convicted by the Voice Who asks: How long will you remain a slave in Egypt? It is time to let go of your chains, of the ungodly secret vow of self-reliance."

God, in the name of Jesus, help me to let go of the flesh, the habit, the old man. Help me break my ungodly and juvenile vow.

For the long-recovering, patience of the most consummate kind be asked. For even though there are periodic glimpses of why freedom is so right and clearly in the Divine Will, things like temptation will not stop seeking us, sorely trying the faith of acquired freedom. There is no way to avoid suffering to find the way out, even though this is what addict and compulsive often place at the top of the wish list: let me recover without pain, ‘let it just stop’. In this narrow way, beware also the Liar who whispers “You’re Done!” He never sleeps and always comes again at a later time, choosing with assiduous cunning.

Is it late in the game when the outward is all but conquered, leaving only the vexatious inward to deal with, especially sleep, night, the mysterious subconscious - the invisible world filled with unchosen fixations - yet still somehow chosen by consequence - dreams, shadows, rumors… that while not technically sin can bring the peril of arousal.

In Gethsemane, Jesus returns to the trio three times, and they are found asleep three times. We cannot sleep the way to freedom! The night is far spent. Why were they sleeping? Why are we sleeping? Exhaustion? Sorrow? Cowardice? Are we rising from the knotted sheets to pray? As from the beginning of the work: keep praying and do not stop ever, pray even with empty silence if you must. But pray, and ask others to pray. Saints know their nothingness. Even Therese, Luisa, Faustina, already well-nigh paradise, were on record begging prayers.

As the lights die in a world progressively losing God completely, it is become plain: day versus the night. Sleep versus the Stand. To be the Children of God or children of satan, to stand with John or hang with the Iscariot.

Stand! Stay awake! Tell a brother! You want freedom from the nightmare of unrelieved unsatiated craving! Say yes again, to immemorial religion, say yes to the Unseen wisdom that speaks Life, say yes to Papa God, King of all, Who made you and waits for you to turn in His direction, toward desire for true peace, everlasting joy, say yes to the superiority of Spirit, say yes to Eternal Jesus, the Son-God, Who came to deliver flesh from the flesh, by a ransom of blood, before the miserable ever thought of rolling a head around to dare see the other direction. Oppose the Ruse, the Deceiver, Sedation, the Tempter, the Twister, the Reel, so skilled at hiding the stench of his breath. Say yes to the day of awareness and liberation. Say no to the night of ignorance and oblivion.

Christians do not fear the devil. To battle sexual prostration in our lives we “put on the full armor of God” as St. Paul proclaims in Ephesians: attending Mass, frequenting confession, praying, reading the Bible, turning to Blessed Mary the inviolate protectress – The Mother of Discernment; using sacramentals, surrounding ourselves with people who spiritually support us, being diligently aware of our weaknesses, and asking God to heal our wounds, going where He directs, and letting others assist.

For freedom, renounce lies, see true that my creature cannot get it done, cannot desire to get it done, without help. Religion is instantly reborn, the reign of dark rudely interrupted by the amazing ever-opening door of Grace. God is infinite mercy, inexhaustible providence. He cannot do the work for us if there is not at least agreement and obedience with what He wants to do. Beg Him for the grace even of cooperation itself.

Think you are a goner again? Hear Jesus in day four of the Surrender Novena! Do you see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry; close your eyes and say to Me with faith: “Thy will be done, You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor; and I will accomplish miracles if they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say, “You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that there is no medicine more powerful than My loving intervention. By My love, I promise this to you.

Remember too, we are on this journey together, fellowship is the rock-floor firmness to gain the prize of Conversion.

God eternal peace, I surrender to You my sexual nature. I invite You to possess my sexual faculty. You have revealed to me that the only true peace is the one where You claim the sovereign centrality of my sexuality. I cede it to You. I give You my conscience Jesus, please give me Yours. Grant us a spirit stronger than flesh, that masters flesh, a spirit that can strangle satan. I ask with faith in the name of Jesus. Amen.