Tag Archives: true self

True Self and False Self-Flesh and Spirit

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A Butterfly pleases God by being a butterfly.

Paul is at times difficult to understand. Part of Thomas Merton’s genius was his ability to translate Paul into terms more understandable to twentieth century people. Thus, Merton speaks of the false self—the flesh—and this avoids all the dangers of confusing Pau’s fleshl with a Platonian hatred of the body. The false self is as the following indicates so clearly “hostility toward God and the things of God.” When we dwell in the power of the Spirit, we live from our true self which is concerned with “life and peace.” Here, eirene—peace in Greek—echoes shalom which is life, peace, wholeness and well-being. Our true self lives in and for “God Alone” which is inscribed over a portal at the Monastery of Gethsemane. The Spirit—capital “S”—dwelling in us brings us into our true self formed in the image of the God who creates us. I have re-translated part of Romans 8 using the false self and true self. Continue reading →

True Self Church

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Brothers and sisters:
I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Eph 3:14-21

This passage from Paul is so Merton. It is the foundation for Merton’s true self – false self. In the wake of New Age mysticism born of the Enlightenment, we have seen all kinds of schemes for finding and developing our true selves. The problem is that man-made schemes, even the non-New Age schemes of the Vatican—do not make us God-like. Continue reading →