I am in a quandary, which often happens when one inadvertently tries to 'overthink' something. In my current graduate course on Human Development, we explore the development of faith and the journey of the soul. My difficulty lies in applying the Catholic dogma of 'soul' to the science of psychology and its various definitions of 'soul' (and I'm sure I am not the first one to wrestle with this). According to Father John A. Hardon, S.J. in Catholic Dictionary, the soul is the "spiritual, immortal part in human beings that animates their body." God creates each soul individually for a person and infuses it into the body at the moment of conception (how cool is that?). Since the soul is of spiritual substance, it cannot die; yet it longs for the body which is why body and soul are reunited at the Final Resurrection. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 365-368, human body and soul form one nature, and the body animated by the soul shares in the dignity of 'God's image' (CCC 364). While Sacred Scripture often refers to 'soul' as the entire human person, it also "refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God's image: 'soul' signifies the spiritual principle in man "(CCC 363).
And here is my favorite:
"Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator." (CCC 364)
Now I am feeling a bit better about considering the 'maturity' of the soul in the study of psychology. Rather than considering 'soul' as finding one's depth and improving one's place in the world so that one may appropriately care for the earth community, I can reflect that: acting in the image of God, the soul 'matures' by 'navigating' the body through earthly matters in such a way as to continually desire and move ever forward toward eternal life with God. Through love of God and neighbor, we care for and 'sustain' life on earth so that the journey to heaven for others is a praiseworthy and truer path. Ah, but just how does soul mature?
According to an interview with Father Barron of the Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, priests serve as 'soul doctors'. We are thus fed, or more appropriately, healed by the priests' tools of preaching, proclaiming Scripture, celebrating the Sacraments, counseling, sharing doctrines and great spiritual writings, and appreciating the images of our tradition. Additional 'food'/healing comes from many other treasures such as the way we talk about Christ through images, literature, architecture, art, drama, the stained glass windows of the great cathedrals and our churches, and so on. It would seem, then, that our soul matures at the rate in which we allow it to be nourished and are then 'fired by this fuel' on our pilgrim journey to heaven. Psychologically we encounter many challenges and barriers as we progress through the phases life on earth presents to us, but grounded in the faith that we have been created in God's image, the soul animates the body to be the best person it can be 'for the greater honor and glory of God'.
Let us pray, then, for the daily bread that feeds and heals soul and body!
Sources used for this piece:
-http://www.catholicity.com/catechism/body_and_soul-truly_one.html
-www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/index.cfm?recnum=1827
- http://www.romancatholicidentity.com/2010/05/fr-barron-priest-as-soul-doctor.html
An additional source readers may find interesting may be found at:
http://www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/April-2011/Faith-Seeks-Understanding-The-Soul-and-the-Body.aspx
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