Martin Pistorious was 12 when he first slipped into a coma due to a rare condition. After two years, his mind woke up, but his body did not. To all visitors and doctors, he was in a vegetative state. His body was limp, his eyes were non-reactive, and his mouth unable utter a single syllable. No one knew that behind his non-functional body, a fully conscious man walked through the labyrinth of his mind… alone.
Mr. Pistorious remained in this maze for 10 more years until he finally regained control of his body. When he awoke, he proceeded to tell doctors and family that he was conscious for a decade, had heard what everyone had said and understood their longing for his awakening. He had feared that he would never wake up, that he would remain trapped in the black hole of his own thoughts, listening to the agony of his loved ones, forever.
I believe the Bride of Christ has been in a similar state in the recent past. We who make up the Church share in the One body of Christ, and although there are many parts to this body, we are not all fully animated. We are, in a sense, asleep to the world much like Mr. Pistorious: Our thoughts are not realized. Our words are not heard. Our true evangelistic potential has not been properly tapped… yet.
3 Steps to Waking Christ’s Bride from Her Coma
The secret to our spiritual awakening is found in Revelation. According to Dei Verbum,
“…while the truth and holiness of God always remains intact, the marvelous ‘condescension’ of eternal wisdom is clearly shown, that we may learn the gentle kindness of God, which words cannot express, and how far He has gone in adapting His language with thoughtful concern for our weak human nature.”
In light of these words, we find weakness to be the first stepping stone of our spiritual revival. It is in this spiritual and bodily weakness that we are able to spark the potential power of our souls. Christ animated His perfect soul prior to death. We, who have imperfect souls, must first die to ourselves in Baptism (and Confirmation) in order to be truly animated.
The second step to spiritual revival is recognize the soul of Christ. Again, Dei Verbum: “The study of the sacred page is the soul of Theology.” When one listens to the Word of God in scripture, they become like Mr. Pistorious in a way. The eternal truths of heaven as expressed through human language has a desensitizing effect on our bodies in that it penetrates to the very heart of our lives. Sure, it takes our imagination for a ride using information gathered from our experience with the five senses, but it does so in a way that intensifies every metaphysical angle of our lives. It exemplifies moral absolutes regardless of the lens through which the reader views the word. As a result, our minds and bodies are, in a way, united with the source of all life- God Himself.
The third step is animation. Dominicans are preachers and as preachers, we enliven the the souls of the faithful through the Word using every resource we have available to us. The preaching of the Word is the animation of the soul. We, in essence are another “Word made flesh” for it is not we who live, but Christ within us (Gal. 2:20). It is not we who speak, “ but the Spirit of [our] Father speaking through [us]” (Mat. 10:20).
God has revealed His salvific plan through His Son who was not only the Word and the prefect soul, but also the animation of that word in human flesh. We are His Bride, the Church, and for years we have been a sleeping giant of evangelization. As many members of His body, we will remain dormant until all parts of the body are animated. The mind is already there, for Christ, the head, remains alive for eternity. The heart is beating too, for Mary, Christ’s mother, continues to flush the body with spiritual graces that flow through our veins. All that’s left to arise is the Church who sleeps wistfully to the melodious, yet demonic, sound of the world.
It is the Dominicans who must sound the alarm.