Catholics becoming Gods. In this episode, Mother Natalia of the Byzantine Catholic of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery and host of the “What God is Not” podcast discuss theosis (or deification) from an Eastern Catholic perspective, bringing in parts and systems thinking. Join us for a fascinating, rollicking conversation about this most important topic.
Key moments in this episode
9:40 Theosis or deification as understood as “becoming God” in the Eastern Catholic Church, and how theosis is becoming more and more one with God.
15:00 What is the impact or effect of theosis on our parts? How parts can be transfigured
19:20 Human formation deficits and inner fragmentation can keep us from theosis, from becoming one with God. The concept of “involuntary sin” in the Eastern Catholic Church.
28:11 Starting with what health looks like, how the fall affects us, and the effects manifested in spiritual illnesses – allowing all of our parts to heal and be deified.
31:29 Evagrius insists that our desires are inherently good, but can become twisted
33:00 Are different parts of a person experiencing different degrees of union with God at the same time?
38:01 Jesus seeks out the less desirable members of society – the poor, lame, sick, lepers, the tax collectors, etc. Does God seek out the exiles first, seeking to redeem them? Does God bypass the innermost self to reach the exiled parts? How inner unity is needed for parts to be close to God.
48:45 The difference between essence and energies in Eastern Catholic thought with St. Maximus the Confessor
54:20 “Nepsis” or watchfulness
1:00:30 Is nepsis about being watchful inwardly and outwardly? Impulses come from parts which are already in the heart, as opposed to temptation, which originates outside the person.
1:06:30 An example of nepsis or watchfulness and parts from monastic life about a part feeling unseen
1:15:01 A model of working with parts in ways similar to working with little children. With an example from Mother Natalia’s life.
1:19:15 Cutting or self-mutilation as an example of trying to find the good desire within a maladaptive impulse. Seeking causes underneath the symptom
1:30:00 Mother Natalia’s practical takeaway – we are so steeped in our culture’s obsession with productivity and take a functional view of prayer – what can prayer provide us, for some specific good. But we need to go to prayer to “be with” God and be in His presence.
1:33:45 Dr. Gerry’s practical takeaway on prayer is to get a cat, because his cat Nebula, helps him to slow way down and stop being so busy in prayer.
1:35:45 Parts’ desire for theosis is heavily dependent on their God images – patience and kindness and gentleness with parts, and how parts need to experience love from other relationships first
1:39:15 The Holy Spirit is unafraid to approach us even when we are still impure, and one of the mistakes we make is that we believe that we need to get to a particular place in order to encounter God.
What is Interior Integration for Catholics?
The mission of this podcast is the formation of your heart in love and for love, Together, we shore up the natural, human foundation for your spiritual formation as a Catholic. St. Thomas Aquinas asserts that without this inner unity, without this interior integration, without ordered self-love, you cannot enter loving union with God, your Blessed Mother, or your neighbor. Informed by Internal Family Systems approaches and grounded firmly in a Catholic understanding of the human person, this podcast brings you the best information, the illuminating stories, and the experiential exercises you need to become more whole in the natural realm. This restored human formation then frees you to better live out the three loves in the two Great Commandments – loving God, your neighbor, and yourself. Check out the Resilient Catholics Community which grew up around this podcast at https://www.soulsandhearts.com/rcc.