On the Eve of the Feast Day of Saint Francis I am compelled to write on the difference between Lust and Passion; two impulses that can have some outward manifestation similaries and are thus sometimes mistaken one for the other by their object, but emminate from two entirely different places; one is an impulse of the heart, the other an impulse of humanness sometimes known as the "flesh" which is a composite of the confluent influences of hormones, emotions, tissues and wrong thought. It is a tragedy to mistake one for the other, because to deny Passion is to insult Love.
Outward manifestations of both appear to the observer or the object to be both intense, and both self-sacrificing to the extent that the rest of rational self preservation is discarded in its pursuit.
But one is a selfish impulse and the other entirely self-less in favor of the other's good.
No man has greater love than that he lay down his life for his friends. Jesus, our best friend, did that for us. What a friend we have in Jesus. His Passion was the supreme self-lessness in human form. He cared for us more than his own life. His heart was pure. He gave himself totally and fully for our salvation. He poured himself out. He paid the ultimate price.
Lust takes, demands, and gives no thought to that which it claims and must possess or its well being. It objectifies its object to calculate what it gains from it's pursuit. Passion gives overwhelmingly, unceasingly and unconditionally. It spends itself in an outpouring without counting the cost or the loss. It believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things- to serve the good of the other.
Passion emminates from Love.
Lust emminates from greed.
And this is Love, that God gave his only Son so that no one who believes on his name shall be forsaken, but all who believe in him and call on his name will be saved.
And the Passion of Christ demands and compels that we Go and Do Likewise.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord, Jesus of Nazareth.
EXTRA: You really don't want to miss the EWTN show Live on the Rock where Dawn Eden, a Jewish born woman from New York city discusses her transformation from living a "Sex in the City" ungratifying lifestyle to one where she practices Chastity and Abstinence as a practicing Catholic who believes sex before marriage isn't the fullest path to the depths of real love. Tomorrow may be the last day you can access the EWTN show on their Archives; see Dawn's blog at www.dawneden.com
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