Christian Counselors As Guides Towards Faith

For centuries the debate of faith versus reason has gone back and forth.  Aquinas and Augustine championed the Christian metaphysical views. Later they were challenged by the Empiricists and Logical Positivists who denied the existence of anything that cannot be physically verified.  In return, various Christian apologetics responded that one cannot study metaphysics as a physical science for it transcends science and the tools of science cannot comprehend or measure it.  The purpose of today’s blog is not to be a course study in apologetics, but instead is intended for Christians who already believe, or may sometimes feel doubt in their faith.  Hence today’s blog is more pastoral.  Christian Counselors will find many spiritual children who may doubt their faith but not have surrendered it.  Today we present some thoughts regarding counseling the doubtful.

First and foremost, any doubt against faith is from Satan who wishes to uproot our faith in Christ.  While it is always good to question in order to become stronger, it is never good to doubt what you question when it comes to the faith of Christ.  St. Augustine stated that he “believes so therefore he can understand”.
How can one dare to understand the deepest mysteries of the Trinity, our origins and the many other mysteries that are our faith?  Only extreme hubris would attempt to understand the infinite mysteries of faith.  Instead we must accept faith and then hope to understand.  God will not grant sacred illumination to the proud or the intellectuals who hope from a finite perspective to divulge the infinite.  Wisdom is given to those who humbly accept not the pompus and obnoxious minds of our generation.

So, as a child, one must accept what God has revealed.  This is a supernatural gift, the gift of faith.  It is a virtue that is instilled into our souls at Baptism and it grows as we grow in our love of God.  While intellectuals may scoff at such childlike dependency and present scientific findings that seem to contradict faith, one who is guided by God finds no doubt.  While the empiricists search the lower essence of man for answers, the gift of faith enables even children to search the higher levels of man’s essence for answers.
Is this to discredit science? Is this to discredit reason?  Absolutely not!  Reason is quite useful in understanding why we believe.  However, reason and the intellect can only go so far.  The will then must assent to the grace of the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap between finite and infinite.  Science, as a profane study, can never reach the lofty heights of theology as a science because it cannot operate in the metaphysical realm.  It lacks the spiritual lens and is incapable of working with the grace of God.  Its study belongs to the observable but this study is not in contradiction to faith.  It leads to faith.  Only those who hope to destroy faith, utilize science as a tool to undermine it.  For if God is author of both faith and science, then both are truth but at different levels.
So, we again attest, faith before reason because faith and metaphysics is the highest science.  Through faith, God allows us to understand.  Is not one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit understanding?  Only after the infusion of the theological virtue of faith, can the gifts of the Holy Spirit manifest.  It is thus through Baptism that we become equipped with the necessary tools to believe.
While some psychologists may attempt to classify faith as a pathological state, in which some cases it can be, one cannot undermine true faith.  True faith does not harm the other faculties of the soul.  The intellect still responds rationally and the mind is at peace.  There are cases where “faith” seems to uproot the rationale mind.  These cases are not true faith for they cause division within the mind of man and cause pathological disorder.
So when doubt occurs, the Christian must embrace this powerful gift.  The virtue of faith is fed by the Holy Spirit and any Christian who faces doubt must submit his will to God.  This trial can at times be difficult.  It may be presented by a seeming paradox between science and faith or a mystery that one cannot completely comprehend.  In these cases, allow the power of faith to heal the doubt and produce peace.  These things are not meant for us to understand or comprehend.  Christian Counselors do not need to present a solid  presentation every time one feels a loss of hope, but instead they need to direct that person to prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to bring calm and then understanding.
The understanding may not even be of the particular mystery but an understanding that one is not meant to comprehend this mystery at that time.  This prayer can also soothe the soul in reinforcing God’s presence.  The sense of God’s presence can soothe the childlike mind.  When a parent holds a child who is traumatized, the child’s peace and security is not because he understands the situation but only the warmth and presence of the parent.  Faith works this way and removes the fear and gives peace.
As one assents to the powers of faith and allows its particular spiritual fragrance to subdue the soul, one will gradually grow deeper and deeper into spirituality and the mystical realm.  One’s spiritual eyes will open and God’s revelation and words will grow.  Ultimately, a peace will overtake the soul as a result of God’s presence.

We must have faith that what is unseen will one day be seen.  In the meantime, God has given us supernatural gifts that alleviate the finite mind’s worry.  Ultimately, let us be rewarded for our faith when Christ’s promise is fulfilled:  “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe”
If you are interested in taking Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program.

Mark Moran, MA

Christian Counseling and The Call of Christ to Seek Perfection

Christian Counseling sesssions should direct the spiritual child to a more perfect way of existence.  This Christian attempt for perfection can be found in the Eight Beatitudes of Christ.  Christ taught these Eight states of being during one of his many sermons.
These states of being did not attempt to escape an imperfect temporal world, but identified the suffering of the fallen world, and contrasted these imperfections with the perfections of the next life.  In doing so, Christ also illustrated states of perfection that all Christians should strive despite society’s erroneous opinions that these states were inferior or signs of weakness.  The blurred vision of the material world and its fallen state seeks illusion of power, greed and might and dismisses the meek and merciful, but Christ clearly illustrates that what is an illusion of weakness is truly power in this world and the next.   He exalts the weak and admonishes the powerful.  We will now review these Christian ideals of excellence.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their is the Kingdom of Heaven.  This beatitude refers to the soul who seeks not materialism or looks for temporal fame or approval but meekly seeks only perfection before the sight of God.  This soul would much rather cultivate virtue and spiritual treasure than physical values.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. We have in previous articles spoke in detail about those who mourn in this fallen world.  This is the one of the main purposes of counseling, to comfort the mourning.  However this also refers to those who mourn as Christ taught us to mourn.  We are all called to offer up our crosses and accept them.  In our Christian mourning, we can be an example to the world and in the next life find happiness and comfort in the beatific vision.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  This beatitude shows the upside down nature of the world.  Where Caesars, Kings, and Emperors forced their rule on the multitudes, it will inevitably be the meek who subjugate the proud in the next life.  Christ himself revealed this as he hid his divinity in the flesh of humanity.  He meekly allowed his own creation to mock him and crucify him, but in the end, it will the meek Christ that returns triumphantly to judge the universe-not the leaders who called for his crucifixion.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.  Here encompasses the ideal of turning the other cheek and allowing God to deal with the evil people perpetrate against one.  God understands the injustices of this world.  When evil men go unpunished for horrible deeds.  From the smallest slight to the greatest crimes, these people will not escape the hand of God.  Whether justice is fulfilled in this world or the next, God will punish the wicked and satisfy the thirst of justice for his people.  In counseling, one must remind those filled with vengeance and anger to try to let go their hate and allow the hand of God to carry out justice.
Blessed are the merciful for they obtain mercy. If any idea was foreign to the ancient world, it was truly this phrase.  Rome was far from merciful and the idea of slaying one’s enemy and ruling with an iron fist was a universal trend.  Christ, however, demands that one show mercy to the fallen or those who have offended us.  If we do not, we ourselves shall not obtain mercy.  Christ as the perfect paradigm of Christian excellence, showed us that only mercy to others will save us in the end.  Even in the most turbulent moment in the Garden, he healed the man’s ear and admonished Peter that those who live by the sword shall die by it.

Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. This is perhaps one of the most lacking elements of modern society.  Corrupted by various lustful attractions, modern society has fallen away from purity.  But beyond the mere literal ideal, this also refers to innocence.  The innocence of faith and hope and love of a child.  Jesus pointed out that one must be as a child to see and enter into heaven.  Child life faith and child life purity pleases God in contrast to skepticism and lust.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they are children of God. This beatitude reinforces much of Christ’s  ideas that hoped to complete the old law of Moses.  The transformation from an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth to turning one’s cheek is emphasized in this beatitude.  Peacemakers avoid anger, revenge, gossip and fully understand how to love one’s neighbor as themselves.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This final beatitude again emphasizes the imperfections of this temporal reality and the true value of heaven.  For the purpose of Christ and his truth, we must forfeit all other things.  Whether this is through martyrdom or merely public ridicule.  We must become disciples of Christ and represent the truth and become light in the darkness of sin.  Do we stand up for what is right when it is difficult to do so?  One does not have to die for Christ to fulfill this beatitude but merely awaken and interact with the secular and sinful modern world.
I feel these beatitudes are important in counseling and when one is counseling someone with a particular problem to apply one of these beatitudes to their spiritual child’s need and situation.

If you are interested in the courses for Christian Counseling Certification or interested in Christian Education, please review the program.  Those interested in taking Christian Counseling courses can review the program.

Mark Moran, MA, GC-C, SCC-C