Non Est Bonum Esse Hominem Solum

(Title Translation: It is not good for man to be alone)

The most damaging effect of sin is that it makes the sinner alone. Even venial sin puts barriers and divisions between the sinner and the rest of the Bordy of Christ; though it does not cut him off completely. By mortal sin, the sinner cuts himself off from grace completely. Condemnation, then, is not the action of a vengeful God looking to satisfy his rage, but simply the natural result of a sinner who has destroyed his relationship with God and decided not to re-establish it. However, I want to focus on the non-damning damage of sin.

As I said, sin divides the sinner from the Body of Christ, the Church. One of Satan's lies is to tell the sinner that an action is "no big deal" before the sin and that it is irreparable afterwords. He wants to isolate the Christian and prevent repentance, lest the soul be saved and his plots come to nothing. The separation the sinner feels is real, but Satan wishes to make it permanent by telling the Christian that none of the others struggle in the same way, that the individual Christian is defective, will never make it, and should just despair.

The truth, on the other hand, is that "All have sinned." We all need God's mercy to reach heaven, and He intended for us to "Work out our salvation" in community. This, I believe is a crucial point in the creation account. As God is creating, He sees that a variety of things are good, but only once does He pronounce anything the contrary: "It is not good for man to be alone." The fact that He then creates woman may lead us into a reflection on marriage, but how then do we understand celibacy for the kingdom? Indeed, we should note that He does not say, "It is not good for man to be without wife."

The Sacrament of Marriage is a beautiful way for the spouses to minister to each other as a microcosm of the Church, but calls to celibacy in religious life are not calls to be alone. They are expressly calls to live in relationship with other members of a community. Diocesan priests must also minister to one another in the fellowship of the priesthood. Even the hermetical life is not one of loneliness but one of great intimacy with God. Indeed, I think hermits and anchorites should be envied for the fact that they love God to such a degree that He removes them from the distractions of the world so completely.