Passion

The Latin root of our word passion, "passio," means to suffer, to receive, to be acted upon or afflicted. We think, of course, of The Passion of our Lord, the epitome of torment and affliction. Our more common use of the term refers to intense affection, longing or desire. Here again, however, the root meaning of reception or passivity is prominent: we suffer or are afflicted with passion and desire, it happens to us rather than coming from our will. In both cases then, that of suffering and that of desire, the key is passivity or reception. For instance, we "fall in love" but do not "jump into love" in that it happens to us involuntarily, almost like an accident, as if we walk into a manhole because we are not looking where we are going. In this sense, we can see that existence itself, existence as a creature, a finite, non-necessary being, is also passion: we do not initiate, choose or opt for our existence. We are "thrust into" life: involuntarily. We can, of course, assent to our existence, or not: but the initiative is beyond ourselves. Likewise, we do not determine our own identity, constitution, place in time and history: all of this is given to us, suffered by us, afflicted upon us...our genetics, family, social class, range of abilities and disabilities and so forth. That we exist is passion...and who, where, what, and how we exist is also all passion, reception as gift and/or affliction. In an even profounder way existence is passion in that we are always in desire: we are always longing for something even when we are unable to define the object of our desire. When we are able to define our desire (this goal, that person), we eventually find that obtaining that object does not quench the desire, as it re-emerges in in a new restlessness, a new emptiness, a new longing. And so we see that existence as a man or woman is always desire or passion, desire or passion that is finally insatiable, desire or passion that is infinite. That is to say, our desire is for God, the infinite, the absolute, the all-wonderful. This is where the whole thing becomes deliriously delightful: when we learn that God, who is without lack or need or limitation, is Himself passionate for us. The Passion of His Son revealed this to us: that suffering or affliction was not an end in itself, but a gesture indicative of a far, far, far grander Passion: His, or Their (the Three), passion for us. He came among us, at the will of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring us into Their life. So we see, as Father Philippe instructs us, that suffering is not a stopping point, but a passage way. We do not abide in suffering, we abide in love. We abide in desire...our desire for God...and His, Their, infinitely greater desire for us.