Circumcision of the Masculine Heart

Sunday past was New Year's Day, Feast of the Motherhood of God, World Peace Day, and the Feast of the Circumcision. Of the four, which was least discussed in the Church? Surely the Circumcision! Why would a priest...or anyone at all...talk about the circumcision of Jesus? Yet it is a venerable memorial. And every event in the life of Jesus is a saving mystery! Additionally, circumcision was the ritual chosen by God to mark His covenant with Abraham and His chosen people. But to the attitude of Modernity, what could be more incoherent, repulsive and aberrant than male circumcision? (We abstain here from the medical debate on the health and hygiene aspects of the act.) Circumcision is a violent, bloody attack on the male sex organ that represents communion with the Holy. Now Modernity (among other things) is the denial of blood and sacrifice, the deconstruction of gender, the sentimentalization and sterilization of sexuality, and the absence of the Holy. A priest in Church talking about circumcision would be looked upon as a lunatic. Modernity as we know it is the renunciation of virility, fertility and paternity, chastity, sacrifice as the shedding of blood, and communion with God. If we want to revive heroic, generous masculinity, we should talk about circumcision. But the New Testament, in its embrace of the uncircumcised, moved beyond that specific rite into concern with "circumcision of the heart." So, we ask:  What does it mean for a man to be circumcised in the heart? Circumcision is a painful loss of a masculine part. In addition to association with health and hygiene, it involves identity as a son of God. It is significant that it involves the organ of fertility, of communion and of self-gift. And so, there are at least four ways in which the male heart and psyche needs to be circumcised. First of all, from puberty on male life is continuously, relentlessly, oppressively overwhelmed by sexual desire and frustration. So the first "cut" is endurance, patience, and long-suffering in regard to tension and frustration. This is difficult but becomes oppressively so in this culture of pornography. Second, and closely related, is the longing for emotional, romantic closeness that is also normally frustrated. Here again, the developing man (and we develop until we are dead) need to find the psychological and spiritual resources to care for and revere women and suffer his own deprivations. Thirdly, the pride of the notorious male ego must be dethroned and so each man needs to endure failure and humiliation to come into a liberated humility. So the third cut is the deflation of the ego. Lastly, every man must fight and spill blood: there is no other path into virility. A man must defend himself and fight for what he values. In doing so he has to spill blood. There is no way around this. And so we see that for a young man to enter into his masculinity he must be prepared for the shedding of blood: the frustration of the body and the heart, the deflation of pride, and the struggle of warfare on different levels. Our culture disbelieves in all of this and so leaves our young men adrift and purposeless. It is different for young women. Their "blood sacrifice" is different: natural, fluid, non-deliberate and spontaneous. Their suffering less agonistic and individual and more relational and compassionate. Their pride less pronounced. But our young men need to be circumcised...in the heart, emotions, mind and spirit...to be wholesome, strong and fertile.