-ARY !NN $ONOVAN
)N CONTEMPORARY #ATHOLICISM THIS PATTERN IS APPARENT IN THE 2ITE OF #HRISTIAN )NITIATION FOR !DULTS 4HERE MATURE BELIEVERS PLAY KEY ROLES IN THE INSTRUCTION AND INITIATION OF NEOPHYTES 4HE PATTERN OF TURNING TO MATURE #HRISTIANS ALSO APPEARS WHEN YOUNG ADULTS RAISED AS #ATHOLICS ARE READY TO FORM FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN -ARRIAGE PREPARATION AND PREPARATION FOR THE BIRTH AND BAPTISM OF CHILDREN ALSO CALL INTO PLAY THE INTERACTION ACROSS GEN ERATIONS OF BELIEVERS !NOTHER EXAMPLE OCCURS IN SEMINARIES AND NOVITIATES WHERE FUTURE PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS UNDERGO TRAINING UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MEN AND WOMEN EXPERIENCED IN THIS WAY OF LIFE !FTER !NTONY HAD STUDIED THE EXAMPLE OF OTHER BELIEVERS HE ENTERED INTO AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF PROGRESSIVELY GREATER SELF DISCIPLINE DURING WHICH HE UNDERWENT SEVERE STRUGGLES WITH TEMPTATION 3ELF DISCIPLINE AND THE ENDURANCE OF TEMPTATION ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF #HRISTIAN LIFE THOUGH NEITHER MAY TAKE THE PARTICULAR FORMS FOUND IN THE !NTONY TALE 4HE POINT IS THAT THE LOVE OF *ESUS #HRIST BECOMES THE FOCUS OF ALL ONE S LOVES )T IS NOT THAT ONE DOES NOT LOVE ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE NOR L THAT ONE LOVES THEM LESS 2ATHER ANY OTHER LOVE MUST BE CONGRUENT WITH THE LOVE OF #HRIST 4HE STRUGGLE VARIES !LWAYS IT CONCERNS THE NATURE OF ONE S LOVES ,IFE IS FED BY LOVE -Y LOVE MAY BE MY LOVER MY WORK MY FAMILY )T MAY BE HEALTH DRINK POWER SEX 4O WHAT TO WHOM DO ) GIVE MY LOVE AND MY SELF 5LTIMATELY WHICH LOVE RULES ALL THE OTHERS 7E ARE BACK TO THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS OF LOVE h9OU SHALL LOVE THE ,ORD YOUR 'OD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND v 4HIS IS THE GREATEST AND l RST COMMANDMENT !ND A SECOND IS LIKE IT h9OU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF v /N THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS !T ISSUE IS ATTRACTION TO AN ALTERNATE ULTIMATE LOVE !NYONE WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH AN ADDICTION TO DRINK OR WITH AN ATTRACTION TO A LOVE OUTSIDE OF ONE S MARRIAGE WILL RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIALLY ALL CONSUMING NATURE OF SUCH A CONm ICT 3OONER OR LATER EACH OF US FACES SOME SUCH STRUGGLE WHETHER OR NOT WE USE THE LANGUAGE OF hDEMONSv AND hTEMPTATIONv TO DESCRIBE IT (ELPS FOR THE STRUGGLER ARE SOMEWHAT UNDERPLAYED IN THE ACCOUNT OF !NTONY S LIFE ALTHOUGH IT WAS TO THE EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS THAT !NTONY TURNED AT THE OUTSET OF HIS QUEST 4HE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF COMMUNITY IS EVIDENT IN THOSE WHO BROUGHT HIM NECESSITIES DURING HIS YEARS IN THE TOMBS .ONE OF US SURVIVES WITHOUT OTHERS "UT THERE IS ANOTHER MISSING ELEMENT FOR WHICH WE MUST LOOK TO THE 'OSPEL .OWHERE IN HIS TEXT DOES !THANASIUS MENTION THE %UCHARIST 9ET *ESUS TEACHES THAT WHAT #HRISTIANS CALL h%UCHARISTv IS OUR FOOD FOR THE STRUGGLE
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