Based on a talk by Fr Joseph Edattu:

The phrase “control our body and passions” is highly relevant in today’s world. How can we keep our body holy and grow in spirituality? We aspire to holiness, but we are awfully weak. We oscillate between sin and righteousness; become tempted and frustrated, trying our best to grow spiritually.

We fast, pray, and partake in numerous mortifications, in our attempt to advance spiritually. Yet, spirituality often seems transient, lasting only a few weeks before sinful tendencies take the lead again.

So, how do we manage our passions? Does the Holy Bible show us a way to train our mind and body? Of course, it does!

Luke 11:34-35 states: “Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is unhealthy, your body is full of darkness. Therefore, consider whether the light in you is not darkness.”

When driving a car, the steering controls the movement. The eye is the steering of your body. If you can keep your eyes healthy, your whole body will glow. In a dark room, we need a lamp to illuminate the space around us. Our eyes serve as that lamp. If our eyes are healthy, our whole body is illuminated. The whole body can be influenced by one part of our body – the eye!

To safeguard your eye, ensure you avoid watching anything unholy, dirty, evil, or vengeful. If our eyes are desecrated, our entire body will be damaged.

Luke 11:36 states: “If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.”

It’s possible that some part of our body is in darkness without our awareness. If I do something evil, not only does my mind become evil, but my hand does too. If I watch unholy videos, my whole body becomes desecrated. If I do something wrong with a particular part of my body, that part becomes desecrated.

But, all these sins originate from our vision–our eye. If I am doing something with my hand, it is because I have seen something with my eyes, and initiated the act with my hand.

King David’s life offers a lesson about the consequences of indulging one’s eyes.

King David’s life reveals both positive and negative aspects. The negative side shows dreadful suffering, loneliness, rejection, feuds, filial rivalry, sexual immorality, and incest. David’s own son chased him away from the palace. He went through severe pains and struggles during this time.

However, there was another part of his life filled with God’s abundant presence. In God’s radiant glory, David wrote psalms and praised God. God was always by his side, helping him defeat Goliath and numerous enemies. He became the most powerful king of Israel.

When did David’s tragedies start?

David’s tragedies began with one grave mistake – observing a beautiful woman. David happened to see a woman bathing while walking on the roof of his house. His tragedy started with his eyes. Instead of looking away when he saw something he shouldn’t have, he continued to indulge his eyes in that sinful pleasure.

How did David know that the woman was beautiful, even from such a distance? Because he observed with his eyes!

My dear brothers and sisters, there is a considerable difference between seeing and looking. You can choose to turn away from something which you see accidentally. But, when you choose to look, that is a deliberate action.

David entertained his eyes, and thus began his dramatic fall! He committed adultery and murder, and lost his kingship. His entire family was destroyed; he was chased away from the palace and lived like a fugitive.

He lost God’s presence, and he wrote psalms seeking forgiveness. If only he had safeguarded his eyes, he would have saved himself and his family from those tragedies.

From David’s life, we learn a valuable lesson: the eye plays a significant role in our spiritual life.

Navigating our spiritual journey often feels challenging due to the pull of our bodily desires and passions. In this struggle, the Bible provides us guidance.

Luke 11:34-35 emphasizes the importance of maintaining purity in our vision, likening the eye to a lamp. Just as a lamp can fill a room with light or darkness, our eyes can influence our entire body. Keeping our eyes healthy and free from unholy influences is paramount.

This is illustrated by the story of King David. His tragic downfall began when he misused his sight, observing Bathsheba bathing. This led him down a path of adultery, murder, and family turmoil. If only David had controlled his eyes and turned away from the sight, he could have prevented his fall from grace.

In short, the Bible teaches us that by controlling our sight, we can exert control over our entire body, keeping it holy, and aiding our spiritual growth. The key to this control lies in our ability to distinguish between seeing and deliberately looking, especially when faced with temptation. By keeping our eyes pure, we uphold our spiritual sanctity.

Let’s follow Jesus’s advice to keep our eyes pure. If your eyes are holy, your entire body will be holy. If you can control your eye, you can control your entire body. The Bible provides us with the wisdom to safeguard our spirituality.

May God bless you with the ability to control your body and passions, to keep your body holy, and grow spiritually.