- Nov 30, 2003
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Ok. Aquinas' point is that self-love is necessary and normal, natural and created, but the "self-love" you describe is actually narcissim, arrogance, pride, not self-love.
To love our neighbor as ourselves means, in regard to ourselves, to be balanced, to neither exalt oneself as pride seeks to have us do, nor to debase oneself with shame which is the flip side of pride (and not humility either), when we fail to live up to its excessive standards. It's to recognize and appreciate the basic goodness in all of God's creation.
But it seems to me that there is a lot of debasing in the Catholic mass itself.
Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof...
I confess my sins... that I have greatly sinned - through my fault (beat your breast), through my fault (beat your breast), through my most grievous fault (beat your breast).
Is that not debasing?
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