The spiritual and the physical life: an analogy

The spiritual life conforms to the physical life. In the physical life man 

is perfected in three chief ways: first, by generation, in that he is born 

into this world; secondly, by growth, through which he is brought up into 

stature and perfect strength; thirdly, by food which sustains man's life 

and powers. This would suffice were it not that man is attacked by 

illnesses, and hence, fourthly, he needs something which will bring him 

back to health.

This also holds true in the spiritual life. First, man needs regeneration 

or re-birth which is brought through the Sacrament of Baptism: "Unless a 

man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the 

kingdom of God." Secondly, it is necessary that man develop perfect 

strength, which is, as it were, a spiritual growth, and this indeed comes 

to him in the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is like the strengthening 

which the Apostles received when the Holy Ghost came upon them and 

confirmed them. The Lord had said to them: "But stay you in the city of 

Jerusalem till you be endued with power from on high." The third 

similarity is that man must be fed with spiritual food: "Unless you eat the 

flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in 

you." Fourthly, man must be healed spiritually through the Sacrament of 

Penance: "Heal, O Lord, my soul, for I have sinned against Thee." Lastly, 

one is healed both in soul and in body in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction: 

"Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and 

let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And 

the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him 

up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." Two of the 

Sacraments, Orders and Matrimony, are instituted for the common good of the 

Church. Through the Sacrament of Orders the Church is ruled and is 

spiritually multiplied; and through Matrimony it is increased physically in 

numbers.