[20] In a large household there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for humble use. [21] If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the house, ready for every good work. [22] So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with purity of heart.
(CCC 2531) Purity of heart will enable us to see God: it enables us even now to see things according to God. (CCC 2532) Purification of the heart demands prayer, the practice of chastity, purity of intention and of vision. (CCC 2533) Purity of heart requires the modesty which is patience, decency, and discretion. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. (CCC 2516) Because man is a composite being, spirit and body, there already exists a certain tension in him; a certain struggle of tendencies between "spirit" and "flesh" develops. But in fact this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is a consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it. It is part of the daily experience of the spiritual battle: For the Apostle it is not a matter of despising and condemning the body which with the spiritual soul constitutes man's nature and personal subjectivity. Rather, he is concerned with the morally good or bad works, or better, the permanent dispositions - virtues and vices - which are the fruit of submission (in the first case) or of resistance (in the second case) to the saving action of the Holy Spirit. For this reason the Apostle writes: "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (John Paul II, DeV 55; cf. Gal 5:25).
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