Expert: J.M.J. West - 5/2/2009

Question
For a long time, whenever I looked at pictures of Christ, I felt a thrilling joy, that was accompanied by warmth specialy in chest area and upper stomach. after some times I suspected this feeling and told myself that perhaps it was impure and irreverent. then I hided all of Christ's images, and ceased to think about Him anymore. And then the problems began: I became lukewarm, worldly and empty within. And a huge number of temptations against faith and purity flooded my heart. I returned to my past sins, and began to be indifferent to my religion... Last night my step sister was talking about her dreams about marriage, and made me feel miserable, broken and lonely. when she left me, I began to think about Jesus, His beauty and love.I imagined myself near Him kissing his feet and embracing Him. When the next morning I woke up, all my miseries left me, I said my morning prayers well ( after I was saying them badly for a long time), also those blasphemous and impure thoughts left me, I became more patient and stopped doing nutty things because My empty heart was filled. Now my questin: Is this kind of thinking about our Lord sinful?


Answer
It's not impure to feel love at the image of Christ, so long as this dose not become a very awkward lust.  That said, given what you've said, I'd highly suggest you consider looking into a religious vocation (priest, monk, nun), because you may very well have a natural disposition such that this form of life may be very attractive.

Pax Christi,
-J.M.J. West