The Soul

07-13-2025Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A.

We talk quite a bit about our souls when discussing our faith. We talk about the salvation of souls, whether they go to heaven or hell, their purification in purgatory, and the effect sin has on them. The very reason for the existence of our Church is for the care of our souls. But what exactly is a soul? If we deepen our understanding of what our soul is, it can help us to take better care of it.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the soul as “the innermost aspect of man, that which is of the greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image” (CCC 363). The Catechism goes on to emphasize the unity of the body and the soul, saying, “The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the ‘form’ of the body” (CCC 365). So, the soul is the spiritual essence that animates the human person, making each individual a unique reflection of God’s image. It is the source of our human life, intellect, will, and capacity for communion with God. Without our souls, our bodies would be lifeless. The soul, therefore, is not opposed to the body, but rather, works with it to express the fullness of the human person.

Our bodies are created through a biological process, but our souls originate and are created differently. “The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God — it is not ‘produced’ by the parents — and also that it is immortal” (CCC 366). This means that God is directly and actively involved in the procreative process, infusing a soul into the body at the exact moment of conception. This underscores the sanctity and sacredness of each human life from the moment of conception. The soul’s creation reflects God’s intentional act of love, endowing each person with a unique and unrepeatable identity. This is a good opportunity to clarify: Some people mistakenly believe that our souls exist in heaven or some other waiting place before the conception of our bodies and that God (or sometimes the soul) selects which body it will then enter. This is not correct. To reiterate, God creates the soul into existence at the exact moment the body is conceived. Every person is loved and wanted by God and is meant for the time in which they live.

Also, as defined in the Catechism, the soul is immortal: “It does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection” (CCC 366). The immortality of the soul results from its spiritual nature. Since it is not made of matter, it cannot decay nor decompose like the body. At the moment of death, the soul separates from the body and undergoes a particular judgment, determining its eternal destiny based on the person’s life and choices (CCC 1021-1022). If the soul dies in a state of grace and friendship with God, it enters heaven, the state of perfect communion with the Holy Trinity and all the saints. If the soul is in a state of grace but still needs purification, it undergoes the cleansing of purgatory. If the soul dies in unrepented mortal sin, it is eternally separated from God in hell. After the Second Coming of Jesus, there will be a Final Judgement where all will be revealed, and with that, a final Resurrection where all of our souls will be eternally reunited with our bodies again. The souls in heaven will have their bodies glorified and perfected, and the souls in hell will suffer the pains and torments there physically as well as spiritually. Note that once the determination is made at your particular judgment, it can never be changed, even at the final judgment, so it is essential to care for your soul while it is still united with your body.

Because God created the soul, it is oriented toward God. As St. Augustine reflects on the soul’s divine origin in his Confessions, he says, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” You can see the restlessness in the world around us today as secular society has become increasingly godless. These restless souls are actively working against their true nature, which is to seek and rest in God. Any time you feel that restlessness within yourself, it is a good indication that some part of you is not resting in God, and you ought to do some further examination with prayer to figure out what that is.

Now, the question is: how do we properly nurture and care for our soul so that we can have the best possible outcome at our particular judgment? It begins with baptism. Through baptism, the soul is sanctified by grace and becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
(1Cor 6:19). Sanctifying grace transforms the soul, enabling us to participate in divine life. Then, we have to cooperate with the grace we have received. As Catholics, the most important thing we can do is receive the sacraments, especially receiving the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation as frequently as possible. From these sacraments, we receive more grace with which we can cooperate to do the rest. We ought to have a robust prayer life in which we develop a strong and intimate relationship with God and invite him to dwell in our hearts where we can converse with him often. We should seek to root out the sin in our lives and grow in virtue; the Sacrament of Reconciliation will help with this process. Finally, we ought to be obedient to God’s will for our lives, trusting that he knows what is best for us. God does not want any soul to be lost. He desires that all souls be united with him in heaven.

As I stated earlier, once the soul is separated from the body at death and you receive your particular judgment, there is nothing that can be done to change the outcome. Due to our fallen nature and Satan’s determination to make us as miserable as he is, the soul is constantly tempted by sin. Therefore, the spiritual journey requires vigilance. Re-read the definition of the soul and notice that it says that our soul is the aspect of ourselves that is of the greatest value. Do you live as though your soul is what you treasure most? If you do not, the consequences could be catastrophic, but if you do, the reward will be better than anything you can imagine. Contemplate your soul — what it is, how it was created, how it is united with your body, and how it is eternal. Resolve to cherish your soul, seek God’s grace, and strive for holiness so that you may one day enjoy the fullness of life with God in heaven.