Main Entry: pas·sion
Pronunciation: \ˈpa-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin passion-, passio suffering, being acted upon, from Latin pati to suffer — more at patient
Date: 13th century
1often capitalized a: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death b: an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion
2obsolete : suffering
3: the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces
4 a (1): emotion (2)plural : the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction c: an outbreak of anger
5 a: ardent affection : love b: a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept c: sexual desire d: an object of desire or deep interest
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

What does the word passion mean to you at first glance? Nowadays, in common usage, you hear the word used to convey something good, something that gives wholeness and roundness to a person's character: "I am passionate about this or that," "Something or other is my passion," "He did his work fine, but seemed to lack passion." The definition used in these cases is 5b. However, let us look at something higher on the list, the third definition of passion as "the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces." Traditionally, this is what passion meant--not that you act, that you are doing something good and creative, but you are acted upon. Of course, there is virtue in passion as well as in action, an important fact to keep in mind.

Nevertheless, when we speak of human passions we generally mean "emotions" (definition 4). These are ways we are acted upon by outside forces and even ways our own impulses are formed by contact with things outside. When unchecked these passions do indeed, as the definition implies, conflict with reason. And so what? Many will say that to have a passion about something is better than to live in a sterile, emotionless world with no variety and no challenge. First of all, these people set up a false dichotomy between unchecked passions and unaddressed passions; actually, both of these approaches to human emotions are bad, because they both stem from a failure of reason. Secondly, contrary to popular opinion, emotions or passions are not good in themselves. Instead, left to their own devices, they rather tend to a person's destruction. To always be reacting, on the defensive, feeling and reeling from our passions is the very definition of a messy lifestyle. You can see the extreme examples of this in drug abusers, out of control celebrities, serial murderers and rapists, etc. You sometimes hear the words "insane" or "crazy" applied to these people, which shows that what is lacking is the direction of reason to maintain a proper order in the person's life. Although we are acted upon through our emotions, we can still maintain control of our lives through our reason. Indeed, we must do so in order to succeed at anything worthwhile.

In closing, passions are only out of control when we let them get that way, and the very best way to let them out of control is always to act on the basis of emotion rather than deliberative reason. Obviously, if we could control all our passions and emotions perfectly, before they ever started to worry us, we would never sin. This is the image of Our Lady, who by God's grace was preserved free from all tendencies to concupiscence.