The KonMari Method and Catholicism

I, like seemingly everyone else who has a Netflix subscription, was drawn into watching "Tidying up with Marie Kondo." Initially, this series gave me some encouragement to get rid of that which was no longer necessary, but I found qualms with certain aspects of how Marie went about her tidying up . There were certain aspects of KonMari that didn't seem to line up with Catholicism.

"There were certain aspects of

KonMari that didn't seem to line up with Catholicism."

To start, before Marie would begin her tidying in a home, she wanted to get down on her knees to "thank the house." She wanders around looking for the area with the "right energy" to do so. She then gets down on her knees and essentially prays to the house, thanking it for everything it has done for the family presently living in it.

Is it important to be grateful for the roof over our head? Absolutely. But that gratefulness should be directed toward God; not toward the house itself. Catholic tradition even holds the blessing of houses which can be extremely useful if evil spirits seem to be dwelling within it. (For example, is your family continually getting sick? Is someone having chronic nightmares? These may be indicators that your house could use a blessing by a priest.)

"That gratefulness should be directed toward God; not toward the house itself."

"Does this spark joy?" is the question Marie says everyone should ask their items as they choose what to keep, and what to discard. Physical items can not spark joy. Happiness, maybe. Good memories, even. But JOY comes from the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell within an inanimate object. The belief that it would be able to is called animism which is correlated with the Shinto religion.

"JOY comes from the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell within an inanimate object."

The Shinto religion teaches that when a person dies, they come back in state that is important to the earth (whether it be the wind, a tree, water, et cetera ). Marie Kondo ascribes to this religion, which is why the KonMari method has been shaped around it.

So, can a Catholic apply the KonMari method to their home? To a degree. Consider it the "Protestant" version of KonMari. Try asking, "Does this item bring me closer to God?" "Is this something I need, or is it contributing to abundance?" or, "Is this helping me on the path to Sainthood?" These are a few alternate questions one could ask when deciding what to keep. And then, if you choose to donate the item, instead of thanking the object, thank God for how the item has helped you in your journey so far, and ask him to bring it to the person who needs it most now.

"...instead of thanking the object, thank God for how the item has helped you in your journey so far..."

If these precautions are taken, there is not much reason the KonMari Method couldn't, or shouldn't, be applied in your household. After all, anything that brings about gratefulness to God, donations to the poor and an effort to journey toward Sainthood cannot do harm to our Spiritual lives. Allow God, not your belongings, to be your source of True joy, and all will be well.