July 8

It Behooves Us To Mortify Our Passions.

Preparation. - Self-will being the principle of our evil inclinations, it behooves us to combat the latter, in order the better to repress the former. Wherefore we shall meditate, first, on the motives for repressing our passions, and secondly, on the good effects of this repression which is so necessary for our progress. We shall specially resolve to watch over ourselves, and gradually to extirpate our predominant faults by means of the particular examen. “Strive to enter by the narrow gate” (Luke 13. 24).

Motives For Mortifying Our Passions.

As the fog obscures the sun, so also our depraved passions obscure our reason. They are, as St. Paul says (1 Tim. 6. 10), “the root of all evils” and the cause of some “erring from the faith.” The history of heresiarchs proves but too clearly, that their perverse propensities were the cause of their ruin. Passion is like a cloud intervening between the soul and God. The soul is then enlightened only by the weak light of her own mind, and then what errors and disorders is she not capable of committing? David, blinded by lust, fell into two great crimes, which plunged him and his family into great misfortune.

Our passions, always combining with the world and the devil, become in their hands the instruments of our ruin. How numerous are their poor victims every day! By promising happiness to those who listen to them they demoralize the heart of man, filling it with confusion, agitation and remorse. “From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence from your concupiscence, which war in your members? (James 4. 1).

If we do not beware and resist constantly, our rational will will become their victim, and then in what disorder will our soul be! It will be domineered over and reduced to slavery by nature and its evil instincts. How many of these shameful captives do we not see in the world! The devil keeps them bound with the fetters of their passions, leading them as slaves whithersoever he will, and makes use of them to corrupt others and spread the contagion of evil every where. “By the devil they are held captive at his will.” (2 Tim 2. 26).

Let us examine, first, whether there is not in us some vice, some unmortified inclination, which is the usual cause of our irritability, of our backbiting, of our indiscretions, of our habitual self-boasting and finding fault with others; and secondly, whether we are careful to repress and regulate our senses, our feelings, our character, on every occasion, in order to avoid sullying our heart or wounding charity? Let us henceforth combat in us the source of these defects by means of mental prayer, self-watchfulness, and of prayer at the moment of our combat.

O my God, give me the courage to do violence to myself, so that I may draw nearer to Thee as I move away from myself and my self-love. “Thy progress will be proportionate to the violence thou doest thyself.” (Imit.)

II. Salutary Effects Of The Mortification Of The Passions.

Interior mortification should produce in us effects contrary to our evil instincts, that is, they should enlighten our mind, fortify our heart and sanctify our will. It should banish from our interior the tumult of foreign thoughts, of dangerous and useless representations, so as to establish us in profound recollection. It should aid us in developing the liveliness of our faith by facilitating meditation on the truths best calculated to draw us to virtue. Let us piously study Jesus crucified, and from Him we shall acquire the science of renouncing ourselves, our errors and our prejudices.

And then how strong shall we not be against the seductions of the world and the devil, which exert so powerful an influence over our natural inclinations! By overcoming the latter, we deprive the world and hell of all influence over us. What impression, in fact, can temptation to pride make on a heart deeply humble before God? How will worldly vanities be able to find access to a soul profoundly despising them and wholly detached from them? The same may be said of every other passion. If we keep them all enchained by continual mortification, they will be powerless to arrest our progress.

In this manner we shall attain the perfection of the virtues. Every victory gained over an evil propensity develops in us the contrary inclination. By renouncing our self-will, we become supple and docile in our relations with our superiors, condescending and affable towards our equals, and ever ready to listen to grace and submit to the divine pleasure. If self-denial were habitual to us, would we feel so hurt at an affront, a reproach, a want of due regard, a reprimand, a humiliation? Would we grow peevish when inconvenienced, disturbed in our occupations, contradicted or disappointed? Whence do all our complaints, ill-humor and murmurs come, unless from our self-love always so full of life, whilst it ought to have long ago died, or been kept under control!

O my God, I am still far from the imperturbable calm of the saints, who, no longer having any self-will, aspired solely to the happiness of being unites with Jesus crucified. Through the intercession of the Queen of martyrs, enable me to repress my inclinations and reform my defects, especially that which I am the oftenest compelled to combat.

Read more...

For The Nine Days Following The Feast Of The Sacred Heart

Second Day - The Heart Of Jesus, Model Of Self-Denial

Preparation. - The crown of thorns represented around the Sacred Heart, may mean, first, Christ's mortification, or love of sacrifice, and secondly, the self-denial we ought to practice after His example. We shall then generously resolve not to allow a single day to pass without denying ourselves and our propensities, so that we may punctually perform all our duties and patiently bear every trial. "Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily" (Luke 9. 23).

I. The Heart Of Jesus, Model Of Sacrifice.

"When Christ cometh into the world," says St. Paul, "He saith: Sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldst not; but a body Thou hast fitted to Me ... Then said I, Behold I come to do Thy will" (Hebr. 10. 5, 9), and to immolate My body for Thy glory, O Father, and to expiate the sins of men. Thus did Jesus offer to pay our debts to the divine justice, and the eternal Father accepted this offering, prompted by the loving Heart of His divine Son. Thenceforth our adorable Saviour's life was a constant immolation. The hardships He underwent in His childhood, the fatigues of His ministry, the cruel torments of His Passion made Him a perpetual Victim for our salvation. All this is brought to our mind by the crown of thorns encircling His Sacred Heart.

Not content with immolating His body, Jesus wished also to sacrifice His will, for He said: "Behold I come to do Thy will, O God." And, indeed, what else did He desire on earth, than to do the will of His heavenly Father? He was ever submissive to it, and this even in the Garden of Olives, though His soul was a prey to mortal anguish, a cry of obedience still proceeds from His Heart. "Father, not My will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22. 42).

"He was," says St. Paul, "obedient unto death, unto the death of the cross" (Phil. 2. 8). And, as Christ Himself says: "Greater love than this no man hath, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15. 13). Our Saviour did not refuse this proof of love even to His enemies. Being insatiable of love, He was insatiable also of immolation and was satisfied only after He had unreservedly delivered Himself up for the salvation of all. O prodigy of devotedness!

When we behold a God so generously sacrificing Himself for our sake, can we still hesitate to mortify a certain defect or inclination of ours, which is the source of so many faults and imperfections? Can we refuse to Jesus the sacrifices He demands of us, and remain attached to sensual gratifications, to the desires of self-love, and to the thousand trifles that hinder our progress in virtue?

No, my divine Master, I will no longer refuse any thing to Thy Sacred Heart. Burn, cut away, crush in me whatever is mine and not Thine, and make me docile to the attractions of Thy love. I am resolved no longer to complain of my dally crosses, of the displeasures and the hardships opposed to my pride and inclinations.

II. Motives For Imitating Christ's Self-Denial.

The happy habit of denying ourselves and our individual tastes, and of subjecting ourselves to God's good pleasure, is productive of several good effects in us. It facilitates in us supernatural views of things, by removing from our heart the obstacles to the divine light, that is, our perverse inclinations and our daily faults. It breaks in our will, rendering it more constantly docile to the attractions of the Holy Ghost. As sinners, by yielding to their evil inclinations, are enslaved by them, in like manner, the faithful soul, by practicing self-denial, disengages herself from her own self and fully subjects herself to the Lord.

Thence follows the intimate union she contracts with His Sacred Heart. What, in fact, is better calculated to unite two hearts, than to animate them with the same sentiments, the same affections, the same desires? Self-denial peculiarly tends to cause us to renounce our personal inclinations to adopt those of Jesus. How beautiful is the union of a soul dead to herself and living solely for Jesus Christ! By mortifying her vices she practices the contrary virtues; and the more she denies herself, the more fit she becomes to receive grace and faithfully to correspond therewith. May we not conclude therefrom that death to self is the standard of our supernatural life, or our union with Jesus Christ?

We have been for so many years caressing a certain defect; what have we gained by so doing? Bitterness, remorse, spiritual dryness; and we have lost treasures of graces, and remained stationary in the way of holiness. Why not this day sacrifice to Jesus our inclination to sloth, our habit of mental dissipation, our too worldly relations, our frivolous reading, our fondness for criticizing, for complaining, for getting discouraged in difficulties? All these spiritual miseries not only impede our progress, but also disturb our interior peace and hinder our true happiness.

O Jesus, enable me to overcome my repugnance in discharging certain duties, and give me the courage to embrace them generously. Through Thy merits and those of Thy Blessed Mother, fill me with the spirit of self-denial, which deprives the thorns of this vale of tears of their sharpness, and transforms them into odoriferous roses in the heavenly courts through Thy grace and my patience in bearing every thing.

Read more...