What matters is God, not winning.
We've been talking about fighting, battles, war, struggle at work and in our spiritual life. But let's be careful here. There's danger in seeking perfection in our prayer and work. Even making progress can turn against you.
Here's the thing. Our own spiritual perfection isn't really the point. Think about it. You can see how easy it would be to slip into self-centeredness and forget about God altogether.
Sheesh! Sometimes it seems like you can't win. You read spiritual works, study the doctrines of the Church, try to do your best to live as a "good Catholic" and what do you get: self-centered.
Well, at least you're aware of the problem. And that'll help steer you away from self-centeredness. Then you can read something like "Story of a Soul" by St Therese of Lisieux - an autobiography by a saint. You'll get some solid food for spiritual digestion there. You'll see her talk about herself for sure. But you'll see how it doesn't lead to self-centeredness. You'll see how much she loves God.
So our own spiritual perfection isn't the point at all. Winning isn't the point either. It's the daily struggle that matters. We'll never reach that one point where everything "clicks" - nor should we even want that. Just like gravity causes an object to fall to earth, so it is with us. We either struggle every day, or we fall.
Not a very glorious way to live, I guess. There'll be no victory processions for us in this world guys. So don't waste any time thinking about them. The glory is for God. What matters is God.
Frankly, it's just as well. Secular society surrounds us Catholic men. It's always trying to divert our attention from God. The struggle keeps our hearts and minds just where they belong - with God.
One thing you can't miss when you read St Therese's "Story of a Soul": her true, total abandonment to God combined with her self-denial, her little daily sacrifices for her Beloved.
Now it's our turn. Wake up and start fighting. Join the struggle. We win when we get to Heaven.
Here's the thing. Our own spiritual perfection isn't really the point. Think about it. You can see how easy it would be to slip into self-centeredness and forget about God altogether.
Sheesh! Sometimes it seems like you can't win. You read spiritual works, study the doctrines of the Church, try to do your best to live as a "good Catholic" and what do you get: self-centered.
Well, at least you're aware of the problem. And that'll help steer you away from self-centeredness. Then you can read something like "Story of a Soul" by St Therese of Lisieux - an autobiography by a saint. You'll get some solid food for spiritual digestion there. You'll see her talk about herself for sure. But you'll see how it doesn't lead to self-centeredness. You'll see how much she loves God.
So our own spiritual perfection isn't the point at all. Winning isn't the point either. It's the daily struggle that matters. We'll never reach that one point where everything "clicks" - nor should we even want that. Just like gravity causes an object to fall to earth, so it is with us. We either struggle every day, or we fall.
Not a very glorious way to live, I guess. There'll be no victory processions for us in this world guys. So don't waste any time thinking about them. The glory is for God. What matters is God.
Frankly, it's just as well. Secular society surrounds us Catholic men. It's always trying to divert our attention from God. The struggle keeps our hearts and minds just where they belong - with God.
One thing you can't miss when you read St Therese's "Story of a Soul": her true, total abandonment to God combined with her self-denial, her little daily sacrifices for her Beloved.
Now it's our turn. Wake up and start fighting. Join the struggle. We win when we get to Heaven.
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