What Comes After Sacrifice?
When we sacrifice, we give up or renounce something of value for the sake of something else we regard as more important or worthy. Many of us work hard each day. We renounce personal comfort and pour out all our time and energy in order to provide for our families. This renouncement and pouring out is a form of sacrifice. Further, as Catholics, we offer up this sacrifice for God's greater glory, our Creator and Father, whom we regard as more important, more worthy of our sacrifice than any other. When we do this, we sanctify our work.
But admirable and holy as sacrifice may be, it's not enough. We need to understand why it's not enough or we run the risk of just staying kind of mired in our renouncement. We'll let Father Martial Lekeux explain why. A while back he helped us understand the real meaning of that old business acronym KISS - Keep is super simple. Today he provides something profound and something delightful in his clear explanation of the real purpose of sacrifice.
We start with the profound:
But if you read Father's words carefully, you see that we simply can't take the view. We must - MUST - develop our prayer lives. We've talked about all this on innumerable occasions. It begins with our Morning Offering upon waking up, and builds from there. For now, let's move on with Father Lekeux. If these next words don't convince you how critical this is to your spiritual life, no matter how long and hard you work, I fear nothing will:
Anyway, next time we turn from the profound to the delightful. I think you'll see that just because a strong prayer life is critically important to us, it doesn't mean that it has to be difficult and burdensome. Yes, even for us busy folks at work, prayer doesn't have to be, nor is it intended to be, hard to practice, even in the busiest moments of our busiest days.
But admirable and holy as sacrifice may be, it's not enough. We need to understand why it's not enough or we run the risk of just staying kind of mired in our renouncement. We'll let Father Martial Lekeux explain why. A while back he helped us understand the real meaning of that old business acronym KISS - Keep is super simple. Today he provides something profound and something delightful in his clear explanation of the real purpose of sacrifice.
We start with the profound:
"Indispensable as renouncement is, it is not sanctity. Sanctity consists in love. In one sense sacrifice can be called love by reason of the motive which prompts it. Yet in itself sacrifice is the condition of love rather than love itself. Or, if you prefer, it is the negative side of love. It empties the heart. But something must fill it. And this is the positive side of love. Love of God is practiced in two ways: by acts of virtue and by prayer. Or, as St Bernard says, by the active and the contemplative life. Or again, as St Francis de Sales puts it, by an effective love manifesting itself in works, and on the other hand by an affective love pouring itself out in prayer...Can you see why developing our prayer life is so important - even for us busy Catholic men at work? I know so many people who believe they don't have enough time for prayer. They work so hard - long hours, expending their energy on the job, with barely enough left over to share with their family at the end of the day. At least that's how they see their lives.
"Prayer is the interior movement of the soul uniting the mind and heart to God. It is an elevation of the soul to God and a loving conversation with Him. Prayer is love. It is above all an activity of the heart. It is of necessity a conversation, the action of two persons. Prayer is the most essential act of love. It is the act proper to love itself, whereas all other acts are commanded by love. Its movement goes directly toward God, uniting the soul immediately to Him. It is the noblest and highest act of a human creature. It surpasses all other good works..."
But if you read Father's words carefully, you see that we simply can't take the view. We must - MUST - develop our prayer lives. We've talked about all this on innumerable occasions. It begins with our Morning Offering upon waking up, and builds from there. For now, let's move on with Father Lekeux. If these next words don't convince you how critical this is to your spiritual life, no matter how long and hard you work, I fear nothing will:
"According to the unanimous teaching of the Doctors of the Church, all Christian life is ordered toward contemplation, which is its end, its aim and its crown. That is why our Lord called it the one thing necessary and 'the best part' (Lk. 10:42)...Sanctity without prayer does not make sense. He who wishes to sanctify himself must pray much and learn how to pray well. This is of primary importance."If you don't see the depth and power of these words, please reread them and understand once and for all the critical importance of prayer - even for busy people who spend long hours at work. I realize it takes time and concentration to fully absorb Father's words here, but being superficial is really not an option for serious Catholics, is it?
Anyway, next time we turn from the profound to the delightful. I think you'll see that just because a strong prayer life is critically important to us, it doesn't mean that it has to be difficult and burdensome. Yes, even for us busy folks at work, prayer doesn't have to be, nor is it intended to be, hard to practice, even in the busiest moments of our busiest days.
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