A 9th Sunday after Pentecost Thought To Build Peace and other Blessings in Our Lives

The 9th Sunday of Pentecost brings us some thoughts that will bring us peace and other blessings in our lives. Sound sweet?

The thing is, our spiritual writer gets to peace through something many if not most of us do our best to avoid. You'll see this in a moment. But there's little doubt that, unwanted as it may be, we'll see why it's absolutely necessary.

If you've ever performed any tough or extreme exercise, you know why you did it. You expected a result that wouldn't come without suffering the pain first.

The glory of big biceps, thunder thighs, or an Arnold chest is one thing. There's some personal glory in that, right? (Of course, vanity can be part of the mix, and that's typically not going to do us good in the long run.) But our spiritual writer will insist on something that typically comes without the glory. While the pain may not be extreme, it's constant, in that we don't do it once or twice. We basically change our way of living and incorporate it into our daily discipline - those habits we develop to improve ourselves whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

And, as we'll soon see, sticking with this discipline really will be the only way we get to peace. Indeed it's the only way we'll be able to enjoy the myriad blessings God has in store for us.

Take a few minutes to read this - then a few more to think deeply about the message - then another chunk of time to resolve to accept the truth of the message as well as a resolution to follow the prescription no matter the cost.

Here goes:

“Generations come and go, but our human nature and the Gospel of Christ remain unchanged. Nineteen centuries ago Christ laid down the essential condition for following Him, when He said: ‘If any man will follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.’ Self-denial, then, is the characteristic virtue of lovers of the Sacred Heart. It is not enough for them to bear the crosses of their own choice, but they must also carry those which their heavenly Father sends. There are many crosses in this world: crosses of mind and heart, crosses we find in our state of life, crosses put upon our shoulders by others, and those we made ourselves. But we know that all these crosses are just our cross, and that we must deny ourselves and take it up and bear it after Jesus.

“Self-denial is an unsavory word, and our nature abhors it. The world does not demand it of its devotees. They are allowed to travel on the broad road that leads to perdition, the road of least resistance, self-indulgence, and shameful gratification of their basest passions. Still, lovers of the world do not know what true spiritual freedom means, for they are slaves of their own perverse inclinations. And what is more pitiful and repulsive than an evil habit? Weakness follows upon weakness; sin upon sin; remorse upon remorse; and in the end often comes despair.

 “How different are the followers of Christ! They tread the narrow path of self-denial, and this leads to spiritual freedom, to the wonderful liberty of the sons of God. Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin; but His freedom is not for those who are not of good will. If we truly understand the Sacred Heart, we show it by following the path of self-denial, and by curbing our evil passions, especially our pride and sensuality. In order to belong entirely to the Sacred Heart, we must renounce everything and declare war upon our corrupt nature. Aided by God’s grace, we must daily battle with our evil inclinations, until we can give the keys of our house to Jesus living within us. Then the Sacred Heart will be really enthroned in our hearts, and we shall be able to enjoy His sweet peace and manifold other blessings.” (Fr. Thilges, S.V.D)

One last thought: The temptation to ease up may not ever leave you alone. But that's OK. If something's good enough, powerful forces will do all they can to steal it from you. And the practice of self-denial is one such good that both our fallen human nature as well as the wiles of the Evil One will find most enticing. But if we pray - and pray often - for God's grace, and stick to our discipline they can try all they might. God's grace - and our cooperation with that grace - will never fail.

Happy Sunday!