Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24
“Many are the benefits which the soul reaps when it withdraws the heart from this joy. For beside disposing itself for the love of God, and the other virtues, it makes a way for personal humility and universal charity towards our neighbors…
Another great benefit is the perfect observance of our Savior’s words: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” Now the soul can never do this, if it has any joy in its natural endowments; for he who has, even the slightest self-esteem, neither denies himself nor follows Christ.
Another great benefit of this self-denial is, that it makes the soul tranquil, empties it of the sources of distractions, controls the senses, and especially the eyes. The spiritual man, seeking no joy, will neither look upon, nor suffer his other senses to be occupied with, these endowments, that he may not be attracted by them, nor be led to waste time or thought upon them…
These benefits issue in a final one, which is a certain generosity of mind, as necessary in the service of God as liberty of spirit by which temptations are easily overcome, afflictions are endured, and by which virtues grow and thrive.”
John of the Cross (1542-1591) in The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Chapter XXII, “The Benefits of not Rejoicing in Natural Goods” translated by David Lewis (London: LGLRG, 1864) 262-264.
I chose to read John of the Cross because a dear friend of ours who gave us a ride home from the airport yesterday, Randy Kipp, a.k.a. “The Mobile Monk,” said he was reading The Dark Night of the Soul, a classic by John of the Cross.
On this Lord’s day, let us resolve to rejoice in God alone. As John of the Cross declares, this “makes a way for personal humility and universal charity.” When we rejoice in natural goods we get distracted from living on mission for God.
Father in heaven, by your Holy Spirit, help us take this pathway, and in so doing, avoid wasting time, and be sure that “generosity of mind” is formed in each of us for your service and glory. Do this I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.