Mortification
The more we die to self, the more graces the Lord gives us.
Asceticism, self-denial, dying to self - however we want to call it - is a foreign concept in today's culture. Yet this is an essential concept if we are to grow in grace. Because of our fallen human nature, we cannot trust our instincts, desires and impulses. Because of concupiscence - an effect of original sin - we tend to rebel against God, truth and right reason. We tend toward selfishness, disordered affections, and sinful inclinations. That is why we cannot follow every thought, impulse and desire because they will lead us down the path of selfishness, destruction and death; and lead us away from God, life and true fulfillment.
In order to have the true freedom of the children of God, we must practice self-denial. This will help us to have control over our freewill and our lower desires and impulses. We must say "no" to lesser goods in order to say "yes" to greater goods - to rightly order our love. This requires dying to one self.
Jesus tells us, "“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24)." When we die to our selfishness, then we can began to live for God - then we can start to bear the fruit of righteousness.
Self-denial is essential for discipleship. Jesus tells us, "“If anyone wishes to be my disciple, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Lk 9:23-24)." In order to become a true disciple of Christ we have to deny our attachments to sin, the lures of the world and our own way of thinking. This detachment will allow us to be truly free, to live for God and others, and to attain eternal life.
A good illustration of the need to detach ourselves from the world and from our way of thinking, is the story of the rich young man who wanted to be perfect but could not part with his property because he had many possessions. In the end, he went away sad because he could not free himself from his possessions in order to follow Jesus. The practices of simplicity and self-denial helps us to value correctly the things of the world and the things of heaven. It helps us to imitate Jesus in the way he lived on earth and to conform ourselves to his virtues and way of thinking. God gives us the grace to die to the old self and to put on the new self in Christ. The more we cooperate with the Lord, the more graces we will have at our disposal.
We know that Mary lived simply. The Bible tells us that at the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, Mary and Joseph offered two turtle doves or two pigeons, which means that they could not afford a lamb. The mystics tell us that the Holy Family lived simply and gave money to the poor. They also tell us that Mary ate modest amount of food, which sometimes included fish but never meat. Mary practiced self-denial even though she did not suffer from original sin. Rather, our mother's self-denial was out of love for God and neighbor and in living in accord with her values, which were focused on the things of heaven and not the things of earth.
Every Lent we are called to practice some form of self-denial in fasting, almsgiving and prayer. We give something up that we don't really need and we do acts of charity. We practice the spiritual disciplines to unite ourselves to Jesus and to detach ourselves from things that can stunt to our spiritual growth. As we practice the disciplines of Lent we receive extra graces from God to help us to persevere and grow. These are graces that we would otherwise not receive had we not undertaken the disciplines. But then for the rest of year we stop these practices and hence lose out on the Lenten graces. What if we continued to practice some form of self-denial through out the year? If we did, God would assist us with his graces so that we may further grow in freedom, simplicity and conformity to Christ.
Mortification is not only beneficial for our personal spiritual growth, it also has redemptive value for others. Our Lady's message at Fatima was prayer and mortification for the conversion of sinners. Our sacrifices when done out of love for God and united to Christ can benefit others and bring about their conversion and salvation. We can participate in a real way in God's redemptive work when we deny ourselves and make sacrifices in reparation for our sins, for our holiness, and to assist others and participate in God's work of redemption. The Lord calls us to die to self so as to bear much fruit. If we follow his lead and make efforts at mortification, we will receive more graces and so imitate Jesus, Mary and the saints in holiness and contribute to building God's kingdom on earth.
