TAME THOSE PASSIONS: MAY THE MORAL GOOD AND LOVE OF GOD BE THE LAW OF OUR CONDUCT AND NOT PLEASURE.
Tame our passions: a very useful tip from Pope Francis, if we are to follow God’s will many times during the day along this path of holiness towards which we call us.
As a result of original sin, the harmony which exists within us, in our REASON, WILL and AFFECTIVITY (=PASSIONS, SENTIMENTS, FEELINGS) is lost. In order to regain it in every action, we should let our REASON, illuminated by natural law and perfected by faith, show what is good and evil to our WILL, which in turn, should freely choose good over evil, with God’s grace.
Many times, however, even if we know and want to do what is good, we end up doing the opposite, doing what is evil, for we allow ourselves to be easily swayed away by what our DISORDERED PASSIONS (lust, envy, hatred, laziness, greed, vanity, pride) suggest to us.
Hence, the importance of daily struggle to TAME OUR PASSIONS for LOVE OF GOD AND OF OTHERS, SO THAT THEY WOULD FOLLOW AND CONFORM TO THE GOOD SEEN BY OUR REASON AND PRESENTED AND CHOSEN BY OUR WILL.MAY THE LAW OF OUR CONDUCT BE THE REAL GOOD AND NOT WHAT OUR DISORDERED PASSIONS SUGGEST TO US, which is oftentimes to OUR PLEASURE.
If not, we will never become mature persons, because we will be always at the mercy of our passions, SLAVES of our lust, envy, pride, vanity, greed, gluttony, hatred and laziness. We will never advance and progress in virtue, be it human or supernatural, and thus, neither will we grow in holiness.
Lord God, as your Son said: “Not my will, but Thine be done!” With the help of Our Lady, may we always say YES to God so that through our right choices and actions, we can say, “Be it done unto me according to Thy Word!” Holy Mary, pray for us!
Fr. Rolando Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei.
SOURCE OF POPE FRANCIS’ QUOTE: https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2014/december/documents/papa-francesco_20141222_dipendenti-santa-sede-scv.htmlORIGINAL PHOTO SOURCE: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/dr/hln/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/horizontal_1040x585/2014/03/13/469345389.jpg
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