Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Friday, December 4, 2015
Enemies of the Spiritual Life?
“The two main enemies of the spiritual life [are] anger and greed. They are the inner side of a secular life, the sour fruits of our worldly dependencies.” [1]
Ah, anger and greed. Those two again. Two of the seven deadly sins, certainly.
Anger is so often my response when I do not get what I want, or when I feel deprived. Why do I keep getting angry, over and over and over again?
Greed … covetousness. I want what I want when I want it. *stamps foot*
My goodness! Between both of these “seven deadly sins,” I do a pretty convincing job of playing a petulant, spoiled child. Even though I don’t like to think of myself that way, I guess I do end up acting like this more often than I would like.
So, what is one solution? (I know there are more. Thank God. But, one is all I need right now.)
This reading gives me Romans 12:2 as one solution – “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The words of Fr. Nouwen are so appropriate, in closing. “Help us to sever our dependencies on the world’s distractions and give us an opportunity to find ourselves in the shelter and safety of Your wings.”
Even so, help me draw closer to You, Lord Jesus. In Your name I pray, amen
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[1] Advent and Christmas: Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen (Linguori, Missouri: Redemptorist Pastoral Publications, 2004), 14.
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