Feb. 21, 2014 Friday: St. Peter Damian
Mark today outlines the cost of discipleship, pointing to the fundamental end of the Christian spiritual life: freedom. The great Saints of our tradition show us this. From Francis to Tekakwitha, Ignatius to Kolbe, we learn that the Christian path is a struggle for freedom: freedom from that which keeps me away from Christ’s love, and freedom for a full reception of this very same love.
The challenge presented in today’s reading is not in its novelty, for surely this is one of the most familiar in all of scripture. These lines are cited popularly in heroic conversion moments, Francis rejecting the world’s riches or Ignatius turning away from vainglory. And yet, the deeper challenge is as often claiming my conversion each day, as important as those seminal moments are. Conversion away from sin towards love that frees is a lifelong process, not simply a once for all moment.
Francis and Ignatius surely sinned after they dropped their riches or swords. And so do we. We take up our cross each day. Praying with the inspiration of Mark to name that which binds me today, and that I need God’s grace to be free from. I beg God’s assistance. Make haste to help me, O Lord!
—Matthew Couture
www.jesuitprayer.org
The challenge presented in today’s reading is not in its novelty, for surely this is one of the most familiar in all of scripture. These lines are cited popularly in heroic conversion moments, Francis rejecting the world’s riches or Ignatius turning away from vainglory. And yet, the deeper challenge is as often claiming my conversion each day, as important as those seminal moments are. Conversion away from sin towards love that frees is a lifelong process, not simply a once for all moment.
Francis and Ignatius surely sinned after they dropped their riches or swords. And so do we. We take up our cross each day. Praying with the inspiration of Mark to name that which binds me today, and that I need God’s grace to be free from. I beg God’s assistance. Make haste to help me, O Lord!
—Matthew Couture
www.jesuitprayer.org
