Virtue: SELF-DENIAL AND LOVE OF THE CROSS
Patron: St. Matthew, Apostle
Text: If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)
EXPLANATION
a) Self-denial means to refuse to yield to any desires or inclinations of the sensual person. This is the A, B, C, of the Christian life. Without self-denial any genuine virtue is impossible; by means of it, for example, charity becomes entirely unselfish, forgetting self and looking only to the pleasure of God; obedience constantly denies one's own will; humility is purged of all pride. if selfishness is the queen of vices, self-denial 'becomes the queen of all the virtues, "for," says the Imitation, "a man's true progress consists in denying himself, and the man who has renounced himself is much at liberty and very safe." (b. 3, ch. 39.)
b) to love the Cross means not only to accept all suffering with patience and resignation, but lovingly and joyfully, nay even to yearn for it as for a priceless treasure. "Our happiness consists in God and in suffering." (St. Clement Hofbauer) Like unto Jesus, the soul that loves god wishes to sacrifice itself as a victim to God upon the altar of the Cross; like the apostles, it rejoices in suffering, in order to "fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, for his body, which is the church." (Colossians 1: Thus a person who loves the Cross, becomes a true apostle, a great saver of souls. For it is true what St. Therese of the Child Jesus has written: "Through suffering more souls are saved than through the most splendid sermons."
RESOLUTIONS
I will set a watch upon my interior, deny self in au things, seriously go about the correcting of my pet faults, do everything with a supernatural motive, whether it pleases 'the natural man or not;
gladly permit my own opinions to be contradicted;
in general choose that which is least agreeable to me.
I will look upon myself as the most miserable of sinners;
therefore accept joyfully and patiently all that God may send me;
often say: "All for You, 0 Jesus, and for immortal souls!"
or with St. Clement Hofbauer: "O Jesus Christ, permit me to carry this little cross with You!"
beg for a genuine love of the Cross.
Daily Prayer
Good and sweet Jesus Crucified, who having joy set before You, did choose for God's greater glory and our good, to redeem the world by the foolishness of the cross; who did wish Your disciples to deny themselves to take up the cross and follow You, remember I am Your servant; as Your associate in the work of the redemption, I cannot produce abundant fruit from my work without a true spirit of abnegation and love of the cross. Grant me this spirit of self-denial, this love of the cross. Grant, dear Lord, that I may have no will of my own; give me the grace to deny myself in all things. Make me find pleasure in humiliation and contempt; enable me to embrace the cross as a true lover of the Crucified.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows, deign dear Jesus, to grant these graces to Your servant and associates until the day of our death.
Amen.