The Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation~9 Mortification

"But, as it is written: 
That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither hath it entered into the heart of man, 
what things God hath prepared for them that love him." 
1 Corinthians 2:9 Douay Rheims
Roman Catholic Bible

          The winds of September, the month Catholic Christians commemorate the Seven Sorrows of Mary, prompt nature to bless us with reminders of the ephemeral nature of earthy existence. Whispering leaves of deciduous hardwoods begin their transformation from green to red, orange and gold while hardier flowers hold on to their bright array as long as they can. Our society has ingrained deep within our psyches the false perception that we can remain forever young, wealthy and "happy". The world falsely assures humans that stress free comfort is the reward for achieving these goals. The eternal cost of striving for this unreality is tragic. Emotional hopeless abounds in the atmosphere of clamoring for status, beauty, fame, recognition and prosperity. Society's perimeter continually changes in such a manner that no human being can "hold on to" the achievement of these transient qualities forever.

     The truth is that because of the fall of Adam and Eve, we live in an imperfect world filled with the ravages of sin~disease, failure, poverty, death and loss. Involuntary suffering and mortification that come from illness, aging and trauma are inevitable.  
     The only true and enduring joy comes from God. The examples of holy men an women of God referred to in Saint Alphonsus Liguori's The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation are clear, timeless examples of the sublime importance of self denial and mortification during our earthly lives. We learn that in all our prayers and devotions we must humbly desire to be obedient and conformed to the will of God.  Saint Mary Magdalene  de P'Azzi said "Self love is like the worm that gnaws at the root and destroys not only the fruit but even the very life of the plant."