A Tale of Two Priests

-from In Conversation with God

The person who abandons mortification is inevitably ensnared by his sense and becomes incapable of any supernatural thought.

Those are some really tough words--but they aren't so difficult as you might imagine if you really understand what mortification is. Mortification is the abanonment of self in the spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice in the service of another and in the love of God. When you put up with Ms. Whiny-voice and even welcome her into your home or office, you are excerising the spirit of mortification. When you eat less of what you would like, or allow your children to have the last piece of whatever, you are in the spirit of mortification. The possibility of mortification is pervasive, we need merely reach out to touch it and take advantage of it. We mature in our faith through self-denial and little sacrifices.

Steven Riddle

Our parish priest talked about the public nature of wearing ashes and how it reflects what is in our hearts. He talked about sin. Talked about how it became unfashionable in religion a few years ago to talk about sin, to talk about responsibility, to talk about the state of our souls. He pointed out that each one of us is partially responsible for the sin in the world; partially responsible for the arrogance, the hate, the ugliness that is in the world because of our own sin and our own actions. This is a time to look that personal sin in the face and see where God wants to take us.

It made me think of earlier in the week at a prayer group when he talked about Jesus being driven into the desert by the Spirit. He said that the desert is a hard place, a scary place. We don't want to go, we have to be driven, but it is where we need to be ... and when we are there we can know God.

“You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is: never try.”

“Trying is the first step to failure”

“If at first you don't succeed, give up.”

Homer Simpson

By contrast, Rose was totally disgusted with the high school's priest who talked about how he would fast on Fridays. Then one Friday, after being in a bad mood because of fasting, he got into an argument with someone who had cut in the gas line in front of him. He said that was when he realized that the very thing that was supposed to bring him closer to God ... the fasting ... was not doing any such thing. So he quit fasting ever.

Quit. fasting. ever.

Nice lesson to tell 1,200 high school kids isn't it? Too hard? Give up.

Rose said, "He didn't say anything about being sorry and trying harder. Or even realizing that fasting wasn't the right way for him and looking for another way to get closer to God. He basically just gave every person there permission to never try."

Hannah said, "Well, he did say that if they were smoking then they should think about quitting. Or using alcohol or abusing drugs then they should really think about quitting."

I said, "Think about quitting."

She smiled wryly, "Well, that's because he started that part by saying, 'I can't tell you what to do.' So, yeah, he basically gave every single person there permission to never try anything if it was too hard and that they should think about stopping bad behavior."

Way to go, Father. Homer Simpson would be proud.