29 November Optional Memorial

Truly Deny Yourself and Carry the Cross of Christ

If anyone wishes to follow my way let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For he who wants to save his soul must lose it, and he who for my sake loses it will gain it. Oh! Would that there were someone capable of making spiritual people understand, practice and taste the meaning of the advice to renounce ourselves, given by Our Lord so that they would understand how different the way to behave on this path is from what most of them believe! Some are convinced that any kind of retreat and reformation of life is enough, others are content to practice the virtues in some way, to devote themselves to prayer and to practice mortification, but neither of them achieves the naked poverty, abnegation or spiritual purity, which are one and the same, recommended by Our Lord. For they are still concerned with nourishing and clothing their nature with spiritual consolations and feelings rather than stripping and depriving it for the sake of God of everything.

In doing so, they become spiritually enemies of the cross of Christ, for the true spirit seeks in the Lord more the bitter than the sweet, inclines more to sufferings than to consolations, feels impelled for the sake of God more to renunciation than to the possession of every good, tends more to barrenness and afflictions than to sweet communications, knowing well that only in this way does one follow Christ and renounce oneself, and that to act otherwise is to seek oneself in God, which is very contrary to love. If man resolves to bear this cross, that is, if he resolves steadfastly to go seeking and to endure for the Lord travails in everything, he will find in this great relief and great suavity.

In no way does one progress except by imitating Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except by Him. And the way consists in dying to nature.

To read more on the life of Blessed Denis and Redemptus (OCD) ...