Homily

St. Cyprian writes that people are constantly attacked by the weapons of the devil and all too often he is successful if people don’t resist. He writes, “If avarice is humbled, then lust springs up. If lust is overcome, ambition takes its place. If ambition is despised, then anger takes over, pride puffs us up, drunkenness entices us; envy destroys peace; jealousy breaks up friendship; cursing starts and then swearing. These are daily attacks against us and so often the heart of man seems happy to live with them.”

It is difficult to fight against temptations. And so is it true that it is often a struggle to practice virtue, to grow in holiness, to become more faithful Christians and become more mature sons and daughters of the Lord. It’s not an easy battle to become more patient, more humble, more content with what God has given to us, to be more forgiving, more understanding, more prayerful and more loving. Sometimes we want to grow in some virtue, or avoid some sin, and we make a firm resolution to do so. Yet, after a little while, our good intention starts to weaken and we get tired of trying to achieve it and we just give in to our usual way of living. Or it may be that we don’t see so much progress. We are still acting with the same sins and it doesn’t seem that we are making any progress in the virtue we desire to have.

That’s when it is so tempting to give up. “What’s the use? I will always be like this. I can’t change and I’m tired of trying.” We may not actually think these thoughts in detail. Often we give in to sliding back to our old ways without even giving it much thought at all. Virtue is hard. Sin is easy. I have never heard someone complain that this sin, or that sin, is so hard to accomplish that they just don’t think they have the strength to go through with it.

Now it is certainly true that sometimes we do get tired of our pride, or our anger, or our lust, or our judging. Sometimes we most sincerely wish our sinful behavior was gone and our treasury of virtue increased. But when we are tempted, and we give in, it seems we are always able to muster the energy we need to let that sin have its way with us.

Growing in virtue is a lot tougher, but it is not impossible. I know because we have all done so. We have all grown in virtue because of our desire to live in Christ, and because His grace has helped us to do so. We have not come to the table of the Lord and the altar of our God to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in vain. No, we have grown in our faith and in virtue, to one degree or another, because we have desired it, asked for it, and Christ has given us the help we need to achieve it. But let us not be satisfied. Let’s not be content with our current state of holiness but keep pushing on for more.

So what virtues do we need? Prudence? Courage? Patience? Kindness? Humility?

Where do we need it? – Who do we need to use it on? —Great opportunity today—ask it, beg it and don’t let up tomorrow or Tuesday…or Wednesday or Thursday but keep asking. God the Holy Spirit will be your help!