Dialogue

“Do not enter into dialogue with temptation.” (Saint Josemaria, “Furrow”, at 137).

Temptation of Christ (Chris Cook)

Gosh, it is so easy to be proud.

Pretty much everything that I do in my life is about holding myself up and making myself look good to those around me.  Pretty much everything that I do in my life is about sending a signal that I am strong and capable and confident – whether this is the truth or not.

And I have been thinking about that today.  You see, the Blessed Virgin and her Son Christ never did that.  They never once tried to make themselves appear as strong or confident or in control of anything.

Christ performed miracles in dialogue with the Father.  Never once did He call on His own power.  Always we are told that Christ prayed and then acted.  This is not because Christ – who is God the Son and an equal Member of the Most Blessed Trinity and therefore EQUALLY Powerful as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit – needed to pray to the Father.  He did this because He was showing me how to pray.  He was modelling where the power comes from – and the answer to that is NOT FROM ME.  It comes from God.  God makes all things possible.  If good things happen it is because God has allowed it.  If bad things happen it is because God has allowed it.  Do not be tempted for one single moment to think that the God who can hold the sun in the sky and keep the planets rotating around it for billions of years is somehow unable to hold a marriage together or cure someone of cancer…  Rather, God – who has the power to do all things – DOES all things that lead to the GOOD…

And considering this it becomes even more important for me to consider how I reflect on the things around me…  Saint Josemaria cautioned, “Do not enter into dialogue with temptation.”  And what he meant here is that we have a responsibility to remain in a state of horror about sin.  We have a responsibility to continue to hold ourselves away from sin – any sin…

“Do not enter into dialogue with temptation. Allow me to repeat it: have the courage to run away and the moral strength not to dally with your weakness or wonder how far you can go. Break off, with no concessions.” (Saint Josemaria, “Furrow”, at 137).

And it is in that breaking off without concession that I so often fail.  I just leave myself a little window to continue my gossip.  I continue to reflect on the injustice against me for a little while longer instead of forgiving and forcing my thoughts to move on to God.  I keep the extra piece of cake on my table so that I can eat it greedily even though I am full and have no need of this.

And I have come to wonder if perhaps that little dialogue is the only thing standing between me and salvation today…?

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.