Episode 6 -- Imitation of Christ I.6 -- About Moderating the Passions

In trying to grow closer to Christ what is a common enemy?

Immoderate passions. The word, passions, is from a Latin root meaning to undergo or to suffer. Passions are things that we feel when we encounter something in the world that attracts or repels us. Passions are feelings that "happen to us" as a result of some object that we see or hear or touch or imagine or taste or smell. Thomas a Kempis understanding of the passions of the soul is what we usually speak of at a popular level as emotions. The main passions or emotions are desire, fear, hope, sorrow, anger, joy. Because of original sin our passions or emotions are easily immoderate. They are all over the place swinging from one extreme to another. The Imitation of Christ tries to persuade us to bring these passions under control lest we are led away by their forcefulness from Christ.