Episode 49 -- Imitation of Christ III.11 -- On the Need to Sift and Govern the Human Heart

We read about the need to sift and govern our our hearts. Thomas a Kempis insists that our desires need to be held back, kept in check. Because of original sin, we have a tendency to desire things more than we should and at times that are bad. We cannot live purely by our own likes and dislikes. We must seek to bring our desires in line with God"s will. And then there are times when we absolutely have to deny ourselves certain desires of the body. The body is not evil. Pleasure is not evil. But there are moments in our lives when we a choice for God and our vocation must be made. Such moments are moments of grace, moments when the Lord protects us and strengthens us.